Canowindra Historical Society invites all to attend its next History in the Club event. The Battle of Fromelles has a special place in these centenary years of commemoration of World War 1. It was the first battle on the Western Front in France, which saw Australian troops in action, and has the sad distinction of being the occasion of the greatest loss of Australian lives on any single day in our history. How did this happen? What went wrong?
In recent years, the discovery of mass graves of Australian soldiers who died in this battle has also had a profound impact on many Australians, not just the relatives of these hitherto missing soldiers. The story behind this discovery is itself fascinating and instructive. The presentation will include the stories of seven known local men who fought and/or died in this battle on 19 July 1916: Clarrie Nash, Keith (Barney) Davis, Harold Whitmee, Horace Balcomb and Jim Jones from the Cranbury district, Albert Williamson from Nyrang Creek and Peter Thompson
from Billimari. Their letters from the front are poignant and moving, giving flesh to the bones of the official histories.
Lunch is available beforehand in the Services Club Dining Room from 12 noon. For lunch bookings contact the Club. Tel: 63441397 A $5 donation is required. The main event will be in the RSL Hall at the Services Club. For further information contact Historical Society members; Ross Cleary 0410 447 950, Jan Harrison 6364 0258 or Dorothy Balcomb 6360 0618.