“The Cobden Historical Society and Cobden Primary School hope residents will join us at 10.30am this Friday (April 17th) at the monument and the Heytesbury Council Chambers near the Civic Hall as we acknowledge funding provided, and work done, to restore and refurbish our World War 1 memorials where we will be exhibiting items of interest pertaining to our war service history – and to enjoy a cuppa and an Anzac biscuit”: Alma MacDonald (Secretary, Cobden Historical Society)

Edition No. 45 April 15th, 2015 The Honour Board Cobden Primary School is providing its refurbished World War 1 Roll of Honour for Friday’s display. A labour of love: Much work by the Historical Society’s Judith Gribble, Jennifer Kripp and Alma MacDonald is going into preparations Greg Suter of Cobden Kitchens and Joinery is pictured, below, for this Friday’s display of items from all wars involving Australian forces. Not only will it offer a respectful and poignant opportunity to putting the finishing touches to the board which shows the names of remember the sacrifices made by thousands of men and women over the years, the display will also provide an enlightening experience past Cobden Primary School students who enlisted in World War 1. for those, probably younger, people who may be still ‘coming to grips’ with the horror of war. School principal Peter Lee said the school was proud to be involved In today’s Connecting Cobden, Alma and her grandson Callum Meade talk about some of the items that will be displayed on Friday. with the Historical Society in setting up the display. “We have all been directly or indirectly affected by our war history and we The Postcards It is interesting to note the formal manner in which these letters are think it’s essential that our younger people in particular understand written – so very different from the casual and, I believe, no less and acknowledge the heroics, the sacrifices and the mistakes of the Alma: “Of the many postcards in our possession, from the horrible sincere manner of today. The same relationships exist, 100 years scenes of deprivation of mankind, buildings and countryside to past.” on.” the propaganda machines and the wry humour displayed by both sides of the conflict, they show there was very little difference The Guns in the make-up of the soldiers who bravely fought to serve their Callum Meade: “My two guns are stark examples of World War 1 countries.” weaponry used by both British Empire and Turkish/German forces during World War 1. The Lee-Enfield British 303 was made in England in1917 which makes it 98 years-old. The gun was typical of the type carried by the Australians when they landed at Gallipoli in 1915. The guns were also made in their thousands at a factory in Lithgow, New South Wales, and used in both world wars. A Lee-Enfield had a ten-round and was capable of firing 30 rounds in a (mad) minute. The customised rifle, incomplete due to a missing wooden , was given to me by my great uncle Fred Wilson. The other gun is a German Gewehr 98 made in Spandau near Berlin in Germany. Used against the allied forces, it has a five round capacity and uses 8mm Mauser cartridges. This was purchased at Holts in Colac was manufactured in 1916, making it nearly 100 years-old. Both guns are registered and fully-usable. Despite a rigmarole to get the right permissions, they will both be on display on April 17th. No permit is required if I was to walk with the guns, but to display them is quite a different matter. Thankfully, we received great support from our local police. Alma displays some significant war-time While my interest in war memorabilia has been influenced by my postcards, letters and sporting medals. grandmother, Alma, I have developed my own awareness of war history. I think it is important to understand the significance of it The Sporting Medals all. Certainly, if our men and women had not fought on our behalf, Alma: “Following the end of World War 1 hostilities, servicemen we wouldn’t be standing here today. and women spent months waiting for transportation back to While I have not been to Gallipoli I have visited Fromelles in Greg Suter at work. Australia. The British Expeditionary Forces had recreational , the site of another important battle in Australia’s war training and the Australian Corps conducted Australian Rules history. With my grandmother, I plan to visit Canberra in the near football competitions. An exhibition game was played in future to view the $32 million redevelopment of the World War 1 as guests of the king and queen of Belgium. It was a thank-you galleries at the Australian War Memorial.” to the Australian Infantry Forces (AIF) for their service to the Belgium citizens. Volunteer dinners have re-emerged as an important event Charles Winchcomb of Cobden was a member of one of the teams and was awarded a medal in recognition of his participation. He on Cobden’s calendar. returned and played football for Cobden as have several of his Progressing Cobden, Cobden’s CWA branch and the nephews and grandnephews in recent years.” Rotary Club of Cobden have all hosted successful events The Letters over the past three years. Would another organisation like Alma: “On reading the correspondence between a grief-stricken to take a turn this year? father (my grandfather, Fred Wilson) and one of his three sons The dinners are held to bring representatives from Cobden’s serving in the AIF abroad, one can only wonder at the wisdom of many groups together and to acknowledge the great work sending servicemen from the same regions into the same battalions. done by volunteers in our community. The letter requests his son, Hope Wilson, to make every effort to find the grave of his younger brother, Stephen, who had died of An organisation prepared to coordinate this year’s event wounds at the Battle of Menin Road in Belgium. would get plenty of assistance from the previous hosts. The father writes: ‘I might ask of you to go to his grave and see if The dinner can be held anytime in the middle months of it is left sacred. Also note the general surroundings and furnish us the year, usually on a Friday night. with a short note of all you know.’ Please contact a member of one of the above groups if The reply which was written on six postcards advises the grieving Callum with the Lee-Enfield British 303 rifle (top) more details are needed - or Kelvin (5595 1700). parents that both brothers had been fighting in the same battle and the German Gewehr 98 Mauser. where the younger son was fatally wounded. It was later discovered that two other Cobden boys, Jim Clarke and Lin Wilson, had died in battle but in different positions along the Menin Road.

COBDEN CALENDAR Monday 20th April: 7.30pm Spring Festival meeting, Cobden wants to encourage young people to involve themselves Heytesbury Room. All welcome. in the town’s organisations. Tuesday 21st April: 7.15am Cobden Business Network Corangamite Shire councillor Jo Beard and Progressing Cobden’s breakfast meeting, Cobden Golf Club. Kelvin White recently met with Cobden Technical School’s SRC Saturday 25th April: 11am Anzac Day service. Monument, leaders to discuss how the partnership between all related groups corner Victoria and Silvester streets. could be strengthened. Monday 4th May: 1pm Cobden CWA Mother’s Day High Jo and Kelvin explained how Progressing Cobden’s various Tea. Cobden Uniting Church hall. committees and groups operated and told the students Monday 4th May: 7.30pm Twenty20 Vision Action Groups opportunities existed for them and their colleagues to contribute held concurrently, Heytesbury and at all levels. President’s rooms, Cobden Civic Centre. Maddie McInnes (left, treasurer), Chelsea Mason (president) - Tourism and Town Appearance, and Chelsea Dawson (vice-president) talked about their own - Facilities, Infrastructure and Services. plans for the SRC this year. Senior Citizens’ Hall: Bowls 1pm Mondays. Cards 1pm “There were benefits for all,” Cr Beard said. “We had ideas to Mondays, Thursdays, Saturdays. share – and we learnt from each other.” Hoy 1.30pm first Saturday of the month. The relationship between the school and Progressing Cobden was off to a flying start at PC’s April meeting when the SRC president - Connecting Cobden - A Progressing Cobden Twenty20 Vision Project. and vice president attended and reported on school activities. Registered email: [email protected]