They Rallied to the Flag!
They rallied to the flag! The people behind Bexley’s patriotic flag. By Karen Pentland Dedicated to all those who went to war, those left behind and those who never forget… Background When I first read about Bexley’s patriotic flag for the War Effort, my interest was piqued. Who were the people who paid one pound for the privilege to embroider their names onto a flag in order to raise funds to provide comforts for the men at the Front? There were various fund raisers held during the war years; some were dances, some were Comfort Fund rallies, people knitted socks, school children brought in a sixpence for the troops, or in this case, people paid a pound to have their names embroidered onto a flag. For some whose name is found, it was just a generous effort but for others it was a labour of love. World War One or The Great War as it was known, decimated the populations of villages and towns around the world, leaving a whole generation of women without their husbands, beaus, fathers and sons. The suburb of Bexley was one of thousands in Australia who contributed to bring aid and support to the lives of these men. This flag once was held at Lydham Hall, but as time has passed, its location now remains a mystery. Like the men who fought and died, it may just be dust, but as the hundredth anniversary of this terrible war eddies around us, they, the fifty nine people who signed the flag, the men they supported and their flag deserve to be remembered.
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