Honour Board Rededication

Rededication Ceremony of the
Tatong Primary School Honour Board
The Great War 1914-1918

Tatong Memorial Hall, November 11th 2006

On November 11th 2006, the Tatong State School Honour Board was rededicated in the Tatong Memorial Hall.
During the Great War, four men from Tatong were killed in action.
Five more were wounded, and one was taken prisoner.

Many suffered from poison gas attacks; from deprivation of food and medical supplies.
The effects of living, sleeping and fighting in these appalling conditions we can only begin to imagine.

For many years, the honour board commemorating the sacrifices made by these young men has hung in their own school.
Now that school is almost certain to be closed, despite the protests of local parents.
The honour board having been cleaned and restored, now joins the other honour boards in the Tatong Memorial Hall.

Elaine Brogan, President of the Tatong Heritage Group and MC, welcomed those who had come to celebrate the occasion.

Students from the Swanpool Primary School led in singing of the National Anthem.
Mr Jim Payne, President of the Benalla RSL, directed the two-minute silence in memory of those who gave their lives.
He recited The Ode;

They shall not grow old
As we that are left grow old
Age shall not weary them
Nor the years condemn
At the going down of the sun
And in the morning
We will remember them

Lest We Forget

As Elaine read out each of the names of the men listed on the Honour Board, a family member, or a local, placed a poppy on the table beneath the board.

The following details are taking from Gregory Kirk’s book “Tatong’s Call to Arms”:

George Lancelot Wilson, Private No. 4641. Joined up aged 21. Son of George and Eva (Bone). George played football in the 1911 Tatong Premiership team. Private Wilson returned to Australia in May 1919 after a period in hospital in England.
James William (Bill) Bilham, Private No. 2462. Joined up aged 18 years and 1 month. Son of Mark and Mary (Hewson) farmers at Tatong. Private Bilham was killed in action at Mouquet Farm on the 26th August 1916 and is buried at the Pozieres British Cemetery.
Thomas Patrick Evans, Lance Corporal No. 3093. Joined up aged 21 years. Son of Edward Evans. He was born in Benalla but attended the Tatong State School. He saw service in Egypt, England and France.

Alexander George Wallace, Private No. 146/648. Joined up aged 23 years and 1 month. Son of Henry and Maragaret Wallace. The Wallace family have lived as farmers at Tatong since 1886. It was here that Alexander returned to settle. He is buried in the Moorngag Cemetery.
Thomas James (Tom) Daly, Private/Sergeant No. 2758. Joined up aged 18 years and 8 months. Son of Thomas and Margaret, farmers of Toombullup. He served in England and France.
George James Hammond, Private No. 6809a. Joined up aged 21 years and 2 months. Son of William and Sarah (Johnson). George was made prisoner of war in June 1918. He served in Egypt, England, France and Germany.

Vivian Reynolds Worrall, Second Aircraft Mechanic No. 2666. Joined up aged 20 years and 1 month. Son of William and Catherine. They took up land South and East of the Tatong township in 1909.
Joseph Patrick Sullivan, Private No. 389. Joined up aged 24 years and 6 months. Son of Joseph and Sarah (Brown). Joseph was a keen sportsman, lived with his family and worked on the family farm at Mount View, Tatong. The property is now called Echo Hills and is on the Tatong Benalla road, North West of the Tatong township.
Robert William (Bob) Daly, Private/Corporal No. 2664. Joined up aged 21 years. Son of Thomas and Margaret.
Bob was one of seven children. Sadly, Robert was killed in action on 23rd April 1918, aged 23.

James Henry (Jim) Sullivan, Private/Trooper No. 641. Joined up aged 21 years. Son of Joseph and Sarah (Brown). Jim lived and worked on the family farm, Mount View. The property is now called Echo Hills and is on the Tatong Benalla road, North West of the Tatong township. James served in Egypt, Gallipoli, (where he was wounded) France and England with the Australia Light Horse Regiment.
John James Bickerton, Private No 27. Joined up aged 23 years and 1 month. Son of Henry and Jessie (Renfree). He worked with this family at various sawmills in the district. John served with the 3rd Australian Pioneer Battalion.
Hedley Barker Bickerton, Private No. 1263. Joined up aged 19 years and 6 months. Son of Henry and Jessie. Hedley’s parents leased 225 acres of land in Tatong and 52 acres in Rothesay. Hedley and John were two of five brothers to enlist in World War One.

In thanks, Elaine acknowledged:

Brigadier Mr Keith Rossi, Anzac House, Melbourne for his kind words, support and remembrance poppies;
Mr Jim Payne, President of the Benalla RSL;
Joe and Bev Hakkenness for their work assisting the event;
John Brogan;
The Tatong Heritage Group;
The Swanpool Primary School Children;
The Tatong Hall Committee;
Greg Kirk for the information from “Tatong’s Call to Arms”;
and the Commonwealth Government of Australia, for the funding to have this Honour Board restored, on the project of “Saluting Their Services”.

Tatong Heritage Group Home