REMEMBERING THE COO-EES ON ANZAC DAY 2021
Standing in a large crowd at the Dawn Service at Dubbo War Memorial this morning, I thought about Coo-ee Wilfred Ernest McDonald, along with all the fallen local young men, whose names are remembered there on the Roll of Honor plaques, who died during the First World War, and other wars since.
I remembered that his family, like many others, kept his memory alive by on the anniversary of his death, every year for many years, by placing a family notice in the local newspaper. This was the notice placed in The Dubbo Liberal one hundred years ago by his family in 1921:
I thought about the many Commonwealth war cemeteries and war memorials Stephen and I have visited over the years, in France, Belgium, England, Israel, and Turkey, including those for the 41 fallen Coo-ees, and remembered seeing all the flowers, little Australian flags, photographs, and other mementos that were placed by family members and others when they visited the graves of the fallen, and on the memorials built to remember those who have no known grave.
Hopefully the COVID-19 restrictions will eventually cease, so that we can continue to visit the memorials and graves of our fallen servicemen and servicewomen around the world, to remember, and pay our respects to the fallen.
Lest we forget.
[1] Family Notices (1921, May 3). The Dubbo Liberal and Macquarie Advocate (NSW : 1894 – 1954), p. 3. Retrieved April 25, 2021, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article76893098
1915 Coo-ee March 