Saturday, 23 April 2011

DiggerProject - Jon Lavery


VC Corner Cemetery is unique amongst cemeteries in France. It is the only cemetery that is entirely Australian and yet it contains no headstones. The disasterous battle of Fromelles occured on the 19th of July 1916. It was the first action that Australians saw on the Western Front and was designed to ensure that German soldiers remained on the sector and didn't move to the Somme. It  became the worst day in Australia's military history with 5,500 casualties in one day including 1900 dead. Many of the dead were hastily buried in a two pits that make up VC Corner Cemetery. The rear wall lists the names of those who were never found.
Jon Lavery's wife Kim had a great uncle, Arthur Wardell, who had a falling out with his stepfather and moved from England to Australia, he lied at his enlistment about his age. Jon believes that he joined so he could go back to Europe. His name is on the Wall of Rememberance at Fromelles.

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