A who’s who of Australia’s military history will gather at the Bodangora War Memorial at 11am on Friday to commemorate the 1916 Battle of Fromelles.
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Speaking at the service will be Martial Delabarre OAM, who has played a key role in rediscovering Australian soldiers who lost their lives in the battle.
More than 5500 Australians were killed or wounded at Fromelles and nearby Pheasant Wood. An estimated 1298 were unknown dead.
From Bodangora itself, a town then populated by about 5000 people, 47 men left to fight on the Western Front. 16 never returned, including four farmers, six labourers and an engineer.
Mr Delabarre’s wife Catherine will accompany him to Bondangora, with Dubbo library’s John Bayliss and Simone Taylor, Bathurst’s John Payne and the RSL Sub Branch’s Tom Gray, Bill Greenwood, Greg Salmon MM and Burt McLellan also attending the service.
Convener Maurice Campbell said it was be a privilege to have so many distinguished guests making to trip to Bodangora to commemorate the Battle of Fromelles.
“This is the most isolated spot – but can you imagine anywhere so beautiful,” Mr Campbell said.
