INTEREST TO MEMBERS

Remembering the Korean War: Thank you letter to Australian Veterans

2010 marks the 60th Anniversary of the beginning of the Korean War. As part of the 60th Anniversary commemorations His Excellency, President of the Republic of Korea Lee Myung-Bak has sent a letter to all Australian surviving Korean veterans, expressing the gratitude of the Korean people for their service. In a spirit of cooperation, and to ensure the privacy of Korean veterans, Minister for Veterans Affairs and Minister for Defence Personnel Alan Griffin arranged for the Department of Veterans’ Affairs to mail out the President’s personal letter to almost 5000 surviving veterans. Any eligible veterans who have not yet received a letter should download,

print and complete an application form and mail it to the Department of Veterans Affairs.

A national ceremony will be held at the Australian National Korean War Memorial in Canberra

Certificates of Appreciation

The Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) provides Certificates of Appreciation to certain people under the Australian Government's Saluting Their Service Commemorations program.

See: Certificates of Appreciation

The Australian 'Cobbers' Memorial, at Fromelles Memorial Park.

The names of 75 of the 250 Australian soldiers, whose remains were uncovered at the World War 1 mass burial site at Fromelles in France

were issued on March 17. A second identification board will sit in May and release any further names of the missing Fromelles soldiers.

"The next large number of names to be released may be in March next year when another joint identification board sits.

That figure is fully dependant on relatives registering with us and providing DNA samples." Lt Col Brownlie said.

Every March from 2011 through o 2014, a joint identification board will sit and subsequently release further names if possible.

The reinterment of 249 of the soldiers was completed on February 19,

with the final unknown soldier to be buried at the dedication service on July 19.

A computer generated image of the first war cemetery

to be built on the Western Front in 50 years will be the

final resting place for the 400 soldiers discovered

in a mass grave at Pheasant Wood.

If you believe you are related to one of the missing soldiers found at Fromelles

or would like to register your interest in attending the service in July,

visit the Fromelles project website.

www.army.gov.au/fromelles/Fromelles_Home.asp

Selected text from ,Sgt Andrew Hetherington

Mr Snowdon said the soldiers were originally from the New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and South Australia [see list attached below] and were among 250 Australian and British WW1 soldiers recovered from Pheasant Wood in France in 2009.

“I am pleased to announce today that a Joint Identification Board held on 4 April 2011, has identified these 14 soldiers by name,” Mr Snowdon said.

FROMELLES PROJECT - LIST OF 14 AUSTRALIAN SOLDIERS

Service Number	Rank	Given Names	Surname	Unit	Enlisted
4811	Private	Percy	Geason	55th Battalion	Merewether, NSW
1390	Private	Herbert James	Haslam	29th Battalion	North Carlton, VIC
4744	Private	Albert Clive	Bromley	53rd Battalion	Brewarrina, NSW
	Captain	Thomas Francis	Sheridan	29th Battalion	Prahan, VIC
4420	Lance Corporal	William Andrew	Craigie	54th Battalion	Nyngan, NSW
1590	Corporal	Charles William	Murray	30th Battalion	Auburn, NSW
3310	Corporal	Frederick	Fletcher	55th Battalion	Oakley Bay, NSW
3256	Private	Maurice Leslie	Reid	32nd Battalion	Woods, SA
4299	Private	Arthur	Russell	54th Battalion	Kellyville, NSW
3327	Private	George	Hungerford	53rd Battalion	Toowoomba, QLD
1168	Corporal	David Frederick	Livingston	29th Battalion	East Melbourne, VIC
2056	Private	Matthew	Hepple	30th Battalion	Cessnock, NSW
743	Private	Daniel Bernard	Ryan	30th Battalion	Goulburn, NSW
311	Private	Leslie Gordon	Walsh	31st Battalion	Casino, NSW

The Army’s Fromelles Project team can be contacted by phoning 1800 019 090 or by accessing their website at www.army.gov.au/Fromelles.

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