Remembrances of war

Throughout the City of Canada Bay there are many memorials, large and small, dedicated to the memory of local men and women who served our country in war.

Local Studies is custodian of two memorials to those who served in the First World War, the Drummoyne War Service Record, which records those who served from the Drummoyne area and the Lysaght Bros Roll of Honour, which records the names of workers from the Lysaght factory at Chiswick who served .

The beautiful memorial, above, pays tribute to nine soldiers from the Five Dock Methodist Church (now Five Dock Uniting Church) who did not return from the First World War. Undoubtedly it was crafted with love and compassion.

Images of some of the war memorials in the City of Canada Bay can be seen on flickr.

A special book of remembrance

One of Local Studies’ treasures is the Drummoyne War Service Record which records the names of service men and women of the First World War. The calligraphy and title page illustrations are by Drummoyne resident and ‘lithographic artist’ Henry John Allcock Baron while the morocco binding is by Wal Taylor, a noted craftsman bookbinder of the 1920s.

The title page of the Drummoyne War Service Record includes an illustration of the sinking of the German cruiser SMS Emden by HMAS Sydney, the first victory of the Royal Australian Navy. A recent addition to Canada Bay Connections is a letter from Cecil Rhoades to Charles McIlwaine written from the HMAS Sydney on 22 April 1917. The letter thanks the recipient for the Christmas parcel which had only just arrived and expresses how much the men enjoyed the cake. The three page letter does not mention anything about the ‘Syd’ (as Cecil calls the ship) or the war, as he writes ‘we get plenty of news … but have to keep it’.

The Drummoyne War Service Record can be viewed on flickr.