93rd Anniversary of the Battle
The 19 July 2009 was the 93rd anniversay of the Battle of Frommelles. Each year, the people of the town recognise the date by holding a memorial service. This year due to the increased focus on the battle and its aftermath, three, well-attended, locally organised ceremonies were held.
At Pheasant Wood attendees were granted limited access to the compound's entrance to hear speeches and lay wreaths. These ceremonies were followed by a Mayoral reception in the local hall.
The Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives, The Hon Harry Jenkins MP, and Australia's Ambassador to France, Mr David Ritchie, attended and laid wreaths as did Defence representatives from Britain, Australia and Germany.
Ceremonies were also held in Australia in Melbourne and Sydney. A letter written by Mr Lambis Englezos AM was read out at Fromelles - as Monsieur Guillaume Morel (grandson of Madame Marie-Paule Demassiet who donated the land at Pheasant Wood where the men were found) laid a wreath on behalf of the town at the Shrine in Melbourne.
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Ceremony at Pheasant Wood
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Ministers Set Record Straight
The 6 July 2009 negative media reports regarding the Fromelles Project had a number of factual errors and misrepresented elements associated with the project.
The Minister for Defence Personnel, Materiel and Science, the Honorable Greg Combet AM, and the Minister for Veteran's Affairs, the Honorable Alan Griffin, issued a media release
the same day to correct these inaccuracies.
The Ministers clearly outlined the commitment and dedication that the Australian and British Governments, respective Defence Forces, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and the Office of the Australian War Graves all have for this project and reinforced the thorough processes used throughout.
Cemetery Hoardings Up
Camberwell Primary School in Victoria is the sister school to the primary school in Fromelles and was contacted to contribute to the artwork adorning the cemetery constuction site. Students provided drawings based on their understanding of the battle and what the war meant to them. Their artwork was then built into a large graphic that is now a feature of the perimeter fence of the cemetery consrtuction site and can be seen in the circles across the bottom.
Children from Stonyhurst St Marys Hall School, in the United Kingdom also contributed artwork to other graphics.
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| Australian Hordings Artwork |
Lambis Englezos AM
Lambis Englezos' tireless efforts to recover and honour those buried at Pheasant Wood have been formally recognised in the 2009 Queen's Birthday Honours List. Mr Englezos is now a Member of the Order Of Australia for "service to the community through research and advocacy roles relating to Australian soldiers of the Great War buried in Fromelles, France."
Congratulations Lambis from Major-General Mike O'Brien and the Australian Fromelles Project Group.
Lambis Englezos On-site in Fromelles
Mr Lambis Englezos gave a presentation to Oxford Archaeology staff on-site in Fromelles in late May. He delivered his presentation on his instrumental work and findings that led to the work on which the OA staff now are employed.
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