Murgon State High School principal Greg Smith and 2014 school captains Geoffrey Kinsella and Kirsten Upton with a memorial display mounted opposite the graves of Alfred Burns and Patrick Tiernan in Dodewaard (Photo: Eleanor Kratzmann)

November 8, 2015

Time is running out for the public to book for the special “thank you” lunch at Murgon RSL for the visiting delegation from Dodewaard … the town which has been “caring” for one of Murgon’s own for the past 70 years.

The citizens of Dodewaard, from Neder-Betuwe municipality in The Netherlands, have been tending the graves of Australian airmen Patrick Tiernan, from Murgon, and Alfred Burns, from Sydney, since they were shot down over their town during World War II.

Neder-Betuwe Burgemeester (mayor) Kees Veerhoek and members of the committee who organised the 2014 Patrick Tiernan and Alfred John Burns Memorial Day in Dodewaard – and their Australian friends Ann Tiernan and husband Chris Boyle, Bob and Margaret Tiernan, Jillian Tiernan and Adrian Carroll – will be the special guests at the lunch on Monday, November 16.

Dodewaard residents turned out in force to greet the Australian delegation when they visited last year; it would great if as many South Burnett residents as possible could share some Aussie hospitality with the Dutch visitors.

Bookings for the lunch close on Tuesday night (November 10) for catering purposes.

The event will run until 3:00pm and will include a visit to the former Tiernan’s Australian Hotel and the laying of a wreath at the Murgon war memorial.

RSVP by email to Murgon RSL Sub branch president Trevor Sanderson or  Leo Geraghty as soon as possible.

Cost is $20 per head (to be pre-paid to the Murgon RSL Services Club).

“When you go home, tell them of us and say: For your tomorrow, we gave our today.”

(The short statement that was on the May 3 Commemorative Booklet at Dodewaard)

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