{"id":75440,"date":"2014-07-24T01:16:20","date_gmt":"2014-07-23T15:16:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=75440"},"modified":"2020-11-27T15:52:54","modified_gmt":"2020-11-27T05:52:54","slug":"trail-of-poppies-leads-back-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2014\/07\/24\/trail-of-poppies-leads-back-home\/","title":{"rendered":"Trail Of Poppies Leads Back Home"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Murgon State High School captains\u00a0Kirsten “Chook” Upton and Geoffrey Kinsella with Murgon SHS principal Greg Smith … recounted their memories and impressions of the European trip<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

July 24, 2014<\/strong><\/p>\n

The trail of little red poppies left by South Burnett residents on graves and memorials around Europe – and the sacrifices they represent – will never be forgotten following the launch of a special book of memories.<\/p>\n

The limited-edition photobook, \u201cPoppies For Remembrance\u201d, details stories about South Burnett residents killed during World War I and contains photos taken at their memorials.<\/p>\n

It was launched at a “Poppy Presentation Evening” held at Kingaroy Town Hall on Wednesday night before invited guests and relatives of the fallen Anzacs.<\/p>\n

In May, a group from the South Burnett including Mayor Wayne Kratzmann, Murgon High School students Kirsten Upton and Geoffrey Kinsella, Murgon principal Greg Smith, MBDA president Leo Geraghty, historian Liz Caffery and RSL representatives\u00a0Don Davey and Jim Kingston went to Dodewaard in the Netherlands to mark the anniversary of the death of former Murgon resident Patrick Tiernan during World War II.<\/p>\n

Patrick was killed when his Halifax bomber exploded over the Dutch town in 1944. The delegation was invited to Dodewaard by local residents who had been faithfully tending the graves of Patrick and his crewmate Alf Burns for 70 years.<\/p>\n

It was decided the European visit was also an opportunity to honour the sacrifice of the many South Burnett residents who lost their lives a century ago on the fields of France and Belgium during World War I.<\/p>\n

After months of research and submissions from local residents, a list of names was prepared and three major cemeteries and memorials chosen to visit: The Menin Gate, Buttes Cemetery at Polygon Wood, and Tyne Cot.<\/p>\n

Liz Caffery said there were 55,000 names on The Menin Gate: 6000 from Australia, including more than 30 from the South Burnett – which means they died in Flanders’ fields, and their bodies were never identified.<\/p>\n

The South Burnett delegates placed little red poppies next to the names of South Burnett residents.<\/p>\n

On Wednesday night, special “poppy packs” containing photos of the memorials were distributed to descendants of the South Burnett Anzacs.<\/p>\n