By VICTORIA STONE-MEADOWS
Soldiers’ descendants urged to come forward…
THE Mount Evelyn History Group is seeking input from family members of World War I servicemen.
The history group is working closely with the Mount Evelyn RSL to find the family members of those servicemen who were once honoured on the avenue of honour on Wray Crescent.
The gum trees were planted between 1918 and 1919.
Each tree had a plaque for each Mount Evelyn and Silvan volunteer in World War I.
The trees were not cared for from the 1940s onwards and the war commemoration plaques were unfortunately forgotten about.
The trees in the avenue of honour were cut down in the 1980s to make space available for more parking along the street.
It was then realised the trees had once been an avenue of remembrance and commemoration for local World War I volunteers.
Due to the centenary of Anzac Day, the history group and the RSL have planned to replace the memorial plaques into the RSL Memorial Gardens.
There have been 18 new plaques that have biographical details of each man who served.
Both groups are eager to have family members of those men participate in the unveiling ceremony, which will take place Sunday 26 July at 2pm.
Anyone who is related to any of the following servicemen is asked to contact the Mount Evelyn History Group on 9736 2935 or the Mount Evelyn RSL on 9737 0767.
* Corporal William Ludwig Aicher
* Sergeant John Alexander Ellis
* Gunner David England
* Private William Henry English
* Private George Hannah
* Private John Muir Hannah
* Private George Edward Joy
* Private Francis Hubert Lyall
* Private Thomas William McGuire
* Private Arthur John Newing
* Private Claude Douglas Pit
* Private Richard Robertson
* Private Donald Fergus Scott
* Sapper Robert Hazel Smith
* Corporal Driver Mechanic William John Teese
* Gunner Ray Thomson Tregear
* Private Samuel Tucknott
* Private James Alfred Varty
