The individual names of those men and women who served in World War I so far mean little to the children of Maitland.
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But as the world prepares for the Anzac centenary one school will embark on a project to unearth the forgotten stories of the war.
Next year, Thornton Public School students will take part in the Find Them Remember Them program to create a living memorial to local soldiers and nurses of their district.
The project has been developed by John Gillam and Yvonne Fletcher, co-authors of Their Story: Service Sacrifice & Community Support 1914-1915.
“This program has been designed to allow students to become historians and engage with the past on a very personal level,” Ms Fletcher said.
As part of the project – included in the school’s 2015 school curriculum – the story of Frederick Hilton Hain will be told.
A native of East Maitland, Fred Hain (as he was known) enlisted in July 1916 aged 19 years.
Fred was given the rank of Gunner before leaving Australia in September 1916 and entered battle on the Western Front in January 1917.
Unfortunately, Fred never returned home. He was killed in action on September 24, 1918, at Roisel, France, aged 21 years.
“This program provides not only an historical focus on the period but provides the students with an authentic opportunity to share their learning with the wider community,” school principal John Millburn said.
The school is also looking for the descendants of those soldiers listed on the war monuments at East Maitland, Woodberry, Tarro and Millers Forest, to be part of the school’s Centenary of Anzac commemorative activities.
“One hundreds years ago the soldiers, this district and this country needed the support of their community,” Ms Fletcher said.
“Today we again need that support to help teach our students about their history.”
* For more information phone the school on 4964 1369 or email legendsandlessons@gmail.com
MAKING POPPIES
Maitland residents are being urged to knit, crochet or sew red poppies to commemorate Anzac Day 2015.
Inspired by the 5000 Poppy Project, which aims to plant poppies in Federation Square in Melbourne, Thornton Public School plans to collect hundreds of hand-made poppies to remember soldiers from the district who served during World War I.
More than 260 men and two women from Thornton enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force district during WWI, and 62 did not return. Each poppy – to be placed in an area surrounding the school’s lone pine – will carry the name of a solider.
Patterns can be found at: htttp://5000poppies.wordpress.com/poppy-patterns/ or collected from the school.
For more information phone Yvonne Fletcher on 0401 352 782.
