A special ceremony to commemorate the centenary of the Battle of Lone Pine at Gallipoli will take place in East Maitland on Saturday, August 8.
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The ceremony has been arranged by members of the Rotary Club of East Maitland – just where a lone pine was planted in Cooks Square
Park from original seeds of a lone pine growing at the battle site.
“We would like everybody to come to this ceremony at what is a major historical site in East Maitland,” one of the organisers David Sciffer said.
“This lone pine in Cooks Square Park has been grown from seeds taken from a tree at Lone Pine Grove at Gallipoli.
“On the big day, we will have a sandstone block set up with two plaques about the Battle of Lone Pine and its significance.
“The battle of Lone Pine itself was fought between August 6 to August 9, 1915, so we are inviting everyone to come to this historic memorial event on August 8.
“We would also like to hear from anyone who had relatives who fought there.
“I have 25 names of people who were in that battle – 18 of them who died at Lone Pine.”
East Maitland Rotary Club president John Compton said one of his relatives was buried at Shrapnel Gully at Gallipoli.
“I also had a relative who was killed in France and one who died in Egypt,” Mr Compton said.
“This is a typical toll of people from small country towns who fought in World War I.”
People with relatives who were killed at the Battle of Lone Pine can contact Mr Sciffer on 4933 5753 or 0407 335 754.
Korean War veterans attend memorial service
Four Korean veterans from Maitland will meet the Consul General for South Korea on Monday at the 65th memorial service for those who fought in that conflict.
The service, to be attended by the Consul General Huijin Lee, will be held at the Cenotaph in Maitland Park starting at 11am.
The Maitland Korean war veterans at the service will be David Cunningham, Ray Jones, Basil Stemp and Brian Moore.
“The South Korean Consul General particularly wanted to meet Korean War veterans and he will be addressing those at the memorial service,” Maitland RSL sub-branch vice-president Graham Bell said.
“Mr Lee will also be presenting the Ambassador of Peace Medal to Korean veterans and he will be addressing the service,” he said.
After the ceremony, several Korean musicians will play traditional Korean folk music.
“We would like all Korean War veterans and their families to attend this special ceremony,” Maitland RSL sub-branch president Eric Bell said.
