Shire-wide news extracts from the Moruya Examiner of 5 October 1918, provided by the Moruya & District Historical Society:
ROLL OF HONOR. – LANCE-CORPORAL WILLIAM CHARLES DOWNER, third son of E. W. Downer, killed in action somewhere in France on 2nd September, 1918, aged 21 years 11 months after four years’ service. Loved by all who knew him and mourned by his loving uncle and aunt, Alf. and Sis. Innes.
ROLL OF HONOR. – News was received in town during the week that Pte. Frederick Francis Morris, youngest son of Mr. and Mrs. M. Morris, of 88 Johnston St., Annandale and formerly of Moruya, was killed in action on 4th Sept., thus another of our district natives has paid the toll.
MRS. A. KEITH received the sad intelligence last week that her eldest brother, had paid the supreme sacrifice. Pte. Charles Whittaker had been doing service with the A.M.C. for over three years and was expected home at Xmas.
DAIRY INSPECTOR. – Mr. Dairy Inspector Neville is now in the Moruya district.
COACH RUNNING. – A coach now runs with pupils to the Bodalla School from 4 miles along the Moruya road. A returned wounded soldier, Mr. Fred. Taylor, has the contract.
SUNDAY CARS. – We now have an opportunity of leaving Moruya for Sydney by car on Sundays. Read Hunt & Co.’s advt. in our business columns.
SOCKS. – The pupils attending the Public School, Bodalla, continue to make socks for our soldiers. Their total for the War Chest now stands at 40 pairs for the last six months.
REJECT BADGES. – The Minister of Education in South Australia asks all men in the Department who have enlisted, but who have not been accepted for active service, to wear their reject badges on all occasions. It should hardly be necessary to advise a man to wear the token which proclaims the fact that he was game to offer to do his “bit.”
JUNIOR RED CROSS. On Saturday afternoon last members of the Red Cross Society met Mr. E. J. Egan, Master of the Moruya Public School. Those present were Mesdames J. Emmott (President), W. Jermyn, Fox, Keith, A. W. Constable (Hon. Sec), Misses Keith and Cooper, and Messrs Egan and Jermyn and about 20 of the pupils. It was decided that a Junior Circle be formed.
CONVENT SCHOOL. – During the week Mrs. A. W. Constable, Hon. Secretary Red Cross Society, visited the Convent School with a view to forming a Junior Red Cross Circle there. The Reverend Mother and Sisters being in the deepest sympathy with the movement, promised to try and organise a branch early next month, as soon as the examination, for which the children are busy working, is over.
DEATH. – Early on Saturday morning last there passed away to that bourne from which no traveller returns, one more of the district’s good old pioneers, in the person of Mr. John Francis Strahan, of the “Orchards,” Mynora. The deceased gentleman was a very quiet, unobtrusive, honourable man, and a good and kind-hearted neighbor. He had reached the good old age of 76 years. A young and devoted widow is left to mourn in solitude.
WEDDING. – At the Sacred Heart Church on Saturday evening last, the Rev. Father Musgrave celebrated the marriage of Miss Doris Hartmann, second daughter of Mr. and Mrs. A. Hartmann, of Campbell St., Moruya, and Mr. Richard Mehl.
LATEST CABLES. –
Germans are evacuating their positions on a twenty mile front between Lens and Armentieres.
The French captured Challorange and Poivre.
The first American Army is advancing towards the Kriemhilde-Stellung line. Captured orders show that the Germans were particularly anxious to hold this line as otherwise they must face the Americans in open warfare.
The “Daily News” Zurich correspondent says that Turkey informed Germany that she is determined to sue for peace.
Holland advices state that the Germans are removing stores and guns from the Belgian coast. German civilians have been recalled. The naval reserve stationed at Antwerp is said to be preparing to leave Belgian.
Nineteen 100 years ago booklets containing articles for the years 1899 to 1917 are available ($5 ea) from the Society’s rooms. Copies of local newspapers from the 1860s to date can be viewed at the Society’s Family History Research Centre (Ph 4474 3224) situated at the rear of the Museum in Campbell St. Moruya (www.mdhs.org.au).
