Plenty to work on there. Two nurses, at first glance it looks like ranks only on those KIA, but no, not even that consistent. And how did they choose the order - was it as they enlisted? Surely not. Or just purely haphazard.
I photographed this before the church closed a few years ago - the board is probably at the Uniting Church Archives.
Nurse Jeffreys wasn't strictly local, but her father had been the minister at the church for 12 months or so. They were living at Preston when she enlisted.
The order of the names is deeply mysterious. Chapman at the top went away with the 7th Battalion in 1914, and Henry Wright towards the bottom went away with the 14th Battalion in 1914, so it doesn't appear to be in order of enlistment, nor in alphabetical order.
I think these boards were often established in 1915, and names went on as they enlisted as and the men's names were drawn to the attention of the signwriter as they were thought of. People probably came to the church having moved to the area, and had their boys added in, even if they'd never set foot in the church - though that doesn't explain the Wright brothers. No idea what went on with this one.
I am a community historian (ie, not paid) from Essendon. The content of my Empire Called database (see the link to the PBWorks website) is the result of nearly 25 years' research. The Empire Called blog is a companion for the PBWorks website of the same name.
Time Travellers in Essendon and Flemington is set up in the same way, with a website and a blog to report additions to the website. The website is a vehicle to publish longer pieces of research that are too long for newsletters, various indexes, and photos of local history interest. You may find something of use for your research.
Plenty to work on there. Two nurses, at first glance it looks like ranks only on those KIA, but no, not even that consistent. And how did they choose the order - was it as they enlisted? Surely not. Or just purely haphazard.
ReplyDeleteNice find - do you know where it is now?
I photographed this before the church closed a few years ago - the board is probably at the Uniting Church Archives.
ReplyDeleteNurse Jeffreys wasn't strictly local, but her father had been the minister at the church for 12 months or so. They were living at Preston when she enlisted.
The order of the names is deeply mysterious. Chapman at the top went away with the 7th Battalion in 1914, and Henry Wright towards the bottom went away with the 14th Battalion in 1914, so it doesn't appear to be in order of enlistment, nor in alphabetical order.
I think these boards were often established in 1915, and names went on as they enlisted as and the men's names were drawn to the attention of the signwriter as they were thought of. People probably came to the church having moved to the area, and had their boys added in, even if they'd never set foot in the church - though that doesn't explain the Wright brothers. No idea what went on with this one.