By Brendan Rees
A significant slice of war history has found its home again on the wall of Clyde North Primary School.
The Clyde and District Honour Roll, which lists all Clyde men and women who were involved in the war effort, was originally at the Clyde North School No 118.
Following the closure of this school in 1992, the Honour Roll was stored at the Cranbourne RSL.
To commemorate Remembrance Day, the Cranbourne RSL presented the Honour Roll to Clyde North Primary School during a ceremony held on Monday 12 November.
Senior vice-president of the Dandenong Cranbourne RSL Bill Shepherd said the Honour Roll showed the contribution from a small town to the war effort.
“It records the names of scholars (29) including three nurses, and residents (29) from this area who served in the First World War and marks those who made the supreme sacrifice,” Mr Shepherd said.
“They would have traversed the fields and roads in this area over 100 years ago. This is a part of our history.”
The Honour Roll now sits on a case mounted on the wall of the staff room at Clyde North Primary School which also has an honour book displayed.
Manager of the Cranbourne RSL and member Cindy Florent cleaned the Roll with a little help of fine sandpaper and Marveer polish.
Among the names on the board were those born in Clyde, temporary labourers or residents on Clyde farms. Some names have been untraceable on electoral rolls, online digitised newspaper and genealogy websites.
Such was the fervour to join the Australian Imperial forces that George Cronin, who is listed on the roll, enlisted as a ‘scholar’ under the age of 15.
He embarked for Egypt however his father wrote to the authorities and he was returned and subsequently discharged.
