To be held on Thursday 24th March at 10 am at Cornelian Bay Cemetery
Roman Catholic Section EE

With this unveiling, the number of men who have been commemorated will now stand at 103, which is a significant effort on the part of the Tasmanian Headstone Project committee and means that we are nearly a third of the way through Cornelian Bay. It also marks the beginning of a Work for the Dole Program which the committee hopes will move the project ahead quickly so that we can meet our target of completing Cornelian Bay Cemetery by Remembrance Day 2018.

March 2016 also marks the 100th anniversary of the formation of the 40th Battalion, Tasmania’s battalion raised here at Claremont and led by Lieutenant Colonel John Lord. The battalion would go on to win battle honours at Messines, Ypres, Polygon Wood, Broodseinde, Poelcappelle, Passchendaele, Somme 1918, Ancre 1918, Amiens, Albert 1918, Mont St Quentin, Hindenburg Line and St. Quentin Canal. Four of the men being honoured today served with the 40th Battalion.

The soldiers being commemorated are: Thomas Philip Ready (40th Bn), Leslie Thomas Hogan (AAMC Details), James Wilson Stirling (1st G.S.R.), Michael James O’Brien (40th Bn), James Vivian Whitchurch (12th Bn), Peter Vincent Byrnes (9th Bn), Charles Herbert March (30th Bn), Edward Arthur Maher (40th Bn), James William Nugent (4th Machine Gun Bn), William Merton (41st Bn), John Joseph Williams (40th Bn), Maurice Thomas Walch (12th Bn) and William George Bailey (British Labour Corps)
Students from Ogilvie High School have undertaken the research. Students from Rose Bay High School will provide the music and ADF Students from Claremont College will also be in attendance and taking part in the service.

Guests attending: Andrew Wilkie who is the guest speaker, Senator Eric Abetz, Elise Archer MHA, Ms Madeleine Ogilvie, Ms Adriana Taylor MLC, Alderman Ron Christie, senior Tasmanian military representatives, members of the 12th/40th Battalion and 12th/40th Association and members of the serving and ex-service community.
Andrew Wilkie, Independent MP for Denison