A British museum is trying to trace the descendants of young Anzac sappers from Williamstown, who trained in Brightlingsea, Essex, during the Great War.
The coastal town was the training base for as many as 10,000 Anzacs between 1916 and 1919.
Brightlingsea is planning a three-day memorial weekend in June and hopes to add any WWI photographs and ephemera from Williamstown to its museum.
Brightlingsea Museum volunteer Ann Berry said that on February 3, 1917, two letters from Australian sappers had been published in the Star Weekly’s predecessor, the Williamstown Advertiser.
“They were sent in October 1916 from Brightlingsea, Essex, England, where Sapper J.C. Morgate and A.N. Bell were training during the First World War,” she said. “They were sending thanks to a Mrs E. Musther and the Williamstown Anzac Club for parcels received.
JC MORGATE’S LETTER TO THE WILLIAMSTOWN ADVERTISER
“I’m also looking for anyone else whose ancestor was one of the ‘several Williamstown boys’ based here, and whose letters home were not published in the local paper.”
The letter from J.C. Morgate states he visited Cuffley with “another Williamstown boy, by the name of D. Robinson (he is the brother to Robinson, the plumber, of Elizabeth Street, Williamstown,” to see the wreckage of the first Zepp brought down on English soil.
“Last Sunday I paid a visit to the East End of London to see the damage done by the Zepps that they brought down in Essex,” his letter continues.
“It was an awful sight to see the destruction that they cause, even with one bomb.
“We have several Williamstown boys with our company and all have received their Anzac parcels, for which we are all very grateful.”
A letter by A.N. Bell to Mrs Musther also thanks her for a parcel, which he said “would come in very useful when I get over to the front.
“If you see mother, tell her I am all right,” it ends.
Brightlingsea’s Anzac centenary celebration, June 17-19, will commemorate the Australian contribution.
“The Brightlingsea Museum would be honoured to hear of any descendants of ‘our’ Australians and copies of any photographs or memorabilia would be added to our WWI collection,” Ms Berry said.
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