By JOLENE OGLE
THEY were bakers, clerks, coach drivers and farmers, who left their homes in Noosa Shire to set sail for a bloody war on foreign lands.
They were the husbands, brothers, fathers and friends who would never return to the sunny shire of Noosa, would never see their family again, and would be laid to rest in soils far away.
From 1914 to 1918, townsfolk farewelled their brave men, many of whom were unaware of the horror that awaited them at Gallipoli and the Western Front, but were determined to fulfil their duty.
In researching the fallen Diggers of the Noosa Shire, it has become clear the men from this region were courageous and unrelenting in their duty, with many soldiers commended for their bravery.
The Military Medal was bestowed on men from this region who, while under heavy fire from the enemy, carried out their duties with bravery and unrelenting energy and to men who helped wounded soldiers, rescuing them from No Man’s Land, with a disregard for their own personal safety.
It is with great pride that a century after the historic landing at Anzac Cove, this week’s Noosa Today is devoted to honouring and remembering those who so bravely gave so much. Lest we forget.
