By JOHN TAYLOR OAM, Myrtleford and District Historical Society Inc.

IN March 1920, at the invitation of headmaster Mr T R Lehane, the Hon. A A Bilson MLA and Sgt A D Lowerson VC spoke to pupils at the unveiling of the Myrtleford State School World War I Honour Board.

The 'Myrtleford Mail' reported: "The Union jack veiled the board dedicated in memory of those whose names were inscribed on it."

Looking at the board, Sgt Lowerson commented, "it brought back memories of boys who played with him in the school yard. Many of them had been killed."

The Honour Board contained the names of 110 old pupils, including 25 listed "In Memoriam", acknowledging their supreme sacrifice.

Among those listed were brothers Thomas and William Willoughby and their cousins, James and George Matthews.

In the late 1850s, five Matthews siblings had left St Just, Cornwall for Australia, the children of William and Caroline Matthews.

Caroline's father was the inventor of the "Davy Safety Lamp" used in Cornish mines.

They came to seek their fortune on the Victorian gold fields.

William, John, Michael, Richard and Nannie Matthews settled in various locations in the North East, living at Myrtleford, Happy Valley, Eurobin, Wandiligong and the Buckland.

Thomas and William Willoughby were the sons of Nannie Matthews (who had died in 1909) and John Charles Willoughby of Myrtleford.

James Matthews' parents, Richard (who had died in 1908) and Jane, had lived at Running Creek and Myrtleford.

George Matthews, son of John and Mary, had been born at Happy Valley. His parents relocated to Castlemaine and at the time of his death his mother was contacted as 'next of kin'.

Private Thomas Willoughby, a butcher by trade and aged 19, enlisted on August 24, 1914 at Randwick, NSW.

He was wounded at 'Quin's Post', Gallipoli and died on the Hospital Ship 'Galeka' on May 31, 1915.

He was buried at sea by Chaplin T.J. Mills. His name is recorded on the Lone Pine Memorial to the Missing, Gallipoli.

Rifleman William Willoughby, enlisted in the 1st Battalion, Otago Regiment of the NZ Expeditionary Force whilst working as a labourer at Bluff on the South Island of New Zealand.

He embarked from Wellington, N.Z. on October 9, 1915.

He died of wounds in France on March 31, 1917, aged 32 years, and is buried at the Trois Arbres Cemetery, Steenwerk, France.

His name is recorded on the Bluff War Memorial overlooking the Southern Ocean, Southland, NZ.

Private James Edward Matthews, aged 18, joined the 21st Battalion in Melbourne on July 7, 1915.

Being under 21, his mother Jane gave him permission to enlist.

He joined the 60th Battalion in Egypt and embarked for France on June 28, 1916.

Within a month, on July 19 James, aged 18½ years, was one of 1,719 killed at Fromelles, France in action described as a "costly failure" involving 5,533 Australian casualties.

Initially listed as 'Missing in The Field', it took the findings of a Court of Enquiry to declare James 'Killed in Action', on August 4, 1917.

His grave is one of 160 still to be found.

James' name is recorded on the list of dead and missing at VC Corner Cemetery, Fromelles.

Today, efforts continue today to identify remains recovered from a burial plot, using DNA records.

Rifleman George Matthews enlisted in the 2nd Battalion, Otago Regiment of the NZ Expeditionary Force, leaving Wellington by troopship on January 8, 1916.

A little over two months after his brother's death, George was killed at the Somme in France on October 1, 1916 in his 23rd year.

With 214 New Zealand comrades, he is "Remembered with Honour", buried at the Caterpillar Valley War Memorial Cemetery, Longueval.

Of the 5000 graves at this cemetery, 3800 remain unidentified.

At Myrtleford in 1923 all four men were honoured by name on the Myrtleford War Memorial and eventually on the Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour.

The Old School Honour Board would move to a new school site in 1939 and finally find its way to a prominent place at the RSL Hall.

At the old Methodist Church on Myrtle Street, the entrance porch would house a memorial window dedicated to the four cousins; nearby, their names would also appear on an honour board with comrades from that church congregation.

Today, they remind us of war service and sacrifice at the entrance to the Uniting Church.

At the Myrtleford Pioneer Cemetery, marble memorial shields record Thomas' and William's deaths on the gravesite of their infant sister and parents.

Public 'In Memoriam' notices in the 'Myrtleford Mail' would continue for all four cousins until 1923.

The loss of these four young men was not the only multiple loss experienced by local families.

The McGregors, Rotherys and Woodgates also lost two family members each.

A count of district enlistments who died or who returned to Australia reveals a total of 46 families who had more than one member involved in the "War to End All Wars".

Lest We Forget.