Once again April is almost here, and this is the time to remember our fallen heroes and those who have returned to this wonderful country of ours to reassimilate with their families and communities.
It is also a time to think about what these wonderful men and women have done for our Country. Within the Australian War Memorial and the National Library of Australia many of their records are now being released.
The RSLVirtualWall web site is another avenue of information. They are endeavouring to get as much information and as many photos as possible to help tell the human side of these veterans so that future generations will be able to access who their ancestors were and how they lived and died.
There is now another interesting part of this story, as the technology of DNA has now come to the forefront of actually naming those fallen who have never been identified. This is a large project being held world wide, not only for Australians.
Within the Logan Village ANZAC community we have just such an individual. John Henry Hunter Service Number 3504 was in the 49th Battalion 9th Reinforcements. John died on or near the 26th September 1917 in Belgium. In September 2006 a grave was found by Belgium workers who were building a gas line near Zonnebace.
With the use of DNA which had been supplied by his niece, he was identified and reinterred in Buttes Cemetery on the 4th October 2007.
Many people are sceptical of DNA matches, but in this case it has proven to be worthwhile. If when looking into your ancestry you have a Digger who has never been found, it might be worthwhile to contact the Australian War Memorial for information on this project.
As with all ANZAC days the Museum will be open after the Service held on the Logan Village Green. This will enable visitors to ask questions about their wish to research their family member, or just to look at the display that is housed there.
Logan Village Museum March 2017.