THE CONWAY CROSS

The 'Conway Story' consisting of the information on this page and also the details of the preparation of the display ('Behind the Scenes') can be viewed (and downloaded) as a single 'pdf' file. Click here.

How the 'Conway Cross' Arrived at MERSL

From France to Christmas Hills

The MERSL is privileged to have the War Graves Cross of Private Harry Conway (SERN 7213). The young Harry enlisted in WW1 at the age of 18 and traveled to France, and was posted to the 21st Battalion where he served as a sniper. He was seriously injured in April 1918 and, sadly, he died from those injuries. He was buried in a cemetery in Rouen, but there were so many soldiers who died during that period that there was insufficient time to arrange proper headstones. The best that could be done, temporarily, was to mark the grave with whatever material was handy – in many cases it was a wooden cross. In some cases, when a more permanent gravestone was arranged for those soldiers, the wooden cross was made available to the soldier's family, if they wished to have it (it is thought that some payment may have been required, so perhaps not many found their way back to Australia). By whatever means, Harry's wooden cross was sent home to his mother, Rosamond, in Christmas Hills. A letter was sent to her from the Army to inform her of her son's burial and its location.

She retained what few mementos she had to remind her of her son, until she died in 1940.

From Christmas Hills to Parkdale, and then to Montmorency

Nothing was known of the cross for many decades after his mother died until it was found by Graeme Funnell who lives in a southern suburb of Melbourne, his house being previously owned by his father. During recent renovations (~2021), he found the cross in a little-used cupboard at the back of his garage, and he then recalled also seeing it as a youngster. There must have been a now-unknown connection (probably indirect) between Graeme's father and Harry Conway's mother. After re-finding the cross, and being unable to find any living relatives of Rosamond, Graeme decided to give the Cross to an RSL close to where Harry and his mother had lived. He contacted MERSL with an offer to donate it – an offer we gratefully and respectfully accepted.

How Did these Re-locations Come About?

The real details are unknown, lost due to the passage of time. One possibility may have been along the following lines: Rosamond's will (read here – click the page number to '2') referred to one of her executors as being Edith Stawell of Beach Rd, Beaumaris, which is not far from the house where Graeme lived as a youngster with his parents, and now lives in as the owner. There is a chance that Edith took the Cross for safe-keeping, when sorting out Rosamond's possessions after her death. If so, that would have put the Cross in Beaumaris, and Graeme's suggestion (see an edited extract of his emails) of possible developments from there (via his father and the local church) may have then unfolded, but there is no evidence remaining to support any explanation.

A Final Resting Place

The Cross is now on permanent display in a quiet alcove upstairs in what has become 'Harry's Corner'. The hermetically sealed cabinet also includes the Memorial Plaque (see photo below) which was sent to Harry's mother after the War, along with his WW1 medals. 

Our display of the Cross makes it an extremely rare item in that it is unlikely that there is a public display of such an item anywhere in Australia. The display has been funded by the Victorian Branch of the Vietnam Veterans Association of Australia was unveiled on Remembrance Day 2024. 

Scroll down the page, below the photos, to read a more detailed story about Pte Harry Conway, his family history (limited as it is), his involvement in the war, and what happened after his death.

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It is worth listening to The Green Fields of France (written by Eric Bogle in 1976) while reading the rest of this story. If you are viewing this page on a laptop or tablet, click here to open a new page, start the video, then click the tab at the top of the page to return here while the music is still playing (unfortunately, on a phone the music can't be played in the background while reading this story). To illustrate the poignancy of this song and its connection to Pte Harry, the lyrics only need to change the soldier's name, the reference to '1916' change to '1918', and 'wife' to 'mother' (or 'mum'), and Eric's song could have been about Pte Harry Conway.

Even better, is to listen to it while spending a quiet moment in Harry's Corner!

The Memorial Plaque (above) was given to Harry's mother as a memento of the supreme sacrifice he made in defence of his country. Such plaques were given to family members who suffered the loss of a loved one. They were often referred to as a 'Dead Man's Penny', although some folk regarded them as a symbol of bad luck.

Research conducted by the MERSL after the discovery of the Cross resulted in finding that there was indeed such a plaque, and that it was held at the YG RSL. The details were as follows:

The Plaque was sent to Harry's mother and she kept it until she died in 1940. At the auction of her property and assets, it was bought by Harold Muir (or his mother). Harold was a Christmas Hills resident and later was also a trustee of the Christmas Hills Mechanics Institute. When Harold died, the plaque was passed on to the Yarra Glen RSL. Pte Harry's name can be seen on the Roll of Honour at the Mechanics Institute Hall (see photo above).

After the discovery of the Cross, the YG RSL was contacted and they very generously agreed to hand the Plaque to our RSL so that it could be included as part of the permanent display which has the Cross as the central feature. It is located in the upstairs area in what is called the 'Conway Corner'.

Harry Conway's Detailed Story

India and Singapore

Rosamond Norman was born in 1874 to Richard and Diana Norman who lived in India, in the Nilgiris district (a small district in the southern State of Tamil Nadu) during the latter half of the nineteenth century. She had a number of brothers and a sister all born in the 1860s and 1870s. Rosamond was married in 1898, or before, to Ernest Conway and Harry was born in September 1898 in Singapore.

Not a lot is known about his father – there are records of his name being either Harry or Ernest – both are possible, as people are sometimes known by their second name (to avoid confusion, in this article the latter name will be used). Ernest was a ship's Captain, possibly in the Royal Navy (RN) or the RN Reserve (details are uncertain). Harry mentioned in his enlistment papers that his father had already died at that time (1916). Ernest was named as ‘Harry’ on the Commonwealth Graves record for his son, Harry, but Rosamond’s later obituary, marking her death in 1940, records his name as “Captain Ernest Conway”. 

Some confusion surrounds the life of Ernest as there are some records which show a 'Harry Conway' as being a Chief Officer on a Chinese vessel associated with Hong Kong. There is a record (and photo – zoom in to read details) of the headstone of a Harry Conway, Chief Officer of a Chinese merchant ship, who was killed by pirates in 1928. In addition, an Ancestry.com.au record suggests that this person was Rosamond's husband. However, that is not definite proof that the name refers to Harry's father. But neither is Harry's note on his enlistment papers indicating that his father had died before 1916.  There may have been family reasons for listing Ernest as deceased even though he may have continued to live a maritime life. For the remainder of this story it will be assumed that he had died before Rosamond and Harry arrived in Australia.

By the time Harry had reached school age, they had evidently returned to India –  perhaps because the father's career meant he spent much of his time at sea. Harry attended the Breek's Memorial School and served in the Nilgiri Volunteer Rifles (active service with NVR from Sept to Dec 1914) – some of these background details are noted in Harry's National Archives of Australia (NAA) military records and in his War Memorial Museum file. 

India to Christmas Hills

Mother and son eventually migrated to Australia (probably in late 1914) and settled in Christmas Hills on a farming property of about 90 acres, called Penrith. The time of their arrival is uncertain as the details in his War Memorial Museum records indicate that, on the one hand, he was 14 when they arrived in Australia (so a birth year of 1898 would mean arrival in 1912), but on the other hand, the same WMM document indicates that he served in the NVR (in India) in late 1914. A separate record (a book about local Rifle Clubs) lists Harry Conway as a member of the Christmas Hills Rifle Club in 1914.

Why Move to Australia?

Such a move, by a mother and son, from India to Christmas Hills in the early 1900s might seem unusual, but one of Rosamond's brothers had moved to Victoria around 1900. Perhaps Rosamond made the move so far from India after some encouragement by her brother, or at least she would have had some familiarity with the Australia and the local area if Harold had been writing back to his family in India.

 Regarding her brother, there is electoral roll evidence that Harold Norman lived in Rosanna Rd in 1909 and later was the manager of a property ('Blaaven') near Christmas Hills in 1924. His death certificate shows that he was married (to a Helen Johnson) and had three children, all born in India – (they would have been cousins to Harry). The 1924 electoral roll also mentions the name of one of the daughters, but not the other two, so it's not clear that they were in Australia. By the early 1930s Harold had moved to Dromana, and died there in 1934 as a result of a heart attack. HIs death certificate indicates that he had been in Australia for 34 years so must have arrived in 1900. His wife died in 1936, records suggesting that she was in India at that time. Family ancestral connections have been investigated and can be viewed here. That link only shows dates and not places, but background information on the 'Ancestry' website shows that all branches of the relevant families lived either in India or back in England by the time Rosamond had died, with only Rosamond and her brother, Harold (perhaps with his wife and one or more of their three daughters), having lived in Australia. 

The above family details may seem unnecessary to Harry Conway's story, but they are provided to show the attempts made to determine whether Rosamond and Harry had any relatives in Australia by the time she had died in 1940 – it would appear not.

Harry Enlists

Although their arrival date in Australia is in some doubt, Harry enlisted in the AIF on 6 November 1916, when he was just over 18 years of age (Army Service number 7213). His next of kin was listed as his mother (on his enlistment papers he had written that his father had died). Those papers and other service documents stored online by the NAA can be read here. Given his age, he was required to provide a signed statement from his mother indicating her consent for him to join the army – that letter can be read here.

The War in France

On 19 February 1917, Pte Harry Conway embarked on the ship Ballarat (again parental permission was required for a soldier not yet 19 to be sent abroad – read here). He arrived in the UK in April and undertook training in Durrington (inland from Plymouth on the south coast) then, in August, he was transferred to France, joining the 21st Battalion A.I.F. in September 1917. Earlier, in June of 1917, his mother was unsure as to Harry's whereabouts so she wrote to the Army to inquire as to a correct mailing address. She finished her letter by saying “Pardon the trouble I am giving, but my son is all I have in the world. I wish to keep in touch with him as much as I can” (that letter can be read here).

He was wounded in action in early October, having been buried by a shell explosion and suffered concussion, bruising and exhaustion. He spent a few days in hospital (both in Cayeux and Le Havre) before re-joining his unit.

On returning to his unit, he was selected to act as a sniper and spent some months in that role (he had been a member of the local rifle club in Christmas Hills before enlisting). In April 1918, his 21st Bn were camped at Laviéville, SW of Albert. On 11 April, he was again wounded, presumably while carrying out his sniper duties – the War Diary of the 21st (p.26) reported some vigorous sniper fire from both sides during early April. This time his injury was a more severe one than previously – a gunshot wound to his buttocks (or "back and lumbar region", as described in a Red Cross document). He was initially treated at the nearest Field Ambulance post and then transferred to the 9th General Hospital in Rouen on 14 April. He died on April 28, and was buried at St Sever Cemetery, in central Rouen. It was here that his grave was first marked by a temporary wooden cross until a more permanent grave stone could be arranged (see photo).

The news of Harry's death was announced less than a month later (24 May) in the local Eltham / Whittlesea newspaper. The notice made particular mention of the character of the young man and the significance of the loss to his mother.

Rosamond After the War

Rosamond wrote to Army headquarters at the end of December 1918 to request that her son's personal effects be sent to her. She wrote that “I know that he had a few things which he treasured and I would be so grateful to get them”. She received a list of items which were parceled up, including a wallet, letters, photos, a religious book, a jack knife and other small items. These were packaged to be sent back to Rosamond aboard the S.S. Barunga, but sadly the ship was attacked and sunk while traveling back to Australia, and so Rosamond was unable to retain any mementos of her son.  On his behalf, she later received his British War Medal in 1924. She also applied for a Memorial Scroll which was issued by His Majesty the King. Harry was also awarded the Victory Medal. In October 1922, she received a Memorial Plaque (see photo above) inscribed with Harry's name.

In the early 1920s, an area was set aside near the Christmas Hills Mechanics Institute Hall for the construction of a memorial for fallen soldiers. Rosamond was one of the primary organizers for the project. It was eventually unveiled in 1921. The dignitary who delivered the speech and performed the unveiling was Capt. Stanley Bruce, MC, MHR, later to be Prime Minister. A detailed newspaper report (likely written by Rosamond) described the occasion. The photo below, left, shows Rosamond on that day. And, at right, the group photo shows Capt. Bruce at left.

In 1925, the Hurstbridge Advertiser reported on the Christmas Hills ANZAC Day service. The article noted that the Stone of Remembrance was ‘beautifully decorated’ bearing the colours of the 8th and 21st Battalions, which were those of the local ‘snipers J.V Wilson and Harry Conway’. For many years, Rosamond Conway was a central figure in the organization of ANZAC Day commemorations and other similar occasions.

A new rifle range was established in Christmas Hills, in 1925, the old one having passed into disuse some years earlier. Prior to his military service, Harry had been a keen member of the Club (a book outlining the history of local Rifle Clubs shows Harry's name among the members), and a newspaper obituary noted that he was of “quiet manners and unassuming nature (which) made him a universal favourite”. At the opening ceremony of the new Range, a letter was read out from Rosamond Conway offering to provide an annual prize for a particular event. It was to be called “The Harry Conway Memorial Prize”.

After Rosamond's Death

In August 1940, Harry’s mother passed away probably aged 66 (although there is some ambiguity about the year she was born, some family history having it recorded as 1874, while other sources suggest she was born in 1880). Her obituary in the Eltham and Whittlesea Shires Advertiser noted how she “took a very active part in all public affairs, especially those relating to patriotic purposes. She was instrumental in getting the Soldiers’ Memorial erected in Christmas Hills, and since has always arranged an Anzac Service each year”. It also mentioned her cheery manner and understanding nature.

Rosamond’s home was in the north-eastern area of Christmas Hills on Osborne Road close to its intersection with Skyline Road. The Osborne family owned the property now called Yarra Valley Trails (previously Ponyland) as well as the property opposite. They were very good to Rosamond – she visited them regularly, they supported her where possible, and they even moved her house closer to theirs as her health became less robust during the 1930s. 

When the family property and its assets were sold after her death, the sale was arranged by Shallard Brothers (see newspaper advert), a legal firm in Eltham – Jack Shallard was one of the initial three trustees of the public hall that was used by the Montmorency RSL.

The executor of Rosamond's will was Edith Stawell – the wife of one of the solicitors who drew up that document. It is not known whether Rosamond had known Edith for some time on a personal basis and engaged her to be executor, and her husband's firm to write the document, or perhaps she initially engaged that legal firm and the wife of one of them acted as executor. Actual details of the connection between the two women are not known. Even if the basis for a connection was known, it still doesn't provide sure evidence as to how the cross finally came to be at the Funnell house, a kilometre or two from the Stawell residence.

The Hidden Cross

By some means or other, the Cross did find its way to the southern suburbs, and to the Funnell house, despite the apparent absence of any connection between the people or the locations. The young Graeme Funnell saw the Cross on a couple of occasions but, again with no explanatory details, it was placed in a little-used storage area behind a trap-door at the back of the garage where there were various pieces of timber, probably leftover from the construction of the house in the 1950s. That's where it stayed for about 60 more years ... until recently. Graeme took ownership of the house in the late 1980s after his parents died, and in 2021 was undertaking some renovations when the Cross was re-discovered.

Using only the soldier's name and that of his unit, Graeme was able to establish basic details of address and other information from easily available enlistment records. That gave the Christmas Hills address but research could provide little else regarding a wider family. Understanding the significance of the item, Graeme decided that it should be offered to an RSL closer to where the Harry lived, and so contacted the Montmorency-Eltham RSL.

And that's where the Cross will remain.

Private Harry Conway, 7213, Rest in Peace

The 'Behind the Scenes' activity surrounding the Story of the Cross since 2021 can be found here.