TIME IN SERVICE

This section contains details of the service history of people who have some connection to the Montmorency Eltham RSL.

Sub-sections include the following components (click any heading below, or use the main website navigation menu, to transfer to the relevant page):

The Cenotaph

The MERSL Cenotaph is located in Main Rd, Eltham, adjacent to Alistair Knox Park. Each Anzac Day there is a Dawn Service held there and is attended by thousands of people.

The memorial lists the names of 38 residents of Eltham and surrounding districts who lost their lives in World War 1 or World War 2. In order that those brave and selfless locals are not forgotten, some details of their military service are provided and, where available, some information about life before or after their 'time in service' has also been recorded. This is an ongoing project, with further stories being added when completed until they have all been told for the 38 veterans.

People Behind the Medals

Our overall collection includes many medals received by veterans to commemorate some aspect or other of their service – the year(s) of enlistment, the theatre of war in which they served, and so on. In each case, the veteran's name is engraved on the rim of the medal. Replica medals can also be obtained to replace lost or missing items, but no name is added – the name only appears on the originals. Accordingly, we have carried out some research on the veterans medals in our collection where there has been a name engraved. In some instances and for various reasons, we don't have originals for every medal to which a veteran is entitled. For such cases and where possible, we have included replica medals to complete the set to which each veteran is entitled. These veterans' stories project is ongoing, with additional stories being added as the research continues or when new medals are donated.

Veterans Among Us

The enlistment details of veterans from many conflicts has been digitized by the National Archives of Australia and they are available online. They consist largely of scanned copies of original documents held in the Archives and which have been retained from the original documentation kept for each enlisted person, irrespective of where they served. Given that they are direct copies of originals, the quality of the reproduction depends on the clarity of writing of the person completing the various forms. With that qualification in mind, the records of many MERSL members (mostly those connected to WW1 and WW2) can be read by clicking on the various links on the Veterans Among Us  page.

Oral Histories

Some years ago, with the encouragement of representatives of the Australian Museums and Galleries Association, we decided to produce audio recordings of the in-service experiences of MERSL members. After a successful beginning, the project has been temporarily suspended while other aspects of our work have taken precedence, but the 'oral histories' project has never been forgotten. It is planned to revive the work as soon as time, expertise and willing participants can all be arranged.