A century since the guns fell silent

Local historian Patrick Ferry will remember and honour the service of the Pakenham district's WWI volunteers in his upcoming book. 180068_02 Picture: KYRA GILLESPIE

By Kyra Gillespie

Local historian Patrick Ferry will bring to life the stories of the Pakenham district’s World War I memorials.

His upcoming book, ‘A Century Since the Guns Fell Silent: Remembering Pakenham’s WWI Volunteers’, highlights the stories and experiences of locals involved in the war as a way of remembering and honouring their service.

The Berwick-based archivist has already spearheaded a number of important projects in the region, including ‘St Patrick’s Pakenham and ‘Together as One: the St Patrick’s Pakenham WWI honour board’ and contributed to several other historical publications.

Mr Ferry’s passion for history is infectious; he recalls the local stories that he has been researching with pure vigour and excitement.

The historian said this latest project is driven by a desire to preserve the region’s rich history.

“I am so passionate about history,” he said.

“This project is about ensuring the memories of these men and women are not lost.

“Many of the old families of these men and women are not around anymore. With many new families moving into the area there’s a fear that this rich local history might be lost.”

Mr Ferry began working on the project about a year ago, piecing it together on his long commute to and from Melbourne for work.

So far he has documented the stories of all but ten of the district’s veterans.

“The official records make it tricky to track everybody down because they only document the place they were born, not where they lived,” he said.

“It’s through sheer detective work and the help of families and the Gazette that I’ve been able to track down so many so far.

“It’s the last ten that I’m having trouble finding any information on.”

The stories he has gathered so far are as diverse as they come; there are farmers and labourers, teachers and students, local cricket and football stars, Boer War veterans, a future shire president, the brother of a pacifist, and even a pioneer of Britain’s Royal Air Force.

The Ellett brothers – Robert, John and Alfred – who all served on the Western Front, is just one small snapshot among many that Mr Ferry has been able to gather.The Pakenham South siblings were well-renowned for their contributions to the local community.

John and Robert set off together with the Australian Army Service Corps, and were eventually split off into different units.

Private Robert Henry Ellett, also known as “Bert”, landed at Gallipoli at sunset on Sunday 5 May. His diary entries record the sustained, heavy Turkish fire he had to endure over the next few days while performing a range of supporting tasks, such as digging trenches.

On May 4, he “nearly stopped a shell” carrying water to the trenches; on May 8 he recorded “men killed and wounded all round.”

In a later letter to his parents, he wrote “I never imagined war to be so awful until I got there, and even then you can’t realise it … you never know the minute you are going to stop a bullet.”

Corporal John “Jack” Alfred Ellett was only 20-years-old when he enlisted in December 1914 with his parents’ consent. He was regarded as a “popular townsman” and a “star singer” at social gatherings of young people in the district before the War.

Corporal Alfred “Alf” Ellett was the third brother to enlist, doing so in early 1916 at 18-years-old.

All three brothers returned eventually and were welcomed home to Pakenham South. Alf went on to become the one of the pioneers of asparagus growing in Kooweerup, and Jack raised six children with his wife Ellen on a soldiers’ settler farm in Pakenham South, which was named ‘Montazah’ after the convalescent home in Egypt where Jack had recovered from wounds.

The Pakenham Gazette described Jack as an “enthusiast for any work which he took in hand” back in 1965.

Mr Ferry says there are many, many stories like the Ellett brothers. Stories of resilience, courage and bravery.

While he believes it is important to tell these stories, he said he also remains cautious about glorifying war.

“There’s a risk run when documenting these stories,” Mr Ferry said.

“Many of them came back and threw themselves into the community, but life wasn’t normal for them. Many were deeply scarred, and being involved in community events was often a coping mechanism.

“I’m not glorifying the war, but they did do brave things that deserve to be acknowledged.”

The book is due to be released in November this year to coincide with Remembrance Day, but Mr Ferry said he is awaiting the outcome of an application for crucial government funding to get the final product published.

Mr Ferry is keen to hear from descendants and relatives who may be able to provide information or photographs. He can be contacted on 0427 682 208 or via email: lpvferry@gmail.com.