WOLLONGONG ADVERTISER
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Marion Beard won't ever know the full horrors Australians felt on the battlefield but she has left no stone unturned researching the history of World War I.
Having spent 13 years in the army reserves, Ms Beard's "huge" interest in WWI and her love to travel has seen her visit the Western Front battle fields on five occasions.
The Mount Kembla Mining Heritage Centre volunteer has also been to Gallipoli twice but nothing surpasses her passion for the history of the great war.
"To go to a place like Pozieres - which is just a bloody big paddock ... and see where all those boys died...," Ms Beard said.
The Battle of Pozières was a two-week struggle for the French village of Pozières and the ridge on which it stands, during the middle stages of the 1916 Battle of the Somme.
That's why Ms Beard was happy to put something together for the Anzac centenary celebrations and contribute to the ongoing Illawarra Remembers 1914-18 online project.
"It took me a good 18 months to get the names and stories of the soldiers from Mt Kembla. I hope I got all the names. I have about 150 names," she said.
"What I have put up is just the bare bones. What I'm really hoping is that a family member or friend will see a particular story and recognise it and add to the story."
Ms Beard's limited computer skills meant she was using a pen and note pad to record the information.
But, thanks to the staff at Wollongong City Library she learned how to use a computer and publish to the web.
Wollongong Council's library and community services manager Jenny Thompson said there are 159 stories on Illawarra Remembers site so far. "We still have another 113 stories to upload, so there is still some work to be done," she said.
"We often hear stories of VCE winners and other war heroes. This site is really important as it gives an opportunity for ordinary people to be remembered as well."
The Illawarra Remembers 1914-1918 project is being co-ordinated by Wollongong City Libraries in partnership with the Illawarra Family History Group, Kiama Library, Shellharbour City Libraries and the University of Wollongong.
Information: illawarraremembers.com.au/