Orange Ex-Services’ Club Helps Identify 107 Unmarked World War I Graves

This program was driven by diligent volunteers from the Orange Family History Society and with the assistance of the Orange Ex-Services’ Club, who contributed a $5000 donation through ClubGRANTS.  

The installation of headstones was commemorated at a remembrance ceremony held at Orange Cemetery on Saturday, 22 March.

The event marked the completion of a program identifying the unmarked graves of returned World War I soldiers, honouring the soldiers for their service.

Orange Mayor Tony Mileto said the men would now be honoured in a fitting way.

“These men, from Australia and other countries, fought under the Australian flag and came back physically and mentally scarred,” says Cr Mileto.

“They will now be honoured the way they truly deserve.”

The Club’s support of the venture extended beyond financial aid. They provided room hire for meetings and also helped to ensure proper plaques and headstones could be installed on the previously unmarked graves.

“It came from conversations with the RSL and local historians,” says Orange Ex-Services’ Club CEO Nathan Kelly.

“As a Club built by returned servicemen, we felt it was something we needed to be part of.”

“By identifying and marking their graves, we ensure they are not forgotten and their service is acknowledged and respected for generations to come.

“The cemetery’s been a big part of Orange’s story, especially after World War I. 

“A lot of returned servicemen are buried there and it’s become a place where people come to remember and reflect.”

Utilising a combination of service records and historical burial registers, the volunteers painstakingly worked to locate the forgotten resting places of the soldiers. 

This extensive research uncovered that among the 107 identified, half were residents of the Bloomfield mental health facility. 

“Many of these soldiers returned home wounded, both physically and emotionally, and lived quiet lives after the war,” says Nathan.

“Many died in the local psychiatric hospital, suffering from “shell shock”, and were buried in unmarked areas without friends or family.”

As the volunteers dusted off old records and retraced the steps of history, they not only reclaimed the identities of these soldiers but also provided their families, and the community, an opportunity for remembrance and reflection.

The Orange Ex-Services’ Club ensured that the names of these 107 soldiers will forever be etched in the memory of the community they fought to protect, fostering a strong sense of legacy and respect for future generations.

“It’s brought us closer,” Nathan says of the Club’s relationship with the RSL.

“It shows we’re still living the values the Club was built on, over 70 years ago.”