Fallen heroes remembered

The budding historian has been working on collating pictures and information for the soldiers whose lives were lost serving their country during Gallipoli and throughout World War I.

‘I want to make community members realise that the names on the Bassendean War Memorial were real people who served this community and paid with their lives,’ Ms Megarrity said.

‘Having photographs of the soldiers makes them more real, not just names.’

Ms Megarrity said she had so far received seven leads but was chasing 33 to complete the project.

‘We may never get them all but it is worth trying,’ she said.

‘The Fallen Heroes project fills in historical gaps in the Local Studies Collection and will show the human portraits of those who fought and fell.

‘These men were fathers, brothers, cousins, grandads and husbands.’

‘About 20 years ago, a group of people formed the Memorial Research Unit and requested photographs of soldiers on the Bassendean War Memorial from community members.

‘Many photographs were donated and all but one were of soldiers who returned. Photographs of those men who paid the ultimate sacrifice were not donated and I would like this historical gap rectified.’

Ms Megarrity asked if people could search their photo albums for soldiers listed on the Bassendean Council’s website, to see if their family member was someone she was searching for.

‘If people post photographs or pop into the Bassendean Memorial Library with a photograph of a soldier in uniform or civilians, I will scan it and get standard administrative information from them about the donation for the Local Studies Collection.

‘The photograph will be returned as soon as possible in the same condition in which it was loaned.

For more information call 9279 2966.