Thanks to the efforts of a number of people from Injune and Roma, the final resting place of another of Australia's unknown soldiers has now been marked, and was dedicated in Injune during its centenary week.
At the same time, the graves of 38 military servicemen, covering army, navy, airforce and Volunteer Defence Corps (Light Horse), located in Injune's cemetery, have been identified and included on an honour roll.
According to spokesman Jim Robinson, following the Australia Day 2021 dedication of Walter Ford's lone grave in a paddock west of former soldier settlement Gunnewin, north of Roma, he and Noel Kerr were approached by 'Puddy' Chandler and Debbie Duff regarding a similar unmarked grave in the Injune cemetery.
In order to source the necessary documentation, Roma's Beryl Giles was once again brought in, where she discovered that Private Leslie Keys was born in Brisbane in 1910, the son of a single mother, and had spent much of his early life in Boystown.
He served with the 2nd Light Horse regiment in Brisbane, enlisting on January 5, 1942.
Ms Giles ascertained that he had been discharged from the military in April 1945.
Not much is known of his working life but he was employed by the Forestry Department when he went to live in Yuleba.
When it came time to retire, there was no old-age accommodation in that small town and nothing was available in Roma but a room was vacant in Injune's retirement village, which is how he came to be there when he passed away in 2006.
Working with the Injune RSL sub-branch, a dedication ceremony was held during the town's centenary celebrations, and a distant relative from Clifton, Darryl Keys was able to be present.
Later in the morning the community also gathered to unveil a new honour roll, which commemorates ex-service members who had lived in Injune for five years or more and who fought in all theatres since WWII.
While their burials were marked in local government records, their military connection had often not been acknowledged.
Mrs Giles' records plus local knowledge were called in to remedy that as well.
World War I veterans weren't included because Injune only came into existence when gazetted on January 12, 1922, after the settlement of soldiers over large parts of the district following WWI.
The honour roll is displayed in the Injune RSL.
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