War graves in Roma cemetery given honour

Thanks to a lot of research by a band of dedicated locals, and the commitment of others to rectify the oversight, their final resting places were commemorated in a moving ceremony on Sunday morning.

According to the Master of Ceremonies Jim Robinson, the realisation that the servicemen were buried without any recognition came about when Roma's History Lodge prepared for an open day in 2014.

The oversight came to light there, and a list was compiled from that.

Roma's Men's Shed came to the rescue at the time, supplying white crosses bearing the names of the soldiers identified, to mark the graves, but a number of community donations - brass plaques from Roma Rotary and cement from Grulke Concreting - has since made the identification permanent.

"The soldiers can now finally rest in peace," Mr Robinson told the small group gathered under the avenue of trees.

The gesture meant a lot to many of the men's families in the audience, such as Mark Taylor, speaking on behalf of the Kadel family about their ancestor, Private Gilbert Stanley Kadel.

Reliving distressing memories, Mr Taylor told ceremony attendees it was fitting that their great-grandfather, who spent his last years alone and an alcoholic, finally received due recognition for his part in fighting for king and country.

Local resident Bruce Scott, a Minister for Veterans' Affairs in the Howard government, before reading out the names of the men, added his voice to the importance of the occasion.

"This reminds us the community hasn't forgotten," he said.

The soldiers recognised on Sunday were:

Vietnam War veteran Noel 'Paddy' Kerr, one of those behind the commemoration, told the audience that the people being honoured on the day had looked war in the face and given everything.

"I wear my medals today for the mothers, fathers and grandparents who were there to see their young men board the Flying Kangaroo, not knowing after 12 months in a foreign country, how they would return," he said.

"I also wear these medals for the wives, partners and children who to this day ask, why.

"The men from the Maranoa and Darling Downs, to the stockmen up Winton way, they all said they were in.

"These men made up the seven points of the Commonwealth star, and became the Australian Defence Force.

"The flag flying free is for the 104,000 young Australians who have been killed on foreign soil, and with their last breath defended this great southern land."

One of those remembered was Indigenous soldier Private Percy Herbert Harcourt Anderson, who put his age up from 15 to 21 in order to enlist for World War I at Stanthorpe.

His grandson Rodney Landers said he had had a rough time, contracting mumps and then suffering from influenza and spending time in hospital in France.

"Then he got gassed and was discharged from the army," he said.

"He was young enough to serve when World War II happened.

"At first he wasn't accepted because of his medical discharge but when Darwin was bombed, he was sent there."

Mr Landers said family members had worked to try and get recognition for Percy, and thanks to the people present on the day, it had culminated in a good result.

"We are grateful for the support of the organisations involved," he said.

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