As told to Vicki Milliken
Andy Hamilton is on a quest to uncover the stories behind those 263 veterans from WW1 and WW2 who lay buried in Williamstown Cemetery. One gravestone at a time.
I’m curious by nature and have a bent for history. While researching my grandfather’s WW1 medals I came across the Virtual War Memorial Australia – a collection site for the names of all those Australians who served in times of war and armed conflict. It includes their history of service and information and stories to help bring those names to life.
Buried in Williamstown Cemetery are the remains of 263 veterans from WW1 and WW2. But despite returning home to their families after the war, many never shared that part of their lives.
Since retiring, uncovering the stories behind those men and women has become my passion, fuelled by a sense of responsibility to tell the stories of those who can no longer tell their own and a desire to give families more than just a name. These men and women were part of the Williamstown community – they lived in the streets around where we’re meeting today, they played sport, shopped, went to church and then to war.
One of the most fascinating stories I uncovered was of Private W. J. V. Harrington, who, together with 14 other Australian soldiers, and against all odds, avoided capture by the Japanese Army on the Malayan Peninsula in 1942 overcoming starvation, illness, adversity and hardship. They then navigated their way across the Straits of Malacca on a sampan before eventually finding their way to Fremantle on a Dutch freighter. For me, the story of their hair-raising escape and survival exemplifies the tenacity of the human spirit.
The starting point for my research can be just a name and a date of birth but is often a service record. They can be tricky to interpret – the information can seem like gobbledygook – there are abbreviations and acronyms, references to records that no longer exist and then the handwriting can be atrocious. But once you understand the patter – there are clues as to what they did, where they went, promotions and even how much trouble they got into. For example, I’ve been amazed at how many servicemen went AWoL to get married – their period of absence matching perfectly with the date on their marriage certificate.
Sometimes, I visit the families of those men and women to share what I’ve learned. We usually sit around the kitchen table, and over tea and scones, the conversation can stretch over two or three hours. The women are the most inquisitive – the sisters, daughters, granddaughters – they want to know their stories. Of course, there are sad stories too – of alcoholism, mental anguish and trauma – and not everyone wants those stories told. I respect that.
But for those who do, I hope I’ve helped answer some of the questions that the families of these men and women may have held for a long, long time.
