The historic Remembrance Day service at Oxley Island Hall on Sunday drew focus on three diggers from Mitchells Island, Oxley Island and Bohnock/Pampoolah.
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Organiser of the service, Warwick Murray explained that as the 2018 service relates to the end of World War I, one digger from each of those three localities has been selected for mention.
The fallen soldiers are Raymond Jordan, Francis Clifford Mudford and George Ernest Weiley.
Raymond Jordan, No 2934, was born and raised at Pampoolah/Bohnock. While training as a Methodist minister he enlisted in the AIF 14th Machine Gun Corps. He was killed in action on July 20, 1916 at Pozieres in France, aged 31. He lies in 7 VC Corner, Australian Cemetery, Pozieres.
Francis Clifford Mudford, No 784, was born and raised on Mitchells Island. He enlisted in 1915 and served at Gallipoli and the Western Front in France with the AIF 34th Battalion. Francis was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal and Bar for Outstanding Gallantry under fire in France.
He re-enlisted in the VDC in World War II. He died on February 21, 1976 and lies with his wife in Tinonee Cemetery.
“Cliff” remained the most highly decorated World War I digger from the Manning Valley.
George Ernest Weiley, No 2480, was born and raised on Oxley Island. He enlisted on September 6, 1915 in ‘A’ Company, 30th Battalion AIF, aged 22. This battalion has strong Scottish roots and traditions.
George was awarded the Military Medal and Bar for Outstanding Gallantry. With total disregard for his own safety, George rescued seven men over a number of hours who could not get back from No Man’s Land. All this happened under fire until dawn on June 22-23, 1916.
Modesty prevented George from telling about this award and as a result, it is not engraved on the honour roll.
A special feature of the service was the unveiling of the Neville Weiley Memorial Library by World War II digger, 101-year-old George Weiley and Neville's son Bevan.
Neville Weiley was a very prominent citizen during the 1940s and 50s, a Manning Shire councillor who was tragically killed, hit by a car outside the old shire council building in 1954.
The library was presented to the school by the Parents and Citizens Association in his honour later that year.