Private Robert James Jenkins – aged 28 years and killed near Flers (Somme) July 1st, 1917: The story of Robert "Bobby" Jenkins is perhaps the most poignant of the seven men. Private Jenkins migrated to Ringarooma from England at the start of the 20th century and made his living touring local halls as a tenor. It was in his new found home that he met young Amy (Trippy) Forsyth, and the two were engaged shortly before he went to war.
Private Jenkins fell at the Somme in 1917 and a heartbroken Trippy never married. She kept a photo of Private Jenkins, together with his engagement ring, beside her bed until she died at the age of 76. The photo was used to carve his likeness in the tree, looking across at his fiancé on an opposite limb.
I have just discovered, courtesy of Wikipedia that on 10 April 2018, deteriorating carvings of several characters (Mr and Mrs Thomas Edwards, the nurse, and Trippy Forsyth) were replaced with new carvings by Jason Chard of Tasmanian Burl and Steve Morris of Mobile Milling Tasmania.
Private George Peddle – aged 25 years and killed at Passchendaele on October 13th, 1917: Private Peddle was the son of George Peddle Snr, famous for his wooden chairs which have now become sought after collectables. Before he enlisted Private Peddle was the Manager of his father's sawmill, a bushman and a bullock driver.
Private John Henry Gregg McDougall – aged 19 years. Died at Passchendaele on October 13th, 1917: Private McDougall was a porter at the Railway Station, which once stood directly behind the memorial reserve. His statue now stands holding signal flags directing traffic through the town.
It is ironic that Privates McDougall and Peddle both fell on the same day in the same battle at Passchendaele; this would have been very little comfort for their families in such a tight-knit town."
There are two additional carvings, one a tribute to the Anzacs who fought at Gallipoli (See the photo of the plague) and the second to the Anzacs (See photo of the plaque).
I spent a few minutes in the old Train Carriage that now acts as a museum browsing the exhibits before making a donation in the form of two packs of Anzac home baked biscuits and a pamphlet recording a ceremony that took place on 22nd July 2007, when local families were invited to plant a tree as "A living remembrance for the young people of the Legerwood district who we loved and lost".
What I found most inspiring and memorable about this visit was the extensive historical research into the lives of the fallen soldiers and their families that ensured the carvings depicted stories of the men and women they represented as accurately as possible. For me it made it made a powerful reminder that we must never forget the sacrifice that so many gave and I write this on Monday 5th May 2025 as we begin a few days of celebration to recall VE Day 80 years on next Thursday 8th May 2025 and say 'Thank You' for those 80 years of peace in our country but sadly not in the world.
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