Hobart Soldiers Memorial recognises men mistakenly excluded a century ago

Two Tasmanian soldiers whose names were accidentally left off Hobart’s memorial avenue have finally been recognised with plaques and trees.

Transcript

00:00Second Lieutenant Colin Chalmers and Private James Glass were killed in action during World War One,

00:08but their names were left off the soldiers' memorial avenue on Hobart's Queen's Domain

00:13because they were not listed as fallen soldiers on an honour roll.

00:16On that roll of honour, where a soldier had died, they would put a cross next to their name to represent the death.

00:22Well, we've discovered that two of those men who died didn't have a cross,

00:27and so, somewhat embarrassingly, we've discovered some years later that there are two men that need to be commemorated.

00:35The President of Friends of Soldiers Memorial Avenue, John Wadsley, tracked down relatives of the two men,

00:41and they attended the Remembrance Day event in Hobart, where trees and plaques honouring the men were unveiled.

00:47Ross McDougall travelled from Queensland to be there.

00:50We've got to continue to remember servicemen and women in Australia or around the world

00:55just to, they've given us the chance to live as we have.

01:00A Tasmanian relative of Colin Chalmers, Roy Ramage, sees the recognition as significant.

01:06Recognition is very significant to the family.

01:09As I say, it's very easy to forget as generations move on,

01:13but once you talk to the younger folk about what they did and how they did it,

01:17and they realise what a sacrifice it was, they turn up in their droves, and they're all very interested.

01:23Over 100 years on from their deaths on the battlefield,

01:26Second Lieutenant Colin Chalmers and Private James Glass have their names permanently here on this Tasmanian memorial,

01:34alongside over 530 other men and women who gave their lives in service in the Great War.

01:41A permanent and significant tribute at home for young lives lost abroad.