By Lucy Waldron
Four unmarked World War One veteran’s gravesites plan to be rededicated and marked as part of the Stanthorpe RSL Sub Branch Unmarked Graves Project.
Initiated in 2018, this project has already successfully identified and marked several unmarked graves of veterans who either served operationally or within Australia during WWI (1914-1918).
Sub Branch President Martin Corbett said, “Being able to remember [the] service of our veterans in this manner is one of the ways we are able to give back to the community that support us.”
“We see our involvement with projects of this nature as a very important part of our responsibilities.”
The Stanthorpe Sub Branch aims to serve its members, the veteran and ex-service community, and the broader public by adhering to the League’s objectives, which include preserving the memory of those who served and ensuring they have suitable burial places.
The four unmarked sites within the Stanthorpe cemetery that have been identified for this phase of the project are:
William Joseph BATES
Date of Birth: 24/05/1873, Gorey, Ireland
Date of Death: 23/05/1924, aged 51
Occupation at Enlistment: Gardener
NOK at Enlistment: Wife, Mrs Louisa Rose Bates, Alderley, Brisbane QLD
Service Details: Rank: Private, Regimental No. Q20718, Enlisted in Brisbane QLD on 03/08/1917 aged 44. Unit: 15th Infantry Battalion, 26th Reinforcement
Cemetery Plot Location: Stanthorpe 6-A-28
Arthur Francis BENTLEY
Date of Birth: c.1892, Barnstaple, England
Date of Death: 17/12/1923, aged 32
Occupation at Enlistment: Farmer
NOK at Enlistment: Sister, Miss K M Bentley, 65 Flaxham Road, Camberwell, London
Service Details: Rank: Lieutenant, Regimental No. 19952, Enlisted in Black Boy Hill WA on 26/01/1916 aged 24. Unit: 3rd DIV ARTY, Field Artillery Brigade 8, Battery 31
Cemetery Plot Location: Stanthorpe 6-D-28
William Oswald McCARTHY
Date of Birth: 04/02/1884, Glen Innes, NSW
Date of Death: 26/06/1958, aged 74
Occupation at Enlistment: Carpenter
NOK at Enlistment: Brother, Mr. Harold McCarthy, Urbenville, NSW
Service Details: Rank: Private, Regimental No. 2198, Enlisted in Wilson’s Downfall, NSW on 19/04/1916 aged 32. Unit: 33rd Battalion, 3rd Reinforcement
Cemetery Plot Location: Stanthorpe 6-K-36
Albert Edward PARKES
Date of Birth: c.1895, Brisbane, QLD
Date of Death: 13/02/1917, aged 22
Occupation at Enlistment: Barman
NOK at Enlistment: Mrs Margaret Brown, Little George Street, Brisbane QLD
Service Details: Rank: Private, Regimental No. 220, Enlisted in Roseberry Park NSW on 16/09/1914 aged 19. Unit: 6th Light Horse Regiment, B Squadron
Cemetery Plot Location: Stanthorpe 6-G-21
“For this part of the project, we are seeking to have contact with any surviving family members in order to gain approval and support in the marking and rededicating of these gravesites,” Mr Corbett said.
Surviving family members of those listed are encouraged to contact the Stanthorpe RSL Sub Branch. They can visit the Sub Branch on Tuesdays or Fridays between 10 am and 12 pm, or email the project coordinator at glen.gibson@stanthorperslsubbranch.org.
