Dubbo war historian Maurice Campbell remembered the bravery of 3 Wellington men in ’The Killing Fields of France of Belgium’ as he and others honoured 47 local soldiers who answered their country’s call at a service at the Bodangora War Memorial yesterday.
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‘’Among those who volunteered for service were the Huggett boys ; Edward (better known as Ted, George and younger brother Jim’’ he said
‘’Ted Huggett was killed in action during the Battle of Amiens in August of 1918 in the small French village of Lihons. Young Jim was slightly wounded during the same offensive. Unfortunately Ted’s body was not able to be located and his resting place is unknown’’ Mr Campbell told the crowd at Bodangora.
‘’George Huggett was also wounded during the Great War at the Battle of Messines. After recovering in France his battalion; the 24th took part in the Battle of Passchendaele. During the heavy fighting against Germans he was listed as missing, later confirmed dead.’’ he said.
‘’Like his brother Ted, George lies in an unknown grave.’’
Jim did come home in 1919 ‘’ He may have been able to help the ease the grief by telling the family of the high regard in which their mates held Ted and George in their respective Battalions Mr Campbell said
In 1922 Granny Huggett and another person were give the honor of laying the foundation stone at Wellington’s War Memorial in Cameron park.
‘’How proud and sad she must have been on on that special day’’ Mr Campbell said.
Small communities like Bodangora are where grief hits the hardest of all, there are many more stories to be told of the men of this small community he explained.
