At the turn of the 20th century, Werribee was a small, close-knit farming community.
During the course of World War I, more than 350 men from the area and surrounding suburbs were sent to the other side of the world to fight for their country and the British Empire.
In the Middle East and on the Western Front, about 60 of those soldiers would pay the ultimate price.
The Wyndham Anzac Project, launched last week, will detail the stories and the sacrifices made by each of these men.
Led by a dedicated group of volunteers who have painstakingly sifted through the archives, the accounts which are being collated online provide a fascinating insight into the lives and experiences of the troops on the frontline.
Before enlisting in the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) in 1916, Henry (Harry) Delaney was a grocer with Comben and Co in Werribee.
A signaller, the 27-year-old was killed in action on the Somme, in France. With no known grave, he is commemorated at the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial.
An editorial in the Werribee Shire Banner reported that as a grocer his duties brought him in touch with the majority of local residents.
“[With] two of his brothers having previously enlisted, he was never satisfied till he himself was in khaki and he sailed on the 3rd July, 1916, the day on which his brother [Edward] fell a victim to the enemy’s guns.”
Wyndham Anzac Project researcher Ian Cropper. Photo: Damjan Janevski
For more
To read the full biographies or tell your story, visit www.wyndhamhistory.net.au.
