The descendants of a Gunnedah farmer and Great War hero made history on Saturday, when they paid tribute to Alexander Waugh Panton for his role in the Battle of Fromelles.
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Lieutenant Panton’s grand-daughter Janice Gruber, great-grand-daughter, Robyn Southorne, and her daughter, Kellee Clark helped marked the 100-year anniversary of the battle and the dedication of Gunnedah’s first war memorial, Anzac Park which opened in 1916.
The relatives planted a tree in memory of Lieutenant Panton who helped take forward supplies and led carrying parties to bring back the wounded on the night of July 19/20. He crossed no-man’s land under heavy German fire at least a dozen times.
Also planting a tree was Don McDonagh who represented his grand-father, Harley Linton McDonagh, who died at Pozieres on the Somme in 1916. The dedication and memorialisation of Anzac Park was made by then Mayor G. McDonagh. Private Thomas Skeyvhill, believed to be the first blind hero from the Gallipoli campaign repatriated to Australia, was a special guest.
