The Seville War Memorial Committee’s annual George Ingram VC, MM day this year is set to be a special one, with a new instalment offering commemoration and comfort to visitors.
Taking place on 5 October at 10.30am, the day dedicated to remembering Mr Ingram’s service and gallantry during World War One will also celebrate the instalment of two new commemorative bench seats donated by the Community Bank Wandin-Seville.
Seville War Memorial Committee chair Anthony McAleer OAM said the seats would not only offer a place for people to sit and reflect, it would also add an extra touch of appreciation and recognition for Mr Ingram’s heroic efforts during the war.
“It’s a place where people like to sit in quiet contemplation and look at the memorial and admire the stories that are on there, because they’re all local stories.
“It also commemorates the three brothers and the family’s service and sacrifice from the district during World War One,” Mr McAleer said.
The Wandin-Seville Community Bank had approached the committee after they’d built the memorial back in 2019 with the offer to install more seating.
“When we created that, the Wandin-Seville Community Bank came to us and said they’d like to donate some commemorative seating.
“They were the ones who certainly recognised when we put the memorial up, that there was a lack of seating around the memorial.
“They worked in with the shire and the gardening team there and they organised it, they paid for it and had it installed,” Mr McAleer said.
Mr Ingram was the 64th and last Australian to receive the Victoria Cross during World War One and also received a Military Medal for his acts of gallantry.
During an attack on the village of Montbrehain on 5 October 1918, the Seville local rushed a strongly held German position in the face of machine gun fire, disposing of over 40 Germans in the process.
The two metal bench seats are accompanied by a digger standing guard and commemorative poppies.
One of the bench seats will be dedicated to Mr Ingram and his two younger brothers who were killed in action, while the other will carry the symbols of the Australian Army, Royal Australian Air Force and Royal Australian Navy.
On the day, the Seville War Memorial Committee will also reveal a new information board displaying the major sponsors for the memorial.
“That talks about how the memorial came to be, what the memorial is about, the reasons why we created it, the reasons why this memorial is quite unique, and we also have a list of the major donors to the memorial over the time when we were fundraising,” Mr McAleer said.
MP for Berwick former Victoria Police member Brad Battin will also deliver a speech as Mr Ingram is the most decorated member to have served with the Victorian Police.
