This is the first in a series of monthly articles to recognise Cobram-Barooga RSL’s centenary year and provide a snapshot of the people and activities within the sub-branch.
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The story starts in 1916 when the Returned Sailors and Soldiers Imperial League of Australia was formed to provide a national organisation to look after the interests of returned sailors and soldiers.
Locally, when Cobram had a population of about 900, more than 200 men volunteered during the duration of the war.
By 1916, with some soldiers having already returned, but many heading overseas, the citizens formed the Cobram and District Soldiers Fund to provide ‘‘comforts’’ (or care packages) to those overseas and to support those who had returned.
It was also known as the £500 fund, with that being the target of funds to raise through public subscription, as approved by the Tungamah Shire Council.
1919 to 1928
Some 12 months after the signing of the Armistice (November 11, 1918) the Cobram and District Soldiers Committee was still welcoming home returning soldiers.
It was on June 26, 1919, a charter was issued to the Cobram Sub-Branch of the RSSILA, as reported in the Cobram Courier.
The Soldiers’ League branch
Mr H S W Marshall, official representative of the Returned Sailors’ and Soldiers’ Imperial League of Australia, Victorian Branch, visited Cobram on Tuesday and formed a sub-branch, when the following provisional office-bearers were appointed — President, Mr Jas Ralston, Secretary Mr Jas O’Rourke, Committee Messrs A J Anderson, A Anderson, S Gregory, L G Hamilton, I Blyth and J H Jones.
The league, which is non-sectarian and non-political, aims at working for the welfare of returned soldiers and sailors and their dependants.
It is the intention of the local branch to hold a public meeting at an early date, with a view of placing the objects of the league before the people.
Some of the inaugural committee were quite recently returned from the battlefields.
Unfortunately, some of the early records of the sub-branch were misplaced, but it seems, from reports in the Courier, that apart from a ball organised for late 1919 and a few meetings, there was not a lot of reported activity until 1921, at which time Mr M D (Des) O’Dwyer was elected to the position of president.
In June 1919, when the Cobram sub-branch of the RSSILA was receiving its charter, CPL Des O’Dwyer had just arrived back in Cobram after rehabilitation in England, following the loss of his leg, hurt in France.
By 1921, he was ready to take the reins of the RSSILA and was president until 1946, before moving to the backbench in 1947 as a committee member — passing the baton to the World War II Diggers.
Only having one leg was no impediment to Mr O’Dwyer’s energy and community spirit.
There was hardly a cause, committee or organisation in the district that did not benefit from having Mr O’Dwyer in its midst.
It’s hard to imagine that he had time to attend to his business interests.
If the sub-branch wanted to single out a ‘‘founding father’’, then Mr O’Dwyer would have to be at the top of the list.
One of the first events to be organised by the 1921 committee was a ball as the start of fundraising for the procurement of clubrooms.
The ball was heralded as ‘‘the greatest success of the season’’ and ‘‘it will continue to be one of the foremost fixtures each year’’ — with much credit going to the women for the catering and decorating of the hall.
At that time, members also committed to doing all in their power to enforce the policy of preference to be given to returned soldiers to fill job vacancies.
The Tungamah Shire actively requested returned soldiers to register if they were seeking employment.
November 11, 1923, saw the unveiling of the Shire of Tungamah honour roll, which included the names of Cobram and District soldiers, among the 508 names.
During this decade, the commemoration of Anzac Day and Armistice Day came about after community meetings, with the returned soldiers taking part in a march to the service held in the mechanics hall, as Cobram still did not have a war memorial.
The Courier reported that the 1928 Anzac Day service was conducted by the clergy from Methodist, Presbyterian and Anglican churches.
The report concludes ‘‘(i)t is to be hoped that this service, which is such a commemorative one, will grow in magnitude each successive year.’’
A couple of hot topics during this decade involved the returned soldiers questions of a memorial.
Should it be a memorial hall or a memorial supper room, attached to the mechanics hall.
There was plenty of red-tape and emotion surrounding this, leading to lengthy debates at public meetings.
The second topic was the winding up of the Cobram District Soldiers Fund and whether the £400 should be spent on a memorial hospital.
If you have any questions about the RSL or have any information to share about the early days, contact Cobram-Barooga RSL secretary Glenda Mann on 0407 040 208 or email cobrambarooga.rsl@gmail.com