Fairfield students discover stories behind names on their school’s honour roll

STUDENTS  are breathing new life into the names written in gold on Fairfield Primary School’s World War I honour roll.

Fairfield Primary School's honour roll, which interestingly was designed by Walter Burley Griffin. L-R: students Jessica Daile, 12, Lucy Du Puche, 11, Sophie Obst, 11, Picture Yuri Kouzmin

STUDENTS  are breathing new life into the names written in gold on Fairfield Primary School’s World War I honour roll.

After extensive research, they will tell the stories behind some of the 400 names on the board, which will be literally up in lights during the school’s Anzac Day ceremony after a refurbishment paid for by a $20,000 Federal Government Anzac Centenary Local Grant.

Eleven-year-old Lucy discovered a fascinating story behind the name Lieutenant Elvas Jenkins, a Methodist minister who was deployed to Gallipoli with the 2nd Field Company, Australian Engineers, in April 1915, aged 22.

“He was shot near his heart but because he had a Bible in his top pocket and it had so many pages, it stopped the bullet from killing him,” Lucy said.

According to army records, shrapnel from a Turkish shell struck the middle of the Bible, passing through Psalms and Revelations and lodging in the Gospel pages beyond Acts.

Lucy said she was sad to discover Lt Jenkins was among the first Australians to die at the Battle of the Somme in France, after getting through Gallipoli virtually unscathed.

A portrait of Lieutenant Elvas Jenkins who survived the Gallipoli campaign to be killed a few months later on the Western Front in France.

The Bible that saved the life of Lt Elvas Jenkins.

During her research she began to feel a real connection with the man who had walked the same school corridors as she did.

“I think he would have been excited when he first went off to the war with his two brothers and his dad.

“But once he got there he would have had a bit of a shock and probably just wanted to come home.

“I feel very sad to think of all those soldiers who went to war and died so we could have what Australia is today.”

YOUNG LOVE INTERRUPTED

Fellow grade six student Sophie, 11, said she was pleased to get to know former student Private Albert George Enticott, from the 24th Infantry Battalion, who lived in Union St, Northcote, where he worked as a cigar- maker.

“He got married three days before he went to war,” Sophie said.

“It was really, really sad that he’d just got married and couldn’t enjoy the happiness for very long.”

Pte Enticott never returned to his wife. He was killed in action in France in May, 1917. He was 23.

Sophie said she’d discovered through her research that Pte Enticott was skilled at using the self-firing drip gun, instrumental in the successful retreat at Gallipoli.

The drip guns worked by having water from one tin drip into a lower tin, and when the water in the lower tin — connected to the trigger — reached a certain weight, the rifle automatically fired, fooling enemy troops into thinking there were soldiers opposing them.

LEARNING FROM THE PAST

Jess, 12, said everyone who went to war deserved to have their story told and she felt a sense of responsibility being the only one putting the effort into finding out about Lance Corporal Leslie Skidmore.

“He was on one of the last boats to arrive in Gallipoli,” she said.

Lance-Cpl Skidmore was wounded in Gallipoli, suffered head injuries in France and died from his wounds in the UK on November 21, 1916, aged 24.

“I feel quite honoured knowing he went to this school and fought for us and that Australia wouldn’t be what it is if it wasn’t for people like him,” Jess said.

“Anzac Day is so much more important to me after doing this (research).”

Jess said while she appreciated the ex-servicemen and women’s efforts, she hoped Australia had learnt from these wars and would find other ways to deal with disputes.

“Most problems can be solved by talking it out.”

Fairfield Primary School’s honour roll was designed by Walter Burley Griffin, the architect who designed Canberra.

The roll includes the names of 54 soldiers who died during World War I.