Peace so bittersweet as family remembers loss and laughs

OF all the stories his father told him about the Great War, it was a food fight on Armistice Day that stuck in Kevin Lockett’s memory, but he had many tales to tell about the war.

OF all the stories his father told him about the Great War, it was a food fight on Armistice Day that stuck in Kevin Lockett’s memory.

Sergeant Jack Lockett was serving on the Western Front when they got the news — the war was over and they had survived.

Being on a rotation away from the front line, he volunteered to jump in the kitchen and prepare a celebration meal for the other troops.

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“While they were helping out in the kitchen, they had a butter fight,” the 91-year-old Bendigo man said.

“They had all this food stocked up and then they had this fun fight.

“That was the funny part of the war. He used to laugh about it.”

The troops returned to England before making the trip back to Australia.

Kevin remembered his father beaming with pride as he recounted the day he marched past the King.

But the end of World War I was bittersweet for the Mallee farmer, who lost close friends and family in the war.

Jack died in 2002 at age 111.

WWI veteran Jack Lockett in 2001.

Last month Kevin Lockett discovered a letter in an old box of his dad’s things under his house.

It was dated May 29, 1915, and was written by Jack’s uncle, Tom Lockett, who had just landed in Egypt.

Just a few months later, Tom was killed in battle in Turkey. His body has never been found.

It is mementos and memories like this that Kevin wants to keep in the family to safeguard their history.

“I am not a historian by any means — it sort of fell into my lap,” Kevin said. “I am hoping that someone (in the family) will take it on.”

Kevin’s daughter Jennifer Lockett, Jack Lockett’s granddaughter, did not know much about the family story until the media pressed Jack later in his life.

“Pop never wanted to glorify the war because it was so distressing; he never wanted to talk about it,” she said.

“It wasn’t until he turned 100 that we started to really learn what he had gone through.”

Tom Lockett. Picture: Rob Leeson

The letter from Tom Lockett. Picture: Rob Leeson

The stories she heard shocked her and she, too, wanted to make sure they were collected and protected.

“I’d hate to think that generations down, the war wouldn’t be remembered,” Ms Lockett said.

“It is such a sacrifice.”

One of the youngest in the Lockett lineage, Jack’s great-granddaughter Caitlin Granger, 17, felt immense pride in her family history.

“It’s quite special because you don’t hear many people who have a story like this,” she said.

“It feels special to be part of history, something that was so influential.”

Caitlin was raised attending dawn services and has enjoyed learning from her grandfather about their family history.

Kevin Lockett with daughters Vickie Grainger and Jennie Lockett and granddaughter Caitlin Grainger, with a photograph of Tom Lockett. Picture: Rob Leeson

“Every Anzac Day we get up for the dawn service and I wear the replica medals,” she said.

“I’ve loved wearing them. It makes me very proud.”

Kevin’s daughter and Jack’s granddaughter Vicki Granger, said her grandfather didn’t open up about his more traumatising wartime experiences until late in life.

“As he got more popular because of his age and people were asking him the questions, he opened up more,” she said.

“He had a very vivid memory of what did happen. He saw his mate get blown up beside him.”

SHRINE OF REMEMBRANCE EVENTS

6AM:  Bagpipes play and choral performance

10:15AM: Victorian State Remembrance Day Service. Victorian Governor Linda Dessau will lay a wreath and the public can place wreaths on the northern steps.

11AM: Minute’s silence

11.03AM: Ceremonial gunfire

11.30AM: Presentation to the 2018 Shrine of Remembrance Medal recipient

11.45AM: Presentation to the finalists of the 2018 Remembrance Day poster competition for primary school children

5PM: Massed Pipes Flag Lowering Service — the shrine guard lower the flag as The Last Post sounds. The Battle’s O’er, performed in an internationally collaborated musical performance by massed pipes, will symbolise the end of the First World War.

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