New $100m war memorial leaves Tasmanian Diggers off the map

The contribution of Tasmanian soldiers in World War I has been diminished with the state left off a map at a new $100 million memorial on the Western Front.

The map at the Sir John Monash Centre, which does not include Tasmania.

A HUNDRED-year-old mistake means the contribution of Tasmanian soldiers in World War I has been diminished at a new $100 million memorial on the Western Front, says a visitor whose relatives fought and died in the conflict.

Tasmania is simply not on the map of Australia displayed in pride of place at the Sir John Monash Centre at Villers-Bretonneux, France.

Former Tasmanian, now Canberra resident, Len Mitchell said three members of his family had not returned from Belgium and France in World War I.

He visited the museum the day after the Centenary of the Armistice last month and was taken aback to see Tasmania’s efforts ignored.

“There’s a map there, a framed map, regimental colours AIF 1914-19 and it’s got no Tasmania on it,” he said.

“It is an official record taken from the headquarters of the AIF in London. Six months after the war ended they published this thing, without Tasmania.

“I raised it with them while I was there but they were a bit nonplussed.”

Tasmania’s 40th battalion was shown overlaid on Western Australia, Mr Mitchell said.

“I wrote an email to them when I got back to my hotel. I didn’t even get a response.

“I followed it up a few days later with an email directly to the [Department of Veterans’ Affairs] minister and I got the standard robo-response.

“Even if it is a historical map, Tasmanians did play their part — more than played their part.

“There should be a note at the very least explaining why Tasmania isn’t on it.”

Federal Lyons Labor MP Brian Mitchell condemned the error.

To leave off a state which did more than its fair share of contributing manpower to that war was unacceptable, he said.

“It wouldn’t take much for the Sir John Monash Centre to fix that — whether it’s through a plaque or something explaining the piece.

“They’ve had 100 years to fix this, this sort of thing should not go through unchecked. Tasmanians deserve better.”