Mail - Ranges Trader mail - 21st November 2017

Page 1

Ranges

5 Tuesday, 21 November, 2017

Trader

Olinda Precinct Plan announced

8

A Mail News Group publication

Mail

Covering the Dandenongs in the Yarra Ranges & Cardinia Shires

Charity for cresties at the Cameo

23-24

Best in local sport

Phone: 5957 3700 Trades and Classifieds: 1300 666 808

War love locket By Derek Schlennstedt

passed down from generation to generation was lost when Graeme’s home was broken into in 2002 and the locket, among other memorabilia was stolen - the offenders were never caught and the memorabilia never found. Eleven years later, it was Aenone who stumbled upon the small, intricate locket hiding at the back of a display case at the Running Rabbits Military Museum - attached to the UpweyBelgrave RSL.

With a keen sense of determination she located Graeme and Bruce Crossley, organising a meeting to confirm the locket. “Being a researcher myself I was curious and looked into Clifford’s war record and made a family tree ... finally I came up with the names of the boys and rang Bruce Crossley.” “I said this locket may belong to your family ... there was a big gasp and pause on the other end,” she joked.

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Though the locket had lost its photo of Clifford, Graeme and Bruce printed a new photo to be placed within the locket and resolved to have it exhibited at the Upwey-Belgrave RSL. On Thursday 16 November Aenone, Bruce and Graeme Crossley, as well as many members of the Upwey-Belgrave RSL came together to hang the locket, which is now accompanied by both a photo of Clifford and his mother and the incredible story of how it came to rest at the Upwey-Belgrave RSL.

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Veteran Walling Ward councillor Len Cox will lead Yarra Ranges Council as mayor for the next year after he was elected to the position on Tuesday 14 November. In a career that has spanned four decades, it will be Cr Cox’s sixth time at the helm. At the other end of the spectrum, in his first term on council, Cr Tony Stevenson was also elected to take on the duties of deputy mayor. Read the full story on page 3.

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When Aenone McRae discovered a mysterious locket sitting at the bottom of a display case at the Belgrave-Upwey RSL, she felt it was her duty to uncover how the intricate little ornament found its way to the back of a display case, disregarded and overlooked. Little did she know that the finding of the locket would send Aenone down a five-year-long journey to reunite it with its owner. Aenone, who worked at the Upwey-Belgrave RSL from 2009 until 2015, said she was cleaning the display cases in 2012 when she noticed the item. “I was here for five, nearly six years and I noticed over a period of time that this little gold locket was kicking around in the bottom of a display case,” she said. “I got curious and had a look and noticed it had a chevron ... it was a very pretty thing ... had ruby and diamonds around the outside and on the back it had an inscription about this Clifford Johnson.” Upon further investigation by Aenone it was discovered that Clifford Johnson had enlisted in WWII in the RAAF, and was posted to Bomber Command, RAF 463 Squadron in Waddington, UK. The gold locket, inset with diamonds and a ruby, was given as a gift from Flying Officer Clifford James Johnson to his mother, Ivy Ruby Johnson following his enlistment in 1942. Sadly, Clifford was lost while flying his bomber over France and upon hearing of his death Ivy wore the locket and had it inscribed with his name. All this was discovered by Aenone, whose research was hampered by the lack of paperwork that accompanied the locket's arrival at the RSL. “We didn’t know how the locket had come to the museum, no paperwork was done ... usually when a donation is made you have to sign a name and address and where you found it ... this had nothing,” Aenone said. “When he was lost, presumed missing and dead, his mother wore the locket until she died some years later.” The locket found its way down the family tree to Clifford’s only sister, who had two sons Graeme and Bruce.” The cherished heirloom which had been

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