Gerald Commerford and John ‘Jack’ Northcott were two Lower Lawrence soldiers, who lost their lives in WW2.
Gerald Commerford, son of Denis & Margaret Commerford of Kings Creek, was 22 years old when he enlisted in the 2nd AIF in June 1941. He was sent to Singapore with the 8th Division, and served as an ambulance attendant with the 2/10 field Ambulance.
Along with many other Australians, Gerald was captured by the Japanese Army, and transferred to the prison camp at Sandakan, Borneo, where he died in in 1945.
John Wesley (Jack) Northcott, son of Wesley and Bertha Northcott, also enlisted in the 2nd AIF, in February 1942. He was one of 84 men, assigned to the 36th Battalion. The Battalion was sent to Port Moresby, PNG, to fight the Japanese. Jack was killed on patrol at Gona in 1943, just a month and a day before his 22nd birthday.
The families and community of Lawrence and Lower Southgate created a Memorial Clock in their honour. It is about 1m wide and has a clock with the numerals replaced with the letters ‘Lest we Forget’, beneath which, is a photograph of each of the men and brass plate inscription.
The clock hung in the Lower Lawrence Public School, where both men were educated, until the school closed. The Memorial Clock went into storage, until Gerald’s brother, Arthur arranged for it to be placed in the WW2 section of the Maclean Historical Society’s Museum.
In recent months, relatives of the families requested the clock be transferred to Lawrence Historical Society’s Museum for display with the Lawrence Memorial to Servicemen & Women.
The Maclean Historical Society agreed to this request and the Memorial Clock was formally handed to Lawrence Historical Society on Wednesday June 26, by Maclean Historical Society president Edith Dobbin.
Vice president of Lawrence Historical Society, Roz Jones, said “We are honoured to accept custodianship of the Memorial Clock for the families and community of Lawrence.”
Gerald Commerford was a competitive rower on the Clarence prior to enlisting. His boat, a 1930’s Gladstone skiff, now heritage listed, hangs in the Lawrence Museum. Gerald won the NSW L/weight and H/weight championships. His title has never been contested.
Family members attending included, Brian Commerford, Trevor Commerford, Paul & Amy Commerford, Roger & Dulcie Reeves, Robert Reeves, Barry & Lorna Reeves.