Albion Park plaques honour WW2 soldiers

The Armidale and District Historical Society (ADHS) will host a dedication ceremony at Albion Park on Saturday 22 September at 11am to honour two Armidale men who died in World War 2.

The plaques in Albion Park (on the Beardy Street side of the Armidale Swimming Pool) disappeared a number of years ago and need to be reinstated.

Sergeant Ernest Morrison died when his plane crashed during night action in New Guinea and Staff Sergeant Arthur Cooper was killed when as a POW, the Japanese ship on which Australian and British POWs from Changi and Thailand were being transported to work in the coal mines in Japan, was torpedoed by allied US submarines.

President of the Armidale and District Historical Society Judy Grieve said it was important to reinstate the memorial plaques and honour Sergeant Morrison and Sergeant Cooper.

“Family members of both men are travelling to the ceremony,” said Judy Grieve.

“Sergeant Cooper worked on Council as a carpenter and Sergeant Morrison at Lambert's store.

“The plaques were probably placed on the trees when Tom Monckton was in charge of the Park in the 1950s and ran the swimming pool and possibly during the time when he was a Councillor or Mayor in 1952.”

Council parks staff worked with ADHS to install the plaques and refurbish the tree guards. The original plaque for Sergeant Cooper was probably installed by his Council workmates. The community are welcome and encouraged to attend the ceremony.

Published on 18 Sep 2018