The Roll of Honour is a timber shield mounted on the southwest wall of the church. The shield has a central section with a timber shape representing a draped flag on each side. The Roll of Honour records the names of men from the area who enlisted to fight in the First World War. The shield was unveiled in September 1917 by Colonel J L Beeston at the time when Canon Wright was the Rector.

Colonel Joseph Lievesley Beeston MD CMG VD MLC was a local physician, who enlisted in the AIF in September 1914, was the Commanding Officer of 4th Field Ambulance at Gallipoli, and Assistant Director of Medical Services for the New Zealand and Australian Division. In his political life he was a Member of the NSW Legislative Council from 1908 to 1921.

The timber shield was made in 1917 by Mr A J Larkin and Mr F Caddy, in Mr Larkin’s joinery works in Robey Street Merewether. At time the shield was made, the year of the end of the war was not known. As a consequence the shield was inscribed 1914 - 19.... The final date of the end of the war was never added to the shield.

The names included in the centre area of the shield are listed below.

Lieut E M Wright	Sig J Williamson
Lieut E R H Merewether	Pte E C Blanch
Lieut C T M Heath	Pte N Hughes
WO G Simkus	Pte A Avard
Corp F Newburn	Pte J Allanson
Corp J Loveday	Pte F J Albert
L Corp E S Wright	Pte F Baguley
MGnr Pte E W Wright	Pte J Wisbey
Gnr V Lovell	Pte H Davies
Dvr B Harris	Pte W Hunt
Pte Fred Newburn	Pte R E Swan
Pte W Symington	Pte H L Swan
Pte G Fisher	Pte C Woolston
Pte J W Lloyd	Pte C Harris

Two names are listed separately one on each of timber flags at the side of the shield.
These names are Capt U Bourke and Pte R B Fitzgerald.

Around the bottom edge of the flag sections on each side is the wording: "Backward to mingle in detested war, but foremost when engaged to turn the death."

Four of the names shown on the central part of the shield are marked with a cross as "Killed".
These are; Lieut Charles Heath, Pte William Symington, Pte Edward Blanch and Pte Frederick Albert.

Details of these men have been separately researched and this information is listed below.

None of the men were "Anzacs", i.e none had served on the Gallipoli peninsula, as they had enlisted after the "call to the Dardanelles" in 1915. All of them had served and died in France or Belgium.

The youngest of the group of four at time of death was Pte William SYMINGTON.

William was born at Broken Hill, and was working in Newcastle as a 19 year old ironmongery salesman when he enlisted in Jan 1916. He was the son of Robert and Mrs Symington who lived at Catherine Hill Bay.

William sailed from Sydney on HMAT Benalla in May 1916 as Reinforcements for the 35th Infantry Battalion. The convoy disembarked at Plymouth in July 1916. After some time training in the UK the unit proceeded from Southampton to France in November 1916.

William was killed in action at Ploegsteert south of Ypres in Belgium in June 1917, but his body could not be positively identified. Because of this, his name was included with those who also have no known grave on the Menin Gate Memorial at Ypres, in Belgium.

The next youngest at time of death was Pte Frederick James ALBERT

Frederick was born at Canterbury Kent England, the son of Richard Albert and Jane Albert. He received his schooling at Episcopal Normal School in Edinburgh Scotland. He came to Australia at the age of 21 years and worked as a plumber at the BHP. He was married to Lillie Belle Albert of Dent Street, later 19 Wilton Street, Merewether.

He enlisted in May 1916 into 36 Infantry Battalion and sailed for England on troop ship Benalla in November 1916. He was wounded in action in June 1917 and after a period of recuperation returned to his unit in August 1917.

He was however later killed at Zonnebeke near Passchendaele in Belgium in October 1917. His age at time of death was 25 years. He was initially buried at Zonnebeke but later his body was exhumed and re-interred in a grave in the Tyne Cot British Cemetery at Passendale, east of Ypres in Belgium.

Frederick is the only one of the four who has an inscription on his grave marker. It reads - "Out of the stress of the doing, into the peace of the done. God rest him".

Next was Pte Edward Charles BLANCH

Edward was born in Merewether, the son of Edward Charles Blanch and Jane Blanch who lived in Merewether Street, Merewether. He was employed as a labourer.

He applied to enlist in July 1915 and was eventually accepted in August 1915 in 24th Infantry Battalion. He sailed from Sydney on HMAT Euripides in November 1915 as Reinforcements for the 17th Battalion. The convoy disembarked at Alexandria. After some training time the unit embarked at Alexandria in March 1916 for Marseille.

Edward was killed in action in Jun 1916 in the Fleurbaix sector near Fromelles. News of his death was notified to his parents three weeks later in July 1916. His age at time of death was 26 Years. He was buried in a grave at Brewery Orchard Cemetery, Bois-Grenier south of Armentieres, in France.

The final member of the group of four is Lieut Charles Thomas McIntosh HEATH.

Charles was the son of William Goulburn Heath and Margaret Heath of Henry Street, Merewether. William Heath was the Headmaster of Merewether Primary School from May 1908 to December 1917.

Charles was born at Narrandera, NSW and attended Camden Grammar School and Newcastle High School. Prior to enlisting he had completed his articles as a Law Clerk and would have qualified to practice as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of New South Wales.

He enlisted in November 1915 into 1st Field Artillery Brigade and sailed from Sydney in HMAT Ascanius in October 1916 as Reinforcements for 1st Field Artillery Brigade. He was later transferred to the 5th Field Artillery Brigade in June 1917.

Charles was killed in September 1917 near Ypres in Flanders but has no known grave. It was reported that he was killed when returning from front line work but there were no details available as to how he met his death. His age at time of death was 28 years. His name is included with those who also have no known grave on the Menin Gate Memorial, at Ypres in Belgium.

The name of Lieut Heath was published in a casualty list in the London Times on 9 November 1917 as having been awarded the Military Cross. Following requests for clarification from his family, it was later confirmed by the military records branch that the newspaper had been in error and no MC had been awarded to Charles Heath.

This report has been researched and compiled by Ian Watkins.