Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

I have 3 memories passed on to me by Lawrence Marmo's Wife back in the 1960's.
Firstly was the fact that she told me about, and showed to me, his gold fop watch presented to him on the day he competed in the army games in Melbourne just prior to his departure in 1915. On that day he was the winner of the 100 yards dash, 200 yards, 400 yards and the 800 yards athletics races. Sadly Papa was soon to be severely gassed in the Somme, ending his talent and later causing his early death.
Second story was that Lawrence had a beautiful four year old gelding horse which he donated to the army, his name was Flashjack, he went to Palestine and was part of the epic charge at Beersheba in Palestine. He was shot after his great work was done there as were all of them so as to save those transport costs back.
Third story an anecdote to the second, my Papa was in the police after the war,he came home around 1926 one day an asked my Nanna to take Ten Shillings out of the bank an to put an each way bet on a certain horse running at Caulfield race track a tip he'd had. When he came home on the Saturday night after dinner he remembered an asked if she'd placed his bet. Yes she said, i did, but I put all our savings on the nose, Ten pounds. She passed him her handbag full of notes 500 pounds she won. They bought a brand new Cadillac Car next week. So you see Papa's sacrifice at the war, of his horse was eventually more than repaid.