Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

George was a former member of the Kuringai Scout Committee and an Honorary Badge Examiner.

He is named on the UK Scout Association's First World War Roll of Honour
https://heritage.scouts.org.uk/exhibitions/scouting-in-the-first-world-war/

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/86102525?searchTerm=concanon%20gallipoli&searchLimits=


Cumberland Argus and Fruitgrowers Advocate (Parramatta, NSW : 1888 - 1950), Saturday 29 May 1915, page 8


Honoring the Heroes.

Memorial Service at Hornsby

Close on a thousand people attended the service, held at Hornsby on Sunday afternoon in memory of the late Captain G. L. B. Concanon, lately in charge of D Company, 10th Infantry, who was killed in action at the Dardanelles. The military and civilian brass bands played a number of selections before the service, and provided the music at the service. The ninth Infantry, under Colonel Jacobs, and the cadets, were present in uniform. The people sung the hymn 'Onward, Christian Soldiers.' Rev. A. L. Wade led the prayers, and then Kipling's Recessional was sung.

Rev. S. E. Langford Smith preached on the text, 'Greater Love hath no man than this, that he lay down his life to save his friend.

They were met together to do honour to the memory of a brave man who had laid down his life in the cause of his king. and country. Today, they were saddened by the great wave of sorrow which had come to so many homes, it had come to the home of their late gallant commander as well as to the homes of some of those present.

Captain Concanon was a military enthusiast, and was a comrade in arms to many present. In this war the Empire was fighting for the best and noblest objects, for the defence of the weak, and for the maintenance of liberty and security, of truth and honour. Brave men had laid down their lives in that great attack on Gallipoli, and their bravery will never be forgotten.

For a comparatively small body of men to land on an enemy shore, which, was strongly fortified and defended by 600,000 troops; for them to land in the darkness of the early morning, ignorant of the number of foes that might be and were awaiting them, to land where there was no landing place-, under a hail of bullets; to leap into the sea and rush the beach without any cover from the merciless fire; to rush forward to the cliffs where the enemy was concealed in unknown strength; and to take and hold the ridge -whilst the rest of the troops wore landing, those were deeds worthy of the highest traditions of the British race, and would be recorded on the imperishable scroll of history to the glory of Australia and the British Empire.

Such was the landing on the 25th. April. Many of the men whilst being rowed to the shore know that they were face to face with unknown perils. Some, they know, wore face to face with the great Eternity, and that was a situation which called for the utmost courage. In such circumstances, there is nothing, he said, which would stand by a man as the conviction that his sins have been blotted out; that he has been redeemed by the blood of Jesus: The deed they did will be recorded in history as a glorious feat..

Sir Tan Hamilton had sent a message of praise in which he said "How gloriously the Australians and Indian contingents have upheld the traditions of the Empire" The Australians have created for their country an imperishable record of military virtue.

The English press wrote of the deed in these words: The extraordinary difficulties of the landing were overcome by the Australians' determination. It is doubtful if any other troops in the world could have carried it through so successfully. The soldiers of Australia have most nobly made good.
Had Australia done its share If she had, we would have 200,000 men at the front, instead of 30,000; and our factories would be turning but war munitions instead of luxuries. The Empire is calling her sons from across the seas, as she has never called before. We are up against a powerful, determined and unscrupulous foe; our Empire is fighting for its existence; and our honour and liberty are at stake.

Their forefathers , and he hoped there were none present — who had tried to keep their sons at home. He would not like to be those fathers in three or four years time. He had no sons old enough to go, but if he had he would bid them go, and not stay at home, and shirk their duty.

The 'Last Post' was sounded, and then the National Anthem was sung. After; the service the bands marched to the park, where they played a number of selections.