Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Mr. J. C. Phelp, of "Glenlee," The Drive, Buckhurst Hill, Essex (England), writes to the children of the Copmanhurst Public School, and pays a tribute to the late Private G. S. Moppett, ex-teacher of the school: —
I have been wondering lately if some of the elder ones amongst you may still be able to call to mind a visit paid to your late dear master, Mr. Moppett, just two years ago, when this should reach you, by an elderly Englishman of the name of Phelp. I came to visit Mr. Moppett and his charming wife, and, of course, was invited to speak to you about the long journey I had come, and of the scenes through which I had passed; and now there is no place visited that is so dear and sacred to me as Copmanhurst, for since then both Mr. and Mrs. Moppett have died — one a few days after I left, and the other, Mr. Moppett, killed in action, on or about the 12th of April last, in France.
I write this letter to ask you to treasure the memory of your former master very affectionately, and I am sure some of you will, for from what I knew of Mr. Moppett and saw of him in his school duties, I am convinced that he was certain to influence your lives for good. And now we just get the news, after hoping for several months that he was possibly a prisoner, that he has passed onward and upwards. I knew your dear friend and teacher from his birth, although we did not meet for thirty years, as he came out to Australia when he was about six years of age. So, as soon as he reached England, and leave was granted to him, he came to visit us here, and his charm was as pronounced as ever. We shall ever consider ourselves fortunate that up to the time of his leaving for France, he was our most welcome guest. I knew that he had a special delight in natural history studies, and his diary of his trip was studded over with references of this kind. If I remember rightly, he had asked his mother to send along to Copmanhurst the diary when she had read it. I hope it reached her, and then you, in due course.
The last walk I had with him was through our beautiful Epping Forest.
The young schoolmaster has fallen at his post, in full vigor of life, and his old friend is writing to his former pupils to express the hope that some of them — most of them — will feel his influence throughout their lives. He was a good man, therefore a grand man. If any of you dear youngsters have had your portion of sorrow in this terrible war by the loss of dear ones, accept from me a message of sympathy. Life is a book which lasts one's lifetime, but it requires wisdom to understand its difficult pages. God gives us all the full measure of wisdom required. The words of the poet, Browning, can well be applied to Mr. Moppett, as "One who never turned his back, but marched breast forward." Let that be your way, dear boys and girls, in all the days that are before you, and may the day of peace dawn upon us all, and gladness of hearts mingle in sunny New South Wales and the "little island set in the silver sea." – The Daily Examiner, Grafton, issue dated Saturday October 13, 1917.