News Release

ANZACS Remembered Through Family History

100 years since the end of World War One, the short life of ANZAC soldier Robert Bond Middleton has not been forgotten by his family.

82 year old Pam Mamouney, Robert’s great niece, attended a special commemoration service for Robert at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra two years ago with her daughter and two grandchildren. Robert was one of many fallen ANZAC soldiers honoured at individual services held for their living relatives at the Memorial.

              

  “It was so moving to stand with my children and grandchildren, to lay a wreath, hear my great uncle’s war history and the bugle playing,” said Pam.

“I don’t cry very often but tears were rolling down my face and my daughter’s too,” said Pam.

 Robert Middleton was killed in the Battle of Pozieres in France, on 28 July, 1916, while serving with the 23rd Battalion. He was in his mid-twenties.

              

“His remains have never been recovered; he is one of the 10,700 Australians killed in France that have no known grave,” said Pam.

“We knew he died somewhere in France but my daughter and her husband retraced his footsteps and they actually went to the township near where he fought. They visited the battlefield and discovered where he died where they left some poppies and shed a few tears.”

Robert is one of around 27 of Pam’s ancestors who served in a war, some even as far back as the Boer War. Passionate about family history, Pam says technology has come a long way since she started researching her genealogy with her mother years ago. They would write to parish priests in England, requesting copies of records and write down stories told to them by family members.

Today, Pam, her five children and grandchildren discover their family history using the internet.

“As my children grew older and used computers we divided up the genealogical lines so each of the five children had their own responsibility,” said Pam. “They even banned me from continuing to work on some lines because they wanted to discover the information for themselves.”

                

Pam is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and like many members is anxious to preserve memories and form bonds with her ancestors.

Family history research has never been more accessible. The Church has a number of family history centres across Melbourne that are free to use and open to the public. You can work with a family history expert who can help you get started. Find your local centre at familysearch.org/locations

The Church also sponsors the free family history website familysearch.org, which contains the largest collection of genealogical and historical records in the world.

Style Guide Note:When reporting about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, please use the complete name of the Church in the first reference. For more information on the use of the name of the Church, go to our online Style Guide.