War Memorabilia

Concordia Cottage houses an exhibition of war memorabilia, tributes and artefacts to the many locals who volunteered or were conscripted during WWI and WWII. To pay tribute to their sacrifice, many stories of bravery, perseverance and survival are retold and displayed.

Wilma Young (nee Oram)

A nurse, survived the sinking of the ill-fated ‘Vyner Brooke’ escaping the fall of Singapore and spending 3 ½ years in a POW camp during WWII.

Flying Officer Len Pietsch

In 1940 Len Pietsch volunteered for the RAAF and underwent an extensive correspondence course in Maths, Physics and Geometry at Murtoa Higher Elementary School, with help from the Headmaster, Mr Holmes.

After leaving Australia he achieved very high grades and in 1943 Len was appointed Signals Leader in a Lancaster bomber. Len was involved in the major offensive against German Industry, ‘The ‘Battle of the Ruhr’. On the 11th June 1943 the Lancaster W4983 went missing.

By November 1944 Len was listed as ‘Missing believed killed’. He was reburied in 1946 in the Rheinberg War Cemetery, a communal grave of seven bodies.