Subject

Faithful Unto Death

Text

I have fought the good fight 2 Tim. 4.7

Inscription

To the Glory of God and in memory of the Methodist Ministers' Sons of this Conference who in response to the call of God and duty laid down their lives in the Great War 1914-1918. Erected by their parents.

Description & History

At a ceremony on 1 March 1920, the Reverend A McCallum, representing the Wesley Church trustees, presented the window on behalf of the parents who suffered the loss of their sons in the First World War. The President of the Methodist Conference, the Reverend R Ditterich, noted at the unveiling 'that no class had given more to the defence of Australia than the manses of the Methodist Church'.

The window design was based on a painting by Sir Edward Poynter, Faithful Unto Death (1865), held in the Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool. The image of the Roman soldier, standing at his post as Vesuvius erupted and destroyed the city of Pompeii in 79 AD, was seen as a moral duty in Victorian times and it proved equally appropriate when transferred to show the upright values and strength of the soldiery in the 1914-18 conflict. At either side of the central figure emblems of Crown and Palm were inserted to represent victory over death. The Honour Roll of sons was inserted on the flanking lights: LH: Cocks, H.R.; Cook, P.E.; Cory, W.F.; Fowler, R.I.; Hodge, C.V.; Holden, N.G.; Jefferys. L.G.; Lloyd, G.F.; Lowe, T.R.; McBride, A.J.; RH: Oldham, F.M.; Oldham, S.N.; Rankin, F.R.; Rowlands, J.D;. Salowry?, C.M;. Tait, I.; Tait, R.E.; Thomas, R.C.; Tregear, R.J?; Uglow, A.H.; Worrall, E.S.

Many of the men joined 6 Brigade, several died of illness and some had great suffering before a merciful death. One instance was that of Private Francis Roy Rankin, son of Francis Joseph and Alvina Rankin of Golden Square, Bendigo, who enlisted in 21 Battalion and served at Gallipoli. In 1916 he contracted influenza in Egypt, then bronchio-pneumonia. He recovered and embarked for France where he survived a night raid on German trenches on 29-30 June 1916, only to be wounded a month later. His spinal injuries and paralysis of the lower limbs necessitated his evacuation to England where he died on 10 September 1916.

References & Acknowledgements

AWM Honour Roll, NAA: B2455, Rankin Francis Roy; Argus, 2 March 1920, p.6.