Help Us Connect with Families of These Brave Servicemen
Australian Military Genealogy is reaching out to descendants and relatives of 16 servicemen from Officer, Victoria, who made the ultimate sacrifice during World War I and World War II. These heroes are now commemorated in the Officer Avenue of Trees, a memorial avenue of trees planted along the Princes Highway.
About the Officer Avenue of Honour Project
In 1919, Officer residents planted a row of 40 trees near this location to honour their fallen servicemen. These trees were removed in the 1970s for road widening and were never replanted. In 2025, 18 trees were planted to restore this important memorial and will be re-dedicated on 18 April 2026.
This memorial honours the courage and self-sacrifice of these men who died in action during the Great War (1914-1918) and the Second World War (1939-1945). The project was initiated by Veteran Geoffrey Griffiths and made possible through the generous support of Cardinia Shire Council, Southside Racing Pakenham, Officer & District Community Association, JFT Nurseries, Berwick & Dandenong RSLs, Garfield Sawmill, Akoonah Park Men’s Shed Inc, and South East Signs.
World War I Servicemen Honoured
Corporal Percival Thomas Beadle (AKA Beadel)
- Service Number: 820
- Unit: 24th Infantry Battalion
- Killed in Action: 17 January 1917, Aged 20
- Burial: St Sever Cemetery, Rouen, France
Lieutenant Alan Cathcart Davies
- Unit: 59th Infantry Battalion
- Died of Wounds: 25 April 1918, Aged 27
- Burial: Vignacourt British Cemetery, Picardie, France
Private William Johnston
- Service Number: 4740
- Unit: 21st Infantry Battalion
- Killed in Action: 13 November 1916, Aged 43
- Burial: Villers-Bretonneux, France
Gunner James Alexander Lecky
- Service Number: 19922
- Unit: 8th Field Artillery Brigade
- Died of Wounds: 14 November 1918, Aged 27
- Burial: St Sever Cemetery, Rouen, France
Gunner William Mervyn Lecky
- Service Number: 6612
- Unit: 4th Field Artillery Brigade
- Killed in Action: 1 September 1918, Aged 23
- Burial: Peronne Communal Cemetery, France
- Awards: Military Medal
Private James Patrick Osborne
- Service Number: 2733
- Unit: 7th Infantry Battalion
- Killed in Action: 19 August 1916, Aged 37
- Burial: Serre Road Cemetery, France
Corporal Albert John Kempson Skellett
- Service Number: 997
- Unit: 8th Light Horse Regiment
- Died of Wounds: 20 April 1917, Aged 28
- Burial: Palestine
Private Clive Wellington Were – Killed at the Gallipoli Landing
- Service Number: 521
- Unit: 5th Infantry Battalion
- Killed in Action: 25 April 1915, Gallipoli, Turkey, Aged 26
- Burial: Lone Pine Memorial, Turkey
Private Leonard James Whitney
- Service Number: 3935
- Unit: 21st Infantry Battalion
- Died of Wounds: 13 February 1917, Aged 36
- Burial: Denancourt Communal Cemetery Extension, France
Gunner William Alfred Ernest Pryor
- Service Number: 26734
- Unit: 14th Field Artillery Brigade
- Killed in Action: 8 April 1917, Aged 30
- Burial: Morchies Australian Cemetery, France
World War II Servicemen Honoured
Private Walter Allan Clark
- Service Number: VX41816
- Unit: 2nd/14th Australian Infantry Battalion
- Killed in Action: 8 September 1942, New Guinea, Aged 30
- Burial: Bomana War Cemetery, Port Moresby
Lance Corporal Alfred Jack Simmons
- Service Number: VX17562
- Unit: 2nd/5th Australian Infantry Battalion
- Died of Pneumonia: 6 May 1942, Aged 27
- Burial: Kanatte Cemetery, Colombo, Sri Lanka
Lance Sergeant William Alan Swift
- Service Number: VX46705
- Unit: 2nd/11th Australian Field Regiment
- Died: 27 November 1942, Brisbane, Aged 23
- Burial: Toowong Cemetery, Queensland
Surgeon Commander John Reid Hasker
- Service: Royal Australian Navy
- Lost: HMAS Sydney, Indian Ocean, 20 November 1941, Aged 41
Flight Sergeant Jack Stanley Robinson
- Service Number: 430767
- Service: Royal Australian Air Force
- Died in Training Accident: 19 March 1945, Aged 21
- Burial: Cambridge City Cemetery, United Kingdom
Corporal Walter George Johnston
- Service Number: VX5844
- Unit: 2nd/5th Australian Infantry Battalion
- Killed in Action: 3 January 1941, Aged 30
- Burial: Halfaya Sollum War Cemetery, Egypt
Are You Related to Any of These Servicemen?
If you are a descendant or relative of any of these brave servicemen from Officer, Victoria, we would love to hear from you. Australian Military Genealogy is working to connect descendants and relatives with the Officer organising committee so that they can participate in Anzac Day 2026 with the community.
Whether your ancestor served with the 24th Infantry Battalion, 59th Infantry Battalion, 21st Infantry Battalion, 8th Field Artillery Brigade, 4th Field Artillery Brigade, 7th Infantry Battalion, 8th Light Horse Regiment, 5th Infantry Battalion at Gallipoli, 14th Field Artillery Brigade, 2nd/14th Australian Infantry Battalion, 2nd/5th Australian Infantry Battalion, 2nd/11th Australian Field Regiment, Royal Australian Navy aboard HMAS Sydney, or the Royal Australian Air Force, we want to help preserve their memory.
Contact Us
If you have any connection to the Beadle, Davies, Johnston, Lecky, Osborne, Skellett, Were, Whitney, Pryor, Clark, Simmons, Swift, Hasker, or Robinson families from the Officer area, or if you have information about any of these servicemen, please contact:
David
Australian Military Genealogy
Email: david@ozmilgenealogy.com
Website: ozmilgenealogy.com
We welcome any information, stories, photographs, or records that can help us honour these men and share their stories with future generations.