A STRONG contingent of the Dures family will represent Wauchope at the first-ever Anzac Day dawn service to be held at the Australian National War Memorial Cemetery in Villers Bretonneaux in France this week.

Ron and Pam Dures, along with their sons Martin and Rod and grandson Kye, will make the trip which will include a 12 day tour of most of the battlefields and cemeteries significant to Australians and more particularly a number of Wauchope families.

During the trip, Mr Dures will present a flag on behalf of the Wauchope RSL Sub-branch to the mayor of Bretonneux.

Mr Dures said he was looking forward to the trip and tours.

“This year marks the 90th anniversary of the Armistice for World War I,” he said.

“But more particularly, it is also the 90th anniversary of the Battle of Amiens, fought by Australian battalion on April 24 and 25 1918 and now known as ‘our other Anzac Day’.

“There will be many Australians making the pilgrimage to the battlefields of France and Belgium during this period and Pam and I along with our sons and grandson will be very much part of that too.

“The trip will coincide with the first ever dawn service at the Australian National War Memorial Cemetery in Villers Bretonneaux.

“It is also a significant trip for us personally as my uncle, Private Thomas Albert Dures of the 18th battalion was killed on August 8, 1918, ‘The Black Day of the German Army’ and is buried in the Villers Bretonneaux cemetery.

“He was aged 23 years and lived in Sydney.”

During the trip, the Dures family will also be searching for grave sites on behalf of a number of Wauchope families including, JD Graham, and the Woodlands family.