Fed: Holbrook VC goes on display at war memorial

AAP General News (Australia)
12-11-2009
Fed: Holbrook VC goes on display at war memorial

By Max Blenkin

CANBERRA, Dec 11 AAP - Amid a wave of anti-German sentiment at the start of World War
I, the southern NSW town of Germanton was looking for a new and patriotic name.

After much debate the name of Holbrook was chosen, in honour of Royal Navy Lieutenant
Norman Holbrook whose dashing exploits in penetrating the Dardanelles and sinking a Turkish
battleship made him the first submariner awarded the Victoria Cross.

That launched a long association between the Holbrook family and Holbrook, NSW, now
known as "the submarine town".

In a nation of eye-catching tourist attractions, Holbrook stands unique as it has its
own submarine, the former Royal Australian Navy Oberon boat HMAS Otway, high and dry in
a park beside the Hume Highway.

In a further page in this long story, Lieutenant Holbrook's VC and other medals went
on public display in the Australian War Memorial on Friday.

The medals were donated to the Holbrook community in 1982 by Lieutenant Holbrook's
widow Gundula, 94, a resident of Austria but who had visited the town on a number of occasions
during the last half century.

So why would a town part with such a valuable piece of its heritage?

Greater Hume Shire Mayor Denise Osborne said the medals had to be kept in a bank vault
because of their value.

"We had replicas, which have been on display in the submarine museum, all of that time
since," she said.

"But to have the real thing not on display and not telling, not only the town and visitors
but the rest of the community, seemed to be something we were lacking."

So an offer was made to the Australian War Memorial.

Memorial director Steve Gower said Lieutenant Holbrook's feat in penetrating the Dardanelles
and returning safely inspired the Australian submarine AE2 to make a similar attempt at
the same time as the landings at Gallipoli on April 25, 1915.

"There was some thought on the night of the 25th when the landing wasn't really going
well that there might be an evacuation," he said.

"The news was received by (British commander) General Ian Hamilton that AE2 had got
through the Dardanelles, therefore the Australians and New Zealanders and Brits would
stay there."

The acquisition of this VC takes the memorial's collection to 61 - 58 Australian and
three British.

Memorial curator Nick Fletcher said no Australian sailor had ever won the VC.

"Our nearest would probably be Norman Holbrook who visited Australia frequently and
of course since Holbrook was named after him, there is a strong Australian link to his
actions," he said.

AAP mb/rl/cjb

KEYWORD: HOLBROOK (PIX AVAILABLE)

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