Lower Lawrence Public School Second World War Memorial Clock

About

This wall clock is a war memorial for two men from Lower Lawrence, NSW, who died in the Second World War. The electric clock itself is "housed in a spun brass case with oxidised Fix this textcopper finish," which is mounted in a timber board approximately 1 metre wide (Daily Examiner, 7 July 1947). A unique feature of the clock face is that the numerals have been replaced with the 12 letters of the phrase 'Lest we forget'.  The memorial was created in honour of Privates Gerald Commerford and Jack Northcott, ex-pupils of Lower Lawrence Public School. A photograph of each man is set into the timber surround, either side of the brass dedication plaque.  The clock was installed at the school in 1947. It was unveiled by Mrs Commerford and Mr Northcott during Empire Day celebrations on 23 May. The event was reported in detail in the Daily Examiner on 27 May. A further article on 7 July published a photo of the finished piece and stated the woodwork was completed by Mr E. N. Mackinnon of Lawrence. The school closed in December 1955 and the memorial was later moved to the Maclean District Historical Society Museum. Following a request from the Commerford family, the clock was again moved to the Lawrence Museum and formally handed over on 26 June 2019 (Clarence Valley Independent, 3 July 2019). Private Gerald Commerford was born on 8 July 1919 at Maclean, NSW. He enlisted on 13 June 1941 and died on 9 February 1945 as a prisoner of war.   Private John Northcott was born on 14 February 1921. He enlisted on 22 July 1942 and was killed in action of 15 January 1943 in Papua New Guinea.