Moruya Bush War Memorial

About

The Moruya 'Bush' War Memorial was built in April 2021 and was officially unveiled on Anzac Day, 2021 by Wing Commander Garth Andrews Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and Naval Chaplain (Rtd) David Thiem. The memorial was erected at the site of the relic Operations Building, Number 11 Operational Base Unit (OBU) RAAF. This OBU was in service during the Second World War, between 1942 and 1944. The memorial consists of two stone blocks, the Honour Stone and the Cenotaph Stone, with a flagpole standing behind. The Honour Stone bears the names of three Merchant Sailors killed by a Japanese submarine attack in 1942 (SS Dureenbee) and eight Airmen of the RAAF who were killed in two separate air crashes; these aircraft having taken off from Moruya Aerodrome in 1943 (CAC Wirraway) and 1945 (Avro Anson) respectively. The Cenotaph Stone is a scaled down version of The Cenotaph, Martin Place in Sydney, both stones having been quarried from the Moruya Granite Quarry. To the right of the stones is a bushrock featuring the insignia of the Merchant Navy.  The memorial was constructed by Norman Moore (Works Foreman), with assistance from Gary Traynor (Administrator of the Moruya Remembers Committee). The project was made possible through the invaluable assistance and work crew of the Eurobodalla Shire Council, particularly Greg Knight (3rd Infantry Battalion descendant). The Cenotaph Stone was generously supported by local business owner Michael Walker and many local citizens and businesses.  The memorial is used for commemorative services throughout the year, including an Annual Dusk Service every Anzac Day. Free tours of the relic concrete bunkers on site are also conducted yearly (or other times by request) and all tours conclude with a commemorative service. Statement of Significance, provided by Gary Traynor, Moruya Remembers Committee, 2022: Prior to the construction of this war memorial, there was no physical reminder of the wartime significance of this site (No. 11 Operational Base Unit RAAF), nor was there any record within NSW specifically about the Japanese submarine attack upon the SS Dureenbee on 3rd August 1942 or the tragic aircraft crashes of Wirraway A20-116 or Avro Anson EG446. The construction of this war memorial, combined with the annual free guided tours conducted of the Second World War bunker complex, the volunteers of the Moruya Remembers Committee are building awareness of the time when war came to Moruya.