Howell Public School First World War Roll of Honour, Tingha

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The memorial is a polished timber honour roll for the First World War. It is a large rectangular board, with a uniquely designed top piece that has an undulating shape. Painted in full colour, above the list of names, are the crossed Union Jack and Australian flags. Below them is a ribbon banner, painted in gold and white, bearing the name of Howell Public School. The roll lists 54 veterans of the war, with one man, E. McCrohen, listed twice. The craftsmanship evident in the timberwork demostrates the roll was constructed by a professional cabinet marker. However, the painting and lettering of the names appears uneven and imprecise, suggesting it was not done by a skilled sign writer. Planning for the memorial was underway by mid-1918. A welcome home function was given for Private H. Lute at the Howell Federal Hall on 6 June 1918. In their report of the event, the Tingha Advocate and North-Western Journal, 21 June, stated: Howell has responded well to the Empire's call, and a movement is on foot to erect an Honor Roll to perpetuate the memory of these heroes. Specific details regarding the construction and unveiling of the roll are unknown. However, as it references the school, we can assume it once resided there. It is now located in the Tingha Sports and Recreation Club. Access to it is restricted to the opening hours of the club.  Howell is a mining village near Tingha, NSW. The Howell Public School was opened in March 1900 and closed in October 1942. Note: Research on the veterans listed in the table below was done using The A.I.F. Project database, the National Australian Archives Military Records, and the website, 'Inverell Remembers World War 1'.