Mt. Duneed State School Honour Board
Location: perished when the school was destroyed during 1944 bush fire
After raising funds for the Red Cross and the school honor board, the Mt Duneed community unveiled the honor board during an American Tea event arranged by the Mount Duneed Red Cross Sub-centre. During the evening the photographic honor board was unveiled by Cr. White. The honor board contained the photographs of 33 old scholars and three district soldiers of the Mount Duneed school. Cr. White spoke with feeling about the way in which many from the district enlisted and that the honor board which the community funded represents the community awareness of their sacrifice. Cr. W.F. McIntyre shared the sentiments and thanked the community for the invitation to be present at the unveiling. Geelong Advertiser, 31 October, 1917
Unfortunately a past teacher Arthur Vivian Deeble was not included on the honor board.
Rupert Vance Moon Memorial
Mt Dunned Cemetery
Williams Road, Mt Duneed
A garden commemorates Lt. Rupert Theo Vance “Mick” Moon (1892-1986), recipient of a World War 1 Victoria Cross, the pre-eminent award for acts of bravery in wartime and is Australia’s highest military honour. It is awarded to persons who, in the presence of the enemy, display the most conspicuous gallantry; a daring or pre-eminent act of valour or self-sacrifice; or extreme devotion to duty.
Rupert was born on August 14 1892 at Bacchus Marsh, Victoria. He started school in Dimboola then when the family moved to Kyneton he finished his education at Kyneton Grammar School before following in his father’s footsteps and joining the National Australia Bank as a clerk at the age of 16.
On August 21 1914 Rupert, with military experience in the Militia, enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force as a trumpeter. Two months later, on October 19, he boarded the HMAT Wiltshire. After arriving in the Middle East Rupert continued training in Egypt, eventually being deployed with the 4th Light Horse to Gallipoli in May 1915.
Apart from a brief spell in hospital, he remained on the peninsula until the withdrawal of all Australian troops late December. In March 1916, he was promoted to Sergeant and arrived in Marseilles on June 17 1916. In September, he was transferred to the Victorian 58th Infantry Battalion and was commissioned to the rank of 2nd Lieutenant.
Rupert was promoted to lieutenant on April 6 1917. As the Germans withdrew behind the Hindenburg Line, the 58th was involved in the pursuit and soon participated in the Battle of Bullecourt. On the May 12 1917. Rupert led his battalion in the successful breaching of the Hindenburg Line in the second battle of Bullecourt. Rupert’s platoon was given the task of neutralising a concrete machine-gun shelter which lay between the opposition trenches. Leading his men towards the German strong point, Rupert was hit by enemy fire. Not giving up, and continually calling, “come on boys”, he still stayed to lead, inspire, and encourage his men to successfully capture the shelter. He then rallied them for an attack on the enemy trench and, although wounded a second time, they captured a large section of the German trench system. The fleeing Germans were forced into dug-outs where they were effectively trapped. After being hit a third time, he staggered on and the German position was taken with almost 200 prisoners. Rupert, who was peering over the cutting to ascertain enemy locations and ensuring that his men held the position in depth with multiple lines of defence, was shot in the face and his jaw was broken. He insisted, however, on seeing the new position occupied before he allowed two men to take him to the rear.
For this action he was awarded the Victoria Cross, the citation reading: ‘His bravery was magnificent and was largely instrumental in the successful issue against superior numbers, the safeguarding of the flank of the attack, and the capture of many prisoners and machine guns’. Rupert had proved to be a brave and tenacious leader.
Rupert returned to Australia on HT Corinthic on January 10 1918. Desperate to go back to his unit, he was declared fit and boarded HT Euripides on May 1 1918, re-joining his unit in August 1918 near Corbie, France, taking part in operations at Mont St Quentin. He returned with the 58th to England in late 1918, and finally to Australia on August 3 1919, almost exactly five years after he had enlisted and as temporary Captain.
Rupert worked at various jobs after the war – in a bank and as an accountant before in 1928 becoming livestock manager with the wool brokers Dennys, Lascelles Ltd. Geelong becoming a director in 1962. In 1931, he married Susan May Vincent with whom he had a son and a daughter. In World War II Rupert served as a captain in the Volunteer Defence Corps. Posted to the 6th Victorian Battalion (1942 and 1944-45), he was seconded to the South-West Group in 1943-44 for staff duties. After the war he lived in Mt Duneed and eventually settled in Barwon Heads, where he died in 1986.
Together They Served 