After eight years of research and dedication, Moree historian Michael McNamara can take a break now that his second book, Moree's Anzacs Volume II has been released.
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The book was launched to a small crowd at the Moree Museum on Wednesday, and is the culmination of the best part of a decade of work by Mr McNamara and his group of helpers.
"In 2012 the Gwydir Family History Group started this project," Mr McNamara said.
"We thought it would take a couple of years - how wrong we were."
Moree's Anzacs Volume I was released in 2015, however a second volume was needed as the stories of those brave men and women who enlisted for the first World War from the Moree district would not fit into just one book.
Nearly 2000 men and women from the Moree district enlisted for World War I between 1914 and 1918.
"The whole district had a population of 4000 so it was nearly half," Mr McNamara said.
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A total of 254 men from the district were killed during the war, including 30 who lost their lives at Gallipoli.
Originally only 24 men were recognised as having been killed at Gallipoli, but during Mr McNamara's research, another six were discovered.
The second volume features the stories of sixty local soldiers who enlisted from January 1916 through to the silencing of the guns at 11am on November 11, 1918.
Two soldiers, along with two nurses who didn't appear in the first volume are also included in Volume II.
Moree councillor and RSL sub-branch member John Tramby OAM recognised Mr McNamara's commitment during the book launch, and said both books are a "treasure that will be with us forever".
"You're very fortunate to have someone like Michael in your numbers," he said.
"The amount of work to do this research is incredible; the detail is incredible.
"It is fantastic that we are now remembering what those men and women did just on 100 years ago.
"The British considered Australian soldiers to be the finest to ever wear a uniform; they could ride a horse, shoot a rifle and live rough. They were adaptable; they could live in those difficult conditions.
"We are honoured to make sure these people are never forgotten and we're very lucky to have someone like Michael to do that work."
While he was well, Mr McNamara would spend eight hours a day working on the book and said it's a great accomplishment to have finished.
"I really enjoyed it," he said.
"My family served; I had a great uncle in World War I and we lost three guys in World War II. I had a cousin in a training accident down at Parkes and my dad was in the National Service and was sent home to get permission to go to war just as it ended.
"It's a story I felt has got to be told."
Mr McNamara now plans on having "a couple of days off" before he starts his next venture - on Moree's World War II veterans.
"I'm not sure what to do yet, as the records are so hard to find on World War II. There's only a nominal roll," he said.
"Eventually I'll do the Korean War and Vietnam War."
Both Volume I and II of Moree's Anzacs are now available to purchase. Volume II contains a memory card which holds the stories of 940 soldiers, and an additional 320 photographs as a bonus.
Proceeds from the sale of both books will go back into establishing the Moree Museum.
