Six Tasmanian students are gearing up for the experience of a lifetime when they fly out for France and Belgium on Sunday after winning the Frank MacDonald Memorial Prize (FMMP).
The FMMP is named after Ulverstone-born WWI and WWII veteran, Frank MacDonald, who passed away in August 2003 aged 107.
The Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, Guy Barnett, said the Tasmanian Year 9 winners wrote outstanding essays on commemorating and preserving the meaning of the ANZAC spirit in the Tasmanian community.
“I’m delighted to cheer the current crop of winners on their way for what will prove to be a life changing experience,” said Minister Barnett.
“Frank MacDonald, who was Tasmania’s last surviving WWI veteran, received the Military Medal for courageously working under heavy fire repairing signal lines between the 40th Infantry Battalion headquarters and the trenches. Frank also served in WWII and received the Legion of Honour.”
The group will visit sites relating to Tasmania’s involvement in the First World War in France and Belgium, including Ypres and Fromelle, before attending this year’s ANZAC Day service at Villers-Bretonneux.
The FMMP was first awarded in 2004 as an initiative of the Tasmanian Government, supported by RSL Tasmania.
Prize winners:
Erin Rowlands, Dominic College
Tori Hall, Scottsdale High
Esther Mbabazi, Montrose Bay High
Macy Deegan, Devonport High
Holly Stark, Rose Bay High
Carolyn Townsend, MacKillop Catholic College