This year marks the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War. To mark the occasion, the Argus has teamed up with an initiative commemorating the contribution of people from Gwent in the Great War. This column is written by organisers of the project called ‘Journey’s End’, and its title reflects how many people from the region died in service. It is hoped efforts to name them all will be completed in time for the anniversary on November 11

IN THE early years if the 20th century many people left Gwent to find new lives in different parts of the Empire.

Some were to make a real mark in their adopted homelands.

Not least amongst these was Walter – otherwise known as Skipper- Francis from Newport.

In spite of an accident which severely damaged his right leg, Skipper Francis became renowned for his sporting activities.

In 1912 he swam along the Bristol Channel from Penarth to Newport, a distance of some 15 miles.

In 1913, he emigrated to Australia, where he became famous for writing the Aussies’ most famous wartime song, “Australia Will Be There”.

An account of how it was written came from an Australian newspaper which a Newport soldier had sent to the Argus after reading it while in the Australian hospital in Macedonia.

Skipper claimed that his inspiration came as he was walking in Sydney one evening a week after the war had started.

Overnight he completed the words and music.

He suffered a setback, however, when he approached a publisher, who, pointing to a huge pile of manuscripts said, “The war has only been on a week or so, and I have had over 500 patriotic songs offered to me.”

Undaunted, he sang it in a nearby training camp and found that it rapidly went viral as “the soldiers did the rest”.

Skipper went on to claim that nobody was more surprised or prouder than him when the bands played “Australia Will Be There” for the first time in public as the crowds cheered the departure as the crowds cheered the departure of the Australian troops en route for Gallipoli.

It was adopted as the Australians’ official marching song and it was claimed that the troops would spontaneously sing it both in times of victory and times of great danger.

London music halls played it in honour of the arrival in Britain of William Hughes, the Prime Minister of Australia.

Skipper personally took his song to the battlefields of Europe, entertaining Aussie troops in hospitals and camps.