Students at St Patrick’s Primary School have joined forces with English documentary film makers and students to research the life of Ballarat WWI hero, 2nd Lieutenant Wilfred Graham Salmon.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
It’s a project that’s close to home for the Ballarat students, with Lieutenant Salmon having grown up just 300m from the school gates in Drummond St.
Next month marks the 100th anniversary of Lieutenant Salmon’s most heroic act – single handedly taking on a German air raid – which lead to his death.
Last year the British Museum contacted the school to see if students were interested in collaborating with English students and historians to research the life of Lieutenant Salmon.
What they learned was that Wilfred was one of 12 children, born and educated in Ballarat, and he joined the the Australian Imperial Force during WWI with two of his older brothers.
After serving as a driver on the Somme in France, he joined the British Royal Flying Corps where he flew Sopwith Pup bi-planes.
Here the story becomes legendary.
“He did something really brave,” said Rose, 11.
“In WWI he went alone in an air raid against 22 other planes flown by Germans. They were killing a lot of people and he took them on, flying through them a few times. He knew he probably wouldn’t make it, that he would die, and he got shot in the head but he didn’t die from that, he died when his plane crashed.”
Lieutenant Salmon died after crashing near the English town of Crayford during the Gotha raid on July 7, 1917. He died a war hero after diverting enemy planes away from the town of Dartford, which the raid would have destroyed before it continued to London.
“I think it’s pretty cool that he was from Ballarat. It’s a bit inspiring … to think he did something he put his life at risk,” Rose said.
Children from St Patrick’s have taken pictures and video clips detailing the early life of Wilfred Salmon, which will be included in a documentary being made in England.
As part of the project, the students have found Wilfred’s parents graves at the Ballarat Old Cemetery and the tree planted with his name and memorial plaque in the Avenue of Honour. His name is also listed in the Garden of the Grieving Mother and the students have taken pictures of his family home, all of which has been sent to the UK for the project.
Students from St Patrick’s worked with students from St Paulinus Primary School in Dartford, Kent, on the real-world project.
Sam, 11, said learning about a local war hero had opened his eyes to the stories around Ballarat.
“It’s more interesting learning about someone real and local. We went to his house, found his mum and dad’s graves, and it’s better learning about it real rather than from a website.”
”We found some really good information and you get to do different experiences while learning about his life and his family and what he did that was significant.”
Grade 5/6 teacher Thea Hubble said when the project first began, one of her students was actually living in the house where Wilfred Salmon had grown up.
The project began with letter writing and swapping of pictures, and accelerated this year when UK researchers received a sizeable grant to make an animated documentary and picture book.
Children have written stories about aspects of Wilfred’s life based on their research, and created an animated character that will be used in the documentary.
But there are a few facts they have not been able to find, including the fate of the other 11 Salmon siblings. Wilfred’s older brothers Bob and Jack both returned from war but little else is known. If you have any information about the Salmon family please call the school on 5332 7680.