The day was marked mostly by injured soldiers, who continued to return home to their families, and the Bega War Service Committee had a new recruitment sergeant on board whose job it was to get as many young men to sign up as possible.

Private Farrow had fought in Europe and returned, and according to news reports in April 1916, "the authorities had absolutely refused to allow him to return to the front", adding "he was anxious to do what he could to help recruiting" for the war.

A letter was received from the Returned Soldier's Association discussing the first Anzac Day, and Farrow said promoters were looking to raise money to build a memorial hall in Sydney, and help support "crippled and blind" soldiers.

At that time, new recruits for the war were sent to a camp at Kiama before heading to the frontline.

One of those recruits was British War Medal and Victory Medal recipient Andy Bond, who enlisted at the age of 33, joining the 33^rd Australian Infantry Battalion on the Western Front and spending a grueling nine months fighting trench warfare in France.

The son of Alick Bond and Helen de Mestre, his grandfather was horse trainer Etienne Livingston de Mestre, who famously won the first two Melbourne Cups. Bond's links to France go back to his great-grandfather, Etienne's father and one time director of the Bank of New South Wales, the French-born businessman Prosper de Mestre.

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Through his mother, Bond must have known his family links to France. His brother Jack had fought in the Boer War in South Africa and had unsuccessfully attempted to enlist alongside Andy and another brother, William. Andy was the only of the three brothers to experience overseas combat during the war, and returned home in 1918 after surviving being injured twice, and gassed on the battlefield.

"The manager of Wallaga Lake station informs us that Pte. Andy Bond, writing to his mother, says he has had a good experience in trench fighting in France, but has had the bad luck to be wounded and also gassed," wrote the Cobargo Chronicle in 1916.

"He was at time of writing doing well in hospital in Norwich, and desired to be remembered to friends."

The 33^rd was an all-volunteer battalion within the 1^st Australian Imperial Force, formed in early 1916 as part of an expansion of the armed forces after Gallipoli.

After five months of training for the frontline, the battalion made its way to Armentieres, and joined their first battle at Messines in 1917 where despite being given the most dangerous position on the battlefield, they managed to hold their line against German forces while being constantly shelled.

Germany launched an offensive on the Western Front, and Bond's battalion desperately tried to hold the line at Amiens before counter-attacking at Hangard Wood and turning back German forces as they attacked Villers-Bretonneux in April, 1918. Heavy casualties and falling recruitment saw the battalion merge with the 36^th later that month.

The connection between the town of Villers-Bretonneux and the Cobargo area was solidified this week following a donation to residents devastated by the recent bushfire emergency.

One thousand residents of the town held a solidarity march to the Australian National Memorial and Sir John Monash Centre, where a school choir sang a song especially written for the bushfire appeal called 'Australia, Stop Burning'.

Across the course of the war Bond's battalion lost 451 soldiers, and more than 2000 were injured. Two members received the Victoria Cross.

Bond was welcomed home with a celebration, which involved being cheered by a crowd for "several minutes", at Tilba Tilba two years later, after being gassed and injured badly twice in battle.

"Welcome to our hero", said one banner on the Temperance hall wall, which was laced with flags and flowers.

"Pte. Bond, who was loudly cheered as he came forward to respond, said he was very pleased to be back. He thanked them for the reception they bad given him. It was not so bad over there. He had nothing to fight for, but thought he ought to fight for Australia," the newspaper said.

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"A couple of carloads came from Cobargo and Bermagui, amongst whom were Mr. Kennelly and Mr. McIntyre. As Andy walked up the hall to the stage he was received with ringing cheers and clapping of hands which lasted several minutes."

Bond died many years later, in November, 1943, and is buried at Berry Cemetery. His name is etched on the Tilba Tilba honour roll.

Over 400 Indigenous Australians enlisted in the First World War, with at least 165 of those recruits from the South Coast of NSW.

The story: One year after Gallipoli: Three brothers, 'bad luck' on the battlefield and an unknown French connection first appeared on the Bega District News.