A photograph of "The Jungle Fighter" sculpture standing on the Drouin cenotaph in Memorial Park.
The sculpture is a 2/3 size replica of an Australian jungle fighter in full combat uniform. The sculpture was commissioned at the end of World War II.
Sculpted by Ray Ewers from Frankston and then cast in bronze by a company in Richmond, it was unveiled in November 1949 by Lieut-General S. C. Savige.
The sculpture honours the 26 men and women from Drouin and district who lost their lives in World War II.
This is a unique monument with only two of these sculptures in existence. A second statue was copied for the Australian War Memorial Canberra in 1954 before the cast was destroyed.
The Jungle Fighter stands on the Drouin cenotaph between two granite tablets. These tablets were originally mounted outside the entrance to the RSL in Princes Way but remounted on two brick pillars in 1991 in Memorial Park.
The post-World War II memorials were added in 1997.
In his recording on the Stories of Drouin website, Drouin RSL president Rod McNabb said "Memorial Park is central to Drouin and is a fitting memorial to ex-servicemen and women".
Photograph and information courtesy of the Drouin History Group.
To hear more of Drouin's war time service and the RSL, visit storiesofdrouin.com.au
Our History
Snapshot of the past
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