The stories of these men and women are as varied as the people themselves - each one interesting, poignant and, far too often, with a tragic outcome.

In Orange and district, including the surrounding villages of Lucknow, Nashdale and Borenore, we lost an unimaginable 224 young men in the prime of their lives during World War I.

Twenty-six of those young men died at Gallipoli, several within the first week of the ill-fated landing.

To put it into perspective, at the time, the population of Orange was about 10,000.

Imagine the void it would have left for hundreds of young men to leave and never return.

Also, many of the men who survived died young,  in their 40s and 50s, no doubt due in part to the hard physical toll the war took on them.

They also never spoke to their families of the horrors of war.

The reasons why people enlisted were many and varied.

While some Orange lads were determined to fight for King and country, and defend the honour of the nation, there were those who were terrified of war, but shamed into enlisting though public pressure.

Many had white feathers sent to them in the mail andwere publicly admonished in newspaper articles of the time.

Many young men from Orange and district enlisted in the Light Horse regiments, taking their own stock horses with them to war, but never to return.

They had to make the heartbreaking decision to leave their horses behind after forming a special bond at home and in conflict.

Lest We Forget.