MORE people than ever are expected to turn out on Anzac Day in Wauchope to remember those Australians who risked their lives in conflicts around the world.
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Record numbers attended last year’s commemoration and Des Hancock, president of Wauchope RSL sub branch, says people appreciate the sacrifice of those who went before.
“Anzac Day means the opportunity to commemorate those who gave their lives so that we can live free, and the people who died in all the wars since World War One are remembered.”
People will assemble at the RSL at 5am to march to the Cenotaph at the clock tower outside the council for the dawn service at 5.30am. Later, there’s another march from the RSL at 10.30am to the Cenotaph for a service at 11am.
Des joined the second battalion, Delta Company, when he was 24.
“We were told that it was an honour to be selected to be a guard on Anzac Day, so I made sure I did the recruitment course and the training, back in 1974.”
His father and uncle fought in World War Two and their field hospital, a tent, got bombed by the Japanese.
“I think about servicemen and women as well. In World War One, nurses lived for months in hospital ships, off the coast of Gallipoli and France, tending to soldiers with terrible wounds.”
Veterans also go round local schools, telling children about their experiences, and each school has its own Anzac Day service. Another RSL stalwart is Ray Knapp joined the Royal Australian Regiment in 1968 and volunteered to go to Vietnam.
“We were on a hill, patrolling and doing operations. During a three-day battle in June 1969, my platoon was wiped out, with three men killed, 19 wounded and three of us left. They rebuilt the platoon, and I became a section commander. That was hectic, having nine men to look after,” says Ray, who spent 391 days in Vietnam. He attends the Anzac ceremonies every year, wearing his medals.
Greg Cavanagh, the vice-president of Wauchope RSL sub branch says Anzac Day is a great national event.
“The tide has turned from having a lot of marches with ex-servicemen with medals to family members marching with their deceased loved one’s medals. It allows the community to celebrate the event and to think of the current serving guys.”
Another ex-soldier, Bruce Gilfillan, who was an infantry rifleman, remembers two of his uncles who served in Borneo and Malaysia.
“They were heroes. They, and all the other people in uniform, it’s our way of life they’re protecting. You try to do as good a job as the people who went before us, and imagine what it was like for them, the hardship. I appreciate that.”
Service times
THE Wauchope RSL sub-branch has provided the following details for its ANZAC Day services for 2016.
Dawn service 5am - Assemble at Wauchope RSL.
5.30am - Fall in for march to Cenotaph.
Breakfast at RSL - 6.30am to 8.30am.
Anzac Day service 100th anniversary parade 10.15am - Assemble at Wauchope RSL
10.30am- Fall in for march to Cenotaph
The Wauchope RSL Sub-Branch encourages and invites all relatives of deceased service personnel to join the march and wear medals on their right breast.
