RIVERTON RSL CLUB

Monthly News Update

29 April 2019

Riverton RSL Club 153 High Road, Willetton - Telephone 9354 2197 Patron Hon Mike Nahan MLA, Member for Riverton

ANZAC Day Dawn Service “We were especially pleased to have so many More than 2,000 people attended the Riverton younger members of the community attending. RSL Dawn Service to commemorate ANZAC Day The feedback we have received from those at 6am on Thursday 25 April 2019. attending has been very positive indeed. It takes quite a bit of organisation to put on an event like this and it is always very rewarding to know that the people who attended felt that we got the mix just right.” Mr Collidge thanked the students from Shelley Primary School Choir, who sang The Spirit of ANZAC and the Rostrata Primary School Choir and Band for their rendition of the National Anthem, Advance Australia Fair. “Our members also did a great job to ensure the event ran smoothly. We had a wonderful team of members Mr Bill Collidge, the Secretary of the Riverton who commenced preparing and cooking for the RSL, said it was very pleasing that so many traditional Gunfire Breakfast from 3am that members of the local community got up early to morning.” attend the local Dawn Service and to stand united to honour and commemorate those who fell in the service of Australia.

“Our Wardens, Trevor McLean and Ian Raymond, “I also congratulate the cadet members of 509 both in their nineties, were outstanding. Trevor ACU who formed the Catafalque Party around our McLean, who delivered The ANZAC Requiem Memorial, our bugler who played The Rouse, our and Ian Raymond, who delivered The Ode at the piper who played the Lament as service members Service both did so with great pride.” and the community laid wreaths, and to our police and ambulance support officers who were in attendance.”

“It was a huge honour to have The Right Reverend Kate Wilmot, Assistant Bishop of the Anglican Church Diocese of , who is also the Riverton RSL Padre, to lead the Prayer for the Fallen and to formally dedicate our newly refurbished Memorial.” “The Riverton RSL sincerely thanks everyone for attending and commemorating the ANZAC Spirit.”

ANZAC Day Collections During World War I, much of the town of A very special thank you to all the Volunteers Villers-Bretonneux was destroyed during the from the Riverton RSL who manned our fierce fighting on the Western Front. ANZAC Collections stands at Stockland Riverton and Southlands Shopping Centres. More than $3,500 was raised through donations for the official ANZAC stickers and badges and the funds will be used for veterans’ welfare.

Australia’s losses were staggering, with more casualties in the first six weeks of our involvement there than during the entire eight-month Gallipoli campaign. After the war, the school at Villers-Bretonneux was rebuilt using penny donations raised by Australian

A huge thank you to Amit, the Manager of school children. After the Dawn Service in Woolworths at Stockland Riverton (second 2008, our group moved from the Memorial left) for his kind donation of ANZAC Biscuits into the town square of Villers-Bretonneux, and bottles of water to be given out to people where we played two up, had a few who donated to our stand. drinks and spoke to the locals who were so friendly and accommodating. The last part of our visit was to the Museum and local Villers- Bretonneux School. The Museum visit was excellent but it was when I walked into the school that I came to a complete stop. At first, I thought it was just me but then I realised that our entire group of 20 serving members had all stopped. We were looking up at a sign that had hung on that school since the end of the First World War. I remember reading the sign, which was in another country, half a world away from Australia and at that stage 90 years old. I remember not only being Members ANZAC Recollections proud to be a solider but also proud to be an Trevor Hogan, President, Riverton RSL Australian. The sign simply read, “Do not and former Company Second in Command forget Australia”. in 2nd Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment (2 RAR) and Officer Bill Collidge, Secretary, Riverton RSL and Commanding 3 Squadron, The Pilbara RSLWA Board Member Regiment. In 2000 I was fortunate enough to be selected One of the most memorable ANZAC Day for as the Escort Officer for a group of Army, me was during the 2008 Army Rugby Union Navy and Air Force Cadets on a two-week Tour of Germany and France. I had not long tour of the battlefields of the Somme in returned from my second operational France and ANZAC Cove in Turkey. The deployment and our team attended the group were the winners of the 1999 RSL ANZAC Day Service at the famous Villers- Spirit of ANZAC Cadet of the Year Bretonneux Memorial, located in the Somme Competition. We arrived in Istanbul on 23 River Valley near Amiens in France. April and made our way down to Canakkale by bus, about a seven hour journey. At The call echoed off the ridges and tumbled around 11pm on 24 April, we crossed the down the gullies, much as it would have done channel to Eceabat and boarded a bus for the almost a hundred years earlier when the boys trip to ANZAC Cove, Gallipoli, arriving around used it to communicate between positions on 2am on the morning of 25 April – ANZAC the peninsula. It wasn’t disrespectful or Day. Around the commemoration site, a large larrikinism, it was just this young man’s crowd was already gathered, made up of ex- message to all of those young Australians service people, tourist families, serving who came ashore in 1915 and to those who soldiers, sailors and airmen of most of the never made it off – his message was simply commonwealth nations along with hundreds “We will remember them”. of young Australians making their pilgrimage to the very birthplace of our National psyche. Tara Hogan, Treasurer, Riverton RSL and The young Australians were distinguishable Member of the Army Reserve by either a boxing kangaroo tee-shirt, an ANZAC tee-shirt or an Australian flag draped across their shoulders like a blanket for protection from the bitter cold of the early morning. The crowd was quiet and respectful of the occasion, just sitting and waiting for the Commemoration Ceremony to begin. The Service started with the mounting of the Catafalque Party, to the beat of a muffled drum, in front of a crowd now made up of several thousand people. Addresses were made, wreaths were laid in honour of the fallen and the Ode was recited – it was a truly humbling experience.

Anzac Day is a very important day for me and my family. As a young lad, my Great Grandfather Vernon Gilbert was sent to fight in World War I, where he was shot in the neck and survived. Then during World War II, Vernon and my other Great Grandfather Bill Ramsay both fought in the war, were gassed and survived. As time passed, I can I looked around and a movement caught my remember as a little girl watching my Pop, eye – up on the very top of the Sphinx, about Graham Gilbert, proudly march with his fellow 800 metres away I saw a young man sailors as a Leading Seaman. Pop spent 12 standing motionless in the early dawn light. years in the Navy and had been part of the He was a country boy I think, tall and sinewy Monte Bello Islands Nuclear Testing. Then in with none of the city podginess about him, 2011, at our usual ANZAC Day celebrations dressed in jeans and a check shirt. The with my Pop, I was introduced to his mate Commemoration Ceremony came to a close Chief Petty Officer Peter Hogan who had and as the last strains of the National Anthem brought along my future husband Major faded into the dawn, the young man up on Trevor Hogan. Ever since then, every ANZAC the sphinx cupped both hands to his mouth, day, Trevor and I have marched together – threw his head back and gave forth with that me with my 10 medals representing my two unique Australian bush call – Coooooeeeeee. great grandfathers and Trevor wearing the medals that he personally earned as well as the medals of his Great Uncle who passed away in WWII, and his Grandmothers’ medals an training facility in Victoria. that she had earned during her war service. Each year while I was there, we marched We both felt an enormous sense of pride to through Melbourne as part of the ANZAC Day be wearing so many medals on behalf of Parade. On one occasion, I felt particularly those who had served Australia. Then in honoured to march as the Squadron March 2018, after I had been away for six Sergeant Major of Technical Support Section months on deployment with the Army in C Squadron. I also served in the Vietnam Reserve, I received my own Operational War with the 4th and 12th Field Regiments, Service Medal for being a security element to Royal Australian Artillery doing maintenance border force protection for Australia. ANZAC on artillery pieces and small arms. I was in Day 2018 was a very memorable occasion for the Light Aid Detachment – RAEME. Even me personally because I was not only while serving in Vietnam we still paused and carrying on my family’s tradition of military commemorated ANZAC Day where we could, service; I also achieved one of my many having a small service with the Padre. lifelong goals as I was the first female in the After retiring from the Army as a Warrant family to join the Army. I was so proud to be a Officer First Class in 1989, I have attended part of something great – giving back to the two special services at Kelmscott Senior High country I love so dearly. School as the Legacy WA representative. Over several years, I have joined a group of Ron Brown, Committee member, Riverton volunteer ex-servicemen to travel to Hyden RSL and President of the Mandurah near Wave Rock in , to Vietnam and Veterans Group. help construct an amphitheatre as part of a My first memory of ANZAC Day is from more local community project. While in Hyden, it than 50 years ago when I was in the School has been a privilege to attend the Hyden Cadets at John Curtin High School in Primary School service on ANZAC Day on Fremantle. We marched up High Street to two occasions and I plan to be there this year Monument Hill War Memorial. It was exciting for both the Dawn Service at the Hyden War marching past everyone lining the street and Memorial Rose Garden and the Service at the memory of that will stay with me forever. I school. The children do a wonderful job served in the Australian Army for 21 years running the Service themselves, including the and four years of that was with the 1st Dawn Service. Having served Australia in the Armoured Regiment based at Puckapunyal, armed forces, I believe it doesn’t matter where you commemorate ANZAC Day as long as you take a few moments to remember and acknowledge the sacrifices of those who fought and died to defend Australia.

Julie Stewart, Service Member, Riverton RSL and former Warrant Officer 2, Supervisor of 522 Signal Troop, part of 5 Signal Regiment at Victoria Barracks Communication Section in Sydney, NSW.

I remember one ANZAC Day when I was at March. At Irwin Barracks, we all changed into school in the 1950s; I was selected to lay a our Dress Uniforms before being loaded onto wreath at the town’s ANZAC Memorial busses to travel to Langley Park in the heart Service, which was probably a very small of the city ready to form up for the March. I event in comparison to today’s services. I had regularly attended the ANZAC Day remember standing in the Memorial Hall and Marches previously as a spectator, but I one of the RSL members called the name of recalled feeling an enormous sense of pride each and every fallen soldier before the to be participating along with other Service wreaths were laid. I felt so privileged to have men and women and veterans. I was been selected to be a part of the service and particularly proud because my dad, Bill that pride remained with me until I was able Mitchell, a Rat of Tobruk in the 2/43rd to join the Australian Army in 1960. ANZAC Battalion, was also marching that day with his Day in the armed services was an incredible Army mates. I was in awe of all the battles experience with drums beating and bands and service histories, and the enormous playing. Every year I was again so proud and personal sacrifices that have been made to humbled to be a part of it all. I served twelve- protect Australia. It really was very humbling and-a-half years in the Army, and ANZAC to be marching in such hallowed company. Day became more and more important to me as the years rolled by. In the early 1960s, Australia became involved in the Vietnam conflict. I remember farewelling a great number of diggers who were sent to Vietnam, and wondering if and when they would ever return. After being discharged in 1972, my husband, who was a Major in the Royal Australian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, was posted to Western Australia. It was in Perth that I once again met up with an ex Warrant Officer with whom I had served, and I became a founding member of the WA branch of the Women’s Royal Australian Army Corps Association. After several years of marching in the ANZAC Day parade, we eventually acquired our own banner, which I proudly carried almost every year for 40 years. To me, ANZAC Day is a time to reflect on the hardships of the past, to catch up with old mates and most importantly, to remember those who have sacrificed their lives for our country….oh, and of course we all enjoy a game of two up!

Ron Mitchell, Service Member, Riverton RSL former member of the 2/28th Battalion Army Reserve Unit. I recall that in April 1986, when I was serving as an Army Reservist in the 28th Independent Rifle Company, I was based at Bindoon Defence Training Area on two-week training camp over the ANZAC Day period. Early on ANZAC Day, around three platoons of troops (about 70-80 members) were trucked down from Bindoon to Irwin Barracks, the Australian Army military base located at Karrakatta, to participate in the ANZAC Day