GLOUCESTER RSL sub-Branch hosted a solemn Remembrance Day commemoration on Tuesday, 11 November, honouring the sacrifices of those who have served in wars and conflicts past.
Remembrance Day has its origins in the Armistice that ended the First World War.
At 11am on 11 November 1918, the guns fell silent on the Western Front after more than four years of brutal fighting.
The moment became known as Armistice Day and, after the Second World War, was renamed Remembrance Day in recognition of all who have served and died in subsequent conflicts.
Each year, Australians are asked to observe a minute’s silence at 11am to honour the fallen and acknowledge the continuing impact of war on veterans, families, and communities.
The Gloucester service was held beneath the iconic clock tower in Memorial Park.
Addressing service attendees, Gloucester High School captain Brodie Taylor spoke to the sacrifice of veterans, noting that servicemen and women return with “both visual and unseen wounds”.
The Gloucester RSL sub-Branch is committed to ensuring that sacrifice is never forgotten.
Secretary John Salter said the organisation’s purpose is based on four pillars:
– To provide assistance, care and relief for physical and mental health, whatever the person’s situation.
– To support and assist with compensation and other entitlements.
– To prevent and alleviate social isolation as a cause of mental ill health.
– To validate the service and sacrifice of those who suffered and died by preserving their memory.
To this end the clock tower in Memorial Park, unveiled in 1931, was erected by a grateful community spearheaded by the Gloucester Soldiers’ Memorial Committee to acknowledge the sacrifices made by the 354 Gloucester men and women who enlisted in World War One.
Additional honour rolls now recognise those who enlisted and served in other conflicts.
On either side of the Memorial Path that leads to the clock tower, there are storyboard memorial plaques dedicated to each theatre of conflict in which local veterans have been involved, including WWI, WWII, Korea, Malaya/Indonesia and Vietnam.
The installation of the story board plaques came to fruition in June 2018 when the sub-Branch received a grant from the Department of Veteran Affairs’ “Saluting Their Service Program”.
Last Tuesday, the second last planned memorial plaque was unveiled.
It is dedicated to those who served during the Cold War and those involved in peacekeeper and peacemaker duties.
Prior to assisting with the unveiling of the plaque, retired Royal Australian Navy (RAN) submariner Neil Toplis enthralled attendees with a recount of his involvement in clandestine maritime operations during the Cold War period.
Mr Salter encouraged locals to access the online honour rolls set up to record the stories of all those who served from the Gloucester district.
Veterans and/or their families are invited to add stories to names on the honour roll.
An additional project aimed at preserving the memory of veterans was initiated by sub-Branch historian Louise Stuart and her late mother Barbara.
“Louise and sub-Branch Treasurer, Greg Godde, are on a crusade to locate the final resting place of all veterans in our local cemetery,” Mr Salter said.
All veterans in the district are encouraged to check out the support services available via the sub-Branch’s website: https://gloucesterrsl.org/.
By Marilyn SANDERSON
You can help your local paper.
Make a small once-off, or (if you can) a regular donation.
We are an independent family owned business and our newspapers are free to collect and our news stories are free online.
Help support us into the future.
