Would it meet our expectations? I'll say it did. The lads of the Carnarvon RSL greeted Liz and me like long lost relatives. One later confided in me that my departure announcement, that we would be back for Anzac Day, had been greeted with some scepticism in certain quarters. That was well and truly 'put to bed' with our arrival!
It was truly marvellous to see this happy band of brothers again. As I have previously blogged, they are not large in number, but more than make up for that with their collective enthusiasm and endeavour.
Under bed lockers were opened as was the safe. A good shirt was ironed, the UN tie, beret and medals were dusted off and the shoes were polished. The 0430 hours alarm was somewhat startling, but it was time to prepare for the dawn service.
We were amazed by the number who turned out on this balmy 25th of April morning to pay their respects to the fallen. The Carnarvon cenotaph was now complete....the RSL project to have a bronze 'Billy the Digger' installed on its top had been competed just in time.
And it transpired that we had a real connection with the chaplain who led the prayers. Peter MacArthur and his wife had lived in Carnarvon for thirty years before returning recently to their home town......Adelaide. And it gets better. Pete actually grew up in the East Glenelg street which was home to my first long term girlfriend (circa 1965). He knew her and her family well. Despite our now highly developed sense of 'what's new on the road', this was almost too much!
The RSL club rooms was our destination immediately after the service. The 'gunfire' breakfast was being served.
My very good mate Syd, a picture of sartorial elegance as usual, and his trusty helpers were hard at it in the kitchen
A steady stream of eggs, bacon, sausages, beans, tomatoes and toast made its way to the serving tables and onto the plates of the hungry hoard (including Liz at the far end of this group)
And here we go again! As Liz and I were wandering the short distance from the service, we spied our newly acquired Canberra based friends from Denham in front of us. Olivia and Dean had also recently arrived in Carnarvon quite unbeknown to us.
They were planning to leave later that morning but had decided to attend the dawn service before doing so. It was great to see them again and share an appropriately laced morning coffee.
Breakfast over, we repaired back to the park for a quick break before returning for the 1030 hours pre-march assembly.
We were soon called to order and formed up behind the local reservists, including the parade RSM and the catafalque party.
A somewhat varied, but nonetheless committed, bunch we were as we made our way towards the saluting dais,
where the local Shire President did the honours.
As had been the case in Geraldton last year, the Carnarvon march included contingents from the local DFES,
the ambulance service and scouting groups, some of whom made up for their lack of drill prowess with unbridled enthusiasm.
The short march ended at the cenotaph triangle where again a good crowd had turned out for the main service and the dedication of 'Billy'.
The catafalque party was marched on, wreaths were laid, the Last Post and The Rouse were played, the flags were raised
and Pete led the dedication of Billy the Digger.
In a surprise turn, a local resident rendered a very credible and unaccompanied version of that evocative Eric Bogle anti-war anthem 'The Band Played Waltzing Matilda'
before Sandy McGinn, the Carnarvon RSL President, presented the Anzac Day address.
All that was now left was to raise our voices in a rendition of the National Anthem,
and thank the local school band for their able assistance before again
repairing to the club rooms for lunch
and, of course, a well earned beer or two with old mates.
The RSL turned on a magnificent roast meat, veggies and salad luncheon for the measly price of $15 per head,
but for some reason or other yours truly did not quite get around to eating! The flies had again been horrendous during the service (which had gone on for over an hour and a half because of the need to dedicate Billy), and the temperature had climbed into the low 30's well before the service ended. It had been hot and bloody uncomfortable standing in the sun....we all had a well developed thirst.
It was a real pleasure and an honour to share a noggin or two with one of our caravan park permanents. Warren was a 'tunnel rat', one of those madly brave blokes whose task it was to go underground when North Vietnamese military tunnels were discovered. Here, alone and often in total darkness, 'The Rats' would infiltrate the system to seize what ever they could of military value before the complex was blown up.
Poison snakes, grenade booby traps, gas attacks, lethally sharp stakes and enemy ambushes were just some of the perils they faced in doing this. Little wonder many came home damaged, only to then have to face the rest of their lives dealing with the terrors they had faced. These, in my view, are a great group of unsung Aussie heroes (I've read their book) and it was our real privilege to give Warren a lift to the service, to march next to him and share a beer later. He and his wife are about to leave Carnarvon to take up a job caretaking a cattle property near the Duke of Orleans Bay. We have an open invitation to pull the van in whenever we choose....I only hope we can take it up sometime.
Speaking of heroes, the Carnarvon RSL can boast an associate member whose grandfather won our highest honour for valour for destroying Turkish machine gun pits during the Gallipoli campaign. For those who have never before seen one, the crimson ribbon and medal below it (being worn as it should on the right breast of a relative rather than the left breast of the recipient) is the Victoria Cross.
Throughout the afternoon we were right royally entertained by a local duo who displayed real talent, despite the impediment of their fly nets. The chap on keyboard and lead guitar was a musician of consummate skill and his mate was no slouch behind the microphone. After a very good rendition of 'I Was Only 19', the Redgum classic, I had a chat to them.
They were completely take aback to learn that I knew John Schumann, who wrote and first performed the song, through my Adelaide Ex-Services Mess connections.
These guys play regularly at the large Carnarvon Motel on Robinson Street each Saturday and Sunday evening. After hearing them here, I was somewhat peeved that we were already committed the following evening (Sunday)....I would have certainly gone to listen to them again.
People came and went all afternoon. Warren called it quits after a few drinks, and, as we had previously arranged. Liz drove him home, leaving me to my own devices for an hour or two,
but not before she had taken one last group photo of Warren, Sandy, Pete and your scribe for posterity. This is a photo I'll indeed cherish. I had a wonderful Anzac Day with blokes I am proud to call good friends. We could not have been happier we chose to return to Carnarvon for April 25th, 2015.
No comments:
Post a Comment