ANZAC Day 2015 - Bermagui style

Despite a small opportunity to leave Bermagui on Thursday, we stayed on so that we could attend the Anzac Day dawn Service on Saturday. We might otherwise have missed out while on anchor somewhere. We've attended dawn Services for years, mostly in Perth at the memorial in Kings Park but at Mount Clarence in Albany too. Last year we were attended the Port Lincoln Service, this year the Bermagui Service. Although we don't know where we will attend next year, we think we'll opt for one in a small community again.

We had plenty of time to check out the Bermagui Memorial in advance.

The Bermagui 'Lone Pine'

The plaque was decorated for the day with knitted and crocheted poppies.

Bermagui's Lone Pine aglow against the dawning sky

The President of the RSL Bermagui sub-branch organising his people.

The service we very simple and without a Catafalque Party. Instead, a most magnificently uniformed Piper marched into the memorial apron playing a mournful tune and then stood over the proceedings with his giant bearskin head lowered. The organisers had intended for there to be a beach landing re-enactment accompanied by explosions but they had been prevented from doing so. The MC did not elaborate why. The Surf- Lifesavers participated in the bay below anyway, shipping their oars and standing to attention in the bay below.

A beautiful soft dawn over Horseshoe Bay, as seen from the Anzac service.

There was a moment during the dawn service when the MC had a little 'pensioner moment' and betrayed the aging of of those officiating. Faithfully reading the script "... and now for the medication" was hastily re-announced as " ...and now for the Dedication". He need not have made the correction. We all knew what he meant.

 

The Light Horsemen were a big hit.

This is Gail from the SES. 

One of several volunteering to attend the barricades 

to keep the main street traffic-free for Anzac Day morning.

The Dawn Service was followed by the gunpowder breakfast at the Country Club and then by the 11am Service attended by the local band, school children and representatives from all the groups and organisations that are the lifeblood of any small community. The children read poems and the names of all the servicemen from their district. It was wonderful to see the children standing in front of their own community and participating in one of its rituals.

 

Right on cue at 11:06 a military plane suddenly popped up over the headland and dipped its wings as it made a fly-past and headed down the coast, presumably to do the same at Eden and other rural Services. Although the assembled crowd were warned of the flypast at 11:00am, we'd all forgotten about it and its arrival was so silent that it was already overhead by the time we heard it. It would have been the embodiment of 'Silent but deadly' when in service.

Led away by the Light Horsemen, the servicemen and ex-servicemen marched down the road to the strains of the band playing 'One more kiss before I waive you good-bye'. The group fell out in front of the Hotel and went in to claim their complimentary drink.

LEST WE FORGET

and

THANK YOU TO ALL, PAST AND PRESENT, WHO PROTECT OUR FREEDOM.