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LEST WE FORGET
On Anzac Day I awoke to see the crescent moon sailing on her back through the clear indigo sky with Venus glowing as her mast light. The air was crisp and as we dressed to go down to the Dawn Service at the Cenotaph we wondered how many other folk would be there. I am ex-WRAAF, Dad fought in New Guinea during WWII and brother did a couple of tours in Vietnam so I always try to make the Dawn Service and later in the morning march with the women's services. It was good to be amongst a throng of at least 50 who braved the dawn to give witness that we indeed had not forgotten the sacrifices and deprivations, the tragic wilful mistakes, the courage or the fear that Anzac Day speaks to. After the service and a beautiful almost haunting rendition of Waltzing Matilda, we went up to the Tavern for a breakfast of eggs, toast and sausages and then home to sit on the deck and watch the parade, at 10 o'clock, as it trundled its happy way back to the memorial. Children, flags, dogs and marching men each keeping to their own beat.
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STOP PRESS
11 November Update: On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, I officially resigned my commission at RAAF Base Amberley. That was 36 years ago, - Section Officer no more - but through the mail this month arrived this medal from the Directorate of Honors and Awards. Pleased to receive it. Thankfully it goes with my black dress suit.
May Update: Good news! (See below item) - I now have at least one to march with next Anzac Day. A leading light of Agnes Water known by her nickname Glo from a column she wrote for The Coastal Rag some time ago, entitled Glo's Gabfest. Gloria emailed me that 'This photo was taken in 1953 when I was sweet eighteen (yeah, I know, that makes me a dear old biddy of 70 now!)'
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Calling any ex-servicewomen in Agnes Water 1770 Everywhere in the Service there were more chaps than femmes - but there must be at least one other ex-Service female in Agnes Water 1770? Come on - 'fess up and email me! I want to have someone to march with next Anzac Day. That's me on the left in the OTS group photo nearly 40 years ago - egad!. And before anyone writes or bails me up in the street about how now everyone is in the same service so all the girls and boys can march together, let me get in quick with my view. Yes, true,no argument. Not so long after I resigned my commission the WRAAF was disbanded and all the girls were transferred into the RAAF. Same Same Navy and Army. BUT, 'in my day' it wasn't like that - there were servicewomen divisions of the Services. Try on my shoes for a moment - if you had served in the Navy and this year all the Services joined to make one Service called OZBOD, would you still want to march with the Navy contingent next Anzac Day or join the OZBOD? Enough - I win cos it's my web page!
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