Junee to honour WW1 soldiers in special Anzac service

ONE hundred and eight red crosses will surround Junee’s Cenotaph this Anzac Day, in a powerful tribute to the Shire’s soldiers who paid the ultimate sacrifice during the First World War.

Junee’s residents will once again come together on Friday, April 25, as Australia pauses to honour those who fought for the nation’s freedom.

This year also marks the 110th anniversary of the Gallipoli campaign—a poignant milestone in the nation’s military history.

The Junee RSL Sub-Branch will host its traditional dawn and mid-morning services in Junee, along with an afternoon service at Junee Reefs.

A large crowd is expected at the 5:40 am Dawn Service at the Broadway Cenotaph, while the Integrated Service People’s Association of Australia will hold a separate dawn service in Bethungra.

© The Junee Bulletin

Junee’s main commemorative service will begin earlier this year at 10:15 am, allowing extra time for a tribute to the 108 local soldiers who lost their lives during World War I, before the ANZAC march commences at 10:45 am.

Junee RSL Sub-Branch President Greg Zakharoff said four students from Junee High School will recite the names of the fallen as part of the ceremony, while those taking part in the march will assemble nearby in Peel Street.

“At the same time the main service commences at 10:15am, participants of the ANZAC march shall be forming up next to Memorial Park,” Mr Zakharoff said.

“The parade will depart at 10:45 am, proceed to Railway Square for a wreath-laying at the railway workers’ memorial, then continue over the railway and along Broadway to the Cenotaph as the final names of the fallen are recited.”

The 108 red crosses will be placed around the Cenotaph during this solemn moment.

Members of the public not participating in the march are asked to gather at the Cenotaph by 10:15 am to witness the recital.

Junee’s Deputy Mayor, Marie Knight—currently serving as Acting Mayor during Mayor Bob Callow’s absence—is set to address the main service, sharing reflections from her recent visit to Gallipoli.

Lieutenant Colonel Dan Swate of the New Zealand Defence Force will also take part, reciting The Ode in both Māori and English.

Continuing a well-loved tradition, a flyover by the Air Force Heritage Squadron (No. 100 Squadron) based in Temora has also been requested, while recruits from RAAF Wagga will once again lead Junee’s Anzac march.

Road closures will be in place throughout the day to accommodate the local services, which Mr Zakharoff said were among the most well-supported in the region.

“The various ANZAC Day services held across the Junee Shire are always extremely well attended,” he said.

“All our local schools participate, as do various community organisations and sports clubs, and the residents of Junee Shire turn out in force to recognise and commemorate our serving personnel, veterans, war widows and widowers—especially to those who shall not grow old.”

“A lot of effort has been put in behind the scenes, by a small number of dedicated volunteers, to make our services the continuing success they are. Their efforts to keep our commemorative services interesting yet respectful are gratefully appreciated by the Junee RSL Sub-Branch Committee, our veterans and the wider community.”

The Junee RSL Sub-Branch will also host its traditional Gunfire Breakfast following the Junee dawn service and a community luncheon at the Junee Ex-Services Memorial Club following the main service.

Personnel in uniform and veterans wearing medals will be provided a complimentary lunch in recognition of their service, while other attendees can purchase meals from the Club.

Afternoon tea will also be provided after the 3:00 pm service at Junee Reefs Hall.

◾️ WREATH LAYING

Schools, community organisations and local clubs are invited to lay wreaths during the commemorative service.

These groups will be called forward before members of the public are invited to lay personal tributes.

To be listed in the Order of Service booklet, local groups must email juneesb@rslnsw.org.au with their organisation name by 5:00 pm today, Wednesday, April 17.

◾️ KEY SPEAKER: Honouring a Family Legacy

Delivering this year’s commemorative address is Bridget James, great-granddaughter of Sergeant Percy James “Jim” Smith, a Junee man who died while held as a prisoner of war in the South Pacific during World War II.

SGT Smith was captured by the Japanese during the fall of Singapore and forced into hard labour on the Thai-Burma Railway, where he endured extreme hardship before passing away just three days before the POW camp’s liberation.

The fall of Singapore remains one of Australia’s darkest military chapters, with almost 1,800 Australians killed and 1,300 wounded, making it one of the few campaigns in which the total number of dead exceeded the number of wounded.

Shockingly, of the more than 20,000 Australians who were captured by the Japanese during the Pacific war, over 7,000 of them—or 37 per cent—died in captivity.

Bridget and her father, Wayne James, visited Thailand and Myanmar in 2016 through a Greensborough RSL scholarship, where they attended the Anzac Day Dawn Service at Hellfire Pass and visited SGT Smith’s grave—becoming the first in their family to do so.

For more information about Junee’s Anzac Day Services, contact Junee RSL Sub-Branch Secretary Bruce Warburton on 0400 137 650.

For details about the Bethungra service, contact Bob or Gladys Bak on (02) 6943 4402 or 0413 331 550.