AFTER FOUR YEARS OF WAR, at 11am on November 11, 1918, there was silence on WWI’s Western Front. On the first anniversary of the ceasefire, ‘Armistice Day’ was instituted.
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Following WWII, this became ‘Remembrance Day’, the time to pause and honour the many men and women who have served in a variety of wars. Next year will mark the centenary of the Armistice and in the Nambucca Valley everyone is invited to Macksville for a valley-wide commemoration which will be held on Sunday, November 11, 2018.
Australia was one of only three allied countries that did not introduce conscription during WWI and according to statistics quoted by the Australian War Memorial 38.7% of Australia’s male population aged 18 – 44 years volunteered, with around 60,000 giving their lives and more than 155,000 being wounded. Among those who served were 2,871 members of Australia’s Army Nursing Service.
A committee to plan the centenary has been formed. It includes representatives from each of the Valley’s RSL sub-branches, and its vision matches those who planned the centenary of Anzac.
It is estimated that 7,000 people were in Bowraville that day and it is anticipated that response to Remembrance Day may be equally strong.
Community organisations and schools will be asked to participate, there will be buses to transport people to and from the commemoration, there will be bands and choirs, and a march that culminates at the cenotaph in River Street.
Between now and the Centenary of Armistice, the committee will honour those who served by sharing with the community stories of local heroes and the families who longed for their return.
If you would like more information about WWI or any other armed conflict in which Australia has served, the Frank Partridge VC Military Museum in Bowraville houses the largest collection of militaria outside Canberra and Trevor Lynch’s incredible resource ‘Nambucca Anzacs’ can be purchased there.
