Residents pay respects

CAMPERDOWN’S war memorial looked resplendent in the morning sun last Thursday as residents gathered with bowed heads to mark Remembrance Day.

By Support Team

Service honoured: Camperdown RSL sub-branch president Alan Fleming led the Camperdown Remembrance Day Service.

CAMPERDOWN’S war memorial looked resplendent in the morning sun last Thursday as residents gathered with bowed heads to mark Remembrance Day.

Flags fluttered in the cooler weather while blood red poppies adorned small white crosses bearing the names of each local soldier who had paid the supreme sacrifice in one battleor another.

Camperdown Returned and Services League (RSL) president Alan Fleming said it had been 104 years since the guns fell silent, on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918.

“In all, 17 million people lost their lives in WWI. Another 21 million were wounded,”he said.

“In the final months of the war, Australia had felt the losses even more acutely. Between July and October 1918, just a month before the signing of the declaration, 7000 diggerswere killed.

“Another 28,000 were wounded. However, it was a further year before many of our loved ones were able to return home.”

Mr Fleming thanked those who attendedthe service.

“To Kaye Mitchell, our wonderful students, the Camperdown Lions Club, volunteers and businesses who have assisted in the poppy sales in Camperdown, Cobden, Simpson, Timboon, Port Campbell, Peterborough and Curdievale,” he said.

“We appreciate your efforts and hope you will be back in April 2023.”

Mr Fleming said the wider community could get involved in paying respects to all veterans in a number of ways including buying and wearing a poppy.

He called on the community to assist in identifying graves of veterans in the Camperdown cemetery.

“Currently there are 397 veterans names displayed in the information centre at the cemetery and with your assistance, I am sure this number will grow,” Mr Fleming said.