Air Commander Christine Tulson lead the march to the Anzac Memorial Gates from the Hall with the threat of rain hanging over us.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
We have never had a wet ANZAC Service and again we won that lottery as it did not start to rain until 9am.
We have had plenty of icy feet though.
We always have such a good roll up, around 80 this year and the community always rallies around for a very nice, easy morning to remember the fallen.
Christine is a new local to Rugby and it was great to hear her speak of her 32 years in the Air Force.
She really enjoyed the coffee as it reminded her of her tin mug and condensed milk in her ration pack whilst on picket duty.
She loved it.
She has mostly been a Logistics Officer to do with aircraft maintenance and she maintained that because maintenance kept them in the air, they were much more important than the pilots who were just “cannon fodder!”
She very much enjoyed her time in Washington buying military equipment for Australia and soon became known worldwide as a leading example in their purchases.
She has done some work purchasing guided missile weapons and ammunition to be used in Somalia and in the Middle East.
Christine loved the sense of community in Rugby and emphasised that the Armed Services fight so we can live in peaceful communities like this.
Her time in the Air Force was mainly in Australia and it was relatively peaceful in the world when she was working her way through the ranks.
Christine wants all of us to remember the prisoners of war, the wounded and the fallen and the horrors that can be inflicted in conflicts, and also remember the families all these wars have touched.
The convenor, William Kelly then enlightened us on the history of The Rugby ANZAC Service.
Services have been conducted since 1956 when Bob Isaac passed the hat around to raise enough to build the Memorial Gates.
Col Platt then followed on from him and then Bill Guerney, who used to share the rum out of his boot.
As he got older and slower, he moved the service from 5am to 6.30am.
We still make it this time in rememberance of Bill.
Ted Anderson then took over and then William did who has been conducting it for over 25 years.
William mentioned the tussle between Lloyd George and General Hague during the First World War and how they lost five to seven thousand men each week and how they claimed them to be “acceptable losses”.
He hoped we never experience anything like that again.
Lest we forget.
All in all a great morning beside the fire.