Well, once again we held our Service on Memorial Hill in Freo. It`s just up the way from the old telegraph station (Jim and Trog will know it. )Great views over the oggin to Rotto and south to Garden Island with it`s RAN base. Gentle breeze and mid twenties so it was a good day for it. I was duty biff and turned to a couple of hours early to set out the chairs that I`d proffed and the lads started rolling up at 09 30. We were stood there in Blazer and Beret, having a laugh spinning dits and generally taking the piss when it all went very surreal indeed
Three Ford Falcons drove up to the Monument and out rolls some very heavy busies, fit as fark, curly wire earrings and all talking into their left cuffs! It looked like we`d been invaded by Special Branch.
Then a white Merc with CD plates and a People’s Republic of China flag on the bonnet rocks up and out pops some little chokey blokey who wouldn’t look out of place behind the counter in a chinky chippy
He seemed to think we were there for his benefit and started giving it "Herrow Royar Mawweeens" to all and sundry.
Those of us with sarcastic dispositions chose to laugh our bollox off, rather than shake his hand.
He looked like an outcast from "
BANZAI" As if that wasn`t enough, a coach turned up with seventy-odd chokeys who were on a site-seeing tour with their Ambassador(for it was he who was doing the mister shakey hands man impersonation) Kin weird it was.
Once they thinned, we formed up and the Parade kicked off to LOTOW performed by the civ band I’ve mentioned elsewhere. Bit fast for us, they were but DLI would’ve said they were "canny mind".
Our Service followed it`s usual pattern and the Lesson from the Padre was all about what cap badges mean and was filled with stirring images of Royal taking his belt off in pub fights the world over
. Very user-friendly is our Bish
He served as a Wartime Booty before succumbing to the Dark Side and joining Harry Sass
He took up the cloth, by way of atonement, a few years ago
Since today is the Anniversary of the first use of a massed heli-borne assault in history. Namely Op Musketeer, (the Suez affair) we read out the names of the Fallen. Very solemn it was. Then the civ bugler gave a note-perfect Last Post and we did Remember them.
After we`d finished and got squared away, it was down to the Navy Club for a few wets
I`ll see if someone managed to get a phot of the chokey ambassador and post it later
Next Sunday is Remembrance Service, proper,
At the going down of the sun,
and in the morning,
We Will Remember Them.
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