Roin Gallagher salutes the fallen at the cenotaph in Belgrave as Terry Bull and Peter Chandler of Upwey-Belgrave RSL look on.Gladys Davis, who served in World War II, at the Belgrave By Ed Merrison
THE flags of Australia and New Zealand fluttered above the Belgrave cenotaph on Friday as over 50 people turned out to remember those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for their country.
Twenty former members of the services attended the Remembrance Day service hosted by treasurer of Upwey-Belgrave RSL Dennis Moffat.
Among them was a group of New Zealand servicemen invited to Belgrave for a second year having struck up a friendship with RSL members from the Dandenongs three years ago.
Peter Chandler, former president of Belgrave RSL and former vice-president of the Upwey-Belgrave RSL addressed those assembled.
Mr Chandler, who served in the Royal Australian Navy in World War II, spoke affectionately of his father, G.E. Chandler, who served in France in World War I and served as president of the Shire of Ferntree Gully during the 1950s.
The Australian flag raised for the occasion was one of two donated last week by Federal Member for La Trobe Jason Wood after the RSL had its flag stolen a month ago.
Mr Chandler had earlier denounced the theft, likening it to “stealing the flowers from a cemetery to give to your mother on Mother’s Day”.
But Remembrance Day was a time to honour the deeds of great men and women.
The rain was kept at bay as wind billowed the flags on a morning of peaceful contemplation.
