World War II ravaged the Narrabri Shire community as much as every other district, village, town and city in Australia, with many local people responding to the call to serve, and many making the ultimate sacrifice or returning injured.
Bereaved families still mourn lost fathers, grandfathers and uncles.
Narrabri RSL sub branch ensured that despite the strictures of the COVID-19 pandemic regulations which has forced cancellation of many events, the 75th anniversary of the end of the war and the tribute to Vietnam War veterans would not pass unrecognised.
The commemoration was not publicised and held as a very ‘limited’ event of short duration and with health regulations observed.
Returned service people and family members paid their tribute, socially distant, standing in the rain while one of Narrabri main street’s busiest mornings for a long time swirled around the ceremony.
It was a necessarily small, but as always, moving ceremony.
Narrabri RSL sub branch president Gary Mason recalled for the audience the service and sacrifice of so many, noting the 22,000 Australian servicemen and nurses captured by the Japanese. More than one in three of these prisoners, about 8000, died. Most were victims of Japanese brutality.
Lending their support to the day, in an unofficial capacity were members of the Namoi Valley Antique Vehicle Club who drove their World War II vintage jeeps and troop carrier in procession down Maitland Street.
“It was not a club event, and not sought or sanctioned by the RSL sub branch,” NVAVC spokesman Harvey Black said.
“Members just wanted to make their own private tribute to the 75th anniversary of the end of the war.”
A spectator in Maitland Street watching the parade of vehicles observed to The Courier ‘this is what makes Narrabri Narrabri.’
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