A minute to reflect

Caroline Springs RSL members Wendy Mason, Ross and Gill Wiltshire and Andrew Marshall, with students from local schools Jessica, Jackson, Vivian, Maria, Jerome and Brandon. (Damjan Janevski) 367646_01

The Caroline Springs RSL is inviting the community to join it in taking a moment to reflect this Remembrance Day.

The service will take place from 10.30am at the Memorial Site on Lake Road, Caroline Springs from 10.30 am on Saturday, November 11.

Since the 11th hour, of the 11th day, of the 11th month of 1918 marked the end of WWI, Remembrance Day has been a day for remembering and honouring people for their military service.

At the age of 17, Caroline Springs RSL member Ross Wiltshire enlisted in the Royal Australian Airforce and served at various RAAF Bases around Australia for a period of 22 years in Logistics.

He said Remembrance Day is a day for the community to reflect on the ultimate sacrifices that thousands of young men made not only in WW1 but all following conflicts to ensure for a freer, safer and better place for us of today to live in.

“The importance of Remembrance Day to me is a bit more significant as my grandfather had two tours of duty to France at Flanders, 1915 and 1917 with the British Army,” he said.

“We are not glorifying war, but, paying homage to those who have served.”

The RSL will be joined by local students for the service to perform the traditional service which will include Prayers for the Fallen, The Ode to the Fallen, The Last Post, a minute silence, the Rouse, a Wreath Laying and more.

The RSL will also be out selling poppies from Thursday, November 2, to Friday, November 10, from 9am to 4pm at Caroline Springs Shopping Centre, Taylors Hill Shopping Complex, Burnside Hub and Watergardens Shopping Centre.