Picture: J.L. “FRED” SMITH
MILLICENT businesses and homes will pause briefly on Sunday morning to honour wartime service and sacrifice.
It will be 100 years since the guns ceased firing in 1918 to mark the end of World War I.
Most of the usual Remembrance Day commemorative arrangements staged by the Millicent sub-branch of the RSL will apply in Millicent just before 11am.
The time marks the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.
RSL president Chris Mathias said there was already a good response from local people to his statement about the significance of Remembrance Day, which was published in a recent edition of The South Eastern Times.
Mr Mathias said Millicent RSL members had visited local schools this week to discuss the events.
“The service on Sunday will mark the conclusion of the commemoration of the Centenary of Anzac,” Mr Mathias.
“In line with national RSL protocols, we will fly the flags of Australia and Great Britain.”
“Colleen Hammat, from the South East Family History Group, will talk about a local soldier who is mentioned in the Honouring Our Fallen book.”
A service will start at the Cross of Sacrifice at about 10.45am and a minute’s silence will be observed exactly at 11am.
It will be led by retired Millicent minister Pastor Paul Hales.
As part of the Remembrance Day observation, the Millicent RSL has again erected a field of cross poppies to honour those local service personnel who have died in battle or since.
This tradition dates back to the 1990s and was initiated by then Millicent RSL president Syd Pelling (now deceased).
With the blessing of the RSL, the Millicent Baptist Church will again stage a Remembrance Day service at Boneham Aged Care Services in Millicent at 10.30am on Sunday.
Due to a lack of manpower among its members, the Millicent RSL regrets it was unable to arrange a commemorative service at the Sheoak Lodge aged care facility in Millicent this week.
