Servicemen to be remembered

Dawn At Kdoo Cemetery (2)  TBW Newsgroup
KALANGADOO REMEMBERS: A gathering of 200 honoured wartime service and sacrifice at the Kalangadoo cemetery on the Sunday preceding Anzac Day in 2018. Picture: J.L. "FRED" SMITH

Dawn At Kdoo Cemetery (2)  TBW Newsgroup
KALANGADOO REMEMBERS: A gathering of 200 honoured wartime service and sacrifice at the Kalangadoo cemetery on the Sunday preceding Anzac Day in 2018. Picture: J.L. “FRED” SMITH

MEMBERS of the Kalangadoo community will gather on April 21 to remember two local brothers who served in World War II.

Private Roy Albert Bennier and Private Epherian William Bennier will be honoured at the 6.15am ceremony at the Kalangadoo Cemetery.

They both served in the Australian Imperial Force with the former from 1942 to 1944 and the latter from 1941 to 1946.

The brothers were aged in their thirties and living at Kalangadoo when they travelled at separate time to Adelaide to enlist at the recruiting station at the Wayville Showgrounds.

Members of the Bennier family will be honoured guests at the dawn service.

For many years, the Kalangadoo Remembers committee has arranged a public commemorative ceremony of past service personnel on the Sunday preceding Anzac Day.

The attendance usually tops 200 and includes representatives from three tiers of government.

Kalangadoo Remembers committee member Judy Savage said arrangements for the dawn ceremony were being finalised including the list of dignitaries.

“Wattle Range Mayor Des Noll has accepted our invitation,” Ms Savage said.

She said the successful program of past years will be followed.

Musical tributes will be played by bagpipers and wreaths will be laid by representatives of local organisations.

Other traditional aspects of the dawn service such as the Ode of Remembrance and the minute’s silence will be observed.

Families will be invited to lay a personal floral tribute at the cemetery gates at the conclusion of the service.

The attendees are then invited to the Gunfire Breakfast at the Riddoch Memorial Institute, created by members of the Kalangadoo and District Lions Club.

The local branch of the RSL closed over 20 years ago.