A CEREMONIAL feature of a catafalque party will return to the Anzac Day dawn service on Thursday at the Millicent Cross of Sacrifice after an absence of several years.
A uniformed honour guard will be mounted by members of the 48 Australian Cadet Unit.
Members of the Mount Gambier-based unit have accepted the invitation of the Millicent sub-branch of the RSL to pay a solemn tribute to wartime service and sacrifice.
Millicent RSL president Chris Mathias welcomed the involvement of the cadets and said the usual Anzac Day arrangements would apply.
“We will have the dawn service at 6.30am and it will be led by retired minister Pastor Paul Hales, ” Mr Mathias said.
“Pastor Paul has accepted the position of Millicent RSL chaplain and he will also lead the mid-morning service.
“Music will be provided by bagpiper Heather Kroon.”
Following the service, the Millicent Lions Club will cook a gunfire breakfast.
Rum will be added to coffee, donated by Barker MP Tony Pasin.
As usual, marchers will assemble at 10.30am outside the Sportsman’s Hotel for the street march.
The march will start at 10.45am, followed by the mid-morning service will at 11am.
Members of the Mount Gambier Veteran and Vintage Car Club will again provide transport for those unable to march.
Wattle Range Mayor Des Noll OAM will talk about the life of a fallen soldier and South East Family History Group president Noel Boyle will give a similar address.
Meanwhile, the Millicent Baptist Church will stage an Anzac Day service at 10.30am at Boneham Aged Care Services for the seventh consecutive year.
Before the school holidays, Millicent RSL members gave Anzac Day themed talks at St Anthony’s School and Tantanoola Primary School.
They will lead a pre-Anzac Day service at 10.30am today at the Sheoak Lodge aged care facility at Millicent and District Hospital.
“As an RSL, our role is to keep the memory alive of what our forebears did to serve our country,” Mr Mathias said.
“We run the commemorative services to provide a public acknowledgement of the sacrifices by our soldiers, sailors and airmen and women.”
Mr Pasin said he donates bottles of rum to 30 other RSL sub-branches across the Barker electorate.
“It is a small token of thanks to the RSL,” he said.
