Raymond Terrace marked Remembrance Day with a farewell to it's final two WWII veterans Charlie Munnery and Jim Page.
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The two men were among five Raymond Terrace RSL sub-branch members who died during the year and were honoured at Anzac Park on Saturday, as Remembrance Day continues to show its relevance for a new generation of service men and women.
Mr Munnery served as an engineer in the AIF in Borneo, New Guinea and Japan and Mr Page served in the Royal Navy in World War II before immigrating to Australian in 1950 and serving with the Royal Australian Navy for another six years. Mr Page was on board HMS King George V in Tokyo Bay for the surrender of Japan in 1945.
RSL Sub-branch president Vic Jones also asked the large crowd gathered to remember James Owens, who joined the RAAF in 1951 and served for 25 years and Ronald Connors who served in the army for eight years from 1949.
The final farewell was for Kath Garrett, who was widely regarded as the sub-branch's matriarch. She died aged 90 on November 5. Mrs Garrett served in the RAAF for four years where she met her husband Bill.
"The passing of Jim Page, Charlie Munnery, Ron Connors and Kath Garrett closes a significant chapter in the history of the sub-branch as they were our four oldest veterans and Jim and Charlie were our last World War II veterans," Mr Jones said.
The Raymond Terrace ceremony was one of several across Port Stephens with services at Nelson Bay, Medowie, Tanilba Bay, and Karuah.
A fly-over by one of the RAAF's F-35A jets and a tribute to Private Eric Apps one of 113 men whose names appear on the World War I memorial for enlisting from Raymond Terrace and surrounding areas bridged 115 years since the original Armistice at 11am on November 11, 1918.
In a moving tradition RSL sub-branch member Judith Schofield, read the Last Post story of Eric Apps, one of 10 children, who was born in Millers Forrest in December 1895.
Eric was 21 years old when he enlisted in March 3, 1916 and by December he was at the front in France with the 15th Battalion, 2nd Division.
He fought at the Battle of Menin Road in September 1917 where Australia suffered 9000 casualties and was badly injured with gunshots smashed his legs at the 1st Battle of Passchendale in October, 1917.
He survived his wounds and returned to Australia, but did not return to farming in Raymond Terrace. He lived in Sydney and married in 1923 and had two children. He died in 1953.
We remember you Eric and all those who served and continue to serve, particularly those who may be suffering physical and mental trauma as a result of that service.
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Michael Hartshorn
Since starting in 1985 at the then Melbourne Herald, journalism has taken me around Australia from Victoria, to the Northern Territory, Cairns in Queensland and now Port Stephens. After all those years there is still something special about informing and connecting with readers.
Since starting in 1985 at the then Melbourne Herald, journalism has taken me around Australia from Victoria, to the Northern Territory, Cairns in Queensland and now Port Stephens. After all those years there is still something special about informing and connecting with readers.
