Remembrance Day 2023: Great Southern community invited to join RSL Albany for memorial service

RSL Albany will mark Remembrance Day on Saturday with a service at the Albany War Memorial on York Street commencing at 10.30am.

Held on the anniversary of the 1918 Armistice, Remembrance Day unites the Commonwealth in a moment of silence to reflect on the human cost of war and conflict.

RSL Albany special functions chair and services director Michael Tugwell said the occasion held special significance for the port city.

“We’ve got about 150 RSL members in Albany,” he said.

“It’s the biggest RSL office in the Great Southern and on top of that Albany is Australia’s home of Anzac which is a key attractor to the region.

“We’ve got people coming from interstate that have been ringing me asking me for details, it’s one of those bucket list things for a lot of people who want to see Albany in the flesh, the site that Anzacs left from in 1914.”

Hundreds of people are expected to attend the memorial service which is well supported by the community and members of the ADF.

“We’ve got contingents from two navy vessels attending and the keynote speaker, newly-promoted Brigadier Amanda Williamson from Perth, is about to become Commander of the 13th Brigade,” Mr Tugwell said.

Brig. Williamson will speak after the Ode, The Last Post and Rouse are delivered in line with the traditional memorial service RSL Albany will observe.

“In accordance with Federal protocol flags will be lowered to half-mast at 10.30am,” Mr Tugwell said.

“That’s an oddity for Remembrance Day that doesn’t exist for other services.

“They are then raised to the masthead at 11am when The Rouse is played.

“They are then lowered to half mast and they remain there until 12 o’clock when all flags are raised again.”

At 10am a section of York Street near the memorial, including crossroads, will be closed.

If the weather turns bad, the service will be held adjacent to the memorial at St John’s Church.

Following the memorial service, the community is invited by RSL Albany to attend a public function.

“Each year we have a public remembrance day function at the RSL,” Mr Tugwell said.

“There’s a small donation to get in, food and drinks are provided and some high-speed raffles will be happening to add a bit of excitement and to help us keep our costs down.”

For more information on the service Mr Tugwell can be reached on 0421 647 301 or via metco03@outlook.com.