RSL Sub-Branch Albany: Weekend of services to mark Boer War and Beersheba and recognise service of nurses

After a brief respite following the successful Vietnam Veterans Day service in August, the RSL committee are busily working on preparations for services on October 26 and 27.

The Saturday event is a newly conceived service combining the recognition of Australian involvement in the Boer wars in South Africa and in the Australian Light Horse in World War I during the Charge of Beersheba in 1917.

Most of the fighting elements of Australian Forces in the Boer Wars served as Mounted Infantry with the ability to fight either mounted or dismounted.

Similarly, the Light Horse also had the same ability to fight either mounted or dismounted.

The service will be held at the Desert Mounted Corps Memorial commencing at 2pm.

Due to limited parking at the memorial area, a shuttle bus will transport attendees to the service from the bottom of Apex Drive.

The memorial has been declared a “Military Memorial of National Significance” under the Military Memorials of National Significance Act of 2008 and is second to only Villers-Bretonneux in France as the most nationally recognised Australian War Memorial.

This is confirmed by the vast number of visitors to Albany, including those from cruise ships, who have the desire to visit the National Anzac Centre and the Memorial.

The memorial is recognised worldwide as part of Albany’s “home of the Anzacs” story.

The second service on Sunday at 2pm is the Nurses Commemorative Service held at the beautiful RSL Nurses Gardens in Proudlove Parade.

It recognises the service of all nurses, not only those involved in wars or military service.

The service attracts visitors from as far away as Perth and Esperance with many of these visitors, now elderly, making the yearly pilgrimage to the service to take part and pay their respects on the day.

This year, a film crew from the Australian War Memorial will be filming elements of the service for a documentary for the memorial archives, confirming the value and importance of the special service of nurses.

In addition, both services will be live-streamed by Albany’s Radio WAN (Wide Area Network).

The WAN has live-streamed several commemorative services in 2024 with listeners all over the world tuning in.

Members of the public are cordially invited to take part in the “weekend of services”.

The Boer War and Beersheba Memorial Service will be held at the Desert Mounted Corps Memorial on Mt Clarence at 2pm on October 26. The Nurses Memorial Service will be held at the Nurses Memorial Garden on Proudlove Parade at 2pm on October 27.

Michael Tugwell is services director at the RSL Sub-Branch Albany. Queries about the services should be directed to Mr Tugwell on 0421 647 301.