Ceremonies Archive

Held annually this service commemorates the Allied landings in Normandy, France on 6 June 1944, better known as 'D-Day'. The largest amphibious landing in history, almost 200,000 men were involved in the invasion on the first day alone and it is now considered to mark the true beginning of the liberation of Europe. The service also pays respects to those men who would fight in Normandy over the coming weeks as the Allies fought to break out of the beach head and push the Germans back.

For more information on the Bomber Command Commemorative Association please go to their website: bombercommand.org.au

On 12 June 1996 two s-70-a9 Blackhawk helicopters from the 5th Aviation Regiment carrying SASR troopers collided during a live-fire counter-terrorism/special-recovery operation exercise at fire support base Barbara in the High Range Training Area at Townsville, Queensland. Fifteen members of the SASR and three from the 5th Aviation Regiment lost their lives in the accident.

In the month of June we commemorate the following events:

28 June 1919: Treaty of Versailles
More than seven months after the Armistice came into effect the Great War officially ended with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles.

6 June 1944: ‘D-Day’
The Allied invasion of France on June 6 1944 was the largest single amphibious operation in the history of mankind. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers, sailors and airmen would be involved in the fighting on this day alone. Australian forces were largely involved in the Pacific theatre by this time but RAAF forces attached to the RAF played crucial roles in pre-landing bombings and in providing fighter cover for the landing forces.

25 June 1950: Outbreak of the Korean War
The ‘Forgotten War’ breaks out when North Korean forces launch a surprise attack on South Korean and US forces. In the three years of fighting to follow 17,000 Australians in the Army, Navy and Air Force would serve with the United Nations forces defending South Korea, 340 would lose their lives and thousands more would serve in peacekeeping forces as late as 1957.

May - Jun 1968: Battle of Coral-Balmoral
The largest, most sustained and arguably most hazardous battles fought by Australian soldiers during the Vietnam War. Units of the 1st Australian Task Force (1ATF) confronted regimental-sized formations of the North Vietnamese regular army in fierce actions around Fire Support Patrol Bases (FSPB) Coral and Balmoral in what was then known as Bien Hoa province.

From a flotilla of eight N-Class Royal Navy Destroyers built in 1939, five were transferred into the Royal Australian Navy for service in the Second World War, of which HMAS Nestor was sunk in June 1942. The ships were the HMAS Napier, Nestor, Nepal, Nizam and Norman (I).

The Annual Shrine Pilgrimage of the 2/2 Pioneer Battalion occurs on the Sunday closest to 17 June, the anniversary of the Battalion’s first action at Fort Merdjayoun during the Syrian Campaign of the Second World War, 1941.
Attendees gather on the forecourt near the Eternal Flame at 1:45pm before marching up the stairs into the Sanctuary for the service at 2pm. This includes the reading of a Roll of Honour, a Battalion soldier's story prepared by a family member, and a bugle calling The Last Post and Reveille. Afterwards, a light afternoon tea is enjoyed by all and tours are led out to the Battalion Tree on the west slope of the Shrine.
 

This service is in memory of the Victorian servicemen and women who have served overseas or in Australia in all wars, in ships or units of the Royal Australian Navy, the Australian Army, or the Royal Australian Air Force.

In particular, we remember the service of men and women who served in units from World War I and World War II who once would have attended their annual Pilgrimage in this month, but due to the passage of time are no longer able to.

In World War I, 89,000 Victorians served overseas. 19,000 made the supreme sacrifice.

In World War II, 297,000 Victorians served overseas. 10,900 made the supreme sacrifice.

We will remember them.