Reserve Forces march around the country

Photos from Reserve Forces Day marches in Newcastle, above. Photos supplied by Mick Gallagher and SGT Nerine Eaton.

Photo from Reserve Forces Day March in Sydney.

By Graham Davis & LCDR Mick Gallagher

With service medals glinting and the drums of Brisbane’s RAN Reserve Band beating, more than 6000 Reservists from six nations stepped off to proudly march through the streets of Sydney on June 6 to mark Reserve Forces Day 2003.
There were similar parades around the country.

It was a big and important day, one in which the 1.25 million men and women from the RAN, Army and RAAF Reserves who have served their country since World War II, could be acknowledged.

And while many marched across the nation there was the reminder that Reservists continue to do duty overseas.
The parades corresponded with the centenary celebrations of the founding of the Royal Australian Army Medical Corps and the Royal Australian Army Nursing Corps.

As a result “Simpson and his donkey”, mounted medics, Willy’s casualty evacuation Jeeps, quad bikes (similar to those used by the SAS in Iraq and Afghanistan) a vintage Landrover ambulance, two of the Army’s latest ambulances and marching groups of doctors, nurses and medics, had pride of place in the Sydney parade.

In addition, tri-service doctors, medics and nurses from the US, Canada, New Zealand and Great Britain had earlier in the week joined their Australian counterparts at the Concord Hospital for a seminar on what medical lessons were learnt during the Iraqi conflict.

An additional highlight to the Sydney parade saw three RAAF Hawk fighters carry out a number of fly pasts.

All three were flown by Reservists, two of whom are usually at the controls of Qantas jets.

It was the first time since 1960 that RAAF Reservists had conducted a fly past, when five Reservists were at the controls of a flight of Meteors.

In Newcastle, locals lined the foreshore, welcoming Reservists including units from Canada, New Zealand, UK and the USA.

Joining them were permanent Defence members from HMAS Huon and MSA Bandicoot.

“It’s good to give support to the reservists and the Hunter region, seeing that Huon was built here four years ago,” said the CO, LCDR Barry Jones.

“It’s great to take a break from our sea work and participate in a local community event,” said the CO of Bandicoot CPOCSM MW Alan Hart.

Many cadets from the three services also attended including 27 from Bendigo in Victoria. The local naval cadets of TS Tobruk (LCDR William Hancock) acted as host and with the assistance of the local Salvation Army provided a splendid barbecue lunch.

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