WW II Army veteran William Bryon Tremain with great grandchildren, Rebecca and Christopher Forster at a special Centenary

World War II veteran and former private William Byron Tremain had a tear in his eye as he proudly watched his great grandchildren raise the South Australian Flag at Torrens Parade Ground in Adelaide - the place he signed up to serve his country in 1941.

Mr Tremain, 86, watched Rebecca and Christopher Forster raise the state flag with SA Treasurer Mr Robert Lucas after the Federal Government ceremonially handed over the depot and parade ground to the State Government.

Rebecca and Christopher, the children of No. 92 Wing's Squadron Leader Margot Forster, were chosen to represent the young people of South Australia at the state's largest Centenary of Federation event, Federation Sunday.

Mr Tremain, initially deployed to Palestine aboard the SS Rajula for the 43rd Battalion before he took part in the Battle of El Alamein, said he was happy to see the ground returned to the people of South Australia and commented, 'This decision is good for everybody'.

Mr Lucas accepted the returned ground saying, 'One hundred years ago, SA handed the Torrens Parade Ground to the Government, so it is appropriate that this year, the Government is handing the ground back to SA.'

RAAF's contributions included flypasts by the P3 Orion and F/A-18 Hornet, a RAAF Central Band performance and the RAAF Edinburgh's Royal Guard.

By Deanna Nott Photographs by LAC Rodney Welch