Our People in ACT
Kyle Cranfield - Calwell
This ANZAC Day Calwell’s Lyn and James Stratford will be glued to the TV watching the Australian memorial service at Villers-Bretonneux in France.
Lyn’s son Private Kyle Cranfield will be part of the official Australia’s Federation Guard contingent at the service that day.
And over in Weston Creek, Kyle’s father Mark Cranfield will be watching too.
“Pop was a Sergeant in the Royal Australian Air Force. I’m following in his footsteps but, by joining the Army, I’m doing my own thing too,” said Kyle.
The McKillop College graduate hung up his Tuggeranong soccer strip and joined the Australian Regular Army in 2007. Then, in 2008, he volunteered for service in Australia’s Federation Guard. The trip to France is Kyle’s first overseas deployment with the Guard.
Almost 100 years after the First World War ended, Australians are still highly regarded in Villers-Bretonneaux. The Russian surrender in 1917 had freed a million German soldiers to fight on the Western Front. Their reinforced army attacked on 18 March 1918 and for the first month swept all before it. At Villers-Bretonneux on 24-25th April, the Australians stopped them in their tracks.
To this day the village streets are named after Australian towns, and signs in the street ask visitors to ‘Remember the Australians’. After the war, the village school was rebuilt with money raised by Australian schoolchildren.
“On the day I will be in awe of their sacrifice, and I will be proud to be there among them,” he said.
But there will be lighter moments as the contingent come home via Paris.
“I have a list of things to bring back. Mum wants a bottle of champagne from Champagne and my sister wants something from the Eiffel Tower.
“But for me it will be enough to have my photos and some amazing memories,” Kyle said.