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Veteran recounts VE Day celebrations |
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Written by Administrator
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Thursday, 19 May 2005 |
Mapleton RSL member Bevan Christensen returned last Friday after
attending ceremonies marking the 60th Anniversary of Victory in Europe
Day. Bevan, who was selected as part of the Australian Veterans?
Mission Party, said he would most remember ?his absolute sympathies for
the miseries of WWI? and then ?a feeling of respect and pride at the
big victory parade at the Arc de Triomphe?.
The moving ceremonies took place in France and London and Bevan recounted some of his experiences. ?The French countryside in the Somme area was absolutely beautiful with fields of canola in golden bloom interspersed with green and freshly ploughed fields,?? he said. ?I was impressed with how flat the country is. Thinking in terms of WWI military offensives - which would have taken place over all this open country with absolutely no natural cover - it helps you to understand the tremendous casualty lists of WWI.
?At the memorial at Le Hamel - at which Australian casualties in WWI were enormous - about 100 metres of the old trenches have been preserved. This gives a basic idea of how terrible it must have been.? Bevan said the group visited the school at Villers Bretonneux. Here the gratitude felt towards the Australians was still immensely strong.
?The children can all sing Advance Australia Fair,?? he said. ?And there are carvings of Australian animals in the school assembly hall. And a big sign over the school parade ground says ?Never Forget the Australians?. The reason being that the village was re-captured by the Australians from the Germans - coincidently on the anniversary of Anzac Day in 1918.?
Bevan said Australian souvenirs were highly valued. ?In the war museum at Peron there were several parties of school children all clamouring for our Australian badges. We had a boxful which we handed out.? He said there is no escape for the French people from the reminders of the ravages of war.
?Every single village along the Somme has a war memorial cemetery.
?We visited the Adelaide (France) cemetery from which the remains were taken for the unknown soldier?s interment in Canberra.
?We noticed that the headstones at that cemetery were very close together and we were told that was indicative of there having been a hospital or casualty clearing station nearby during the war where the death rate was inevitably very high.
?The only symbol of WWII we saw was the sister unit of the carriage in which the WWI cease-fire was signed at Compiegne. Hitler then used the same carriage to humiliate Marshal Fash in the surrender of France in WWII.? Bevan said, tongue-in-cheek, that the original carriage which Hitler took to Berlin was ?inadvertently disposed of by the RAF? during air raids. The Australian contingent of 17 enjoyed great camaraderie during the tour.
?The group comprised representatives of the three services and we had ranks from Admiral to Group Captain to an army Corporal. So it was very democratic,? Bevan said. On May 2 Prime Minister John Howard farewelled each individual. Leaving that night, a marathon day?s travel saw the group in Amiens, France via London and Paris about midday on Wednesday May 4. After ceremonies in the Somme area at various memorials, the party moved to Paris for the magnificent Victory Parades attended by President Jaques Chirac at the Arc de Triomphe.
The whirlwind tour next took the party to London where wreaths were laid in a solemn ceremony at the Australian Memorial in Hyde Park. Following this there was a reception at Australia House arranged by the Australian High Commissioner.
?With ages of the group ranging from 81 to 90, all concerned stood up to the pace well under the supervision of a doctor and two nurses,?? said Bevan, 84. ?Organisation of the whole tour was magnificent with no detail overlooked and all credit to the Department of Veterans? Affairs for its success. By arrangement I was able to lay a sheaf of flowers on behalf of the Mapleton RSL Sub-branch and the Mapleton community.?
Picture above: Bevan Christensen on the way to the Cathedral at Amiens to see the memorial plaques for Australian and New Zealand forces.
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 19 May 2005 )
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Range News 2005 - ON 
