The sacrifice of Australian servicemen and women will be remembered at an Anzac Commemoration Service to be held at St Mark’s Anglican Church, South Hurstville this Sunday at 2pm.
And one Australian servicemen will be remembered in particular this year, Flight Lieutenant Phil Harrison who passed away last year aged 96.
Mr Harrison was a member of the South Hurstville RSL Sub-branch and was hoping to take part in a reunion of WWII Bomber Command personnel in England this month.
Mr Harrison’s story will be told by his son, Bob Harrison who will read out a tribute to his father during the service.
Flight Lieutenant Phil Harrison served in the RAAF from 1941 to 1946 as an instructor, test pilot and a bomber pilot.
He flew 811 flights according to his log book including Tiger Moths, Beauforts and Liberator bombers.
After he was demobilised he retrained as an accountant, married and raised a family.
“He always remembered those with whom he served and those who never returned,” Bob Harrison said.
“While war is terrible and disrupts everyone’s life, somehow our father survived and used the experience to contribute to and enrich the lives of others.”
This year the commemoration service will feature a new altar frontal by artist Rex Merten and depicting poppies in a field.
The St Mark’s ecumenical service is unique in that it is embraces not only the parish but the RSL and other communities, particularly the New Zealand RSL and the Australian Turkish community to represent all those who fought at Gallipoli, particularly at Anzac Cove.
Reverend Peter Greenwood will read out the words of Mustafa Ataturk, the defender of Gallipoli and first president of Turkey, that he wrote to the mothers of Australian soldiers buried in Turkey and which conclude with the words, “After having lost their lives on this land, they have become our sons as well.”
