By GEORGIA WESTGARTH
THE Dandenong Cranbourne RSL Sub Branch reminded thousands of people at its Anzac Day memorial service of the “turban wearing” Sikh soldiers who fought alongside Anzac Diggers.
Senior vice-president Bill Shepherd of the sub branch RSL and MC of the service said he wasn’t aware of the huge role the Sikhs played in both world wars.
“My dad, William Shepherd, fought alongside Sikhs in the Middle East in WWII,” Mr Shepherd said.
Mr Shepherd enlightened the huge crowd of the 83,005 Sikh soldiers killed at war and the 109,045 wounded, according to a script provided by the Sikh community.
“They all died or were wounded for the freedom of Britain and the world, enduring shell fire with no other protection but the turban- the symbol of their faith,” the script said.
In special attendance was 97-year-old veteran Fred Crane, who has marched to the Shrine of Remembrance at Melbourne’s dawn service for the past 42 years.
A part of the 2/21st Battalion of the Gull Force, Mr Crane fought in the Laha Ambon battle of WWII and said the Cranbourne turn out of local families and children was “just marvellous.”
“I was one of three men to come home,” he said.
Mr Crane from Cranbourne North was wheeled into the service by local friend, Mick Vancuylenburg and his family who had made a worthy call for help, before one of the nation’s most treasured days.
Mr Vancuylenburg had called, radio station, SEN, to make sure Mr Crane had a brand new suit to wear for the occasion.
“SEN was fantastic- we had a suit donated from Sires Menswear,” Mr Vancuylenburg said, smiling.
The Cranbourne cenotaph was decorated with floral tributes by more than 50 local organisations, schools and sporting clubs.
