UMBRELLAS were attached to hands like bayonets affixed to rifles at Albury’s dawn service.
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They shielded hundreds from rain, which proved a soundscape to rituals marking the 102nd anniversary of the Gallipoli landings.
“Thanks for braving the conditions this morning,” master of ceremonies Paul McSwiney told the crowd atop Monument Hill. “But as the old cliche goes the diggers did it a lot harder than we’re doing it at the moment.”
Nevertheless, as Albury RSL sub-branch president Mark Dando acknowledged they were “trying conditions”.
With most of the wet plastic seats unoccupied and others huddled under umbrellas, the Vietnam War veteran reflected on the original diggers.
“In a challenging terrain against brave and determined Turkish soldiers they showed steadfastness, courage and mateship,” Mr Dando said.
“The values and lifestyle we enjoy today was forged by those original Anzacs and is still being upheld by our servicemen and women.”
Chaplain Father Alan Kelb gave the call to remembrance, but his amplified voice struggled to be heard as the rain intensified.
As Dianne Prince sung Rudyard Kipling’s Recessional the music rang across nature’s tap dance of raindrops.
Piper Sebastian Turner then added to the poignancy with the mournful notes of a lament.
By the time Father Kelb returned for his final blessing there had been four millimetres of rain accumulate in the 25 minutes the service had run.
“Be always joyful and give thanks whatever happens, for that is what God willed for you,” he read.
With the rain pausing at the conclusion of the formalities you could not help but think there was some cryptic divine message at play.
Not that those gathered at the peak were fussed.
Father and teenage son, Matt and Noah King, have been at the past five and say the rain was never going to deter them.
“We come just to pay our respects,” Mr King said.
In 1915, Barbara Ritchie’s grandfather Private John Alexander Ritchie travelled about 170 kilometres from the Riverina town of Ganmain to enlist at Wodonga.
An infantryman he was 30 at the time and was part of the Gallipoli fight before returning to farm on a soldier settlement block at Henty.
“I’ve been coming every year for the last 10 years to commemorate the soldiers that have fought for us,” Ms Ritchie said.
Asked if she had second thoughts about attending, because of the rain, she said “not at all” before adding: “It’s just a decision on what you have to wear for the day and how big the umbrella is.”
