'Never forget': Preservation of war history highlighted at Albury dawn service

Colonel Clare Kellaway, Commander of the Joint Logistics Unit Victoria, based at Bandiana, reflected on the importance of continuing to tell the stories of sacrifice and service.

She spoke of the army museum at Bandiana, whose volunteers preserve artefacts from war and read words taken from a field message notebook of chaplain Peter Frederick Porter, who served in World War II.

Colonel Kellaway revealed a poem had been transcribed by volunteers a matter of weeks ago from Porter's time serving in northern Africa at the battle of El Alamein.

"They think of their wives and sweethearts in the land that they love far away, but for the sake of their mates they have died here, they're too proud to call it a day," part of the poem read.

Colonel Kellaway said the chaplain "consoled freedom soldiers over the loss of their mates, he reverently buried the dead, he recorded their names and he wrote on to their loved ones with compassion, humility, and selflessness" thanked the thousands of people across Australia who give up their time to ensure these stories are shared.

"Bringing chaplain Porter's voice alive from the past is indicative of a wider movement to preserve Australia's military history," she said.

"This year, the Australian War Memorial sought volunteers to transcribe war diaries and letters, scraps of paper from a museum, along with the voices of lost generations.

"In the first 48 hours, more than one million words were transcribed by more than 40,000 volunteer transcribers. Ordinary Australians volunteering online from their homes to preserve and acknowledge the stories and experiences of our servicemen and women.

"Like the monuments before us, those transcriptions continue our nation's pledge to never forget."

Albury RSL sub-branch president Graham Docksey thanked the community for its support by attending or listening to the radio broadcast on 2AY and 3NE.

"Over 102,000 men and women of the Australian Defence Force have given their lives that we may be free today," he said.

"Freedom is not free, and often comes at a terrible price. Lest we forget."

Mr Docksey placed a lone wreath on the memorial on behalf of Albury's veterans community.