{"id":150173,"date":"2016-06-30T00:57:58","date_gmt":"2016-06-29T14:57:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=150173"},"modified":"2020-10-12T11:41:06","modified_gmt":"2020-10-12T01:41:06","slug":"reserves-honoured-in-wondai","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2016\/06\/30\/reserves-honoured-in-wondai\/","title":{"rendered":"Reserves Honoured In Wondai"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Former service personnel at the Wondai War Memorial near Wondai Town Hall<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

June 29, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n

Wondai RSL Sub-branch hosted its 11th annual Reserve Forces Day parade in Wondai on Sunday, a week earlier than usual due to the Federal Election.<\/p>\n

A short ceremony was held at the Wondai Memorial, followed by a parade down Mackenzie Street and a commemoration service in Coronation Park.<\/p>\n

Reserve Forces Day events are co-ordinated by the Australian Reserve Forces Day Council\u00a0and are conducted around Australia, although this year only a handful were planned for Queensland.<\/p>\n

They recall the participation of Citizens Military Forces – and later, Army, Navy and Air Force reserves – during both wartime and peacetime activities.<\/p>\n

Reserve Forces Day has a special link with Wondai, which is home to a depot of the 25\/49 RQR, an Army Reserve light infantry battalion.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The 25th and 49th Battalions had a shared history before World War II but were finally linked in 1997.<\/p>\n

Since 1997, Reserves from 25\/49 RQR have served in peace-keeping duties in the Solomon Islands, East Timor and the Sinai Peninsula; disaster relief duties on Indonesia after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, during the Iraq invasion, as part of Operation Slipper in Afghanistan, and in border protection duties.<\/p>\n

The linked battalion maintains battle honours and colours of the two battalions, which is why a 49th Battalion banner listing its battle honours was proudly on display during the commemoration service on Sunday.<\/p>\n

[Photos: Noel Selway and Cr Kathy Duff]<\/strong><\/p>\n

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