A wreath was also laid on behalf of the Canadian government by Lieutenant Colonel Ray Hook who is visiting Australia on a Rotary exchange tour.

Canada shares a tragic history with Australia from the killing fields of World War 1 where they fought gallantly with the Allied forces in France and Belgium, for a loss of more than 66,000 and 172,000 wounded.

Salvation Army minister Captain Richard Day spoke about Canadian surgeon John McCrae in his reflection at the cenotaph yesterday morning, recalling the symbolism of the red poppy as a lasting memorial to the fallen.

“Scarlet poppies grow naturally in conditions of disturbed earth throughout Western Europe – the destruction brought by the Napoleonic wars of the early 19th century, transformed bare land into fields of blood red poppies, growing around the bodies of the fallen soldiers,” Captain Day said.

“In late 1914, the fields of northern France and Flanders were once again ripped open as the First World War raged through Europe’s heart.

“The significance of the poppy as a lasting memorial symbol to the fallen was realised by John McCrae in his poem In Flanders Fields. 

“The poppy came to represent the immeasurable sacrifice made by his comrades and quickly became a lasting memorial to those who died in the First World War and later conflicts – here’s a few lines from the poem.

‘In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

‘We are the dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields.’

“When fighting ceased in 1918 the mud of the battlefields was allowed to rest and nature began to be restored – and before long the wild flowers grew and bloomed including the poppy,” Captain Day said.

“The red colour reminded people of the bloodshed and the sacrifice by millions of brave soldiers of their lives – and so the poppy became the symbol of sacrifice.

“The slogan that accompanies the poppy, Lest We Forget, is most appropriate.

“We must never forget,” Captain Day said.

“To forget is to commit a ghastly act against the many lives caught in the crossfire of bloody battle and the troops who fought to protect our freedoms.

“We, in the Christian Church, also have a symbol –  it’s the Cross of Jesus. 

“One of his great sayings is ‘greater love has no-one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends’ (John 15:13). And that’s what he did for us. That’s what the men and women of this country have done for us.

“Two great symbols of sacrifice – the poppy and the cross,” Captain Day said.

Captain Day said Remembrance Day was one that needed ittle explanation but what was difficult to grasp was the price paid.

“The sacrifice of Australian men and women, along with allied nations, fighting for the freedom of the world, is not hard to understand but we cannot appreciate the living conditions of the trenches,” he said.

“Our minds cannot grasp the horrors that live in the minds of soldiers to this day – we must not forget the countless Australian soldiers of World War I and World War II, who gave their lives in battle.

“We must not forget the worldwide casualties of World War II where that war took millions of lives.”

The Last Post and Reveille were sounded by St Mary’s College student Annerley Fitzsimmons, with wreaths laid by Jai Hicks and Candice Mudliar (Gunnedah High School) and Taryn Ortiger and Stephanie Towns (Carinya Christian School) watched by pupils from GS Kidd Memorial School.

Wreaths were also laid by Deputy Mayor Gae Swain, on behalf of the Gunnedah community, Ian Horwood (GSBC),  Mavis Knight (RSL Women’s Auxiliary), Meg Smyth (Legacy Widows), Phil Maybury (Gunnedah National Servicemens Association), Neville Steele (Gunnedah Lions Club), and LACN Genelle  Bridge, on behalf of an RAAF unit working in the area.

The RSL wreath was laid by president Peter Clarke, a former national serviceman, who also recited the Ode to the Fallen.

Children from Boggabri Public School and Sacred Heart School combined in a choir to sing the national anthem at the Remembrance Day commemoration.

The service was led by RSL president Steve Eather, with a minute’s silence observed to remember those who served.

The Ode to the Fallen was recited and the Last Post sounded as the gathering faced the west before the Reveille.

The presence of local resident Charmaine Waters in the uniform of the Lighthorse riding Dr Pepper added a touch of history to the Remembrance Day service at the cenotaph.