Veteran Australian Family Commemorate Liberation Day

Families of veterans commemorated the liberation at the Commonwealth Cemetery in the Tantui, Ambon City. (doc)
Families of veterans commemorated the liberation at the Commonwealth Cemetery in the Tantui, Ambon City. (doc)

TRANSINDONESIA.CO – A total of 23 family members of veterans of the Commonwealth Army (Gull Force) from Australia who died in World War II, held a memorial service in the liberation of 69 family members of Japanese prisoners in 1945.

Memorial service that took place at the Commonwealth Cemetery in the Tantui, Ambon City, Wednesday (10/09/2014), chaired the Organization President Gull Force December O’Brien.

This year memorial service was also attended by Defence Attaché Navy Australian Embassy to Indonesia Katja Bizilj Colonel, Army Defense Attache Embassy of Australia to Indonesia, Colonel Jonathan Steinbeck and also Secretary of the Arts and Culture Committee of the City of Darwin-Northern Australia, Hayley Barich.

Compassion that accompanied the ceremony lasted about 45 minutes when the Australian national anthem “Advance Australian Fair” sung by the choir of Gethsemane Choir.

Each family member, including the President of the Organization Gull Force December O’Brien, Naval Defense Attache Embassy of Australia to Indonesia Colonel Katja Bizilj laid a wreath at the monument “Ambon Memorial Building” as well as their family members headstone tomb.

December O’Brien reiterated the warning exemption Australian soldiers conducted every 10 September to coincide with the release date of their families were held hostage Japan in 1945.

Australian veteran families come to Ambon every year to commemorate.

“This warning became part of our family history and memory that can not be forgotten. These events will continue to be remembered throughout our life,” he said.

December O’Brien said he was happy for the visit and the memorial this year can attend Naval Defense Attache Embassy of Australia to Indonesia, Colonel Katja Bizilj, Army Defense Attache Embassy of Australia to Indonesia, Colonel Jonathan Steinbeck and also Secretary of the Committee on Art and Culture Municipal Government Darwin-Northern Australia, Hayley Barich.

“I am also pleased that saw school children who crowded to clean the streets of this city,” O’Brien said in December.

Fellow Des, Rob McDougal also said among the 23 veteran Australian families who come to Ambon today, 17 of them new’ve been to Ambon, while six others visit each year.

Rob adds veteran Australian families also carry out a number of social activities including providing assistance to TW Tawiri, SDN 2 large Hatiwe, SDN 4 Hatiwe Large, hospitals and hospital Haulussy Source of Life.

Their presence was at once to the memory of friendship, kindness and help residents in Ambon to their families as a prisoner of the Japanese army.

While Rob McDougal claimed face Ambon city as the capital of Maluku province has undergone many changes.

Other veteran Sue Winnell family was impressed with the hospitality of the people of Ambon while welcoming their presence.

Memorial monument Ambon Memorial Building was built to commemorate the 289 soldiers and 171 airmen who died in the Australian unity Maluku, Sulawesi and surrounding islands during World War (PD) II years 1941-1945 There are among those who have not known and discovered her remains to this day.

Their names are emblazoned on the left and right walls of the building Ambon Memorial Building, complete with rank, date of birth and age when killed in World War II.

Compassion is also seen when individual families see their family headstone landscaped and well maintained at Commonwealth Park area of ​​four hectares.

As many as 694 Australian soldiers from a total of 1,131 soldiers from the 2/21 Australian Battalion Gull Force killed while fighting against the Japanese army in Ambon in 1941.

The soldiers who died were buried in Commonwealth Park Tantui, while that can be saved and returned to the country as many as 232 people.

Commonwealth cemetery location “War Cemetery” Tantui region during World War II, an army detention camp in Commonwealth countries by the Japanese army.

The Commonwealth is also the location of the tomb of a military camp when the 1,131 Australian soldiers Gull Force personnel landed in Ambon in December 1941.

When the Japanese landed in 1942, Gull Force troops were retreating because of unequal power. Gull Force only one battalion of Japanese troops came while 30 battalions.

Gull Force troops stepped down and build fortifications in the hamlet of Erie, District Nusaniwe, Ambon. They thought the Japanese troops would enter from the direction of Cape AllanG, so prepare striking Japanese troops from the sea. But this misses estimates of Australian soldiers.

The Japanese army did not go through but from the direction of Cape AllanG Jasirah Leitimur Ambon Island. Japanese warships anchoring them on the beach Hutumuri and Hukurila, then enter the city through the villages in the mountains.

Gull Force finally relented but first half hid their weapons in the region of Mount Nona last stronghold. They were captured by the Japanese in their barracks at the former Tantui. Many Australian soldiers who died in captivity Japan, due to starvation and executed.

When captive Australian soldiers are often given food secretly by people around the camp prisoners. Many Australian soldiers who escaped from the prison camp.

When World War II ended, Gull Force troops remaining in camp only 200 people. The Australian government sending a warship to carry the rest of their forces back to the Kangaroo country. At least 694 troops died Gull Force on Ambon were buried in this cemetery park.(ant/kum)

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