Dawn Service in Scone

THE half-light of dawn which can play tricks with soldiers’ eyes was when first attacks often occurred.

Half an hour before dawn soldiers would be woken in the dark ready to defend their positions.

It is a routine known as the stand-to and still observed in the Australian Army today.

Val Quinell, president of the Scone RSL Sub-branch raising the flag during the Scone dawn service.

After World War I dawn also became the time returned service people would gather on ANZAC Day to quietly reflect.

When official dawn services began in 1927, they remained the time for veterans, with the daytime ceremonies when family and friends would join them.

More recently the community has been encouraged to attend dawn services and Val Quinell, president of the Scone RSL Sub-Branch said how lovely it was to see so many children at this year’s dawn service.

More than 500 people at this morning’s service in Scone a testament to the importance the community feels for the sacrifices of ANZAC’s.

This morning’s ceremony was also a simple and reflective one, with schools and local services laying wreaths, the Scone Singers leading the hymns and the anthem, a few words from veterans Val Quinell and George Clementson, a prayer by Rev Nate Atkinson and short piece on the bagpipes and the Last Post and Reveille played on the bugle.

This year the familiar representation of soldiers from Singleton Army base were missing from the service.

A local veteran explained that nowadays all paperwork for serving military to attend services has to go through a head office in Sydney and Scone RSL sub-branch missed the cut off date…we both had a chuckle and acknowledged Army bureaucracy is still alive and well.