THIS is what Will told yesterday's commemoration crowd in Tamworth:
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"Over the years I have heard many stories about the heroics of wars. I have always been overwhelmed by the courage and bravery of these men and women but I have never thought about how I would have acted in their place I had always wished that someone in my family had done something special in the war. My wish was granted when I found out about my great, great uncles, the fighting Quinns. After being told I was shown many newspaper reports and letters from and about their heroics. I was amazed by how well-known they were in their hometown, Scone. Five brothers who all went to the western front to fight the Germans. They were all remarkable men but today I will be talking mainly about the youngest brother, Michael.
After a reluctant approval from his mother he volunteered his services on January 26, 1916. After 10 months of training Mick was finally ready to join the front line. On November 21, 1916 Mick sailed to France, station wed in Armentieres. After nearly a year in France, Mick was given a special job to do. He was assigned to a work party that was excavating a 58 metre tunnel beneath no man's land to a position under Hill 60. After many nights of digging they reach the completion of the tunnel. Quickly they packed 24.2 thousand kilograms of explosives into the end of the tunnel. On completion of the tunnel 18 of these mines exploded simultaneously, killing 10,000 German soldiers with a blast that could be heard all the way to Dublin.
I can only imagine what was running through his head when he was digging that tunnel. He may have been scared, nervous or even thinking about the possibility of death. I can only imagine how he was feeling physically. His clothes filled with lice, cuts and bruises covering his body, his stomach rumbling with hunger, the lack of sleep taking its toll. I don't know how he could have had the motivation to get up every morning to face the perils of each day. It is truly inspirational.
After listening to all the stories about the fighting Quinns I felt proud that someone in my family had done something to protect our country. Then recently, my grandparents brought to my attention my great, great uncle on my father's side, George Guyer from Warialda.
George Guyer set off from Sydney on this day 98 years ago ready for the adventure of a lifetime. A young 17-year-old boy not knowing what he was getting himself into. After a lengthy voyage he arrived at Flanders, France. Each day George would have woken to the cries of the wounded. He would have seen the smoke of the rifles rising above the trees. He would have felt the cold air slapping his face each morning. He would have smelt the odour of death and he would have tasted the drops of sweat running down his face.
Sadly, both of these young men passed away on the battlefields. Both were only 19 when they died from their wounds. This was sadly the truth of war. So many young men with so much to offer whose lives were cut tragically short. It is the sad but honest truth.
Ladies and gentlemen, many people do not truly understand what Remembrance Day is. It is not a day to glorify war, it is not a day to remember battles and it is not a day to remember the killings. It is a day to remember when the Great War ended and peace returned to the world. It also gives us all a chance to remember family and friends who lost their lives fighting in wars and it gives people a chance to consider the cost of war.
Remembrance Day has been observed since 1919 and we wear the poppy because it was the first flower to bloom on the battlefields of Flanders during World War I. The bright red colour of the poppy symbolises the blood shed during the horrific conflict, but also the hope of new life and the poppy became the symbol of Remembrance Day which is often known as Poppy Day.
It was the worst of time, but brought out the best.
May we always remember them on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. Lest we forget."