Australians and New Zealanders honoured in Anzac Day ceremony at Wick war graves
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Australian and New Zealand servicemen who were buried in Wick have been honoured at a ceremony marking Anzac Day.
The annual event took place in glorious sunshine on Sunday morning at the town's well-tended war graves, where a dozen Australians and New Zealanders who died in World War II have their last resting place.
It was organised by the Wick, Canisbay and Latheron branch of the Royal British Legion Scotland (RBLS) and was attended by around 27 people who observed a two-minute silence as a mark of respect.
Anzac Day is held on April 25 each year. It began as a way of commemorating members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (Anzac) who served at Gallipoli in 1915 during World War I.
Piper Gordon Tait, of Wick RBLS Pipe Band, played the lament Flowers of the Forest and the Legion branch padre, the Rev John Nugent, gave a short reading before Willie Watt, Vice-Lieutenant of the county, laid a poppy wreath.
Small flags representing each country were placed on individual graves.
The Australian flags were placed by Cathy Sutherland, originally from Queensland, and her son Paul.
Thea Coghill and Christel Kelly placed the New Zealand flags.
Legion branch chairman Alex Paterson explained later that members felt it was important to uphold the Anzac Day tradition each year.
“Look at the connections between Caithness and Australia and New Zealand – a lot of people in New Zealand and Australia came from Caithness," he said. "That is why we’ve got to keep this going. They are part of our heritage."
He added: “It’s always important to remember. I had two uncles who were killed in the First World War. One was 19 and the other was 20. They were just young boys. They just finished their trade, then went off to the war and were killed."
Following the Anzac ceremony, some of the group moved to the grave of General Sir Henry Horne of Stirkoke, at the top part of the cemetery, for a further short service and the laying of a wreath by Mr Watt.
Mr Paterson said: “General Lord Horne was instrumental in evacuating Gallipoli with not one casualty. There were thousands of men that he got back off the beach."
He added that the Wick, Canisbay and Latheron branch of the RBLS would welcome new members. “We’re still in action and we are trying our best to keep things going,” Mr Paterson said.
The branch organises a number of parades and services throughout the year to mark important military anniversaries. Last year, despite the restrictions caused by the pandemic, its Remembrance Sunday collection amounted to £10,961.70
“I didn’t realise that we would make that sort of money,” Mr Paterson said.
