GREENBUSHES Primary School students hosted an ANZAC Day commemoration service on Friday April 11.
The students prepared readings and music and developed an order of service for the commemoration of Anzac Day, which was attended by members of the Greenbushes and Bridgetown branches of the Returned Services League and other community representatives.
Greenbushes RSL President Ron Adair addressed the students and recounted the little known story of the Australian Navy submarine HMAS AE 2, which made a big contribution to the efforts of the Allies in World War 1 by acting as a decoy in the Sea of Mamara off the coast of Turkey.
“Their brief on April 25 1915 was to get through the Dardanelles to the Sea of Mamara and create havoc to draw the attention of the Turkish troops, which they did, and this paved the way for more submarines to follow,” Mr Adair said.
“Unfortunately, despite being a brilliant decoy, the submarine was captured and four of the crew died in captivity, but it’s a story that shows the skill, bravery and fortitude of our Australian Navy personnel.”
Principal Roger Foster said the involvement of the RSL was an important and integral part of the ceremony for the school.
“I would like to thank the RSL for attending and our students for their fantastic work in organising this event for our school community and the residents of Greenbushes,” he said.
The school hosted a community morning tea after the service.
