ABOUT thirty people made their way into the Salvation Army Hall in Leongatha on Sunday morning for a special Remembrance Day service. It was run with the Leongatha RSL and led by chaplain Cyril Payne OAM, who spoke about how this year marks 107 years since the cessation of the First World War.

He spoke of the tragedy of war, about boys aged just 16 or 17 who had lied about their age to enlist. Some had thought it would be an adventure, he said, only to face the horrors of war.

The South Gippsland Shire Brass Band played throughout, lifting the hymns and closing with a stirring Last Post.

Member for Eastern Victoria Melina Bath MP was the guest speaker, though there was a chuckle among the attendees early on when Mr Payne told the room she’d accidentally been sent to the wrong venue by her office. She arrived a few minutes later to many smiles.

Ms Bath spoke about visiting Gallipoli earlier this year.

“It was a beautiful and amazing experience. It was a huge honour to be there,” she said. She also mentioned seeing the graves of young soldiers from Warragul, Traralgon, Bairnsdale and other Gippsland towns.

The service ended with three national anthems: New Zealand, Australia and the United Kingdom.