Poppies were often the only sign of life on the bloody battlefields of the Western Front during World War I.
In 1915, Canadian doctor Lt Col John McCrae wrote the poem In Flanders Fields, which begins with the lines:
In Flanders’ fields the poppies glow
Between the crosses, row on row.
A century later, those little red flowers remain a powerful symbol of lives lost through service to our country.
In the lead up to Remembrance Day on November 11 each year, millions of Australians pin colourful replicas of the flowers on their chests in honour of the brave and fallen.
At this year’s Remembrance Day commemoration by the Picton-Thirlmere-Bargo RSL sub branch, more than 100 hand knitted poppies will be handed out before the service.
The red, purple and white poppies were knitted by two local women.
Lynne and Helen recently presented the poppies to Picton-Thirlmere-Bargo RSL sub branch President Tim Bennett-Smith and life member Fred Denny.
“Lynne and Helen have been madly knitting for months in preparation for Remembrance Day,’’ Mr Tim Bennett-Smith said.
“The poppies will be given out prior to our Remembrance Day Commemoration Service at 10.40 am, Saturday, November 11 at Thirlmere Memorial Park.
“Thank you ladies for your continued support and ensuring the sacrifice of those who have served our country and its allies has not and will not ever be forgotten.’’
But the hand knitted poppies will not be the only highlight of this year’s Remembrance Day at Thirlmere Memorial Park.
The Surveyor General of NSW, Narelle Underwood, will be attending the service, which will include a soil sample taken from Thirlmere Memorial Park to be installed at the Hall of Service at the ANZAC Memorial Hyde Park as part of the Centenary Project.
As part of Centenary Project a plaque will be created for every town, suburb and locality around NSW that those who enlisted for World War I gave as their place of address.
More than 416,000 Australians volunteered to serve in the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps and Royal Australian Navy in World War I.
Around 61,000 never returned home.
The war officially ended at 11am on November 11, 1918 – Armistice Day.
It was eventually renamed Remembrance Day and is commemorated with a minute’s silence.
Back at Thirlmere, following the service this Saturday, the community will be invited back to the sub branch hall for the official naming of the “Aussie Biele Military Museum’’.
“Aussie’’ was a loved member of the sub branch, cadet unit and community,’’ Mr Tim Bennett-Smith said.
“This will be a great tribute for his family who will be in attendance for the unveiling of the plaque,’’ he said.
There will be Remembrance Day commemorations across Macarthur in Camden, Campbelltown and Ingleburn.
