This year, we’ll march on Anzac Day to remember them

Anzac Day marches will be held in every capital after PM said if people were free to ‘protest’ then they should be free to honour veterans.

World War II navy veteran Nevin Phillips, 96, with his granddaughter Lauren, 25, at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne. Picture: Aaron Francis

Anzac Day marches will be held in every capital city after Scott Morrison said he wanted the national day to proceed, arguing that if people were free to “protest” and “party” then they should be free to honour the nation’s war veterans.

The Victorian government was on Tuesday considering plans to declare this year’s Anzac Day march in Melbourne a “major event’’ which would allow up to 5000 people to participate.

The NSW government ­increased the number of veterans ­allowed to march on April 25 from 500 to 5000 following the Prime Minister’s intervention and an outcry from veterans. The decision was made after a crisis meeting between NSW Police Minister David Elliott, health officials and veterans groups.

“If people can party and if ­people can protest, then we can ­remember as a nation, and honour our veterans on Anzac Day,” Mr Morrison said. “I would like to see that done as fully and as safely as possible, and I think that is not ­beyond our wits to achieve that. I want Anzac Day on.”

Marches and remembrance services were cancelled last year as the COVID-19 pandemic escalated and forced large-scale ­restrictions. Instead, families par­ticipated in emotional, candlelit driveway vigils at dawn to mark the occasion.

Former governor-general Sir Peter Cosgrove told The Australian it was time to “get one of our great national days back”.

Sir Peter, who served in Vietnam with 9 RAR, said he was “saddened” by the initial plans for just 500 people to be allowed to march in Sydney.

Bigger crowds had been ­allowed at last Saturday’s Mardi Gras, which was attended by 30,000 people at the Sydney Cricket Ground and featured 5000 parade participants.

“I was saddened at what I saw as the de facto demise of Anzac Day as a national day, which for many ha

Scott Morrison, in Sydney on Tuesday, has called for Anzac Day to be commemorated as fully as possible Picture: Joel Carrett

s been as prominent or more so than many of our other national holidays,” Sir Peter said.

“I hope that in all of the usual places around Australia, veterans and those who observe and ­respect Anzac Day can gather and march or watch in the way we have done since 1916 when, on the shores of the Suez Canal, ­Monash and others made their first commemoration.”

World War II veteran Nevin Phillips, 96, who served on-board HMAS Kanimbla in the Pacific, was devastated when last year’s Anzac Day celebrations were called off at the height of the coronavirus pandemic.

The proud navy man, who survived the Battle of Leyte Gulf — the biggest navy battle of the war — signed up for service at just 18 years old out of a belief in service. “My job was taking soldiers from ship to shore,” he said. “We would go all the way up the island all the way from New Guinea. We would do a landing and go back to Australia, pick up some more troops and take them to another place.

“I lost my hearing when a cannon fired right above my head.”

The grandfather, who lives in Doncaster in Melbourne’s east, has marched almost every year in memory of his fallen mates and his father Herbert, who had his horse shot out from under him during the Battle of Beersheba.

Granddaughter Lauren, 25, said the whole family would go to watch him march every year with pride and this year may be his generation’s last chance.

“He’s 96 and if he doesn’t get the opportunity to march this year, there is no guarantee if he will make it to 97,” she said.

In Victoria, The Australian understands veterans were briefed about plans for a pared-back Anzac Day march — with 5000 servicemen and women — in a closed-door meeting with army personnel last week. Older veterans would be ferried to the event via car and family members would not be permitted to march with their relatives.

The Victorian government is yet to sign off on the proposal.

Nevin Phillips pilots a landing craft during the war.

“RSL Victoria continues discussions with the Victorian government and other stakeholders to allow Anzac Day activities across the state to take place while observing all related COVID-19 restrictions,” chief executive Jamie Twidale said.

Celebrations will go ahead without number restrictions in Western Australia, South Australia, the Northern Territory and Queensland, while Tasmania will have a scaled-back march.

Mr Elliott said RSL NSW had been too conservative in its initial plans for the Sydney march.

“It was quite clear the civilian community and the veterans community wanted to commemorate Anzac Day as close to normality as possible,” he said.

“The restriction that the RSL placed on themselves were a bit unfair. So I called in the RSL, the Office for Veterans Affairs, the police and the Department of Health. We thrashed out a plan to see more than 5000 veterans being able to march.”

The NSW RSL so far has received less than 200 registrations from veterans in the ticket ballot for the Sydney CBD March.

In 2019, 12,000 veterans and descendants marched on Anzac Day in the Sydney CBD.

West Australian Premier Mark McGowan confirmed the commemorations would go ahead as usual in the state, with plans to allow crowds up to 10,000 for the dawn service.

An SA Government spokeswoman said there would be no restrictions on this year’s Anzac Day march or Dawn Services.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING: ADESHOLA ORE, JOE KELLY