PHOTOS: Kingaroy students unite to remember the fallen

The war memorial wall will be ‘a connection between past and present students’.

CONNECTING Kingaroy State High School students past and present was the focus to keep the memory and message of Armistice Day alive.

The 2019 Kingaroy Remembrance Day service was held at the KSHS school grounds as the school combined forces with the Kingaroy-Memerambi RSL Sub-Branch members.

Guest speaker Major Craig Campbell was honoured to return to his former high school, which he attended from 1990 to 1994.

"My decision to go into the military was made right here at the Kingaroy State High School," he said.

"Being here with the South Burnett veteran community is extra special."

He was able to reconnect with his mentor and Kingaroy's oldest veteran, Doug Farmer.

"The veterans are equally deserving of recognition today, they'll have mixed emotions as they are left with both physical and mental scars," Maj Campbell said.

Maj Campbell is now an officer in the Royal Australian Signal Corps and is responsible for operating and maintaining telecommunications equipment for combat operations.

He is also a veteran and was deployed to East Timor in 2002 and Afghanistan in 2011.

Maj Campbell helped officially open the high school's new war memorial wall.

"The memorial opened here today is a connection between past and present students," he said.

 

Kingaroy Remembrance Day 2019

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KSHS social studies head of department Don Mengel said the wall was all part of a bigger project at the school, as the forecourt is turned into a memorial court.

"The school and the Kingaroy RSL are heavily involved in the research of past students," he said.

The wall was unveiled with its first plaque commemorating Private Edgar Raymond Perrett who had attended Kingaroy State School in 1925.

Mr Mengel said Perrett was killed in action on May 14, 1943 as a result of a war crime when a medical ship was targeted.

More plaques will be added as research efforts reveal the stories of other former Kingaroy students who have been killed in action while serving their country.

"We'll be integrating some of it into junior history as the Year 9s do project research into WWI Anzacs," Mr Mengal said.

The school also welcomed former student and veteran Sgt Elgan Leedie to do the welcome to country.

He played the lament on the didgeridoo to recognise all of the indigenous men and women who had served in the war.

The war lessons continued with several KSHS trumpeters making their Last Past debut during the service, led by music teacher Matt Phillips.

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