Dandenong RSL Memorial
The Dandenong RSL has a wonderful memorial which has a helicopter, interesting sculptures and powerful information panels.
Some of the information at the memorial includes:
Dandenong's Soldiers
War was declared on the 4 August 1914. Within a month, 11 men from the Dandenong district were accepted to join the fighting and a further 27 volunteers were awaiting acceptance (South Bourke and Mornington Journal, 20 August 1914). Most of Dandenong's senior football team and 30 members of the fire brigade were among those early enlisters.
A number of those initial recruits joined the 8th Battalion and were part of the second wave of landings at Gallipoli. Later volunteers joined other battalions including the 57th, 58th, 59th and 60th. Together these Battalions formed the 15th Field Regiment Royal Australian Artillery, a front line unit travelling to Fromelles and Ypres.
Newspapers regularly published a "roll of honour" of those who volunteered as locals flocked to recruiting rallies. Eligible men were mailed enlistment cards and mothers were petitioned to give their support.
Recruiting Sergeant Pickett was noted as saying, "Dandenong is one of the shires that is doing its bit not so much by a loud blare of trumpet as by quietly finding the men" (South Bourke and Mornington Journal, 28 September 1916).
By 1916 there were no unmarried men left in the town. By the end of the war about 600 men had left to fight. Sadly, at least 70 of them never made it home.
Helicopter
This "Dust-off" UH-11V helicopter, a modified UH-1D, was donated to the Dandenong RSL by the United States of America in September 2003, restored and mounted with the help of 3 Recovery Company RAEME and Chisholm College of TAFE, and dedicated by Major General David McLachlan AO on 16 November 2003. It reminds us for all time of the men of many nations who fought, suffered and died in the Vietnam War, united in their belief in freedom for all and their willingness to fight bravely for it. It salutes our long co-operation with the United States of America. It honours the men who flew these unarmed helicopters on casualty evacuation missions by day and night, in jungles, on open paddies, on beaches and among mountains, through tropical storms, often under fire. When we needed them, they came.
No Surrender Rose
The 'No Surrender' Rose is dedicated to the 14,000 Servicemen who served in the Siege of Tobruk 10th April to 7th December 1941.
Photos:
Location
Cnr Clow Street and Walker Street, Dandenong 3175 Map
