DEFENCE MEDIA ALERT
Issued by Ministerial Support and Public Affairs, Department of Defence, Canberra, ACT
Phone: 02 6127 1999, Fax: 02 6265 6946
MSPA 176/10
19 May, 2010
DEDICATION OF THE PERMANENT KAPOOKA TRAGEDY MEMORIAL
Where:
Permanent Kapooka Tragedy Memorial site, San Isadore Road, Wagga.
When:
21 May 2010
Time:
2.00pm 21 May 10
Background:
The dedication service for the permanent memorial to the Kapooka Tragedy will take place at
the new memorial site on San Isadore Road opposite the previous memorial site.
There will be a brief service commencing at 2.00pm on 21 May 2010. The commemorative
service will be similar in nature to those held on Anzac Day with a catafalque party, lowering
and raising of the flag, selected hymns and prayers and the recitation of the Roll of Honour
which lists the names of those who were killed.
The memorial was built in dedication to the accidental deaths of twenty-six army engineers,
or 'Sappers', in an explosion during a training exercise at the Royal Australian Engineers
Training Centre, Kapooka Camp, near Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, on 21 May 1945.
This memorial is the result of a joint project between the City of Wagga Wagga, The Royal
Australian Engineer Corps and the Kapooka Military Area. Earlier this month a group of
engineers from 21 Construction Squadron deployed from Sydney to Wagga to create the new
memorial site in an area that could be accessed by members of the public.
The event will be attended by a number of military dignitaries such as Major General Steve
Day (Senior Army Engineer), Major General Craig Williams (Commander 2nd Division),
Colonel Finney (COMDT ARTC), Group Captain Rogers (COMDT RAAF Base Wagga),
and Lieutenant Commander Jolley (Senior Navy Representative).
The Federal Member for Riverina Mrs Kay Hull, MP, the Mayor of Wagga Councillor Kerry
Pascoe, Mr Phil Pinyon the General Manager of the Wagga Council will be joining the
families of those killed in the accident as well as a number of associations paying tribute to
those who lost their lives.
Media Contacts:
Please contact Major Mew on 0429 195 344 to arrange opportunities for interviews and
access to the memorial for live coverage.
NEWS 
