The Hon Alan Griffin MP
Minister for Veterans’ Affairs
VA102
Thursday, 6 November 2008
REMEMBRANCE DAY – VETERANS’ AFFAIRS MINISTER TO PAY
TRIBUTE ON THE WESTERN FRONT
The Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, the Hon Alan Griffin, is in Europe to attend Remembrance Day
services in Ypres and at the Menin Gate and the re-dedication of the Australian Corps memorial at
Le Hamel, France.
During his trip Mr Griffin will join the Governor-General Ms Quentin Bryce AC in laying a wreath at
the site of the battle for Fromelles before inspecting the site of the planned new Commonwealth
War Graves (CWG) cemetery near Pheasant Wood and visiting the Cobbers Memorial and
VC Corner.
Mr Griffin is also scheduled to have bilateral talks with the new UK Minister for Veterans, Kevan
Jones, and his French counterpart Jean Marie Bockel. The Ministers will discuss the plans for the
CWG cemetery and opportunities to raise awareness of the service and sacrifice of Australians on
the Western Front during the First World War.
Ninety years after the end of the First World War, the Australian Government will hold a
Remembrance Day service at the Australian National Memorial at Villers-Bretonneux, where the
names of nearly 11,000 of our dead from the battlefields of France with no known grave are
inscribed. Australians travelling in France are invited to attend.
The recently repaired Australian Corps Memorial, which honours Australian efforts in the First
World War, including the crucial Battle of Le Hamel, will be re-dedicated on 8 November.
Also travelling to France to attend Remembrance Day services and the re-dedication of the Le
Hamel memorial will be a delegation of leaders from the veteran community. Each leader comes
from an organisation with links to the First World War.
“Out of the horror of the First World War, great Australian institutions such as the RSL, Legacy and
the Repatriation Commission were born, to help returning soldiers and the widows and children of
those who did not return. With no Western Front veterans still with us, the national leaders of
organisations with a noble history of supporting veterans and their families will represent the
veteran community at the rededication of this key First World War memorial,” Mr Griffin said.
The delegation will comprise Mrs Audrey Blood OAM, National President, War Widows’ Guild of
Australia; Major General Bill Crews AO (Retd), National President, Returned & Services League of
Australia; Mr David Grierson, Chairman, Legacy National Coordinating Council; Mr Les Dwyer,
National President, Naval Association of Australia; and Air Vice Marshal Roxley McLennan AO
(Retd), National President, Royal Australian Air Force Association.
Radio producer’s note: The Minister is available for interviews with Australian media while in
France. Please contact Laura Ryan to arrange.
Editor’s note: Australian media wishing to attend the rededication of the Australian Corps
Memorial at Le Hamel at 3pm on Saturday, 8 November 2008, or the Remembrance Day service
at Villers-Bretonneux at 10:15am on Tuesday, 11 November 2008 should email details to
dvamedia@dva.gov.au.
Media inquiries: Laura Ryan 0437 863 109
The VVCS – Veterans and Veterans Families Counselling Service can be contacted 24 hours a day, seven days
a week on 1800 011 046. To receive the Minister’s media releases automatically by email subscribe at
minister.dva.gov.au/subscribe.htm
NEWS 
