Service taken to rest home
Members of the Tokoroa RSA extended it’s Anzac spirit to the community’s oldest residents with a special service last week.
Residents at Victoria Place Rest Home and Hospital got the opportunity to pay their own tributes.
Resident Sydney Killgour is a returned serviceman and didn’t want the residents to miss out on an important event.
‘‘I wanted to have it here even though a lot of them aren’t really well.
‘‘People sit here all day and I don’t believe in that.’’
Killgour served in the Royal New Zealand Air Force as a Leading aircraftman.
Next year he plans to have a flag pole to raise the flag in the courtyard.
Ken Reid, president of the Tokoroa RSA, said a cross to honour Mr R. Rollett was brought down for the residents to lay wreaths.
‘‘As far as we know he was the only person from Tokoroa killed in the first World War.’’
This is the first time the RSA has conducted a service at the Rest Home which Reid said should have been done earlier.
Vice president Max Mathews said there have been a few members from the home who’d served overseas.
Serving in Japan after the war he still enjoys keeping in step as a marker for the Tokoroa dawn parade.
Next year he plans to have a flag pole to raise the flag in the courtyard.