Ormer defence regiment members preparing for commemoration
FORMER members of North Queensland’s oldest defence regiment will gather in Townsville this month to commemorate 129 years of service.
St James Cathedral will host a special Sunday service on October 18 to commemorate soldiers who served in the 31st Battalion, formerly known as the Kennedy Regiment.
Convenor Major ( Retired) John Gardner said it would be the second time Townsville hosted the annual commemoration, following a shift from Sydney to Townsville in 2014.
“In 2000 a Kennedy Regiment Commemorative Plaque was installed and dedicated in Sydney’s historic Garrison Church. However, by 2013, attendance at the Sydney service had declined so markedly that the 31st Infantry Battalion Association decided that the service would in future be held in Townsville,” he said.
Mr Gardner said with the 31st Battalion originating in North Queensland and the majority of members still residing in the region, hosting future commemoration services in Townsville was the right thing to do.
“Kissing Point has been under the control of the Australian Army since the turn of last century, firstly as a training camp and later, after the completion of Jezzine Barracks, home to the 31st Battalion, the Royal Queensland Regiment, which can trace its lineage back to units that were formed in Queensland in the late 19th century,” he said.
“The 31st Battalion, the Royal Queensland Regiment, was born out of the 3rd Queensland ( or Kennedy) Regiment, which was proclaimed in 1886; its successor units have served continuously since that date.
“Today the 31st/ 42nd Battalion, Royal Queensland Regiment, continues an historical link with all of those units that have shared the ‘ 31’ designation since 1915.”
The service, which will be held on Sunday, October 18, at St James Cathedral, North Ward, begins at 9.30am. The Very Reverend Canon Rod McDonald, Dean of Townsville, will officiate.
Participants in the service will include association members and senior officers from the 3rd and 11th Brigades.
Former members of the 31st Infantry Battalion Royal Queensland Regiment and the general public are particularly invited to attend.
Morning tea will be served in the Cathedral Hall following the service.