Defence personnel from Ocean Grove, Barwon Heads and Connewarre have been honoured with a plaque at Ocean Grove cenotaph.
Ocean Grove Barwon Heads RSL sub-branch received a $13,500 federal government grant for the honour board, which, when fully complete, will list the names of 611 veterans who served in conflicts involving Australian troops.
Two side wings will be added in time for Remembrance Day this year, Ocean Grove Barwon Heads senior vice-president John Dickinson said.
The honour board has been 18 months in the making.
The sub-branch conducted extensive research to record all 611 names of the veterans who were born in, or gave their location of residence on their enlistment, Ocean Grove, Barwon Heads or Connewarre.
The board also honours those who returned and came to reside in the three districts at the end of their service.
“I think it remembers the people who lived here and actually served,” Mr Dickinson said.
“It honours them. This will list those names for the locals.
“I don’t know that there are too many (sub-branches) around that do this to cover everyone who served. It’s mainly for those who were killed in action, but we wanted to honour them.”
The honour board lists the names of 426 WWII veterans, 81 from WWI, 54 who were based in Australia but served in conflict, 30 from the Vietnam War, five from the Iraq War, four from the Korean War, three from the Afghanistan War, three peacekeepers, two special operations, two from the Indonesian conflict and one from the Malaya conflict.
ANZAC DAY SERVICES Thursday 25 April
Ocean Grove Park Cenotaph: Dawn service assembly 6am, piper call to arms 6.15am.
March: assemble in main street in front of Coles, step off 9.45am, main service 10am.
Barwon Heads Community Hall: March: assemble at south end of Hitchcock Ave, step off 8.45am, main service 9am.
