Guard Commander Tom Dawson, catafalque party, War Memorial, Remembrance Day, Tewantin, 11 November 2018

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TitleGuard Commander Tom Dawson, catafalque party, War Memorial, Remembrance Day, Tewantin, 11 November 2018Additional InformationCooroy & District’s Historical Troop, Remembrance Day 2018

We were honoured to be entrusted with the catafalque party duties at the Tewantin Noosa RSL Sub Branch Remembrance Day service, at which they unveiled their newly refurbished Cenotaph. Our Guard Commander Tom Dawson, trained us in the required drills and led us throughout the execution of our solemn duty, to keep watch over the Cenotaph. The origin of the tradition of resting on reversed arms dates back to 1649 when troops carried out a formal reverse arms drill which was developed as a distinctive sign of respect to a great soldier.

For the first time Cooroy & Districts Historical Troop presented a “lone charger”, a riderless horse with a trooper’s boots set reversed in the stirrups and the saddle stripped bare. This was symbolic in a number of ways. The boots reversed is a symbol of respect and mourning - that a soldier has fallen in battle. We chose to only have one horse in attendance on Remembrance Day to pay tribute to the many horses that did not return. Helen Ainsworth from the 5th Light Horse Gympie Troop led Mistafia as the riderless horse.

(Source: Chad Monroe, past director of the Australian Light Horse Association and the Troop president for Cooroy & District’s Historical Troop)Cooroy & District’s Historical - Troop Remembrance Day 2018

We were honoured to be entrusted with the catafalque party duties at the Tewantin Noosa RSL Sub Branch Remembrance Day service, at which they unveiled their newly refurbished Cenotaph. Our Guard Commander Tom Dawson, trained us in the required drills and led us throughout the execution of our solemn duty, to keep watch over the Cenotaph. The origin of the tradition of resting on reversed arms dates back to 1649 when troops carried out a formal reverse arms drill which was developed as a distinctive sign of respect to a great soldier.

For the first time Cooroy & Districts Historical Troop presented a “lone charger”, a riderless horse with a trooper’s boots set reversed in the stirrups and the saddle stripped bare. This was symbolic in a number of ways. The boots reversed is a symbol of respect and mourning - that a soldier has fallen in battle. We chose to only have one horse in attendance on Remembrance Day to pay tribute to the many horses that did not return. Helen Ainsworth from the 5th Light Horse Gympie Troop led Mistafia as the riderless horse.

(Source: Chad Monroe, past director of the Australian Light Horse Association and the Troop president for Cooroy & District’s Historical Troop)Date11 November 2018PhotographerBrian RogersImage NoTewantin_RSL_0021

IDENTIFIERS

Subject (Keywords)Remembrance

CONNECTIONS

LocalityTewantinEventRemembrance DayOrganisation or ClubTewantin-Noosa RSL

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CopyrightThis image may be used for educational and non-commercial research purposes. It must not be reproduced for any other purposes without the prior permission of Noosa Library Service.

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Guard Commander Tom Dawson, catafalque party, War Memorial, Remembrance Day, Tewantin, 11 November 2018

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Guard Commander Tom Dawson, catafalque party, War Memorial, Remembrance Day, Tewantin, 11 November 2018