Late last term, Preparatory School Headmaster Richard Wright and Mr Jamie Fagan accompanied eight boys on an excursion to learn more about Australian and world history, and an opportunity to play a role in the School’s Anzac Day Service.

The boys began with a visit to the School Archives where archivist Freida French told them about the School’s founder Canon McClemans military service and of old boy AJ Withnell, who was the School’s first casualty from WWI. The group then walked across the road to Christ Church Parish where they looked at the WWI Honour Roll and found Mr Withnell’s name.

The next stop was Kings Park where the group visited the State War Memorial Precinct, including the Flame of Remembrance, as well as the Honour Avenues, along which trees and a plaque are dedicated to individual service personnel who gave their lives while serving in time of war. Here, the boys were introduced to the various battle names from the Western Front, including Pozieres, Bullecourt, Villers Bretonneux and Le Hamel, which they researched and presented on in Chapel.

Once again, Christ Church’s Army Cadet Unit performed a number of Anzac Day support activities this year. On Wednesday 25 April, senior cadets carried the flags and banners of 28th and 2/28th Infantry Battalion and the 24th Anti-Tank Association at the Anzac Day Parade in Perth.

This year, 25 cadets took part in the march and were led by CUO Liam Strike.

The unit has supported these groups over the past 11 years in its role as the Custodians of the Rats of Tobruk.