Merchant Navy Dedication

Wednesday 23 April 2003

Good afternoon, welcome to all of you here today to help honour another of our fast vanishing groups of the humbly heroic.

The Merchant Navy carried out absolutely essential work without which the war on land and in the air would have been impossible. Their work was done far from both the security of land and also the scrutiny and recognition that goes with being on land.

To my mind, it makes what must have been the reality of life in the Merchant Navy all the more impressive, and daunting.

We have just had, courtesy of live TV, a graphic reminder of what war on land involves. At sea the stakes for falling foul of the enemy were that much more grim and final. Flame, fire and watery oblivion were all daily prospects.

It is a degree of horror that like most of my generation it is only now I can start to appreciate.

I have said a lot in recent ANZAC day events that it is only when a child of the peace like me gets older that I have been able to really understand how much the generation before me gave.

It is only when you have struggled to build a life with house, family , marriage and job that you realise the generation that went to war did all that and fought and sometimes survived a war.

It leaves you feeling very humbled and a little bit sad that it took so long to get the full picture.

I hope today’s ceremony helps bring the message of how much we appreciate the gift left us by the efforts of the Merchant Navy and the other architects and purchasers of this peace we have today.

Thank you both for the courage of your lives and also in this case for the patience about getting due recognition of your efforts.