70th Anniversary of 25th Battalion’s Departure Remembered

On St. Patrick’s Day 1942, the 1,000 strong Darling Downs 25th Infantry Battalion left Cabarlah Barracks at 2.00am and marched down the steep escarpment to the siding at Spring Bluff. There the soldiers boarded trains bound for the Brisbane Exhibition Grounds, Townsville and eventually Milne Bay at the eastern tip of New Guinea.

Each year on the anniversary of the soldiers’ departure from Spring Bluff, members of the 25th Battalion gather at Spring Bluff Railway Station for a flag raising ceremony to remember the efforts of the 25th Battalion who left Spring Bluff Railway Station to fight in the 1942 Battle of  Milne Bay and 1945 Battle for Bougainville (200 of their colleagues did not return home).

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the march, and to commemorate this event, a special ceremony was held  at 11.00am at the Spring Bluff Railway Station.

Attendees:
Returned servicemen who departed from the Station in 1942
Widows and families of 1942 returned servicemen
Serving members of 25/49 Battalion re-enacting arrival on platform Local Cadets
Local Dignitaries
Members of the public.

The railway track was closed for the service. After the conclusion of the ceremony, a sausage sizzle was made available in the picnic area (proceeds to Murphys Creek State School P&C).

Submitted by:
Cr Janice Holstein
Chair Spring Bluff Railway Station Trust