Seven veterans from World War II yesterday embarked on a journey back to Darwin for the 70th anniversary of the Japanese bombing. George Addlem, Kevin Coughlin, Gordon Ellis, Ron Hamley, Bill Hosking, Bernie Lenaghan and Stan Phillips, along with their loved ones, will be attending a commemorative service in Darwin tomorrow. Jenny Ellis, daughter of veteran Gordon Ellis and a registered nurse, is in charge of the group. The veterans will take part in a series of events over the weekend. Tonight they will attended the Frontline Australia Ball which will be attended by Governor-General Quentin Bryce. “They are also having lunch at Parliament house. There is a lord mayor dinner and they are also taking a trip to Adelaide River, where most of them were stationed in the war,” Ms Ellis said. Bendigo RSL president Cliff Richards saw the men off and said it took a special effort to get all of them to Darwin. “The Darwin bombing is, for some, the darkest hour in Australian history and to be going to Darwin 70 years on is a special effort,” Mr Richards said. Stan Phillips was in the 8th Battalion in 1942 and said he was looking forward to going back.“I can’t wait to see Darwin again and how things have changed,” he said.
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