Hot Shot

V a n d a l s
B e w a r e !!

Rumour has it that the 'Eternal Flame' at the Shrine will now be under 24 hour video surveillance. The high tech digital camera, which allegedly has been donated free of charge by a local video surveillance specialist company, is supposedly completely hidden from view and is also said to be equipped with night vision.

Any would be vandal who takes it upon themselves to attempt to extinguish the flame will be caught on camera and prosecuted to the letter of the law.

People who interfere with the flame, such as throwing sticks or paper into it's sacred bowl, will also be dealt with accordingly!

Eternal Flame link: http://www.shrine.org.au/content.asp?Document_ID=1033#eternal

Police Pursuit

Early in the wee small hours one day this week, an unusual event took place at the Shrine.

A drunk male had abused members of a Police mobile patrol driving in St Kilda Road next to the Shrine. The drunk had then 'bolted' from the Police into the Shrine reserve.

The Police unit, not to be outdone, decided that they would give chase, and drove their patrol car across the footpath and onto the reserve. They then had to 'floor' the cars throttle to coax it up a 30 degree incline of wet grass, and drove , with their wheels spinning wildly, for some 100 metres through the reserve,

at one stage they narrowly missed a tree by only a couple of feet!

Needless to say the lush green lawn that, over many years, has been meticulously maintained by a team of dedicated gardeners, was reduced to a furrowed, muddy, mess!

Some observers have asked the question:

"Will the Victorian Police Chief , Christine Nixon, be sent the bill for reinstatement of this 'Holy Ground'!?"

http://au.codemasters.com/colinmcrae2005/index.php

Melbourne's Orange Peril

http://www.taylor-dunn.com/

The Shrine of Remembrance has a small select group of merry men which work tirelessly, behind the scenes, to ensure that the day to day running of the Shrine is as smooth as possible. On duty, practically, everyday of the year, they are the men and women of The 'Corp of Commissionaires'.
http://www.corpsofcommissionaires.com.au

They perform many & varied tasks at the Shrine, from answering enquiries from visitors to staffing the entry and exit points. They are also tasked with setting up tables and chairs in the reserve when a service is to take place.

These dear old fellows, many of whom are ex military, have had to struggle, over the years, to carry items of equipment to and from the sites where a service is to take place.

WELL NOW, AT LAST, THEIR BURDEN HAS BEEN EASED!!

They have managed to aquire their very own 'armoured personnel carrier', nicknamed....
'The Orange Peril' !

Now, when a service is to take place, they load up their equipment onto the back of their electric utility vehicle and drive off, across the reserve at a cracking pace of about 4mph! - Some people have argued that things were quicker in the olden days, when everything was man-handled. But....you cannot stand in the way of progress, and with the technology being readily available, it was decided to 'get with the program' and acquire a purpose built vehicle.

Some of the old diggers reckon it brings back memories of when they were stationed with their armoured divisions in Vietnam. Driving tanks through enemy territory was hazardous, as is moving chairs over rough terrain. - They are often seen returning the vehicle to the storage bay with a tear in their eye. Whether it is as a result of memories of their lost youth spent on the front-line or caused by the wind striking them in the face as they sit in their open cabin traversing the reserve .......

we will never know!!

See also, 'Melbourne's Yellow Peril' here:

http://elsewhere.polydistortion.net/pics/melbourne/2002/01/15-the-yellow-peril

Last Man Standing

Those wonderful chaps at the Shrine have done it again! - The Victoria Police's Shrine Guard, that work at the Shrine 24 hours a day were, this week, complimented on a job welldone!

It would appear that an elderly gentleman named 'Hamilton' and aged 88 years old, had turned up at the Shrine on Tuesday, 27th June, to commemorate the 65th anniversary of 12 Platoon, D company, 2/2 Pioneer Battalion's involvement in World War II.

On this day, 65 years ago, Hamilton and his 12 platoon colleagues, had carried out an attack on a position held by the Vichy French Foreign Legion in Syria. During the contact, twelve of the platoon's 26 members were killed and a further seven, which included Hamilton, were wounded and taken prisoner. Hamilton is now the only living member of 12 platoon.

When the 'Shrine Guard' were made aware of Hamilton's reason for attending, they carried out an impromptu service for him. Dressed in their First World War, Australian Light Horse uniform, they 'Presented Arms' with their .303 Lee-Enfield rifles at the 'Stone of Remembrance', whilst Hamilton laid a wreath in remembrance of his fallen mates. As "The Last Post" was played, there was not a dry-eye in the house!

Hamilton's son, Andrew Hamilton, later sent a letter of appreciation to the Shrine. It finished with the following paragraph.....

"Sir, I am writing to you to thank the staff and guards at the Shrine of Remembrance for the kindness they showed to an 88 year old gentleman and to say to the families of the men of 12 platoon that your loved ones are still remembered."

Well Done to the Shrine Guards!!

Links:
Shrine Guard - http://www.shrine.org.au/content.asp?Document_ID=1004
Victoria Police - http://www.police.vic.gov.au
2/2 Battalion Association - http://www.gilmours.com.au/other/Pioneer%20Sept%202003.doc

Who am I ?

My name 'Marvin B. Stokes' is, of course, an alias.

A few of my regular readers have sent me comments requesting that I reveal my true identity.

As much as I would like to, I am afraid that I cannot disclose this information. You see, I live alone in an apartment downs in St Kilda Road opposite the Shrine. If I was to tell people my real name then my personal security could be compromised and I would feel ill at ease whilst at home.

A person who might have taken offense to something I have posted might 'call-by' to express their point of view!

Rest assured, however, that my contacts at the Shrine will continue to keep me informed of any interesting snippets of info and I shall pass them on to you by way of this blog!

Thanks to all of you that have shown an interest in my articles, I shall endeavour to update whenever I have time.

Marvin.