By Mikayla van Loon
A navy blue pennant flag donning the words Lest We Forget in white lettering is enshrouded with a sense of mystery, one the Lilydale RSL would like to solve.
While the pennant used to hang on the wall of the sub-branch club rooms, when the renovations began it was packed away in a box only to be found around two weeks ago.
“Originally, it was pinned on the wall outside [the main room] and that was when I first came to this RSL 10 years ago,” memorabilia manager Maureen McGinnes said.
“When they had the painting done, it disappeared and I’ve been looking for it ever since. I found it just the other week in a box when we’re looking for something else.
“I saw it and picked it up and said ‘that’s it’. I was very pleased because I was worried about it but at least it was in a safe place.”
Not much is known about the pennant flag but it is thought to have been created in the late 1930s or early 1940s to be raised at the Lilydale War Memorial to signify the death of a local soldier during the war.
“If anyone knows anything about the history or any function that it’s been used at, or how it was used, when it was first obtained, because we really haven’t got much of an idea,” Ms McGinnes said.
“I’ve been told that they used to fly it, but I wasn’t told when. So there’d be particular functions, maybe Anzac Day, or something like that, that they would have flown it, or maybe on the death of a member.”
Lilydale RSL president Bill Dobson said it may have even been flown to commemorate the deaths of four Vietnam veterans but again it’s not known.
As the generation of people who may have witnessed the pennant being flown in town decreases, Ms McGinnes and Mr Dobson said it would be lovely if the community could help paint a picture of its use while it’s still possible.
“Children may have seen it on the flagpole down at the cenotaph,” Mr Dobson said.
“Or if a parent, a father passed, they would probably remember seeing the flag there,” Ms McGinnes added.
On special commemoration days like Anzac Day, Remembrance Day and Vietnam Veterans Day, Mr Dobson said unfortunately, with only one flagpole the pennant wouldn’t be able to be flown but perhaps the RSL could reinstate tradition.
“In the event that we lost the veteran somewhere, we could do it. We could rekindle that and go back to what we used to do,” he said.
Extending that further, Ms McGinnes said it would be nice to recognise all members of the RSL in that act of remembrance.
“Anyone that’s passed, that belongs to the Lilydale RSL, not necessarily that they’ve served overseas, because a lot of them haven’t, but the thing is, they still served, and they were willing to make the sacrifice,” she said.
In the meantime, anyone with information about the pennant is encouraged to contact president@lilydalersl.com.au
