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Flies flag to commemorate fallen brave on Anzac Day in front yard

JOINED by just two other people in his Merrylands yard, Robert (Bob) Allen says this year’s Anzac Day commemoration was just as sombre an occasion as any other year.

The 82-year-old Royal joined the Royal Australian Navy at the age of just 17, serving for “six years, eight months and seven days” plus another five years as a reservist.
Observing social distancing, he was joined by his wife Malaka and a 17-year-old neighbour, Jonathon Nemeh, to mark Anzac Day at the intimate dawn service.
Mr Allen said Jon helped him put up a temporary flagpole to fly the Australian flag, as well setting up a television outside so they could join the offical broadcast on the ABC, adding they were very conscious of “doing it properly”.
“Jon also created a wreath from polystyrene foam with leaves and ribbon and ‘lest we forget’ on it,” Mr Allen said.
“He did a beautiful job of it. I’m really proud of his attitude and the fact that we held a dawn service.
“It was a bitterly cold morning and we had a few things to overcome but really proud we did it.
“I’m very proud of the fact that we live in such a wonderful country.”
Military service is very much a family tradition, starting with his great, great grandfather guarding convicts in the early days of the Australian settlement through to his own sons who have also both served in the Australia’s Defence Force (ADF).
Confident Australia will emerge strongly from the impacts of the pandemic and the lockdown, he says people are going to have to work hard to get the country going again.
“But we can do it,” he said.
“We’ve done it tough before and we can do it again.”