Cade Lucas
A plaque commemorating a significant part of Wyndham’s military history will be reinstated this weekend, just months after the original was stolen.
A bronze plaque dedicated to the 2/3rd Australian Light Anti Aircraft Regiment, who trained at Werribee Racecourse before being deployed to the Middle East in WWII, was stolen from the racecourse earlier this year.
The remains of the plaque were found by police in the car of a man they had pulled over in relation to another matter.
It’s believed the man had stolen and destroyed the plaque in order to sell its bronze content.
This Sunday, less than six months after the its removal and on the 20th anniversary of the original plaque being unveiled, an exact replica will be re-installed at the racecourse.
“It’s very important” said Ian Campbell, treasurer of the 2/3rd Australian Light Anti Aircraft Regiment Association which organised the replacement.
“The plaque is commemorating the fact they, the regiment, served and this was the site of their initial training.”
Among the 900 soldiers that undertook that training was Mr Campbell’s father.
For five months in 1940 he and the other mostly Victorian soldiers trained in anti-aircraft defense which they would provide in the Middle-East and North Africa the following year.
Not that it was great preparation.
“When they were here at Werribee there never laid hands on an anti-aircraft gun, there were none to train on,” said Mr Campbell.
“I think they all felt inadequately prepared when they got over there.”
Nevertheless, for he and other family members who now make up the ALAA Regiment Association, it’s important it be remembered.
“The Werribee Racecourse is an important site. It’s where young men met for the first time and became life-long friends and relying on each other during the under some pretty difficult circumstances.”
And among the difficult circumstances was the legendary siege of Tobruk in Libya and the Greek Island of Crete which was captured by the Nazi’s and where many of the men became prisoners of war.
Overall 73 killed members of the regiment were killed and 137 became POW’s.
Mr Campbell’s father was not among them.
“He was one of the lucky ones” said Ian Campbell of his dad who was the last surviving member of the regiment when he died in 2021 aged 100.
The replacement plaque has been funded by Wyndham businessman Paul Hopper and will be unveiled at Werribee Racecourse at 10.30am on September 24.
