Participants included veterans, their family members, schools, volunteer organisations and community groups as well as armoured vehicles. 

The procession led to Queen Elizabeth Park for an 11am service and wreath-laying.  

Lithgow City RSL sub-branch president Ron Murphy opened the commemorative service with a welcome and short address before an opening prayer was said by St. Pauls Anglican Church, Reverend John Young. 

“Freedoms come at great cost and love in action bought us our freedom,” Reverend Young said. 

Lithgow City Mayor Stephen Lesslie had the pleasure of reciting the prologue to the hundreds that had gathered. 

“Today we are gathered here to remember, all who went to the battlefields of the Great War and other conflicts, but did not return,” Mayor Lesslie said. 

“We also remember the families, who also suffer when their loved ones go into harm’s way to protect our freedom and who, many times, never returned home.” 

The Lithgow City band played the hymn ‘God is our strength and refuge’ before Samantha Winks from Lithgow Girl guides gave the prayer for thanksgiving. 

A 220 Army cadet unit member gave a prayer for the Queen and La Salle Academy Captains Brielle Mendham and Jake Gillmore gave a prayer for the nation. 

The band once again played the hymn ‘The recessional’ before Captain Stephen Bowater from the Royal Australian Navy gave the commemoration address. 

“We are in their debt and always will be,” Captain Bowater said. 

Captain Bowater read out a letter that war pilot Colin Walker wrote to his family when he realised that it may be his last chance to say goodbye. 

“I’ve watched friends die without having final goodbyes...so smile even though your heart is breaking,” he said. 

Lithgow High School captains Kelsie Clarke and Zac Arkley-Smith recited the commemoration of the fallen. 

Then the laying of wreaths took place before the Lithgow Highland Pipe Band played the last lament and the bugler sounded the last post before a one minutes silence. 

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After the ceremony the army cadets brought a war horse to the service so that people could have a photo with it and learn about the part horses played in the war. 

Many families stayed behind to talk to other families who had been through similar experiences. 

Billy Cambradge was one such person who was proud to be at the service and to wear his father’s medals. 

“Every year my family travels to Lithgow for the service, they came up from Wollongong just for this, because it means so much to us,” he said.