Celebrating a unique army relationship
- deansimpson7
- Apr 25
- 4 min read
Updated: Apr 27
BY PETER LEAHY*
The Australian Army has an enduring and special relationship with The Salvation Army. It stretches from the horrors of World War One through more than 100 years of conflict and strife to more recent conflicts.
Today, it is nurtured during humanitarian and disaster emergencies and everyday training environments across Australia.
On Anzac Day, it is worth celebrating this unique relationship. It has served the nation well in the past and will be needed in the future.
It is a relationship built on trust, performance, consistency and deep care for our servicemen and women. Their work on battlefields far and wide has brought about a deep and enduring affection for The Salvation Army.
It would be hard to find anyone who has been in the Australian Army who will say anything bad about the ‘Sallyman’ or ‘Sallyma’am’.
Not many will go past a ‘Sally’ collecting in a shopping centre or elsewhere without tossing in a donation or making an effort to participate in the Red Shield Appeal.
Going ashore at Gallipoli with the 1st Brigade, men like Salvation Army chaplain ‘Fighting Mac’ William McKenzie started a magnificent tradition.
In one three-day period, Mac conducted 647 funeral services. After one of these services, he found three bullet holes in his hat. For his courage and dedication, he was awarded the Military Cross, a gallantry honour virtually unheard of for a military chaplain.
Not much changed as Australia returned to conflicts far and wide across the 20th Century.
Working as the Red Shield Defence Service (RSDS), The Salvation Army was a consistent and welcoming presence in places like Tobruk, Kokoda, Korea, Malaya and Vietnam.
They were close to the frontlines, the hospitals and the rest areas. They were there with a cuppa, an encouraging word and efforts to uplift the spirits of those around them.
“ ... every soldier knows they care, they will be there, and they will not judge.”
The ‘Hop In’ tents became a constant across all theatres of war and provided a place to rest, read, write a letter and seek solace and spiritual care with the resident Sally. Here, they found a little bit of home and a softer touch.
General Stanley Savige, one of Australia’s most famous wartime commanders and the founder of Legacy, highlighted the value of the relationship with our soldiers when he said, “It is the knowledge that someone cares.”
Today, every soldier knows they care, they will be there, and they will not judge. Today, it is a relationship built on the delight of seeing a Sallyman and his green truck at the end of a hard day’s training or gut-busting march. The Sally will be standing there with a smile, a friendly word, a hot or cold drink, some biscuits and often some chewing gum.
These days, many soldiers may not share their religious convictions, but they admire and respect the Sallyman and Sallyma’am for their genuine, caring and compassionate manner. They offer practical, emotional and spiritual help to servicemen and women.
We all know that their mission is backed by Christ, but they don’t push it down your throat and are ready to respond should the need arise.
Most soldiers are just thoroughly good people, sharing the difficulties, the danger, and the privations to bring just a bit of normality to difficult situations.
Who else but a Sally would drive hundreds of kilometres to get some ice for the cordial?
Today, the RSDS are a small but enthusiastic group located in the larger military barracks and training establishments across Australia.
The Sallies have been there for the troops in the past and are still with us today.
Their mission is to provide physical, mental, social, and spiritual support to the ADF through a service that understands the challenges of service life, whether in barracks, in the field, or on deployment, helping ADF members and their families at their point of need.
In recent years, they have been deployed with our troops to the Middle East, East Timor, Bougainville, and Cambodia.
In addition, the broader Salvation Army supports servicemen and women facing challenges in transitioning to civilian life due to PTSD, substance abuse, and mental health issues. Crucially, they help provide purpose, direction, and hope.
The Sallies have been there for the troops in the past and are still with us today. They will be needed again in the future and will be welcome.
*Peter Leahy is a retired Chief of the Army and is the current Chairman of The Salvation Army Advisory Committee in the ACT
The Salvation Army Australia Museum Manager Lindsay Cox has authored two books on the Salvos’ relationship with the Australian Defence Forces.
Purchase these two books – Still Serving and Cuppa tea, digger? – from Salvos Publishing
To read a review of Cuppa tea, digger? click here
