Red Shield Defence Services mark 125 years of ‘serving those who serve’
BY KIRRALEE NICOLLE
The Salvation Army’s Red Shield Defence Services (RSDS) celebrated 125 years of service to military personnel with a dinner, book launch and Last Post ceremony at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.
The events, held on 7 November to coincide with this year’s Remembrance Day commemoration, brought together Defence Force personnel, Salvation Army leaders and family members of RSDS servicemen and women.
Robert Adams, Senior Last Post Ceremony Project Officer, opened the Last Post ceremony held in the Commemorative Courtyard. He spoke of how the ‘Sallyman’ and ‘Sallyma’am’ roles, as they came to be affectionately known, were first filled in 1899 during the Second Boer War, when Salvation Army co-founder William Booth directed Adjutant Mary Murray, Assistant Secretary of the Naval and Military League, to provide soldiers from both sides of the conflict with whatever support they could – often cups of tea, biscuits and a listening ear.
“125 years ago … it became apparent to Salvation Army founder William Booth that there was a need to offer welfare to all servicemen,” Robert said. “The Boer War – a conflict between Britain and the South African Republic, had Salvationists serving on both sides to provide comfort and practical aid to men of both armies, British and Boer alike. This began a tradition of The Salvation Army coming alongside the military in times of peace and conflict.”
Robert explained that the Australian RSDS began its work in 1914, at the outbreak of the First World War.
“Since the First World War, the Red Shield Defence Services have been present at every major conflict, and today continue to be a positive presence in Australian military life, proudly serving those who serve,” Robert said.
The Last Post ceremony included a wreath-laying, and Chaplain Flight Lieutenant Ali McKeand, who is also the RSDS Defence Veterans Ministries Co-ordinator, told the story of Adjutant William Bramwell Tibbs, a New South Wales-born Sallyman and the only RSDS serviceman to die during active service. After surviving the siege of Tobruk in 1941, ‘Big-hearted Bill’ as he was known, was killed at the age of 34 in a plane crash north of Rockhampton in 1943.
“The Red Shield House in Tobruk was described as an oasis in a desert of wreckage and ruin,” Ali said.
William’s granddaughters, Kathryn, Jeanette and Vivienne, also attended the event and laid a wreath for their grandfather.
The dinner later that evening featured an interview with Lindsay Cox, author of Cuppa Tea, Digger? to launch his new book, a prequel titled Still Serving, which details both the origins and present-day work of the Sallyman and Sallyma’am.
Major Brett Gallagher, RSDS Chief Commissioner, presented current Sallyman Jason Lilley with the William Tibbs Award for Exceptional Service. Brett said Jason had served over 10 years as a Sallyman and, in that time, had demonstrated an innovative and committed spirit to serving Defence personnel in the same manner that it had been described of William ‘Big-hearted Bill’ Tibbs.
“This Sallyman has always shown a willingness to be involved at a number of levels on the team, representing the team on working groups, helping with policy and just being a great team member,” Brett said. “He is a deep thinker, and loves to develop himself by studying, but mostly he is committed to living out his faith through serving those in Defence.”
Brett said the essence of the RSDS mission was the same today as in 1899.
“[We] go and find ways that we can serve serving men and women,” he said. “We provide physical comfort at some level, whether that be drinks or [food], but then that often will lead to us being able to provide emotional support for people [who] are struggling.
“That’s a very big part of what we do.”
Brett said the RSDS Sallyman and Sallyma’am also help build morale and, when asked, pastoral care and spiritual support.
“Although that’s probably what we would call in modern-day [terms] our model of care, it's been something that we've just done organically from when Mary Murray and other officers went to the Boer War.
“It’s what we’ve continued to do throughout our history.”
Images courtesy Dave Coleman Photography
