On St. Patrick’s Day 1942, the 1,000 strong Darling Downs 25th Infantry Battalion left Cabarlah Barracks at 2.00am and marched down the steep range to the siding at Spring Bluff. There the soldiers boarded trains bound for the Brisbane Exhibition Grounds, Townsville and eventually Milne Bay at the eastern tip of New Guinea.
Each year on the anniversary of the soldiers’ departure from Spring Bluff, members of the 25th Battalion gather at Spring Bluff Railway Station for a flag raising ceremony, remembering the efforts of the 25th Battalion in the 1942 Battle of Milne Bay and 1945 Bougainville campaign. Some 200 of their colleagues did not return home.
This year marks the 71st anniversary of the night march from Cabarlah Barracks to the Spring Bluff Railway Station on Sunday 17 March, 1942. To commemorate this event, a special ceremony will commence at 10.00am at which members of the public are welcome to attend.
Futher information from Cr Sue Englart on 07 4688 6883.