WHILE a number of locals attended the centenary of Anzac commemorations at Gallipoli the area was also represented at the Anzac Day ceremony in Villers-Bretonneux, France.
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Former Sussex Inlet man, Royal Australian Air Force corporal Russell Libbis, who is now a member of the Australian Federation Guard in Canberra, was the catafalque party commander at the Villers-Bretonneux Anzac Day ceremony.
Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral Tim Barrett, who is also “a Nowra boy” and has a home at Jervis Bay, delivered the ode during the town memorial service at Villers-Bretonneux for Anzac Day and laid a wreath at the official ceremony.
Russell’s grandparents, Don and Jill Simpson, still live in Sussex and were proud to see and hear their grandson during the ceremony.
“We were very proud,” Mrs Simpson said.
“It was exciting to see him on television.”
“We could hear his commands as he was giving them to his party,” Mr Simpson said.
“Then we got to see him. It was wonderful.
“The service all went well but gee it was raining there.”
Russell, the son of Debbie and Neil Libbis, who now live in Canberra, grew up in Sussex Inlet, attended Sussex Inlet Public School and later Vincentia High before taking a job as a greenkeeper at Shoalhaven Heads.
The now 34-year-old, then joined the air force.
On his Facebook page, Russell said he it was “A very proud and emotional day.”
“I’m honoured to have been the cat party commander on such sacred ground,” he said.
“Cheers to the lads on the cat party that did themselves proud Anton Tereykovsky, Christopher Maroschek, Joshua Matthews, Ray Ray, Rossi and Hoffy.”
Corporal Libbis took part in the same service last year, but 2015 was his first time as catafalque commander.
Corporal Libbis previously spent four months working as an aircraft technician as part of Operation Slipper, servicing aircraft in the Middle East.
