The lantern was brought back to Maitland recently by Eric Bell,  president of Maitland RSL sub-branch, after it was presented to him at a ceremony in Canberra.

Maitland RSL sub-branch was one of 25 selected to receive the Gallipoli lanterns from the federal government.

“This is a very prestigious award, to be used by our community as a centre point for the Gallipoli celebrations, focusing public attention on this ceremony,” Mr Bell said.

“We will ensure this lantern will also be made available to other veterans’ groups and to schools who want to holds memorial services.”

He said the gas canister only ran for eight minutes and groups wanting to use it would have to pay for the  canister.

“We were nominated as a major RSL Sub Branch in the Hunter and we are the largest, with around 200 members,” Mr Bell said. 

“In Maitland we are in a central location and we have good working relationships with veterans’ groups.”

Mr Bell said it was important for people to realise the 100th commemoration of the Gallipoli landings was not a celebration of war.

“We don’t celebrate war – but we do acknowledge the bravery and actions of our servicemen and women,” he said.

“Hunter people responded to the war appeal in a very big way and it is important that we focus on the sacrifices all those people made, so we can enjoy the freedoms we have today.”

Mr Bell said he believed young Australians today would respond to a wartime situation as they had always done.

“Look at the situation during the war in Vietnam, when so many national servicemen were called up,” he said.

“A small minority tried to avoid the call up, but most of them did the best they could.

“And they did very well.”

Don't forget to pick up a copy of Thursday's Mercury for the 24-page souvenir liftout on the centenary of Anzac.