By Eleanor Wilson
For Yulia Panteleeva, parading down Berwick’s High Street wearing an Anzac nurse uniform is an honour she doesn’t take lightly.
“It’s a bit haunting, a bit emotional…the dawn services especially,” she said.
Ms Panteleeva is a member of the Australian Great War Association (AGWA), a not-for-profit which brings commemorative war events to life through traditional costuming and war-time re-enactments.
“I was sort of always really interested in history and historical costuming and I had a friend at the time who did it, she brought me into the group,” Ms Panteleeva explained.
Currently residing in Queensland, Ms Panteleeva travels across Australia to participate in events for the purpose of recreating the appearance of participants in the Great War.
This year marks her second time partaking in the Berwick service.
“Marching today, it was just fantastic. I love seeing the kids and just how excited they get, I’ll sometimes wave to them from the parade,” she said.
“I don’t really know how to describe it, but it feels very special because it feels like you’re connecting to the people that came before, that helped make this country what it is.”
Her uniform is “as historically accurate as you can get” to the Anzac nurses uniform.
She purchased it off the costume designer for ABC mini-series Anzac Girls, which was made to honour the centenary of the start of WWI.
Included on the breast of her uniform is a Silver Fern badge – a nod to her Kiwi heritage – a registered nurse badge and a sweetheart brooch, which soldiers would send to their mothers, sisters or wives as a keepsake.
The registered nurse badge was loaned to her by her sister’s partner, who works in the industry, making it all the more significant to her.
“She asked if I wanted to wear it and I said that would be the biggest honour,” she said.
“They are made pretty much identically to how they were during the War.”
Yulia said participating in commemorative parades, which she has done for several years now, was a small way for her to give back to the veteran community.
“For majority of us it’s just a passion, also just remembering the veterans,” she said.
“The world is ever changing and I feel like sometimes the veterans can get forgotten about.
“I find that a lot of people forget the behind the scenes people – the medical personnel, and not just the nurses but stretcher bearers, the doctors, all the animals they had to help in field offices.
“So that’s why I really enjoy Anzac Day services because it gives us a chance to remember those who are still with us and helped.”
More than 2000 Australian nurses served in the Australian Army Nursing Service during WWI.
