Caretaker Wally Scott Smith says goodbye to Martin Place Cenotaph after 78 years (war memorial)

Nine Netwok (Australia) ^ | 25th April 2018

[naturalman1975]

When Wally Scott Smith was rejected from the army due to medical reasons, he served his country as the caretaker of the Martin Place Cenotaph in Sydney.

Now, an astonishing 78 years later, the chief cenotaph attendant is retiring at the age of 96.

This morning, there was a standing ovation at the city’s dawn service as the Last Post signalled his final day on the job.

Wally enlisted for the war effort in 1937 to follow his father’s footsteps into the army.

But a week later he found he had cancer and eventually had 12 inches of his bowel removed.

[naturalman1975]

Though the article, at one point, refers to him as Mister Smith, the man's name is actually Walter Scott-Smith OAM - the OAM indicates he is a recipient of the Medal of the Order of Australia, which he received in 1999 for his services to the Scouting movement. That is in addition to his 78 years tending one of Australia's most significant war memorials.

[lee martell]

I think there is a Cenotaph in England too.
Isn’t this their version of a Tomb of The Unknown Soldier?
I believe it goes all the way back to WW1.

[naturalman1975]

Technically a Cenotaph is an empty tomb that has been erected to honour those whose remains are lost or buried elsewhere. So, yes, they are commonly used as a type of war memorial.

In Australia (as in many other places) almost every town, from the smallest to the largest, has at least one war memorial of some sort. The most significant of these, not surprisingly, tend to be in the largest and most important cities. The one in this article is one in Sydney, and is the main focuses for ANZAC Day services in that city each year.

[naturalman1975]

And, yes, London has a very famous Cenotaph as well. It is in Whitehall, the centre of British government.

These are important memorials, but both the UK and Australia have more direct equivalents to the US Tomb of the Unknown Soldier as well - there is a British Tomb of the Unknown Warrior inside Westminster Abbey, and Australia has the Tomb of the Unknown Australian Soldier as part of the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.

[PAR35]

Isn’t this their version of a Tomb of The Unknown Soldier?

Cenotaph means "empty tomb" so if there is someone in it, it isn't a cenotaph.

There is a cenotaph in front of the Alamo to honor the heroes who died there. "Boy George" Bush (A/K/A "Little P") wants to remove it to make way for his re-imagining the site.

[BBell]

Good guy.

Wally Smith moves a floral tribute during the Anzac Day dawn service at Martin Place in Sydney. (9NEWS)

Wally Smith receives a standing ovation from the crowd after he retired as custodian of the cenotaph. (AAP)

[Amberdawn]

God Bless him. I’m glad to see they honored him for his service.

[wbarmy]

There is one here in front of the original Presidential Statehouse. I have had the opportunity to be there three times for the ceremony but I will miss this years.

And yes, they have an old soldier who is the caretaker of the cenotaph. Old as can be, proud as can be, and his turns are as sharp as knife.

[naturalman1975]

Wonderful to hear that!