Veterans back SAS widows on memorial

An overwhelming number of senior WA Returned and Services League members have thrown their support behind a group of SAS widows pleading to have their fallen husbands' names included on the State War Memorial.

A survey by The West Australian of 68 RSL sub-branches found 53 presidents and secretaries were prepared to support the push for recognition from the widows.

The survey results came after national RSL President Ken Doolan and WA Vice President Richard Carter yesterday met with the widows, whose husbands were killed in the line of duty in Afghanistan, and told them they would need to wait until the matter was put to a vote at the State congress in November before any decision would be made.

The survey results suggest there is a split on the issue between the RSL membership and the State executive, which in February voted against changing an 80-year-old protocol that prevents fallen SAS troopers from being listed on the memorial crypt.

Under the protocol, only Diggers who were born in or enlisted in WA can be listed on the memorial, and then only after the conflict in which they fought has concluded.

WA RSL president Bill Gaynor said last week it would be impossible to gather the quorum of sub-branch delegates needed to settle the matter before November, as the widows have requested.

But the survey has left this assertion in doubt, with 51 out of 68 respondents in favour of settling the issue at an extraordinary meeting. Those respondents, including members from the Pilbara and Kimberley, said they could be in Perth to vote with as little as one months notice.

Kylie Russell, whose husband Andrew was the first Australian soldier killed in Afghanistan in 2002, said the survey results were encouraging but yesterday's meeting was disappointing.

"It's wonderful to see we have the support of veterans," she said.

SAS Association chairman David Lewis, who has been lobbying on behalf of the widows since June, said "a large percentage of the RSL" clearly supported the widows but not the State executive.

John Jarrett, national president of veteran association Young Diggers, said the RSL State executive needed to act in accordance with the views of their members.

Despite calls from the veteran community for Mr Gaynor to step down, 40 out of 68 respondents felt this was an overreaction.