The Legacy Centenary Relay officially begins in France

The Legacy flame has been lit at the official ceremony for the Legacy Centenary Torch Relay presented by Defence Health in Pozières, France.

This once in a lifetime relay honours the families of Australian Defence Force personnel who have given their lives or health to protect our country as well as the countless Legacy volunteers who have provided support over the past 100 years.

It was a special ceremony for all those involved including Eric Easterbrook OAM, Chairman of Legacy Australia.

“The tears started but I held them back. It was overwhelming again to see each of these people turn around and pass that flame on,” he said.

The ceremony was attended by many special guests including The Hon Matt Thistlethwaite MP, the Assistant Minister for Defence and Assistant Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, Dominique Bierwald, Mayor of Pozières and Jean-Marc Fron, President of Boeing.

The proceedings included a Torch passing ceremony, the reading of The Legacy Ode, The Last Post and both the Australian and French National Anthems.

The Torch will now travel to London to begin the first leg of the Legacy Centenary Torch Relay before heading to Albany, Western Australia.

To follow the journey, download the Legacy 100^th Torch Relay app on the App Store or Google Play.

Photography by Callum Smith