Veterans from across Dungog came to the RSL for the annual Diggers Dinner

The Diggers Dinner gives veterans an opportunity to dress up and socialise in an informal and entertaining setting.

The evening featured guest speaker Wing Commander Peter Chappelow AM, who spoke about his experience as head maintenance development officer for the hornet aircraft program at Williamtown, where he oversaw the construction of F/A-18 aircrafts.

More than 30 people attended the dinner including a number of sub-branch members and affiliate members.

President of Dungog RSL Sub-Branch Neil Tickle said that the evening was a success with the guest speaker entertaining all who attended.

"I thought it was good. I thought the guest speaker was excellent and just a hell of a nice bloke and the information that he gave out was relevant to the occasion and very well put," he said.

The annual Diggers Dinner first came about in 1919 after veterans from World War One returned to Dungog and had trouble integrating back into society.

Mr Tickle said there is no way of knowing how many people attended the first Diggers Dinner, however, they know that it was held at the Globe Cafe for 25 cents a head.

"When the boys came back from World War One a lot of them had trouble integrating back into society, which is the same for everybody when they come back from war because they've seen and done things that most people would never dream of," he said.

"The only people they could talk to, identify with were people who had been there as well. That was basically why they formed the RSL.

"They decided to have a dinner. We've got no way of knowing how many people turned up for the dinner but we've got the minutes of the meeting where it was decided where it was going to be and the price."

According to Mr Tickle, Dungog sent 294 men to World War One. Forty-two of them were killed and many came back injured.

One of the reasons why the Diggers Dinner is such an important event for Dungog's veteran community is that it gives them a chance to socialise in an environment that isn't ceremonial.

Mr Tickle said it was important to keep veterans active in the community in informal and fun ways.

"It's a chance to get a bit dolled up and take the wife out," he said.

"A lot of the other stuff is ceremonial - like ANZAC Day, it's vitally important but they're very solemn occasions whereas the Diggers Dinner is not, it's the absolute antithesis of it."

One of the highlights for Mr Tickle was seeing Alec Campbell attend the dinner, who is training to become a naval officer.

Before the pandemic, the sub-branch sponsored him so he could travel to World War One battlefields in France and Belgium.

The Dungog Sub-Branch is gradually seeing membership numbers decline as the years go by. Some of this decline is due to veterans moving away.

"Membership in the sub-branch is declining because we're getting older and all the young blokes from town who joined the forces and gone away can't stay in town because there's no employment," he said.