'I'm 102, so there's not many left': Mateship WWII veteran's lasting memory

"The only problem is that I've got no mates left. They're all gone," he said.

"I'm 102, so there's not many left."

Mr Bullen lived in Warrnambool for about 20 years but recently moved away to be closer to family.

But he was at Warrnambool's Anzac Day service to lay a wreath on behalf of Legacy.

"I joined up when I was 18 but I had to put my age up to 20 to get in," Mr Bullen said.

"They wouldn't accept me when I was 18."

Mr Bullen served in Egypt, Syria, Palestine and Borneo.

"I had my 21st birthday 10 days before El-Alamein started," he said.

"We managed to get quite a bit of grog.

"Where it came from I don't know but we managed.

"Halfway through the celebration we had to move up and take over from another unit."

Hundreds turned out for the Anzac Day parade down Liebig Street to the cenotaph where guest speaker Colonel Catherine McGregor addressed the crowd.

She said it had been her privilege to lead Australian soldiers overseas.

"I heard a great deal about love for their mates, for a simple pride in their country and for a genuine desire never to let their teammates down," she said.

"If those young Anzacs, and others from subsequent conflicts, could see us today, I hope they would be proud of what they see."

Ms McGregor said we live in an Australia that was blessed to be at peace.

"When you see the scenes from Ukraine and Gaza, the full horror of what our forebears faced when they ventured abroad is brought home to us," she said.

"I'm sure, whether you're a person of faith or not, you earnestly pray that we are spared that.

"Today we pause to reflect on those who gave everything that we might be spared that."