ANZAC Day

[Tronhard]

If you are not aware of ANZAC Day and wish to know what that is:https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-52406944 (external link)

This year was unique. No massed memorials or dawn assemblies because of the COVID lock-down, but we adapted.
At dawn, local musicians played the last post as we each stood at our gate with a poppy, a candle, a memory...



Stilled Life... Somehow it is fitting for the young to enjoy freedom to run, where generations who fought for it lie still


Just a Little Red: It must take a lot of time and people to give each headstone its own red poppy...

[odds]

...Somehow it is fitting for the young to enjoy freedom to run, where generations who fought for it lie still

Indeed.
Your post made me listen to Eric Bogle's “And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda”. Again.

--
Odd S.

[davidedric]

Yes, the same here. And follow it with Mr. Bogle's "No man's land"

Thanks for the images, Trev

Indeed.
Your post made me listen to Eric Bogle's “And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda”. Again.

--
Odd S.

[rpcrowe]

Many brave men died for the Commonwealth at Gallipoli. and in other campaigns of both World Wars... I was not able to visit the ANZAC cemetery when I was In Istanbul because I just did not have enough time and visiting Gallipoli would have taken almost a day away from my already too short stay in Istanbul! However, I have viewed some very stirring YouTube videos of the ANZAC Day ceremonies at Gallipoli memorial...

[Tronhard]

Many brave men died for the Commonwealth at Gallipoli. and in other campaigns of both World Wars... I was not able to visit the ANZAC cemetery when I was In Istanbul because I just did not have enough time and visiting Gallipoli would have taken almost a day away from my already too short stay in Istanbul! However, I have viewed some very stirring YouTube videos of the ANZAC Day ceremonies at Gallipoli memorial...

Back in 1915 NZ and Australia were part of the British Empire. They were so disillusioned with the way their troops were handled under British Command that from then on they demanded to be a self-contained unit with their own command structures. They fought again on the western front where they had the most casualties in the carnage of trench warfare.

The ANZACs were hammered in another of Churchill's dubious adventures in WWII when, having seen North Africa secured from the Italians, they were sent to Greece and then Crete (without most of their equipment) where they suffered badly at the hands of the German forces. The loss of these and other fine divisions weakend the allied forces and made it much easier for Rommel to begin what turned out to be the see-saw conflict that caused so much strife in the Mediterranean.

To this day the forces of the two countries work closely together - personnel serve in each other units, and to a fair degree our equipment is harmonized. But the ANZAC spirit goes much further. We send aid to each other during natural disasters - Christchurch's earthquake, Australian bush fires and floods for example.

[mugge]

My wife and I stood in our driveway with lit candles I our hands. It is, I guess, very much an Australian and New Zealand thing. I do not think many people in other countries could really understand this.
Cheers Ole

[Tronhard]

My wife and I stood in our driveway with lit candles I our hands. It is, I guess, very much an Australian and New Zealand thing. I do not think many people in other countries could really understand this.
Cheers Ole

Unique to our two countries and that bond is to be cherished.

[rpcrowe]

Being a Yank, perhaps I should not mention this but, Gallipoli "could have been successful" without the mismanagement from the top down. I served alongside the Aussies and some New Zealanders in the IV Corps area of Vietnam and I certainly know that the fighting qualities of these great troops were superb...

Stripping Australia of troops to serve in the African desert (and as mentioned by Trev about the aid to Greece) in WW-II, apparently, was another sore spot for some Aussies. I visited Perth Australia in 1966, as a young U.S. Navy sailor on my way to film a U.S. Navy communications station being constructed near the town of Exmouth... I was told, wear your uniform on liberty in Australia and that was good advice! I was in uniform as I entered a pub and put my white sailor hat on a bar along with my money. The barkeep, an older gent, pushed back my money and pointed at my white hat and said, "Your money's no good here mate! That white hat is the only reason I'm not speaking Japanese now!" He was pretty bitter about WW-II...

BTW: I have always been a fan of Judith Durham and the Seekers. This is a great 1994 rendition of "I Am Australian"...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v22SPtCFck8