Anzac Day, due to be commemorated in a couple of days, is one of great significance in Australia and the most important of national commemorative occasions.
It marks the anniversary day of the countries' first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War. They came together as Australian's and New Zealanders and were dubbed the ANZAC's, Australian New Zealand Army Corps, a name that lives on still, through great national pride and the legacy left by those men over a hundred years ago.
Gallipoli 4:29am, 25 April 1915
The ANZAC landing on the beaches of Gallipoli was a disaster orchestrated by inept British leadership. Put simply, it failed. Troops were landed a mile away from the intended assault-point, were confronted with an unfamiliar narrow beach, towering, almost vertical, cliffs and thousands of well-entrenched and armed Turks in defence. src
They landed though, in the thousands; Brave (and bloody scared) Australian's and a small element of New Zealanders, and they attempted to do what they were sent to do more fearful of letting down their mates than of any harm befalling them personally.
At the end of that day 754 Australians and 147 New Zealanders were dead and some 2,000 more were injured below those cliffs of Ari Burnu, and yet they came on, driven by the orders of the British Generals and a deeply-ingrained personality trait of never giving in - The Australian way.
The Gallipoli campaign's objective was to capture the Dardanelles and Constantinople (now Istanbul), removing Germany's ally and allowing the allies to march inland against Germany from the East. The Germans had swept across Western Europe and were now in an entrenched stalemate in France and Belgium fighting a war of attrition.
The British planned to take Turkey (who were allied with Germany) and then have the ANZACS (mainly Australian Light Horse Troopers) sweep through Europe to Germany...It was bold but probably would have won the war reasonably quickly. Visions of fast-moving cavalry attacks filled the minds of the Generals, and they envisaged a quick end to the war.
The Gallipoli Campaign lasted 10 months, 3 weeks and 2 days. The ANZACS were repelled and the British Command withdrew. It was a disaster that cost thousands of lives, and achieved nothing.
It was a crushing loss, however it galvanised this country, brought it together like nothing ever had. We had an identity, forged in the heat of battle, through thousands of our fathers, sons and brothers, many of whom gave their lives in Gallipoli and other campaigns.
A legend began that day, the ANZAC legend, and its legacy has stayed with the country to this day.
Since that initial day, each year on the 25th of April, Australia commemorates ANZAC Day, the landing on the Gallipoli Peninsular, all wars we have fought in and the service men and women who did so.
As the sun crests the horizon the country gathers at war memorials around the world to remember, and to commemorate, the ANZAC legacy.
Memorials popped up only months after the 25th April landings, proudly, the first in Australia in my own State of South Australia only four months after the landings. The tradition of ANZAC Day began when ANZAC soldiers marched through London to Westminster Abbey to a service attended by the King and Queen commemorating their landing at Gallipoli.
The Australian Prime Mnister of the Day, Billy Hughes said: “Soldiers! Your deeds have won you a place in the Temple of Immortals!” - This statement, the tone of the words, have remained undiminished over a hundred years later.
I attend the Dawn Service in Adelaide every year. It means a 4am wake-up and travel to the city, the State war memorial, where I join several thousand others in a ceremony to commemorate the occasion, then head to the Light Horse memorial for that ceremony and then attend the following ANZAC Day march through the city.
This year the event has been cancelled due to fears over the flu and people are being encouraged to stand in their own driveways at dawn and take some time to commemorate in isolation. People around the country are preparing their own events as such, including me.
At dawn on Saturday 25th April I will be out the front of my house, flying the Australian flag at half-mast, and taking a moment to remember those first ANZAC's and every Australian who has served, or continues to serve, to this day. To accompany my commemorations I will play the last post, at full volume, at 6am on my bluetooth speaker.
Click below to hear it.
As a patriot ANZAC Day means a lot to me. As someone who has lost people in war, and to PTSD post-war, commemorating this day is important. It gives me a chance to remember the sacrifices so many have made so the rest of the population can have the peace and quiet to sleep through the ANZAC Day commemoration without a care in the world. It also gives me a chance to shed a tear for those who are not with us.
There'll be no peace and quiet in my street on Saturday morning though, the bugle will honour the sacrifices of our fighting men and women, not just the Australian ones, but all around the world, who take it upon themselves to do what most cannot, or will not. I'll commemorate the day as usual, albeit a little differently, and won't feel at all sorry for doing so.
At the going down of the sun...
I crouched in a shallow trench on that hell of exposed beaches... steeply rising foothills bare of cover... a landscape pockmarked with war’s inevitable litter... piles of stores... equipment... ammunition... and the weird contortions of death sculptured in Australian flesh... I saw the going down of the sun on that first ANZAC Day... the chaotic maelstrom of Australia’s blooding.
I fought in the frozen mud of the Somme... in a blazing destroyer exploding on the North Sea... I fought on the perimeter at Tobruk... crashed in the flaming wreckage of a fighter in New Guinea... lived with the damned in the place cursed with the name Changi.
I was your mate... the kid across the street... the med. student at graduation... the mechanic in the corner garage... the baker who brought you bread... the gardener who cut your lawn... the clerk who sent your phone bill.
I was an Army private... a Naval commander... an Air Force bombardier. no man knows me... no name marks my tomb, for I am every Australian serviceman... I am the Unknown Soldier.
I died for a cause I held just in the service of my land... that you and yours may say in freedom... I am proud to be an Australian.
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.
Design and create your ideal life, don't live it by default - Tomorrow isn't promised.
Be well
Discord: galenkp#9209
Well well, seems the Anzac Day is quite really iconic in Australia history, so erhm would there had been like fireworks and a lot of people in celebration if there wasn't corona virus?
No fireworks...It's a solemn dar of remembrance of those who died in battle and war...It is a time of mourning and respect...That's why the word commemoration is used, not celebration.
It's not like the 4th of July. Here in New Zealand we are being told to celebrate it by standing at our gates at 6am. I can't say I will. It's not that I don't respect what the soldiers did it's just I don't support war in any form.
That being said, what the ANZACS did was nothing short of amazing. In many cases it was the ANZACs that helped win many battles in WWII but of course little was mentioned of them because they were lumped in with British and American forces and they kind of got lost in the crowd.
Some of the battles were won because the ANZACs did things their way despite orders and some was just because the ANZACs were just dogged soldiers.
Either way, whatever our beliefs on war, the ANZACs are an important part of our history whether it be in Australia or here in New Zealand.
Brave souls indeed. Proud of any man who puts on the uniform and faces the enemy. You boys down there are world renown for grit and bravery and I will keep those boys in my thoughts.
I have recently begun to delve into Australian history. Fascinating stuff. I hadn't even realized the Chinese in Australia in the 1800s until a few years ago. A great nation strong in diversity and unity. Cheers!
Thank you mate, we should all have respect for those giving enough to wear the uniform, as you have.
Oh yeah, the Chinese were here seeking their fortune as gold miners. I wrote a post about Billy Sing a while back, Australia's most deadly sniper, who was half Chinese. See below.
https://hive.blog/hive-174578/@galenkp/lockdown-reading-book-four
Australia hasn't had a long history when compared with other places, but it's often interesting and usually multicultural. I actually had someone message me about the recent movie Danger Close - The battle of Long Tan and he commented that he had no idea Australia fought in the Vietnam War...Weird to me considering that we were heavily involved.
I think that's the way of it though, so many don't know much about Australia and rarely take the time to learn. It's great to hear you're taking the time. I wonder what prompted that?
Well a about ten years ago I watched a WWI movie about an Australian engineering battalion who were digging a tunnel to plant a bomb under German lines. https://m.imdb.com/title/tt1418646/
From then on I was fascinated.
Then recently I started watching a YouTube channel by some Australians (warren being a historical genius) called NQ EXPLORES. They teach you so much about the artifacts they find and the places they visit.
There was also a decent Netflix series recently taking place in Australia where the dead come back to life. No idea of the name. But there's a WWI soldier and an Irish settler kind of cool historical fiction sci-fi series. But yeah I enjoy learning about it.
Beneath Hill 60...Yeah, Great movie, and book.
I've been there actually...Hill 60. If you zoom in you can read the plaque. You'll also note a couple bullet holes made by german soldiers in WW2. Hitler found out they were defacing WW1 monuments and hit the roof imposing capital punishment (death by shooting) to German soldiers found wilfully doing it. We stood in the hole made by the mine...It was bloody massive. I've got a heap of photos but don't want to bore you.
We spent just over a week with a personal guide touring the Western Front in France and Belgium. A sad time, but also made us feel very proud to be Aussies.
I'm glad you're taking an interest and hope you find a lot more you like. Aussies are an odd bunch, but can be interesting at least. Lol.
Are you kidding me! I would love to see those pictures! Way better served for a post though!
Funny story, since I got out of the army I have watched maybe 3 war movies that is one of them.
Too many emotions involved, usually just avoid them.
Battle Los Angeles (if you can count that as a war movie) but the combat scenes were extremely hard to watch.
And ”Outlaw Josey whales” which is one of my favorite movies.
Ah yeah, I get it...Seeing battle depicted, after you've been in it personally can be difficult and a lot of the time people say they avoid it. (I just watched Black Hawk Down tonight...Seen it before but I like how raw and chaotic it is...)
I've seen both those movies you mention and like both. I've seen plenty of war films and it's difficult to say what is my favourite...So many. They often make me sad though. The series Band of Brothers was one of those...That last scene when Easy Company are playing baseball on the field...Gets me every time.
I've done posts on Hill 60 and the Western Front before, they'll pop up in showcase-sunday posts as time passes. I may re-do the Hill 60 one though, I think I'd do it greater justice now. I'll get onto it.
Here's the original...It's a bit basic. I did this only months after joining the other platform three years ago. I'll sharpen it up when I showcase-sunday it.
https://steemit.com/travel/@galenkp/bravery-and-death-beneath-hill-60
Gettysburg is my all time favorite movie, and I forgot to mention that I will watch that movie any time. I know every word and a couple of my buddy’s watched it in Afghanistan and constantly used lines from the movie. When ever someone was tried or complaining we would say „get up boy, what will you think of yourself tomorrow!“ 🤣
Anyway looking forward to it and going to check this out
It always fills me with dread whenever I read about the unnecessary slaughter of gallant men under a botched command. So many families lost their loved sons.
Great of you guys to commemorate the ANZAC day!
For a number of years I've been one of only two ex-Diggers living in Israel and have been laying wreaths at Commonwealth War Cemeteries in Jerusalem, Ramla and Be'er Sheva on Anzac Day, Memorial Day and anniversary of the 1917 Light Horse charge in the battle of Be'er Sheva.
I didn't make it this year because of Corona and babies but hope to resume next year.
Blasted out the last post, did the minute Spence then played the national anthem. My lazy-ass neighbours didn't emerge from their homes but I should expect no less as more and more people feel vindicated to be disrespectful...Whilst enjoying the countries largesse. I commemorated the day though, and shed a tear for those I know personally who have paid the ultimate price in war and post-war, and all who serve in general. I feel content.