Anzac Twenty-Four Hours Centenary

I accept simply returned from the Dawn Service marker the Centenary of the landing of the Australian too New Zealand Army Corps (ANZACs) at Gallipoli (in the so Ottoman Empire too immediately modern solar daytime Turkey).

This is Commonwealth of Australia too New Zealand's remembrance solar daytime for all state of war dead.

There are no survivors left from that state of war - too the ranks of Second World War veterans are thinning. But the Trust is doing an admirable project of keeping the retentivity last too relevant - too Martin Place was packed at iv AM for the service.

Wreaths were placed yesteryear representatives of all our Armed Services too our Allies too also yesteryear the Turkish Consul - but compared to my Anzac Day of a few years agone it felt a stilted affair.

Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 few years agone I went with Alice - a so elderly war-widow - too I wrote it upwardly for the blog. Alice is no longer with us - but to maintain the retentivity last I volition repeat the post.

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ANZAC Day 2009 Post

The original ANZACs were the Australian too New Zealand Army Corps.  They landed on 25 Apr 1915 at Galipoli inwards the Dardenelles for what was to move a protracted too punishing armed services defeat.

Australians (and New Zealanders) silent commemorate Anzac Day as their national solar daytime of remembrance too with numerous dawn services, remembrance parades followed yesteryear state of war stories, stories close the (great) grandkids too drinking with your mates.  It’s a solar daytime that is both sombre too joyous, reverential too light-hearted.  We retrieve our dead inwards a specially Australian fashion.  

Today I was privileged to move to the ceremony with Alice.  Alice looked after me every bit a kid too I homecoming the favour inwards her quondam age.

Alice served every bit a nurse inwards the Second World War.  Her start hubby served inwards Palestine, Tobruk and possibly El Alamein – but paid with his life at the truthful battle for Commonwealth of Australia – at Kokoda.  (The argue I am non sure he fought at El Alamein is timeline.  He may accept been at El Alamein too he was sure enough inwards Arab Republic of Egypt but the master copy battle was fought at El Alamein inwards belatedly 1942 too the Kokoda battles were already happening yesteryear then.)  

Alice’s menage unit of measurement sacrifice did non destination at that spot – her 2nd hubby had what I suspect were continued psychological problems after New Guinea.  Alice’s boy (Richard) served inwards Vietnam.  (It is possible all the same that Alice's 2nd hubby fought at El Alamein - too she confuses which battles they fought in.)  

I pushed Alice inwards her wheelchair at the Legacy War Widows Service inwards Sydney.  The ranks of World War II War Widows are getting thinner – too Alice may accept been alongside the oldest.  She is the youngest (and i of entirely 2 surviving) of to a greater extent than than a dozen children.  Being the youngest of many her virile someone parent was non immature when she was born – too – perhaps uniquely – she was wearing her father’s Boer War medals.  The medals proudly were issued nether Queen Victoria too Edward VII too showed their heads – reminding us that Commonwealth of Australia has ever fought nether the auspices of the British Crown.

The ceremony was brusk too moving – too whilst I was pushing a wheelchair I did non experience that I belonged inwards the march.  Other people had sacrificed much too I was a beneficiary non a victim.  Still many tears were shed.

It was close an 60 minutes till the master copy march went through.  Richard disappeared to march with his Vietnam buddies.  I was left chatting with a bunch of to a greater extent than frequently than non spritely women inwards their 80s whose husbands had died when they were 18-20.  Most did non remarry though i did too the 2nd hubby died inwards the Korean War.

Their husbands to a greater extent than frequently than non died inwards campaigns against the Japanese after fighting the Germans.  The adult woman who sat adjacent to me told me her hubby served on HMAS Commonwealth of Australia too was killed yesteryear a kamikaze at the Battle of the Coral Sea.  I was surprised every bit I did non know that kamikazes had been used every bit early on every bit the Battle of the Coral Sea (1942).  Moreover it did non gel with her historic menses every bit she was xviii married too important when the state of war ended (1945) so it was unlikely that he was killed inwards 1942.  But HMAS Australia was the victim of a kamikaze – perhaps the start kamikaze too at that spot were many dead.  The engagement of that assault (January 1945) matched the historic menses of her child.  Not to quibble.  She bought upwardly a really good adjusted kid every bit a really immature widow – too she never remarried.  It does verbalize all the same to how inaccurate retentivity is – fifty-fifty of really of import things.  Her mixed upwardly retentivity matched Alice's dubiety close which hubby (if any) fought at El Alamein.  

The march itself was charming, lighthearted, distressing too poignant.  And most of those things all at once.

It was led yesteryear a grouping of horses inwards total nineteenth century armed services regalia.  After a decent interval came a homo with a wheelie bin too a shovel who – to thank y'all from the crowd – cleaned upwardly the Equus caballus dung.

Then came a riderless Equus caballus called Galant inwards lieu of whatever surviving veterans from the Boer War.  Another riderless Equus caballus represented the First World War which was dated 1914-1918.  Flags representing all Australian divisions that fought inwards that state of war were carried yesteryear serving armed services officers.

There was no Equus caballus too no other representation for Australia’s (minor) interest inwards the Russian Civil War (1919).  Australia played a really little purpose inwards that state of war – too at that spot were few Australian dead – but the parade did non accolade them.  The Australians fought inwards British units – though – according to this pocket-size history at the Australian War Memorial spider web site Commonwealth of Australia did shipping naval ships for reconnaissance.  

After a decent interval came a formal precession led by Professor Marie Bashir.  Marie Bashir is the Governor of New South Wales – too so the representative of Her Majesty the Queen of Australia.  Governor Bashir is I intend 78 years quondam – but my spritely war-widow companions idea she looked immature too fantastic.  

Then came a large number of divisions of Second World War veterans.  Some were carried inwards taxis, some inwards armed services vehicles, some inwards bicycle chairs – but most marched.  A few dropped out of the march to flirt with the state of war widows which I found hilarious too the widows found flattering.  Many saluted every bit they went yesteryear us.

The women tended to await a picayune meliorate than the men (which is non atypical alongside 85 twelvemonth olds).  Most colourful were the women who served inwards champaign hospitals who were dressed to the nines too all wearing gleaming (and elegant) white gloves.  Interspersed were marching bands to a greater extent than frequently than non provided yesteryear diverse high schools including my high school.  My quondam high schoolhouse (Sydney High) is an academically selective schoolhouse with a history of taking the upwardly mobile children of the latest generation of immigrants.  In the days that Jim Wolfenson went at that spot it was total of Jews too other children of Eastern European refugees.  It immediately is the children of Indians too Middle Eastern Muslims every bit good every bit South East Asians.  The band filled me with promise for Commonwealth of Australia – too the racial mix of the students inwards it differed dramatically from the all-white Second World War returned soldiers.  

The troops went yesteryear largely inwards fellowship of the campaigns they fought.  Most of the campaigns I knew Australians were involved inwards – but at that spot were groups that fought with Americans too other services (usually inwards specialised roles) that I did non know about.  One illustration were the Polar Bears – a naval grouping roofing arctic furnish lines.  

There were contingents from Korea, the Malaya Emergency and extensive Vietnam Veterans.  There were little groups from the start Gulf War, East Timor, Republic of Iraq too Afghanistan.  

Finally at that spot were groups representing allies nosotros fought with inwards diverse wars.  There were for illustration a little grouping of Dutch soldiers who were assigned to Australian Divisions after Dunkirk.  There were Americans (mostly from Vietnam), Ghurkhas and other assorted South Asians.  The largest grouping were Vietnamese who fought for the South too afterwards settled inwards Commonwealth of Australia every bit refugees.

To me though i of the most moving parts of the whole parade happened yesteryear fluke.  We tried to detect a bath for Alice – too a adult woman who worked for Legacy led us to a disabled toilet.  Legacy is a charity for families of state of war dead – too it was Legacy who had organised the War Widows particular ceremony.  They accept a grouping for the children of state of war dead – too – for the start fourth dimension – she had organised them a identify inwards the parade.  They were led yesteryear a armed services truck too inwards the dorsum was their oldest fellow member – a boy of a soldier who died inwards the Great War – too their youngest fellow member – a boy of a soldier who died inwards Afghanistan.  I would non accept understood the significance of that babe had I non met the organiser.  

And whilst I am distressing for the kid – if I estimate it yesteryear the children of the state of war widows I sat with so the man child volition plough out OK, too inwards 60 5 years he volition silent last honouring his father’s sacrifice.

John

PS.  I accept to repeat i of the comments.

My woman parent was raised inwards an orphanage inwards Brisbane run yesteryear Legacy. As far every bit I know, she doesn't move to A.N.Z.A.C. Day parades, but does move to the Dawn Service. The "Legacy Kids"/orphans accept their ain get-togethers. Every August for the yesteryear 26 years, the orphans accept a re-union on the birthday of the adult woman who ran the orphanage. She was a Legacy employee who had lost her hubby on the Kokoda Track. One of her brothers was a Rat of Tobrook (9th Division) too El Alemein veteran, who afterwards lost an arm at Milne Bay inwards Papua New Guinea. Another of her brothers is buried inwards France, killed piece flight for the RAF. After her hubby died, she lost her entirely child. She afterwards gave dorsum yesteryear running the orphanage for Legacy. She touched hundreds of orphan's lives. They never forgot her. She was also my Godmother.

My Grandfather was killed inwards Sydney during WWII piece serving inwards the Australian Army. My woman parent has never visited his grave - its simply besides painful, fifty-fifty after all these years. My virile someone parent has an uncle buried inwards northern France, a casualty of WWI's Battle of the Somme. No i from our menage unit of measurement has ever visited his grave to pay our respects. There are many families similar ours inwards Commonwealth of Australia with similar stories to tell.

Lest We Forget.

PPS.  I accept been a picayune perplexed yesteryear the stories told yesteryear the War Widows.  They are sometimes embellished, sometimes the stories are compressed.  I assemble Alice's start hubby fought with the seventh division.  He could non accept fought at El Alamein every bit he would accept been inwards New Republic of Guinea yesteryear that time.  Here is a history from the 7th's website.  Almost all of what Alice told me (and the medals she wore) are consistent with this history - though she mixes her 2 husband's campaigns up.  

The seventh Division left Commonwealth of Australia inwards Oct 1940 for the Middle East.  Over the adjacent 2 months, the seventh was concentrated inwards Palestine.  It was slotted for a motility to Hellenic Republic to assist inwards the defence strength against Axis invasion, but instead moved into defensive positions inwards the Western Desert.  Parts of the Division nether the ascendancy of Maj General Allen crossed into Syrian Arab Republic too fought a difficult won victory inwards the drive against the Vichy French .  18th Brigade excelled itself every bit component of the defence strength of Tobruk.   With Japanese invasion of Commonwealth of Australia imminent, the Division was recalled home.  Elements of the Division (2/3rd Machine Gun Battalion, 2/2 Pioneer Battalion, 2/2 CCS,2/6 Fld Pk Coy too 105 Gen Tpt Coy)were diverted to Java. They fought a defensive drive against overwhelming Japanese odds too were entirely forced to give upwardly after an early on capitulation yesteryear the Dutch forces there.

The Division moved to New Republic of Guinea too established headquarters inwards Port Moresby.  The timely arrival of the Division inwards New Republic of Guinea helped to stop the Japanese advance..  21st Brigade fought a bitter drive of attrition on the Kokoda Track,until replaced yesteryear 25th Brigade who slow forced the Japanese northwards.  18th Brigade too other Australian units inflicted the start decisive defeat of the Japanese on state inwards World War eleven at Milne Bay too so at Buna too Sanananda inwards Jan 1943.   21st Brigade too the militia 39tth Battalion won a costly victory at Gona inwards Dec 1942.    George Vasey took over ascendancy of the Division inwards Oct 1942, until his expiry inwards a bird crash inwards 1945.  Major General Milford so took over ascendancy until the destination of the war.    In 1943, the Division was airlifted from Port Moresby to Nadzab inwards the Markham Valley.  After an advance on Lae, the Markham too Ramu Valleys were shortly swept clear of Japanese troops.  Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 bloody drive inwards the mountains of the Finisterre Ranges followed.