Anzac Day 25th April

This message was edited 13 times. Last update was at 25/04/2012 17:46:53

It is right we should always remember the sacrifices made by all of our Armed Forces, and Chris Rooney reminds me that today is marked as a day of Remembrance for Australia and New Zealand. The sacrifices made by British and their Commonwealth Forces (Anzacs, the Indian Army, Sikhs, Gurkhas, to name but a few), and the French, at Gallipoli should never be forgotten. It was meant to be the war to end all wars with the horrors of the Somme, Ypres, Verdun, and Passchendaele to name just a few. Sadly that was not to be.

An account of the Gallipoli campaign can be read online here:

http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/war/the-gallipoli-campaign/introduction

A brief resume from the Imperial War Museum:

In 1915, Australian and New Zealand soldiers, the ANZACs, formed part of the Allied expedition to capture the Gallipoli peninsula which was supposed to knock Turkey out of the war. Rather than the intended knockout blow, the campaign became one of the war's great, if heroic, defeats. Turkish forces put up unexpectedly stiff resistance and a costly slog followed, ending in the evacuation of Allied troops eight months later. Both sides had suffered heavy casualties, with British forces losing 30,000 killed, French 10,000, Indian 1,500, Over 11,000 ANZACs also died.

In memory of all those who gave their lives including:

Lieut. Bruno Martin Rooney 9th Battalion The King's Own Scottish Borderers. Killed in Action 28 June 1915 Gallipoli;

Private Tasman Blacker Von Stieglitz , 8th Australian Infantry Battalion Killed in Action The Second Battle of Krithia, 6th-8th May 1915;

Private Herewini Aramataku, 1st Maori Contingent. Killed in Action 6 August 1915 Gallipoli

It should be noted that many of the British and ANZACS, like the Army Commandos of WW2, were volunteers.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years contemn
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

A reminder that it is Anzac Day today.

We will remember them

I lived in Australia for 14 years and they are exceptionally proud of their armed forces.
In the Returned Service Men's Club's (similar to Royal British Legion) every evening at 6pm the lights are dimmed, everyone stands, the Last Post is played and then the words are heard over the speakers...
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years contemn
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

A very moving ceremony.

Today is ANZAC Day and is a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand that broadly commemorates all Australians and New Zealanders who served and died in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations.

In Memory of all the Fallen and those who suffered life changing injuries.