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ANZAC Day 2013: a day of remembrance





Today is ANZAC Day—a day to commemorate the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. The soldiers and service-people of the corps are commonly known as Anzacs, and the spirit of courage and friendship (referred to as “mateship”) is a strong feature of the Anzacs. ANZAC Day is held each year on April 25. It is the anniversary of the landing on Gallipoli in 1915, the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War. But it is also a day to remember all Aussies and Kiwis who served and/or died in all wars, conflicts, and peace-keeping operations. The Commemorative Ceremony for Torres Strait Islanders is also held on ANZAC Day after the dawn service at the First Nations memorial plaque.
Thirteen years after Australia became a federal Commonwealth, the First World War commenced. In 1915 the Anzacs aimed to capture the Gallipoli Peninsula in Turkey to open up the Dardanelles for the British and allied ships. At the time, Istanbul was called Constantinople and Turkey was the Ottoman Empire which was an ally of Germany. Britain was at war with Germany. The Anzacs landed at Gallipoli on April 25 and defended the peninsula for eight months. Over 8,000 Australian soldiers lost their lives during that period. Although the campaign failed due to the strength of the Turkish forces, it left an important legacy of remembrance, and a long-lasting connection with Turkey.
Ceremonies are held in every town and city across the nation. In Canberra, the ceremonies are held at the Australian War Memorial. An annual ceremony is also held at Gallipoli, where thousands of Australians, New Zealanders and people of the allied forces travel to Turkey for the commemorations. The site is now known as Anzac Cove. Services are also held in France where many soldiers also lost their lives.
ANZAC Day was first held in 1942. As service-people aged, the parades grew thinner. But with the recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, the parade numbers have swelled to large proportions, and it is now a family day of remembrance. There are two services each year: (1) the dawn service from 5:00-6:00am to mark the time of the original landing in Gallipoli; and (2) the parade and ceremony from around 9:00am or 10:00am until noon.


The dawn service represents the “stand-to” in which soldiers took up their defensive positions in Gallipoli. Dawn services across the nation are presented by chaplains and not dignitaries, and are marked by a two-minute silence after which a lone bugler plays The Last Post, and concludes with Reveille (the call to wake up). The parades are formal ceremonies with dignitaries, including speeches. After the parade, wreaths are laid at the site of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. A bugle plays The Last Post and Reveille, with a two-minute silence followed by the Australian national anthem. The public can place a single red poppy beside the Roll of Honour or on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.





MARTINA NICOLLS is the author of:- The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Sudan Curse (2009).
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