Skip to main content

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).
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

2016 update on Rike Park, Tbilisi: from construction to busy park

From a flat patch of uninteresting dirt, Rike Park in Tbilisi, Georgia, has transformed in four years (from 2014-2016) into a busy park full of trees, flower beds, sculptures, fountains, and events. Rike (Rikhe) Park is on the left bank of the Mt’k’vari River (the Kura River) near the Old City of Tbilisi. The Peace Bridge links the right bank to Rike Park. Rike Park is below the hillside Presidential Palace and, via cable car, it is the starting point for the ride to Sololaki Ridge (with the Narikala Fortress and the Mother of Georgia statue). The glass box-shaped cable car terminus was opened on 23 June 2012, and since then the park has continually developed into a ‘people’s park’ where people can walk around, eat at the nearby restaurants, sit next to the statue of American president Ronald Reagan, climb the steps to Avlabari district, and access the sights of Meidan Square, the Peace Bridge, the Metekhi Church, the Old City, the waterfall, the sulphur baths, and t...
Post a Comment
Read more

The acacia thorn trees of Kenya

There are nearly 800 species of acacia trees in the world, and most don’t have thorns. The famous "whistling thorn tree" and the Umbrella Thorn tree of Kenya are species of acacia that do have thorns, or spines. Giraffes and other herbivores normally eat thorny acacia foliage, but leave the whistling thorn alone. Usually spines are no deterrent to giraffes. Their long tongues are adapted to strip the leaves from the branches despite the thorns. The thorny acacia like dry and hot conditions. The thorns typically occur in pairs and are 5-8 centimetres (2-3 inches) long. Spines can be straight or curved depending on the species. MARTINA NICOLLS is an international aid and development consultant, and the author of:- Similar But Different in the Animal Kingdom (2017), 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 Suda...
1 comment
Read more

Hop on hop off bus tourism comes to Tbilisi, Georgia

City Sightseeing buses have arrived in Tbilisi. The iconic red double-decker buses, a feature of many cities around the world since the company was established in Seville, Spain in 1999, is now in six continents and almost 100 cities. The company established its Tbilisi business in November 2013, with its operations commencing in February 2014. The 90-minute tour stops at 11 major locations in Tbilisi (with 2 to 5 minute waiting times at each location): the Old City (where it commences), Freedom Square, Rose Revolution Square, Marjanishvili Square, the Dry Bridge, Konka, Avlabari, Metekhi, Akhundov Museum, the Sulfur Baths, and European Square. Passengers can hop off at any stop and see the sights, hopping back onto the next bus at any time. Alternatively, passengers can remain on the bus for the whole tour and take photographs when the bus stops at each location. There are one day (24-hour) passes (for 35 lari – about $20) and 48-hour passes for 55 lari, with family d...
2 comments
Read more