Bakes, are you marching with your Dad again this year?

Anyone else who is a veteran going to march?

Yes mate, going up on Friday, do the dawn service then march with the old fella's and have a few bourbons.

Have a good one with the old boys. Wish them the best.

I'm also a vet, but not in the ANZACS, so no gatecrashing for me.

No such thing as gate crashing mate. Pop down to the RSL and have a beer and a game of two up with the troops. All are welcome.

quote:

Originally posted by Bren7X64:


I'm also a vet, but not in the ANZACS, so no gatecrashing for me.

Don't know why your thinking like that,
My good friend is British SAS vet of Iraq & Afghanistan, he on occasions will march in the Sydney Anzac day parade.

The only person I know of that made a vet feel unwelcome on Anzac Day, was of all frickn people, the pencil pushing
manager of nearby Tattersalls, who said 'one cannot wear berets in the club as its the rules'.. ...
so naturally we did the right thing...and simply ignored him ...

Very interesting addition to the history of ANZAC & Gallipoli.

http://www.radioaustralia.net....derestimated/1301006

I think ANZAC Day is a day of remembrance for all those who took part in all wars since the 1880's or so. That encompasses the South African wars as well as WW1 , WW2 , Korea , Viet Nam and those events closer to the modern day.

G'Day Fella's,

Whilst I'm not a veteran myself, I will again be attending the dawn service at the Canberra War Memorial. It should be a good way to remember those that went before us, and gave us what we have today!

Naki Hunter, that was a good read! The only thing is, these days I take anything that the ABC has any association with, with a grain of salt! The reason for this is, the ABC was recently pushing the line that Australian Aboriginals were widely involved in agriculture! Sorry but you can't be know as a nomadic people and also growing crops! It is either one or the other but not both!

Regards
Homer

quote:

The stretcher-bearer John Simpson Kirkpatrick carried wounded troops on donkey-
back from the front line to the beaches.

The account of Simpson and his donkey has been thrash to death over the yrs,
and not all versions are the same.

How about the 'other' Oz guy who used to repeatedly venture(against constant strict orders not to)
into that utter shithole of death & carnage 'no-mans-land' situated between the two enemy front trenches,
he did so to retrieve the wounded.

The French know who he is and have a bronze to him, but sadly I think most Australians don't know him.

quote:

Originally posted by Bakes:
No such thing as gate crashing mate. Pop down to the RSL and have a beer and a game of two up with the troops. All are welcome.

I'll go to the RSL - is there one here closer than Queanbeayan - and buy a round or two for the boys?

My contention is that it ISN'T a remembrance day for me. I'll stick to 11/11, which is for all troops.

In the South African wars my ancestors were either selling horses to the British or grubbing around in the Gorbals of Glasgow ....

I'll be at the Dawn service in Melbourne this year and hope to catch up with some of the mates from my old unit.

If any Aussies in Texas are reading this there will be a dawn service in Houston at 6:10 am on the 25th (USA time) at the USS Houston Memorial at 1000 Bagby Street.

They do want anyone who attends to register today.

http://aacc-houston.org/anzac-day-dawn-service/

Yep Canberra has a nice RSL in Lyneham.

I will attend dawn service if I am in town. If I am in the hills I will stand and pause. At the going down of the sun and in the morning we will remember them.

quote:

Originally posted by Bakes:
Yep Canberra has a nice RSL in Lyneham.

Yes, did that 3 years in a row.

Never marched, though I did see some Americans marching a couple of times.

The Embassy Marines always march, sometimes there is the odd one of us Septic Vets at the tail end parade. Non-Aussies are usually last.

Canberra was my last active duty post before retirement, miss that place like crazy.

Really miss the Fullbore club, some of the best Saturdays in my life have been spent there. On the range or at the bar it was all good.

Some of you lot know, my daughters were all born in Australia. Made in Australia of American parts.

quote:

Originally posted by Big Wonderful Wyoming:
Some of you lot know, my daughters were all born in Australia. Made in Australia of American parts.

hahaha. I'll pay that one.

View from the Carillon balcony. Anzac Dawn Service at Pukeahu National War Memorial Park, Wellington


Don

Nice, what a celebration.

Thanks for that photo.
I just got back from the Dawn Service here, and we had a very big turnout as well.

John

Lest we forget.

Was at Martin Place dawn service, just a few meters from the Cenotaph.
The Last Post bugler happened to be position directly in front of where I was,
as such I could not hope or ask for anything better on such occasion.
...and It was absolutely chock -a- block, estimated 30,000 attendance.

quote:

Originally posted by Big Wonderful Wyoming:
Some of you lot know, my daughters were all born in Australia. Made in Australia of American parts.

Sounds like a Valiant hard-top - and they were my favourite cars.

At times I feel ANZAC has become, or maybe always was, just a day for remembrance for those that never returned from that campaign and of course we should never forget those souls but it also should be a day of celebration and thanks for those who managed to survive that hellish battle and the rest of the hellish war to return and contribute to life in our countries for the rest of their natural lives. Had either of my grandfathers not returned from Gallipoli, myself, my siblings and my children would not be here today.

My grandfather on my father's side, was in a mounted brigade and carried a camera with him. We have his album of photos from Egypt and Gallipoli. I guess he saw some horrific sights and had to endure those conditions from hell but he recounted that to him the worst thing he had to do at Gallipoli was to shoot his own gallant and loyal horse when they were evacuated.

I don't attend ANZAC day parades but give thanks that men like my grandfathers and their comrades fought bravely to survive and return.

Wow - what a day!! Have been watching or attending ANZAC services pretty much all day. What an awesome day for our country; thanking all those who have served and celebrating the freedoms we enjoy.

My eldest son Harry (15yo) was on guard duty for the first time, which kept his proud family very busy. He attended three ceremonies with his school cadet unit and guarded at two of them. He is rather chuffed with his efforts after a couple of months of training and practice. Incredible to think that young men, the same age as my son were lying about their age to enlist and fight in a war on the other side of the world 100 years ago.

Record crowds everywhere - befitting the centenary of ANZAC and the Gallipoli landings. Lest we forget.

That is flappen awesome !

I dear say Harry could pass for 18yr in that outfit & could have enlisted, would make you think all right !

I'm sorry I was out hunting, but I was up way before dawn !

quote:

Originally posted by Sarg:

I dear say Harry could pass for 18yr in that outfit & could have enlisted, would make you think all right !

Yes - he is 6 foot tall too. I read yesterday that the youngest ANZAC - James Martin - was later found to have been 14 & 3 months at enlistment.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J...ustralian_soldier%29

quote:

Originally posted by eagle27:

I don't attend ANZAC day parades but give thanks that men like my grandfathers and their comrades fought bravely to survive and return.

True.
Since the ideologies/motives/gov policies they served in that process are changeable & questionable.

Various Expeditionary forces were sent to liberate the M.E. from the Ottoman Empire,

I wonder what people would think if some nations had gotten together to invade Australia and free it of the British empire?
GB would be like the Turks in Galipolli protecting their our imperial expanse of interests, would it not?

How many nations helped Americans rid themselves of the British yoke?...
The British themselves established treaties with German states who then provided
many thousands of men to substantially sure up British forces in its colonies including its battles in America.

A few decades before WW1, The British were at war with the Sihks in Punjab around 1849.
Come WW1, Sihks are now fighting for the British against the Germans who once allied with Britain in America.

Prior to WW1-Gallipoli, there was the Crimean War (1850s), where GB,France and Ottoman empire were allies.
Gallipoli at that time was used as location for a rather significant encampment for British and French troops.
SO I gather they appreciated the fact their Turk allies had possession of it.

Ones alliances or enemies are determined by what ones ideologies,interests and ambitions are the time.

###
Maybe someone can tell me, why Winston Churchill who some time prior to Gallipoli wrote in his British Cabinet
notes, his personal view that any push through the Dardanelles was no longer considered possible and that any idea of
perilously risking the British fleet in such manner was simply unthinkable! ..YET he later submitted just that plan to
the war cabinet and they accepted.

Of course the naval attempt failed, and allied troops were then some weeks later beached at Gallipoli, by which time
the Turks had already brought in their reinforcements and built up their defences on the peninsular.

Victoria Cross award-

The Crimean war success must have been considered of great significance, since Queen Victoria
commissioned the VC award following such, having it cast from bronze sourced from cannons captured at Sevastapol.

As such the VC medals earnt fighting turks in WW1, are in themselves in existence part due to the victorious efforts
of the then British allied Ottomans in the Crimea.

IN 1858 a small number of such captured Russian cannons were also despatched to British colonies, including Australia.

quote:

Originally posted by Matt Graham:
Wow - what a day!! Have been watching or attending ANZAC services pretty much all day. What an awesome day for our country; thanking all those who have served and celebrating the freedoms we enjoy.

My eldest son Harry (15yo) was on guard duty for the first time, which kept his proud family very busy. He attended three ceremonies with his school cadet unit and guarded at two of them. He is rather chuffed with his efforts after a couple of months of training and practice. Incredible to think that young men, the same age as my son were lying about their age to enlist and fight in a war on the other side of the world 100 years ago.

Record crowds everywhere - befitting the centenary of ANZAC and the Gallipoli landings. Lest we forget.

Handsome Lad, doesn't look much younger than the cadets I saw at Duntroon every time I was there.

My little Aussie daughters have their AUSCAM uniforms. Of course they are in size 24 months and 3 years. I am sticking pennies in a jar for them to go to med-school or engineering school, but ultimately I think they should serve in the Australian or US military.

Handsome - yeah well, ya know, good genetics!!

He actually has his heart set on Duntroon at the moment.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Matt Graham:
Handsome - yeah well, ya know, good genetics!![QUOTE]

Did you ever find out who his Dad was !

Well done everyone involved with ANZAC day.

Well done to young Harry to Matt.

Cheers,
Mark.

quote:

Originally posted by Sarg:
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Matt Graham:
Handsome - yeah well, ya know, good genetics!![QUOTE]

Did you ever find out who his Dad was !

No still searching mate.