Important day tomorrow Anzac day to Aussie's an Kiwi's

Well a big day remembering our WW1 heroes and the first landings at Gollipoli Peninsula and Anzac Cove, Turkey my Grandfather spent 6 weeks there before getting wounded, he was sent back to England to recover before being sent to France to fight in the trenches, he survived and was one of the lucky ones to return home.
He pasted away in 1958 3 months before I was born and even in all that time he was still suffering from the affects of Mustard gas in his system, his full war diary is in the Australian War Memorial from his first day at Anzac Cove, recovering from his injuries to being sent to the front.
I read his diary and what they went through and when the Mustard gas was on top of them they piss in their handciffs to cover their noses and mouths to try and stop the affects of the gas.

Our local RSL Club has closed but we still have our march and service at our local Anzac memorial Park in the middle of our local suburban town of Sandgate I be going to the dawn service but the big service is at 9am and draws a big crowd but no more WW1 veterans left and our WW11 veterans are thinning out but they will never be forgotten, it's a very proud day for everyone to remember our fallen and those still alive from wars gone by very important to us Aussies and Kiwi friends and it's the only day two up games are legal to be played, it was a big game played in the trenches and at Gollipoli.

Lest we forget.

Ashley

My Great Uncle was at Gallipoli. Twice wounded his last battle was at Hill 60.


Then declared unfit for active service he spent the rest of the war in England. My Grandfather was in a reinforcement unit and on his way to Gallipoli when they pulled out. Spent the rest of the war in the Middle East ending up in Damascus and Northern Syria. They were both Queen Alexander's Mounted Rifles. The NZ equivalent of the Australian Light Horse. My Grandfathers unit actually rode with the 5th Australian Light Horse Brigade as they advanced on Damascus. Better than going to the Western front. The Middle East had around 10% fatalities. The Western front was way worse. Gallipoli was worst of all . 182 NZ missing out of a force of around 400 at the Hill 60 battle. At the Battle of the Nec from a force of 600 Australia lost 234 killed 138 wounded.

Plus looking at the records they were actually in hospital half the time. Not from wounds but from malaria and dysentery.

Lest we forget.

The further you get away from these times the less they matter. We don't mourn the dead at Crecy after all. Waterloo is becoming an unknown event and even DDay which was something many of our fathers were involved in is also slipping away.
In many ways this is understandable and perhaps even good. People do not live in the past they live in the present and hope for the future.
...makes me wonder about us and our old bikes!

Onder said:

The further you get away from these times the less they matter. We don't mourn the dead at Crecy after all. Waterloo is becoming an unknown event and even DDay which was something many of our fathers were involved in is also slipping away.
In many ways this is understandable and perhaps even good. People do not live in the past they live in the present and hope for the future.
...makes me wonder about us and our old bikes!

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My children and grandchildren remember. All of my children have travelled to Anzac Cove.

My Great Grandfather was at Gallipoli with the Dublin Fusiliers 1st Btn, he died of his wounds in July on a hospital ship.

He likely would have taken part in the first days landing from the SS Clyde.


Of the 1100 odd men in his unit only 11 survived the SS Clyde landing.

He survived that slaughter but must have got wounded later on.

None of these people should ever be forgotten
Or they would have died for nothing

Onder said:

The further you get away from these times the less they matter. We don't mourn the dead at Crecy after all. Waterloo is becoming an unknown event and even DDay which was something many of our fathers were involved in is also slipping away.
In many ways this is understandable and perhaps even good. People do not live in the past they live in the present and hope for the future.
...makes me wonder about us and our old bikes!

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I get what ya saying BUT....I've seen enough inconvenient history being scrubbed off the history shelves of time...
Our forefathers fought for our Freedom(..which is currently slipping away at a great rate of knots ) so I believe these moments in time ... like our fallen soldiers need to be respected/ cherished as a past lesson in time.

Well it's been 107 years since the first Anzac day has been going although there are no more Gollipoli veterans no longer with us and our WW11 veterans are slowly disappearing we will never forget and our newer veterans from modern conflicts we been dragged into and while there are other conflicts happening around the world I am sure we be dragged into more wars from conflicts far far away and bad decisions from people in power to please others.
We need a strong arm service to defend our country but going to places we should have never gone into is another thing but that's the past and we will always remember our fallen and heroes no matter what and our young school children get taught very young and our proud history of mateship and looking after our mates.

baz said:

None of these people should ever be forgotten
Or they would have died for nothing

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Amen.

Our National Myths matter to us but they rarely withstand scrutiny. Remember John Prynnes song "We lost Davy in the Korean war And I still don't know what for, don't matter anymore" that is about what we have gotten out of the last century of war.
We 'won' and look where we are now. Dying for your country has become a hollow joke. Sorry, but that is where we are at.
Not dismissing the men that lost their life at a young age rather pointing out that answering the call seems to get your ass shot off and not much else.

Onder said:

The further you get away from these times the less they matter. We don't mourn the dead at Crecy after all. Waterloo is becoming an unknown event and even DDay which was something many of our fathers were involved in is also slipping away.
In many ways this is understandable and perhaps even good. People do not live in the past they live in the present and hope for the future.
...makes me wonder about us and our old bikes!

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Gary Lineker remembers the Nazis.......

EstuaryBoy said:

Gary Lineker remembers the Nazis.......

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Dianne Abbott dosent

baz said:

Dianne Abbott dosent

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I think the kindest cliche for both of them would be: 'Mouth in overdrive, brain in neutral'.

baz said:

None of these people should ever be forgotten
Or they would have died for nothing

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Having both sides of our family serve , we will never forget......It was good to see the young ones at the Winton ANZAC parade this morning laying wreaths and poppies, long may this remembrance continue.

Hendo said:

Having both sides of our family serve , we will never forget......It was good to see the young ones at the Winton ANZAC parade this morning laying wreaths and poppies, long may this remembrance continue.

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The Mount Maunganui service/parade first thing this morning had one of the best turnouts I've seen for years ..and just like Winton ..(with the slight southerly chill)... it was good to see alot of younger folk present showing their respects in appreciation of sacrifice.
"They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old, Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. We will remember them."