Decided this warranted a new thread, so that the only other thread on this site acknowledging Anzac Day does not turn into the usual sh*t fight.
The greeting Happy ANZAC Day is not appropriate, it's not a happy day any more than Good Friday is a happy day.
ANZAC day is a day for reflection and remembrance.
I'm very surprised that on a forum comprised of mainly older Australians so few chose to reply or contribute to the thread in a meaningful and informed manner.
Obviously many of us have forgotten, or, perhaps, never even cared enough to worry about finding out.
"What does ANZAC stand for?
ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. The soldiers in those forces quickly became known as Anzacs, and the pride they took in that name endures to this day.
Why is this day special to Australians?
When war broke out in 1914 Australia had been a federated nation for only 13 years, and its government was eager to establish a reputation among the nations of the world. When Britain declared war in August 1914 Australia was automatically placed on the side of the Commonwealth. In 1915 Australian and New Zealand soldiers formed part of the expedition that set out to capture the Gallipoli peninsula in order to open the Dardanelles to the allied navies. The ultimate objective was to capture Constantinople (now Istanbul), the capital of the Ottoman Empire, an ally of Germany.
A view looking aft of lifeboat carrying unidentified men of the Australian 1st Divisional Signal Company as they are towed towards Anzac Cove on the day of the landing.
The Australian and New Zealand forces landed on Gallipoli on 25 April, meeting fierce resistance from the Ottoman Turkish defenders. What had been planned as a bold stroke to knock Turkey out of the war quickly became a stalemate, and the campaign dragged on for eight months. At the end of 1915 the allied forces were evacuated from the peninsula, with both sides having suffered heavy casualties and endured great hardships. More than 8,000 Australian soldiers had died in the campaign. Gallipoli had a profound impact on Australians at home, and 25 April soon became the day on which Australians remembered the sacrifice of those who died in the war.
Although the Gallipoli campaign failed in its military objectives, the actions of Australian and New Zealand forces during the campaign left a powerful legacy. What became known as the Anzac legend became an important part of the identity of both nations, shaping the ways in which they viewed both their past and their future.
Early commemorations
In 1916 the first Anzac Day commemorations were held on 25 April. The day was marked by a wide variety of ceremonies and services across Australia, a march through London, and a sports day in the Australian camp in Egypt. In London more than 2,000 Australian and New Zealand troops marched through the streets; a London newspaper headline dubbed them the knights of Gallipoli. Marches were held all over Australia; in the Sydney march convoys of cars carried soldiers wounded on Gallipoli and their nurses. For the remaining years of the war Anzac Day was used as an occasion for patriotic rallies and recruiting campaigns, and parades of serving members of the AIF were held in most cities.
25 April 1916: Australian and New Zealand troops marching down Whitehall London to Westminster Abbey.
During the 1920s Anzac Day became established as a national day of commemoration for the more than 60,000 Australians who had died during the war. In 1927, for the first time, every state observed some form of public holiday on Anzac Day. By the mid-1930s all the rituals we now associate with the day dawn vigils, marches, memorial services, reunions, two-up games were firmly established as part of Anzac Day culture.
Later, Anzac Day also served to commemorate the lives of Australians who died in the Second World War, and in subsequent years the meaning of the day has been further broadened to include those who lost their lives in all the military and peacekeeping operations in which Australia has been involved.
Anzac Day was first commemorated at the Memorial in 1942. At the time, government orders prohibited large public gatherings in case of a Japanese air attack, so it was a small occasion with neither a march nor a memorial service. Since then, Anzac Day has been commemorated at the Memorial every year."
-- Edited by Santa on Thursday 26th of April 2018 06:49:22 PM
aussie_paul said
06:43 PM Apr 26, 2018
Thank you Santa.
Aussie Paul.
Santa said
06:50 PM Apr 26, 2018
Just felt it needed to be said Paul.
The Belmont Bear said
08:38 PM Apr 26, 2018
Thankyou Santa for your post I think sometimes it is good to remind people what this day is actually for. I started to respond to the previous post but decided against it as I knew that there were those who would take offence at what I wrote. Now I have decided to say it anyhow - yesterday I was impressed by all those particuarly the young people who proudly paid their respects at the many services that were held across Australia, NZ and on the various battlefields scattered around the world. I was not impressed by the drunken loutish behaviour I saw happening in one of our local pubs once the 2up had started. I'm sure most of the young yobbos involved had no idea about the real meaning of Anzac Day other than it was a reason to drink themselves into a stupor and harass others.
Don't get me wrong I am not against anyone playing 2up, having a drink and enjoying themselves as that has been a long held AD tradition but it doesn't give people a licence to behave like idiots when on any other day that type of behaviour would get you ejected from a place.
Cheers
BB
TheHeaths said
06:57 AM Apr 27, 2018
It certainly is a day for reflection and acknowledgement of the sacrifices of those who have fought in our Armed Forces in conflicts around the World and on home soil.
In this case, however, I am certain it was just an unfortunate choice of word by Aus-Kiwi, rather than any deliberate attempt to cause concern or angst to the memory of Anzac, especially as the day is also so important to those from NZ as well.
Desert Dweller said
07:39 PM Apr 27, 2018
There's nothing like a good old war celebration & piss up, accompanied with plenty of bull ****, enjoy! It's our heritage.
Des and Jane said
12:07 AM Apr 28, 2018
Keith, I think your comment was way over the top and out of line.
I don't "celebrate" ANZAC day with a piss up.
I remember the people who were "SENT" by Governments to fight a war that most didn't want to go to, and would never come home from to their families again.
I have members of my family and friends who died on the battlefields. (I will not even go into my Military record.)
And to say it is a celebration and an excuse for a "PISS UP" just wants me want to puke. I have looked at a lot of your contributions to this forum and have liked a lot of them, but this post has lowered my opinion of you to almost Zero.
Desert Dweller said
11:45 AM Apr 28, 2018
Des and Jane wrote:
And to say it is a celebration and an excuse for a "PISS UP" just wants me want to puke. I have looked at a lot of your contributions to this forum and have liked a lot of them, but this post has lowered my opinion of you to almost Zero.
We're devastated.
Learn to lighten up a little. Our post wasn't disrespectful to our fallen whatsoever.
KevinC said
01:58 PM Apr 28, 2018
I was talking to a Vietnam vet just before Anzac Day. He was a bit thoughtful, reflecting on his experiences and commenting on some of our world leaders. His comment that struck me most, concerning the sacrifice of so much life was, "maybe Lest We Forget should be replaced by We've Obviously Forgotten." I don't think he was being overly cynical, just wondering when, if ever, the governments around the world would stop picking fights which would sooner or later cost more human lives. And no, I'm not trying to stir, just passing on the thoughts of someone who will never forget.
Eaglemax said
02:36 PM May 2, 2018
I have my own ways to honour my fallen Australians
All the attachments are in the Australian war museum as requested by the late Bruce Ruxton (Vic RSL president dec)
The guilty poster often opens his mouth without thinking.
Cloak said
09:51 AM May 5, 2018
Lest we forget.
IAN zzz said
12:33 PM May 5, 2018
Thanks for taking the time to post Santa. I just read your complete post. Certainly something we should reflect upon. Stay safe
The Belmont Bear said
07:54 AM May 6, 2018
My wife and I were in Canberra last Thursday and looking for something to do so we decided to spend a few hours at the Australian War Memorial - the last time we visited it was back when Bob Hawke was the PM. They have really done a great job with the recent renovations and improvements especially the WW1 wing I think Charles Bean's dream in 1916 has been well and truly realised. They told us when we entered that there would be over 900 school children visiting that day which apparently is a pretty normal thing.
The memorial was not built to glorify war or boast of victories but as a place to pay respect and remember the sacrifices made by Australians who believed that they were defending our freedom and way of life - that was Charles Bean's vision.
Lest We Forget
BB
Mike Harding said
01:46 PM May 6, 2018
The Belmont Bear wrote:
My wife and I were in Canberra last Thursday and looking for something to do so we decided to spend a few hours at the Australian War Memorial
The last time I visited it, around 15 years ago, I came out in tears and was glad to be so affected.
It is well worth a visit *especially* for people under, say, 50 who have no concept of war.
Ron-D said
04:59 PM May 6, 2018
World War One effected me the most thousands ordered onto mass machine gun fire to be slaughtered continuosely for years on end ....
Mike Harding said
05:56 PM May 6, 2018
Ron-D wrote:
World War One effected me the most thousands ordered onto mass machine gun fire to be slaughtered continuosely for years on end ....
It tells the story from a German perspective but it's no different to that an Aussie or Brit would tell.
The Belmont Bear said
06:23 AM May 7, 2018
I have long held the belief that after WW1 not only the leaders on the losing side should have been tried for their war crimes but there were also 1 or 2 in the British high command who could have faced judgement for the role that they played in the senseless slaughter of all those young men.
Ron I haven't read the book but I do have that movie on DVD and as you say it gives you a different perspective of what the German soldiers went through and from what I can see it was just as horrific for them.
BB
Ron-D said
08:35 AM May 7, 2018
My grand father and his father were both there he was only kid that put his age up ,they both returned from the war but he did not live a long life his lungs were destroyed from the gas apparently...
-- Edited by Ron-D on Monday 7th of May 2018 08:37:00 AM
HiAce98 said
11:48 PM May 16, 2018
As a baby-boomer immigrant I grew up with family who had first-hand experience in being caught up in war, and the after effects whether physical or mental will never leave them. But I'll never forget some graffiti in Adelaide that said "Fighting for peace is like f**king for chastity". I think maybe we should go back to having the king (president or prime minister) lead the troops into battle. That way they may make more effort to solve the problem with the pen instead of the sword. Some things ARE worth fighting for, but I'm sick of "Leaders" who antagonise each other and then send the poor darn foot soldiers out to die or become physically or mentally crippled, and when they make it home the govts leave it to "charitable" organisations to try and pick up the pieces. "Lest we forget" is not relevant for me because I assure you I can never forget. Thank you ANZACs for what you did for us, and damn you politicians that made it necessary.
Decided this warranted a new thread, so that the only other thread on this site acknowledging Anzac Day does not turn into the usual sh*t fight.
The greeting Happy ANZAC Day is not appropriate, it's not a happy day any more than Good Friday is a happy day.
ANZAC day is a day for reflection and remembrance.
I'm very surprised that on a forum comprised of mainly older Australians so few chose to reply or contribute to the thread in a meaningful and informed manner.
Obviously many of us have forgotten, or, perhaps, never even cared enough to worry about finding out.
"What does ANZAC stand for?
ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. The soldiers in those forces quickly became known as Anzacs, and the pride they took in that name endures to this day.
Why is this day special to Australians?
When war broke out in 1914 Australia had been a federated nation for only 13 years, and its government was eager to establish a reputation among the nations of the world. When Britain declared war in August 1914 Australia was automatically placed on the side of the Commonwealth. In 1915 Australian and New Zealand soldiers formed part of the expedition that set out to capture the Gallipoli peninsula in order to open the Dardanelles to the allied navies. The ultimate objective was to capture Constantinople (now Istanbul), the capital of the Ottoman Empire, an ally of Germany.
A view looking aft of lifeboat carrying unidentified men of the Australian 1st Divisional Signal Company as they are towed towards Anzac Cove on the day of the landing.
The Australian and New Zealand forces landed on Gallipoli on 25 April, meeting fierce resistance from the Ottoman Turkish defenders. What had been planned as a bold stroke to knock Turkey out of the war quickly became a stalemate, and the campaign dragged on for eight months. At the end of 1915 the allied forces were evacuated from the peninsula, with both sides having suffered heavy casualties and endured great hardships. More than 8,000 Australian soldiers had died in the campaign. Gallipoli had a profound impact on Australians at home, and 25 April soon became the day on which Australians remembered the sacrifice of those who died in the war.
Although the Gallipoli campaign failed in its military objectives, the actions of Australian and New Zealand forces during the campaign left a powerful legacy. What became known as the Anzac legend became an important part of the identity of both nations, shaping the ways in which they viewed both their past and their future.
Early commemorations
In 1916 the first Anzac Day commemorations were held on 25 April. The day was marked by a wide variety of ceremonies and services across Australia, a march through London, and a sports day in the Australian camp in Egypt. In London more than 2,000 Australian and New Zealand troops marched through the streets; a London newspaper headline dubbed them the knights of Gallipoli. Marches were held all over Australia; in the Sydney march convoys of cars carried soldiers wounded on Gallipoli and their nurses. For the remaining years of the war Anzac Day was used as an occasion for patriotic rallies and recruiting campaigns, and parades of serving members of the AIF were held in most cities.
25 April 1916: Australian and New Zealand troops marching down Whitehall London to Westminster Abbey.
During the 1920s Anzac Day became established as a national day of commemoration for the more than 60,000 Australians who had died during the war. In 1927, for the first time, every state observed some form of public holiday on Anzac Day. By the mid-1930s all the rituals we now associate with the day dawn vigils, marches, memorial services, reunions, two-up games were firmly established as part of Anzac Day culture.
Later, Anzac Day also served to commemorate the lives of Australians who died in the Second World War, and in subsequent years the meaning of the day has been further broadened to include those who lost their lives in all the military and peacekeeping operations in which Australia has been involved.
Anzac Day was first commemorated at the Memorial in 1942. At the time, government orders prohibited large public gatherings in case of a Japanese air attack, so it was a small occasion with neither a march nor a memorial service. Since then, Anzac Day has been commemorated at the Memorial every year."
-- Edited by Santa on Thursday 26th of April 2018 06:49:22 PM
Thank you Santa.
Aussie Paul.
Just felt it needed to be said Paul.
Thankyou Santa for your post I think sometimes it is good to remind people what this day is actually for. I started to respond to the previous post but decided against it as I knew that there were those who would take offence at what I wrote. Now I have decided to say it anyhow - yesterday I was impressed by all those particuarly the young people who proudly paid their respects at the many services that were held across Australia, NZ and on the various battlefields scattered around the world. I was not impressed by the drunken loutish behaviour I saw happening in one of our local pubs once the 2up had started. I'm sure most of the young yobbos involved had no idea about the real meaning of Anzac Day other than it was a reason to drink themselves into a stupor and harass others.
Don't get me wrong I am not against anyone playing 2up, having a drink and enjoying themselves as that has been a long held AD tradition but it doesn't give people a licence to behave like idiots when on any other day that type of behaviour would get you ejected from a place.
Cheers
BB
It certainly is a day for reflection and acknowledgement of the sacrifices of those who have fought in our Armed Forces in conflicts around the World and on home soil.
In this case, however, I am certain it was just an unfortunate choice of word by Aus-Kiwi, rather than any deliberate attempt to cause concern or angst to the memory of Anzac, especially as the day is also so important to those from NZ as well.
There's nothing like a good old war celebration & piss up, accompanied with plenty of bull ****, enjoy! It's our heritage.
Keith, I think your comment was way over the top and out of line.
I don't "celebrate" ANZAC day with a piss up.
I remember the people who were "SENT" by Governments to fight a war that most didn't want to go to, and would never come home from to their families again.
I have members of my family and friends who died on the battlefields. (I will not even go into my Military record.)
And to say it is a celebration and an excuse for a "PISS UP" just wants me want to puke. I have looked at a lot of your contributions to this forum and have liked a lot of them, but this post has lowered my opinion of you to almost Zero.
We're devastated.
Learn to lighten up a little. Our post wasn't disrespectful to our fallen whatsoever.
I was talking to a Vietnam vet just before Anzac Day. He was a bit thoughtful, reflecting on his experiences and commenting on some of our world leaders. His comment that struck me most, concerning the sacrifice of so much life was, "maybe Lest We Forget should be replaced by We've Obviously Forgotten." I don't think he was being overly cynical, just wondering when, if ever, the governments around the world would stop picking fights which would sooner or later cost more human lives. And no, I'm not trying to stir, just passing on the thoughts of someone who will never forget.
I have my own ways to honour my fallen Australians
All the attachments are in the Australian war museum as requested by the late Bruce Ruxton (Vic RSL president dec)
I agree Santa.
The guilty poster often opens his mouth without thinking.
Lest we forget.
Thanks for taking the time to post Santa. I just read your complete post. Certainly something we should reflect upon. Stay safe
My wife and I were in Canberra last Thursday and looking for something to do so we decided to spend a few hours at the Australian War Memorial - the last time we visited it was back when Bob Hawke was the PM. They have really done a great job with the recent renovations and improvements especially the WW1 wing I think Charles Bean's dream in 1916 has been well and truly realised. They told us when we entered that there would be over 900 school children visiting that day which apparently is a pretty normal thing.
The memorial was not built to glorify war or boast of victories but as a place to pay respect and remember the sacrifices made by Australians who believed that they were defending our freedom and way of life - that was Charles Bean's vision.
Lest We Forget
BB
The last time I visited it, around 15 years ago, I came out in tears and was glad to be so affected.
It is well worth a visit *especially* for people under, say, 50 who have no concept of war.
World War One effected me the most thousands ordered onto mass machine gun fire to be slaughtered continuosely for years on end ....
And for what? Nothing! No ground was gained.
If you haven't then I suggest you read the book:
"All Quiet on the Western Front"
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/355697.All_Quiet_on_the_Western_Front?from_search=true
It tells the story from a German perspective but it's no different to that an Aussie or Brit would tell.
I have long held the belief that after WW1 not only the leaders on the losing side should have been tried for their war crimes but there were also 1 or 2 in the British high command who could have faced judgement for the role that they played in the senseless slaughter of all those young men.
Ron I haven't read the book but I do have that movie on DVD and as you say it gives you a different perspective of what the German soldiers went through and from what I can see it was just as horrific for them.
BB
My grand father and his father were both there he was only kid that put his age up ,they both returned from the war but he did not live a long life his lungs were destroyed from the gas apparently...
-- Edited by Ron-D on Monday 7th of May 2018 08:37:00 AM
As a baby-boomer immigrant I grew up with family who had first-hand experience in being caught up in war, and the after effects whether physical or mental will never leave them. But I'll never forget some graffiti in Adelaide that said "Fighting for peace is like f**king for chastity". I think maybe we should go back to having the king (president or prime minister) lead the troops into battle. That way they may make more effort to solve the problem with the pen instead of the sword. Some things ARE worth fighting for, but I'm sick of "Leaders" who antagonise each other and then send the poor darn foot soldiers out to die or become physically or mentally crippled, and when they make it home the govts leave it to "charitable" organisations to try and pick up the pieces.
"Lest we forget" is not relevant for me because I assure you I can never forget. Thank you ANZACs for what you did for us, and damn you politicians that made it necessary.