ANZAC Day 2020

[Lindommer]

A poignant event, this year the only one since 1916 (exempting the WWII years, understandably) without a public celebration. I've enjoyed listening to Eric Bogle and The Pogues, none of them Aussies, with their recognitions of our history.

Listen here:
Eric Bogle:

The Pogues:

There's a movement here in greater Sydney for musos to strike up personal renditions of the Last Post at 6:00am tomorrow from their balconies, front porches. gardens, etc. So, expect a cacophony of strange noises early tomorrow morning.

 

[Tex]

I've thought Bogle and The Pogues' account of Turkey in 1915 to be more moving than any of the 'official' histories.

 

[Lindommer]

On a very personal note I'm named after my maternal grandmother's brother who died at Gallipoli; he enlisted in an Otago Regiment and left for the front without saying his farewells to his family. So, so sad. My grandmother begged my mother to name at least one of her brood after the brother she didn't know was gone at the time. Please forgive me for being a bit maudlin at this time of the year.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

^ no need to apologise, mate.

My maternal grandfather Harold Mordaff Patterson & a mate rode from Otane in Southern Hawkes Bay to Palmerston North to enlist but were turned away. Granddad was 17 at the time. So, as you do, they rode on to Wanganui where they & their horses were enlisted. Don't know what becam if the mate, don't even know his name, but granddad made it to Gallipoli with the Third Replacements where he got sick & was medevaced some time before the final withdrawal. He then served on the Western Front.

I don't remember him ever talking about the war but I do remember watching an episode of The World At War & every time Churchill came on screen he would get very agitated. In the end he got up & turned the tv off & I'm sure I heard him say something like "that's enough out of you, you bloody butcher".

Paternal grandfather Charles William was in the Royal Navy Division which was at Gallipoli but he only got as far as Egypt. At wars end he was aboard an armed merchantman & being a mere squaddy had no idea where he was. But he did have a pretty good description of Adelaide c/- his brother, an atlas & a clearly vague idea of calculating latitude. Ship docked in what he was sure was Adelaide so he jumped ship & tried but failed to find his brother because he was, in fact, in Bluff harbour NZ. Waited for the ship to leave port, handed himself in, served a short time in gaol & became a kiwi.

My father William Charles turned 18 in 1941 & joined the RNZAF as an armourer. You had to be 21 to be posted overseas & I think you had to have your mother's permission. She had died in '42 so dad put his name down to go up to The Islands, most likely it would've been Fiji, but Charles William, who by then was Postmaster of Invercargill, found out & somehow got dad's name taken off the list. Dad was gutted & in later years furious that he couldn't join the RSA (your RSL) as he wasn't a Returned serviceman! Common sense did eventually prevail but he pointedly joined the Air Force Association which was an RSA adjunct, rather than the RSA itself. But he went to every ANZAC Day parade & after-function until he died. I still have the RSA poppy he wore to his last parade & his RNZAFA badge.

 

[Froggy]

ANZAC day on our front drive, listening to the service with the people across the road and those two doors down. In a strange way, almost more moving then the regular service.

 

[Dan54]

Ok fellas , I know this will disappear quickly, but thought we should have a thread for the day. I believe ANZAC day is the most important day in Aus and NZ, ahead of Christmas and everything, just because what it stands for, which is us!!
Posted this morning on my family facebook site from my nephew in NZ (an Aussie boy who married my niece)

REMEMBERING THE ANZAC'S
In all wars past, and those to come
Our two nations stand as one
Kiwis and Aussies side by side
Brothers in arms, and brothers in pride
In the trenches we fought, with no thought to yield
To honour and redeem, our dead mates on the field
It's such a damned waste, we were all scared as hell
But with our great ANZAC spirit, no-one could tell
We fought for our nations, we fought for our blood
We fought for our brothers who died in the mud
Two separate nations forever entwined
We're peas in a pod, we're two of a kind
War is a waste, on that, we agree
But without the great ANZAC's, there's no you, and no me
We fought to the death through our blood, tears, and sweat
So, honour our ANZAC's....... Lest we forget.
S. Bielski 11/11/2017

 

[Dan54]

Just thought it relevant is all we worried about on here is really only a game in the end!

 

[dru]

Just re-reading the battles of El Alamein.

The 2nd New Zealand Division, the Aussie 9th Division AND the 1st South African Infantry (along with many others) were simply incredible.

What ever happens with Super going forward, we really should have NZ v Aus teams on this weekend.

 

[Dan54]

ANZAC day on our front drive, listening to the service with the people across the road and those two doors down. In a strange way, almost more moving then the regular service.

Me and wife did same and hearing someone play the Last Post on a bugle in next street. Also found it very moving Froggy!

 

[cyclopath]

I too was woken this morning by someone playing the Last Post (very well too) somewhere a few streets away. All else was dead quiet, and lying in bed it was really pretty special to hear. Eerie, in a way.

 

[dru]

We were up with ABC in the background. Then there was bugles in the distance, mid and close and on the tv. All slightly on different out of synch places.

Somehow made it all the more impressive.

 

[dillyboy]

For a cool bit of trivia, here's copies of my great grandfather's enlistment papers:

And his medical records - poor guy was shot at Gallipoli (survived it though)

I think grandma's brother got his medals so unfortunately we don't get to wear them.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

For those interested, ancestry.com have made access to Aus & NZ service records free until at least tomorrow. Apparently all you need is a name & obviously things like DOB to sort your ancestor Jim Bloggs from someone else's. I might even give it a burl myself.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

GOAT can play the bagpipes. Who knew?

"At 11am today, pipers across NZ & Aus joined to commemorate ANZAC day with a rendition of Amazing Grace. Lest we forget #Anzac #Amazinggrace"

- Gemma McCaw on Insta.

Not really a fan of the pipes myself (other than in It's A Long Way To The Top, obviously )

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby...-war-heroes-with-bagpipe-tribute-on-anzac-day

TLDR: grandpa McCaw was a WW2 fighter pilot, he & young Richie were close, grandpa ran a gliding school, GOAT learned to fly there.

 

[cyclopath]

GOAT can play the bagpipes. Who knew?

"At 11am today, pipers across NZ & Aus joined to commemorate ANZAC day with a rendition of Amazing Grace. Lest we forget #Anzac #Amazinggrace"

- Gemma McCaw on Insta.

View attachment 11434

Not really a fan of the pipes myself (other than in It's A Long Way To The Top, obviously )

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby...-war-heroes-with-bagpipe-tribute-on-anzac-day

TLDR: grandpa McCaw was a WW2 fighter pilot, he & young Richie were close, grandpa ran a gliding school, GOAT learned to fly there.

With all his mad skillz, we should get him as CEO of RA.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

^ the impossible he can do in the blink of an eye. The unpossible may take him a while longer, he's not Phil Kearns ffs.