Anzac Day

[imam]

At the going down of the sun and in the morning we will remember them.

[lala]

Or, as I wrote in a (very long and now sadly forgotten) ballad composed as part of an English assignment when I was about 14,

On the 25th of April it happened,
Churchill gave out the command:
"Slit the Turk's soft underbelly,
And sweep them from the sand!

"We must get through to Russia!
We'll take the Black Sea way.
The Germans won't expect it,
An we'll free France in a day."

Can't remember a few of the intervening verses, but one further is not forgotten:

So the ANZAC boys dug trenches,
With holes the beach was filled,
And in these pits they cowered,
And waited to be killed.

I don't think I actually knew what ANZAC stood for, or why they were fighting in Turkey.

[Deleted]

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

They mingle not with their laughing comrades again;
They sit no more at familiar tables at home;
They have no lot in our labour of the day-time;
They sleep beyond England's foam.

But where our desires are and our hopes profound,
Felt as a well-spring that is hidden from sight,
To the innermost heart of their own land they are known
As the stars are known to the Night;

As the stars that shall be bright when we are dust,
Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain;
As the stars that are starry in the time of our darkness,
To the end, to the end they remain.

-- Laurence Binyon (1869-1943)

[Deleted]

To the Aussies and Kiwis, the best damn people on Earth.
Not as cocky as a Yank and not as obsequious as a Brit!

[sushimo]

I have an ANZAC cap badge from the 1st world war. One in my family was with them, I don't know who, and those that would know are long gone. Always feel a strong connection with Oz and NZ on this day.

[lala]

There were plenty of Brits and Frenchies there as well, Sush. Far more, infact than Kiwis or Aussies. Of course, to the Brits and the French Gallipoli was just a minor disaster on a long succession of atrocious battles, so it isn't as big a deal to them. Interestingly, there's been a noticeable increase - even in the short time I've been in New Zealand - in the Kiwi contribution to Passendale, and it has been commemorated as well. It won't become an ANZAC Day style national day, but it is good to see more, rather than less, understanding of history out there.

Heading in the other direction, apparently the Aussies are starting to forget that there were anything other than Australians in the ANZACs. The other day the radio interviewed a New Zealander, based in Aussie, who lectures in history recounted an anecdote about how his students got stroppy when he lectured them on Gallipoli - "Why is a Kiwi trying to tell us about the ANZACs, what would he know?" type comments - and a student even had to ask him what the NZ in ANZAC stood for.

D'oh!

[sushimo]

Sad that lala, I know that a lack of correct teaching of true historical events goes on, but I would have thought that this was one day where both these countries would have respected each other more.

I know my Grandfather was at Gallipoli, but this badge came from another family line.

[justmyopinion]

I would recommend ANZAC biscuits (Morrisons sell them at least), good to eat and a percentage goes to the British Legion

[yord]

Ive got a Butlins badge from when I was six. I shall leave it for my descendants to puzzle over.

[puffin]

May 5, 2009 20:07:10 GMT justmyopinion said:

I would recommend ANZAC biscuits (Morrisons sell them at least), good to eat and a percentage goes to the British Legion

Thanks for the information,just