ANZAC Day

[ozemu]

My Troop went to the dawn service for ANZAC Day this morning. Great service as usual. Not a bad turn out for the Troop given that they have been on holidays for a fortnight (50 or 60%).

 

ANZAC Day is the anniversary of our first day of land fighting in WW1. April 25 1915. Bigger than Rememberance Day over here.

 

Both my kids wore one of the great grandfathers medals. They have two that went to war and each year they swap which ones they wear.

 

After the service we had PLC. All over by 0815 am! Then some went for the march as well. Next year we plan to do both. The dawn service to show our respect - the march as PR.

 

Small fact - 2/3 of the Australian troops who went overseas in WW1 became casualties. No other country on either side paid so dearly.

 

Here's hoping that no country ever repeats that. We still pay the price today. How do you replace the flower of a generation?

[purcelce]

ANZAC! I remember the mini-series called ANZACS. I think Mel Gibson, and the guy who played Crocodile Dundee in it.

 

I think it came out in the mid to late 80's. I wonder if it's out on DVD?

 

I'll say a prayer today for all those who have served, serving, and will serve down under.

 

 

[LovetoCamp]

Passchendaele

[ozemu]

Yes ANZACś is out on DVD but it was not Mel Gibson but a bloke who looks similar. Paul Hogan was the best known actor (Dundee)

 

For my Grandadś Battalion it was Bullecourt. 51 got back from 250 who went in and the Battalion had already suffered much to get from 1000 (full strength) to the 250 who started that day.

[LovetoCamp]

WWI was the first modern war and the last of the ancient wars. Hundreds if not thousands of miles of trenches and bunkers, troops all hunkered down with no where to go. Machine guns were used for the first time in large numbers. Tanks made their debut. Poison Gas. The huge loss of life was caused by officers using tactics from previous wars to fight the current one. So, we had horse cavalry charging machine guns. Infantry frontal assaults against machine guns, earthworks, and barbed wire. British officers must have studied Pickett's charge at Gettysburg and thought it was the way carry the German lines. But what about those machine guns? Mowed down like grass. At Passchendaele, the British just kept sending wave after wave after wave right into the guns.

 

Hurray for the ANZACs!!! None Braver!