ANZAC DAY APRIL 25TH

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ANZAC Day goes beyond the anniversary 

of the landing on Gallipoli in 1915.

 It is the day we remember all Australians

 who served and died in all wars, 

conflicts, and peacekeeping operations.

 The spirit of ANZAC, with its human qualities of courage,

 mateship, and sacrifice, 

continues to have meaning and relevance

 for our sense of national identity. 

On ANZAC day, ceremonies are held in towns and cities 

across the nation to acknowledge the service of our veterans.

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What is ANZAC Day?

ANZAC Day – 25 April – is probably Australia's most important national occasion. 

It marks the anniversary of the first major military action fought

 by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War.

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 federal commonwealth for only 13 years. 

The new national government was eager to establish its reputation 

among the nations of the world.

 In 1915 Australian and New Zealand soldiers formed part 

of the allied 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 in Turkey),

 the capital of the Ottoman Empire, 

an ally of Germany.

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,

 after both sides had suffered heavy casualties 

and endured great hardships.

 Over 8,000 Australian soldiers had been killed.

 News of the landing on Gallipoli had made a profound impact 

on Australians at home, 

and 25 April soon became the day on which Australians remembered 

the sacrifice of those who had died in the war.

Although the Gallipoli campaign failed in its military objectives, 

the Australian and New Zealand actions during the campaign 

left us all a powerful legacy. 

The creation of what became known as the “ANZAC legend” 

became an important part of the identity of both nations,

 shaping the ways they viewed both their past and their future.

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New Zealand

The total number of New Zealand troops and nurses to serve overseas in 1914-1918, 

excluding those in British and other Dominion forces,

 was 103,000, from a population of just over a million. 

Forty-two percent of men of military age served in the NZEF.

 16,697 New Zealanders were killed

 and 41,317 were wounded during the war

 - a 58 percent casualty rate. 

Approximately a further thousand men died within five years of the war's end, 

as a result of injuries sustained,

 and 507 died whilst training in New Zealand between 1914 and 1918.

 New Zealand had one of the highest casualty 

and death rate per capita of any country involved in the war.

 (from Wikipedia)

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Workers successfully repair a damaged seawall at Gallipoli

Updated Tue Apr 23, 2013 9:47pm AEST

Workers successfully repair a damaged seawall at Gallipoli ahead of Anzac Day, 2013.

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Rememberance song

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The Army refers to the slouch hat by its official designation; 

Hat khaki fur felt (KFF) - 

to everyone else it is a ‘Slouch Hat’. 

The word ‘slouch’ refers to the sloping brim.

 The brim is made from rabbit-fur felt or wool felt 

and is always worn with a puggaree. 

History has it that the origins of the Slouch Hat began

 with the Victorian Mounted Rifles;

 a hat of similar design had been worn in South Africa 

by the Cape Mounted Rifles for many years before 1885.

 The design of the Victorian Mounted Rifle hat 

originated from headgear of native police in Burma 

where Lieutenant-Colonel Tom Price had recognised its value. 

The Victorian hat was an ordinary bush felt hat

 turned up on the right side. 

The intention of turning up the right side of the hat 

was to ensure it would not be caught during the drill movement

 of “shoulder arms” from “order arms”.

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Anzac Day 2013

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