Anzac Day

[lavenlaar 1]

The Ode:

 

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.

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At the going down of the sun...

 

I crouched in a shallow trench on that hell of exposed beaches... steeply rising foothills bare of cover... a landscape pockmarked with war’s inevitable litter... piles of stores... equipment... ammunition... and the weird contortions of death sculptured in Australian flesh... I saw the going down of the sun on that first ANZAC Day... the chaotic maelstrom of Australia’s blooding.

 

I fought in the frozen mud of the Somme... in a blazing destroyer exploding on the North Sea... I fought on the perimeter at Tobruk... crashed in the flaming wreckage of a fighter in New Guinea... lived with the damned in the place cursed with the name Changi.

 

I was your mate... the kid across the street... the med. student at graduation... the mechanic in the corner garage... the baker who brought you bread... the gardener who cut your lawn... the clerk who sent your phone bill.

 

I was an Army private... a Naval commander... an Air Force bombardier. no man knows me... no name marks my tomb, for I am every Australian serviceman... I am the Unknown Soldier.

 

I died for a cause I held just in the service of my land... that you and yours may say in freedom... I am proud to be an Australian.

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The following was written by Pericles (anc. Rome) over 2000yrs before Anzac Day

thought was worth noting,

 

"Each has won a glorious grave - not that sepulchre of earth wherein they lie, but the living tomb of everlasting remembrance wherein their glory is enshrined. For the whole earth is the sepulchre of heroes. Monuments may rise and tablets be set up to them in their own land, but on far-off shores there is an abiding memorial that no pen or chisel has traced; it is graven not on stone or brass, but on the living hearts of humanity.

Take these men for your example. Like them, remember that prosperity can be only for the free, that freedom is the sure possession of those alone who have the courage to defend it."

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Last Post

 

" WE WILL REMEMBER THEM "

[slotbaker 9]

Lest We Forget.

[FloridaSlot 0]

good on ya yella's

 

cheers

[newso 0]

its a special day,can't listen to the last post though......

 

terry

[lavenlaar 1]

bump

[MCGREGOR168 0]

Very well put together .

 

 

For me it is a very special day to remember not all the people that died in all wars but I use it to remember a lot of good friends I served with over my 21 years of naval service and will probably not see again .

 

 

thanks Brendan

 

 

Regards John (ex RAN R109084 )

[slots 5]

Went ot Dawn Service as normal.It's good to reflect there on what has passed and what it took to get what we have.

Thanks Brendan

 

Lest we forget.

[itelectrical 0]

We Will Remember Them.

[phoeno29 2]

We went this morning to the local service. We live in a town just outside brisbane with about 5000 people. 500 of them were at the dawn service which was our first one.

 

It was very well done and we won't forget.

[gazza 77]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[gazza 77]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[terry 36]

 

we were all a lot younger then

 

terry

[Eno the Wonderdog 7]

The Ode:

 

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.

 

We will remember them.

[gazza 77]

HMAS Sydney

 

 

 

 

 

[lavenlaar 1]

Thanks for those pics Gazza of the Australian Light Horse Battalion. My Great grand father was there at El Alamaine fighting and was one of the luckier ones to come home, I remember as a kid we had the bayonette in the house.... since my grandmother passed away - i should ask to see who now has it ?

[SlotsNZ 115]

Lest we forget.....still

a few years ago, before it became "fashionable" for young people to attend dawn services.

 

- daughter, after walking home from the shopping centre a kilometre from home, past the memorial clock and building with the brass plaque of names from both World Wars across from it.

 

"Mum, Dad, you know that building with the list of people from the war, there's a man call "Bill" with our family name"

 

mum - "you tell her dear"

 

dad (me) - "That's your grandfather, my dad, who died before you were born, he fought on 2 continents in the 8th army. Two of your great uncles are on the wall too, with grandma's maiden name. One of them came home, the other is buried at Gallipoli like you read about at school"

 

daughter - silence, and some long pensive thoughts ....... "...... can we go to the dawn service tomorrow?"

 

Came home _________________________________________ Didn't come home

Edited April 24, 2008 by SlotsNZ

[slo1quick 12]

Thanks for the pics,very sobering. To think that so many gave the ultimate price for the love they had for others. And so many put their lives on the line to protect their loved ones, and others' is awesome! Remembering those men and women and what they sacrificed helps me to get on with the business of loving , and I love playing slotcars, and that love is the most important thing. I am proud to have relatives enshrined in rememberance ! Keep the spirit alive!

Thanks to our service men and women!

[gazza 77]

Kokoda

 

[gazza 77]

[gazza 77]

Original Anzac Units

 

5th Battalion

 

A Company

 

 

B Company

 

 

C Company

 

 

D Company

 

 

E Company

 

 

F Company

 

 

G Company

 

 

H Company

 

 

All Gone ....... but never forgotten!

[gazza 77]

Original Anzac Units

 

8th Battalion

 

A Company

 

 

B Company

 

 

C Company

 

 

D Company

 

 

E Company

 

 

F Company

 

 

G Company

 

 

H Company

 

 

All gone ...... but never forgotten!

[slotbaker 9]

Lest We Forget.

[gazza 77]

HMAS Australia passing HMS Victory 1913

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[bandit 2]

Well done Gazza,brilliant pics.

My dad served in royal navy in ww2,told me a yarn of battle to sink the bismark,dad was on the HMS AURORAa destroyer escort and his best mate served on HMS HOOD,as they were a distance off the HOOD AND BISMARK many miles apart but bismark fired upon the hood and had a direct hit on hoods boiler room and blew her to pieces all killed ship sunk in minutes.Also my uncle on board another warship unsure of the name but he worked in gun turret i think c,turret b had direct hit all killed it was many hours if dad knew if his brother was alive.Fortunately he was.Alas they've passed away since but those two stories was all he'd tell me.He never glorified war only said son do your best to prevent it.......god bless all who served and still do,and as the ode says.....WE WILL REMEMBER THEM!

Cheers col.

[gazza 77]

Of the 1418 crew on the Hood only three survived the action

 

Bismark

 

 

Hood

 

 

Photo of the smoke cloud over Hoods position, probably taken from Prinz Eugen

 

 

 

HMS Aurora