#590. Old Photos & More !!!
# 591. What Is ANZAC Day ?
April 25th is the day when New Zealanders & Australians remember the soldiers who landed at ANZAC Cove and all those that fought and died in later conflicts. Commemorative services are held in many small towns around NZ and Australia on April 25th. An estimated 20000 people attended services in gallipoli last year.
ANZAC is an acronym of Australia New Zealand Army Corps. The ANZAC's were formed in December 1914 with the merger of of the Australian IMperial Force and the New Zealand Expeditiionary Force in Egypt. The ANZAC's made their first appearance at Gallipoli Peninsula in Turkey on April 25th, 1915. The beach where they landed was soon designated ANZAC Cove. The name ANZAC spread to include all New Zealand or Australian soldiers, who fought at Gallipoli, then to any New Zealand or Australian soldier.
# 592. What was the purpose of the Gallipoli Landing ?
The landing was part of a strategy to secure the Dardanelles Strait to allow allied fleets to threaten the Ottoman captial of Constantinople (now Istanbul) and hopefully force a Turkish surrender. The Allied forces encounted unexpectedly strong resistance from the Turks however and both sides suffered heavy loses. The campaign which took eight months was considered a failure. According to government estimates, the 260 day Gallipoli campaign involved 8556 NZ troops.There were 4852 injured and 2721 fatalities. There were more than 8700 Australian fatalities and a total of over 33,000 deaths among all the British forces. There were an estimated 87000 Turkish fatalities and 10000 French.
# 593. First Time Remembered
A service was first held in NZ on April 30th, 1915 - it took 5 days for news of the Gallipoli landing to reach this country. A half-day holiday was announced celebrating the bravery of our troops at the front. An official half-day holiday was gazetted on April 5th on the following year. April 25th, ANZAC Day officially become a public holiday in 1921.
# 594. Why Do We Wear Poppies ?
The red Flanders Field poppy and its relation to war and death dates from Napoleonic times. The plants were the first to grow over the battle ground and the soldiers buried under it, in the Flanders area of Belgium. New Zealand differs from other countries such as Britain, Canada and Australia., whose poppies were worn on Armistice Day, November 11th. Thats because the ships due from France to NZ, for Armistice Day, celebrations in 1921, arrived too late, forcing the poppy dat appeal to be moved around to ANZAC Day, the following year.
# 595. ANZAC Day Dawn Service
The Auckland War Memorial Museum was built as a Memorial to the 120,000 from the Auckland province who died in the First & Second World Wars.
On ANZAC Day, the Dawn parade will assemble at the band rotunda in the Domain from 5am to march to the Domain Cenotaph in front of the museum for the 6am - 6.45am service. After the service, the parade will march back to the band rotunda.
The museum will open at 6.45am and close at 10.15am for the 11am service. At 12 Noon, the museum will reopen. Free entry to the museum on this day - no donation will be asked for.
Other RSA's in the Auckland region will also be holding ANZAC Day services.
#596. Returned Services Associations
In July 15th 1915 the first ship SS Willochra, entered the Wellington harbour with the wounded back from the Gallipoli campaign, of World War 1. One of those who disembarked was Captain Donald Simson, who quickly realised the need for an assocation for the returning soldiers. In April 1916, a national meeting was called and the NZ Returned Soldiers Association was formed, making it the oldest veterans organization in the Commonwealth.
# 597. Gallipoli Veterans.
There are no Gallipoli veterans left. NZ's last veteran, Alfred Dibley died on December 18th, 1997. He received a posthumous QSQ for public service in 1998. Alec Campbelldied in Hobart, Tasmania in 2002, age 103. The old digger who had enlisted at 16 years old, received a state funeral.
#598. REMEMBRANCE !!!
The latest news and information for ANZAC Day events in NZ and around the world.
# 599. Tomb Of The Unknown Warrior
He represents all New Zealanders who were never to return from the wars.
The bugle, THE LAST POST !!! is inextricably part of the end of the day traditions.
"LEST WE FORGET"
