Class News: ANZAC DAY

ANZAC – Australia and New Zealand Army Corps

ANZAC Day – 25^th April, every year in Australia and NZ.

When Britain and Germany declared war on each other in August, 1914, World War 1 began. Many people from Britain had come out to New Zealand and Australia to live here, so Australia and New Zealand joined Britain’s side in the war.

One of the most significant * events of World War 1 for Australians and New Zealanders was the ANZAC landing at Gallipoli, in Turkey. After four months of training in Egypt, the ANZAC troops left for Gallipoli. At dawn, on 25 April 1915, they landed at a beach now known as ANZAC Cove. The landing was nightmarish; the beach was at the bottom of a steep slope, meaning that the ANZACs had a tough and dangerous struggle to climb up the beach as the well-organised Turkish troops rained shells and gunfire down onto them from the top of the cliff. Neither the Turks nor the British and ANZACs won this battle, but they had shown perseverance* and courage in the face of failure and despair. * They began evacuating on 20 December 1915.

The ANZAC Spirit - To cope with the tragic losses and to get through such a horrendous time, the soldiers had to develop strong bonds with each other and demonstrate extraordinary courage, endurance and bravery. So, when you hear someone speak about the ANZAC spirit, think of bravery, courage, endurance, * mate-ship, determination and sacrifice. These are the values that were demonstrated so strongly by the soldiers at Gallipoli.

One man who showed the ANZAC spirit was Private John Simpson Kirkpatrick. Simpson, as he was known, was a stretcher-bearer in the Australian Army Medical Corps. Night and day, he rescued injured men from the battle line and transported them to safety at ANZAC Cove on the back of his donkey. The donkey had originally been brought to Gallipoli for carrying water but, with Simpson, it found a much greater cause. In only 24 days at Gallipoli, Simpson and his donkey rescued around 300 wounded soldiers.

Honouring the ANZACs

In 1916, one year after the Gallipoli landing, 25^th April was officially declared * as ANZAC Day. In the beginning, ANZAC Day honoured the ANZACs. However, after World War 2, ANZAC Day began to honour everyone, alive and dead, who has been involved in wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations.

Over the years, many ANZAC Day traditions have formed. ANZAC Day begins with a Dawn Service. Dawn is a symbolic * time. The landing at Gallipoli occurred at dawn, and soldiers are woken before dawn and called to ‘stand-to’.

At the Dawn Services, veterans are called to ‘stand-to’, followed by one or two minutes of silence to remember the fallen,* then the silence is broken by a single bugle (a brass horn instrument) playing The Last Post. The Last Post was originally * played during war to tell soldiers the day was over. When it is played at memorial services, it symbolises that the duty of the dead is over and that they are able to rest in peace. Today, services often include the reading of hymns and poems, like the Ode, a gun salute and Reveille (the bugle call to wake up).

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.

ANZAC Day parades are also held, with ex-servicemen and women marching in uniform. Flowers and wreaths are laid on graves or memorials. A poppy is worn on ANZAC Day. Poppies symbolise the bloodshed in war. During World War 1, red poppies were the first plants to grow on the devastated French and Belgian battlefields. Soldiers used to say that their red colour came from all the blood spilt on the ground. On ANZAC Day, flags are lowered to half-mast as a sign of honour, respect and mourning.

The mothers, sisters and wives left behind during World War 1 sent ANZAC biscuits made of oats, sugar, flour, coconut, butter and golden syrup to their sons, brothers and husbands at Gallipoli. ANZAC biscuits were hard and long-lasting, designed * to survive the long journey to the troops. They were eaten instead of bread (which went stale quickly). Some men crushed them, mixed them with water and ate them like porridge.

Although women were not allowed to fight in World War 1, many tended to the injured troops overseas as members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Nursing Service.

Glossary