"Well I have made it to another Anzac Day.." Topic

and that's my bit done here for this year.
link

The link didn't come up for me – but I doff my cap to the sacrifices Australia and New Zealand have made.

Phil

Aye, Lest we Forget….

(same here, link did not work.)

Honor to the heroes!

I second the messages of thanks above and will raise a toast to 'absent friends'.

Here it is (there was a following period at the end of your link)

We will remember them.

snip

Just home from dawn parade myself, another good turnout.

We will remember them.

Robert

They went with songs to the battle, they were young.
Straight of limb, true of eyes, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted,
They fell with their faces to the foe.

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.

Lest we forget, Lest we forget…

it was late when I went to bed,, hard to forget..Dawn parades a bit too chilly for me and I had enough relatives at the very first one to be let off..

link

Ditto, back from dawn service and gunfire brekkie at our local RSL.

God bless them all for their service and sacrifice, and please watch over our servicemen and women (and those of our allies) currently in harm's way around the world.

We will remember them.

lest we forget.

And the band played Waltzing Matilda – – -

One of my favourite songs

Yes, Anzac Day and here I am in Tokyo of all places, coaching young Japanese Engineers.

At the going down of the sun …………

A huge day for myself,

attended dawn parade, a chilly 3 degrees with – 4 to -6 wind chill factor, a number of the band members failed to play their pipes…..then off to the Military section of the cemetery, back for breakfast at the soldiers club caught up with a few engineers I served with, sat around chatting and catching up, talking about some mates who we have lost in the past.

Then off to the Cathedral for the morning church service, a very moving sermon, letters from German soldiers to their parents, officers reports and doctors reports from Stalingrad. Our priest served as a digger in Vietnam so he really put a lot of feeling into it, and didn't tell us who the letters were from until the end of the sermon.

Then back to the main street for a coffee with fellow band members, managed to have a 40 min chat to a ex Scots Dragoon Guards and 1st REP Legionnaire, what a interesting character and career soldier. (a very impressive chestful of medals, 10 commonwealth and 6 foreign!)

I then lead the band for the parade up Auburn street, one of the biggest crowds I have seen, about 11 degrees so still freezing, then watched the cenotaph proceedings.

Then went to Taralga (30klm drive)for their RSL luncheon and then the Taragla street parade (I lead the parade!)and cenotaph proceedings, a large number of people turned out for the village event with 20 odd wreaths laid. Then into the top pub, played a few tunes then headed home about 4pm.

I think the crowds are growing every year, it is good to see!

cheers
Matt

My best wishes and my respect, on behalf of those in my family now no longer with us, who cherished the times serving with and alongside the ANZACs they met.

Goodness. I'm very impressed by Blue Willow's entry. I managed to get to the Aussie Embassy's dawn service here in Baghdad, along with a number of my colleagues. Great gunfire breakfast, including biscuits and rum and lots of friendly joshing between Aussies, Brits and Yanks. Good words from the Aussie Deputy Ambassador who reminded all that Oz is built, not on ethncity or religion, but on the qualities that were shown on that morning so long ago. Lest we forget….

The Colonel

A belated addition, but ANZAC sacrifice is not forgotten in by us in West Wales either:

link

Thats great, thanks for posting.

While I was in the UK, living in Weymouth Dorset, the Town also had an ANZAC day commemoration at the ANZAC memorial built in memory of the the ANZAC hospital sited there…

(Note the fine British weather!)

Needless to say if an Aussie or Kiwi is serving or embarked on a RN warship on Anzac day, then respect is shown with a dawn service. This is HMS Bulwark, a Commando Carrier:

(Never seen so many Weapon Engineers up so early!)

My best memory of Anzac Day is as a reservist in the 3/9th LH. I did the catafalque party at the "Horse Trough" in Adelaide, then marched. Never felt so proud, but at the same time so humble in all my life.