Anzac

[Kan Win]

R.I.P.

[chuchok]

Lest we forget.

[Jai Dee]

Lest We Forget.

The ANZAC Day Tradition

[triplegee]

Lest we forget.

Just watched the ANZAC ceremony before the Bulldgos / Cats game and it actually brought a tear to the eye.

Australia owes a LOT to it's ANZAC's.

[buadaeng]

Never forget and have an Anzac biscuit while you're at it....

[tutsiwarrior]

sorry to be obtuse but I thought that poppy day was in November...11th hour of the 11th day and etc.

for the benefit of us ignorant yanks what does the ANZAC ceremony commemorate?

edit...just saw Jai Dee's link above and now i know what your're talking about. I worked in Turkey not far from Cannakele where the big burial ground is. The two geordies that I worked with went off to visit the site and didn't invite me...probably figured that the effort would be wasted on a dumb yank...

[Nignoy]

sorry to be obtuse but I thought that poppy day was in November...11th hour of the 11th day and etc.

for the benefit of us ignorant yanks what does the ANZAC ceremony commemorate?

edit...just saw Jai Dee's link above and now i know what your're talking about. I worked in Turkey not far from Cannakele where the big burial ground is. The two geordies that I worked with went off to visit the site and didn't invite me...probably figured that the effort would be wasted on a dumb yank...

For all new and old anzac comrades , who lie in foreign soil, you are not and never will be forgotten, Nignoy

[MP5]

"Lest We Forget"

I've said it before Bo th my Gran Dads would turn in their graves if they knew some of the things they had fought for are now near obsolete.

Do you know in Auckland they are trying to either evict or up the rent to a ridiculous level to OAP that endured hard times,heart ache and loss.

So much for respect your elders!

Also in NZ they are going to farm out poppy making to China because the RSA can't afford the cost.

What happened to sheltered work shops or all the schools having to make ex amount.

I dunno kids know why yet the politicians seem to want to lose any reason to remember yet the ANZACS are scattered all over the world today!

[Pink Mist]

sorry to be obtuse but I thought that poppy day was in November...11th hour of the 11th day and etc.

for the benefit of us ignorant yanks what does the ANZAC ceremony commemorate?

edit...just saw Jai Dee's link above and now i know what your're talking about. I worked in Turkey not far from Cannakele where the big burial ground is. The two geordies that I worked with went off to visit the site and didn't invite me...probably figured that the effort would be wasted on a dumb yank...

probably worth a google tuts to realise it's signifgance to us.

11/11 is Armistace day and April 25 ANZAC day which I think you realise now.

These ordinary everday guys were put in an impossible position, went beyond the call of duty and were Heroes one and all.

Lest we forget.

[chuchok]

sorry to be obtuse but I thought that poppy day was in November...11th hour of the 11th day and etc.

for the benefit of us ignorant yanks what does the ANZAC ceremony commemorate?

edit...just saw Jai Dee's link above and now i know what your're talking about. I worked in Turkey not far from Cannakele where the big burial ground is. The two geordies that I worked with went off to visit the site and didn't invite me...probably figured that the effort would be wasted on a dumb yank...

Origins

The ANZAC tradition began during World War I with a landing in 1915 at Gallipoli on the Turkish Aegean coast. Because of a navigational error, the Anzacs came ashore about a mile north of the intended landing point. Instead of facing the expected beach and gentle slope they found themselves at the bottom of steep cliffs, offering the few Turkish defenders an ideal defensive position. Establishing a foothold, the Anzacs found an advance to be impossible. After eight months of stalemate, the Allies withdrew, leaving 10,000 dead amongst the Anzacs.

Although numerically the Anzacs were a minority of the half-million Allied men who served at Gallipoli, the troops from the two young nations were often at the vanguard and became renowned for their doggedness despite what the British regarded as a lack of discipline. A full 10% of the New Zealand population (then just under 1 million) served overseas during World War I, and New Zealand had the highest casualty and death rate per capita of any country involved in the war. Australia had the highest casualty rate of any military involved in the war.

The rest here.. ANZAC_Day

[Pink Mist]

one thing the Ozzies an Kiwis can allways look at together with pride

[Mighty Mouse]

To the survivors who took part in any of the wars..............Thanks.

To those who didn't make it home..........Lest we forget.

[Pink Mist]

none left from the first one mouse, all gone now.

[Bicko]

Cheers blokes. I just posted a note on UDON's last year message on the same topic and then found this.

My regiment only fought in the Pacific and is one of only two Australian units that were awarded a US Presidential citation which we still wear with pride on ANZAC day.

The New Guinea Volunteer Rifles militia unit assisted the yanks to win the battle of Los Negros, a chain of islands north of New Guinea. Our soldiers were experts in surviving iindependently in the jungle and operated in small groups of 2 or 3 with the assistance of the local natives (Gutpela more!!!) carrying out reconnaisance work and reporting the activities of the Japanese back to HQ. They were always in great danger. I joined the unit in the early 60's and there still some of the old Diggers in the unit. They earnt their Regimental and Queens colours the hard way and we younger members of the unit were formally presented with the colours on the 17th May 1969 at Igam Barracks in Lae, New Guinea.

The ANZAC spirit is in our blood and we carry the tradition of the original ANZACS with immense pride.

God bless the ANZACS

[Pink Mist]

Cheers blokes. I just posted a note on UDON's last year message on the same topic and then found this.

My regiment only fought in the Pacific and is one of only two Australian units that were awarded a US Presidential citation which we still wear with pride on ANZAC day.

The New Guinea Volunteer Rifles militia unit assisted the yanks to win the battle of Los Negros, a chain of islands north of New Guinea. Our soldiers were experts in surviving iindependently in the jungle and operated in small groups of 2 or 3 with the assistance of the local natives (Gutpela more!!!) carrying out reconnaisance work and reporting the activities of the Japanese back to HQ. They were always in great danger. I joined the unit in the early 60's and there still some of the old Diggers in the unit. They earnt their Regimental and Queens colours the hard way and we younger members of the unit were formally presented with the colours on the 17th May 1969 at Igam Barracks in Lae, New Guinea.

The ANZAC spirit is in our blood and we carry the tradition of the original ANZACS with immense pride.

God bless the ANZACS

good onya mate thanks

[Jai Dee]

one thing the Ozzies an Kiwis can allways look at together with pride

Hear hear.

Brothers In Arms.

[Mighty Mouse]

none left from the first one mouse, all gone now.

I can remember sitting on the side of George Street Sydney as a kid, watching the diggers from WW1 and WW2 marching on ANZAC Day.

As a kid I didn't fully appreciate the sacrifices that soldiers made for their country.

In later years, I watched the ANZAC Day marches full of appreciative pride but the dwindling numbers of WW1 veterans was most evident.

These days the number of second world war veterans is dwindling rapidly and the Vietnam soldiers are starting to show their age.

In Australia now, there is a huge debate about whether family members of deceased war vets should be allowed to march. The RSL fear that unless they do there will be nobody marching on future ANZAC Days.

The numbers of vets may be decreasing but the numbers of flag waving spectators along the streets are increasing each year, proving that the ANZAC spirit lives on.

[Nignoy]

none left from the first one mouse, all gone now.

I can remember sitting on the side of George Street Sydney as a kid, watching the diggers from WW1 and WW2 marching on ANZAC Day.

As a kid I didn't fully appreciate the sacrifices that soldiers made for their country.

In later years, I watched the ANZAC Day marches full of appreciative pride but the dwindling numbers of WW1 veterans was most evident.

These days the number of second world war veterans is dwindling rapidly and the Vietnam soldiers are starting to show their age.

In Australia now, there is a huge debate about whether family members of deceased war vets should be allowed to march. The RSL fear that unless they do there will be nobody marching on future ANZAC Days.

The numbers of vets may be decreasing but the numbers of flag waving spectators along the streets are increasing each year, proving that the ANZAC spirit lives on.

Have just returned from our dawn service, a good turn out, Was proud to be allowed to lay a wreath for fallen comrades who died in secret wars and deniable actions around the globe, to see a few berets and badges of famous regiments long disbanded or amalgamated,and I hope health permitting to be able to have the next anzac day service in Leong Nok tha Lest we forget, Nignoy

[Kerryd]

Should have posted this in the General Forum, where it would reach a much larger audience.

After Hong Kong fell (early in WW II), my countrymen didn't contribute too much to the Pacific theatre, being mostly tied up defending jolly old E and taking on the other lunatic.

Well done to the ANZAC lads none the less. Sorry to hear that Oz lost it's first trooper in Iraq recently.

[donna]

i had the privelige of attending one of the ANZAC Day memorials at Hellfire Pass in the year 2000.

right at the moment of the 1 minute silence, the birds started chirping, the sun came up and i swear i could hear the sound of hammers and men talking in the back ground.

many people say that hellfire pass is haunted. i tend to believe them.

it was a very moving service and one that i will never forget. Below is an email i wrote to a few friends at the time.

Today is ANZAC Day. I organised for my group to go to

Hellfire Pass for the Dawn Service this morning. We

had to get up at 3.15am and left at 3.45am. It took

us an hour to get there, and it was really special as

it was foggy as we approached. I felt like there were

the ghosts of thousands of men there to greet us.

We walked down to the cutting, which is amazing when

you think that these men made it with no power and no

machinery at all, just a bit of dynamite and lots of

heavy hammers.

As we arrived, there were not too many people there as

we beat the big buses there. We managed to get a spot

right on the front near where they lay the wreaths.

There was no-one really famous there, but when you are

in the middle of the jungle and hear bagpipes play,

followed by a trumpeter playing the Last Post, it is

particularly eerie.

We had 2 minutes silence and all you could hear were

the birds chirping in the trees, but I couldn't help

but imagine the voices of the POW's as they were

working away.

This was a really special day for me. It is really

hot here in Kanchanaburi, but I would recommend this

as the best thing you could do on ANZAC Day, followed

by the Shrine Dawn Service.

I got talking to an older man there who had his

fathers medals pinned on his chest. He said he had

come to say goodbye to his father as he would never be

able to come here again. He went to see his fathers

grave for the first time in the cemetary and told me

that during the service was the first time he had

cried in 50 years. I assume that the previous time

was when he found out what had happened to his father.

Very sad and very moving stuff.

There were also a lot of Vietnam Vets there too. One

man who looked like he has seen better days was there

with his broken shoes, but proudly wearing his Weary

Dunlop T-Shirt. I assume that this is his way to

chase old demons away. He probably spent all of his

pension money on this trip. I just wanted to go up

and hug him.

Sitting here and writing about it has brought tears to

my eyes, but I am so glad I went. It has made me feel

really proud to be Australian (and coming from me -

the unpatriotic one - that's some feat!). The people

there were mainly Australian and there were actually

more than one of them that worked on the railway.

[Kan Win]

Photos take by a very good friend of mine “Simon the Aussie” of Anzac Day in Kan 2006.

More photos here by Simon

The reason that I posted this thread in The Central Thailand Forum was that this Day is/was commemorated in Kanchanaburi, at Hellfire Pass and Donrak Cemetery each and every year.

Thank once again Simon.

Yours truly,

Kan Win

[Nignoy]

Thanks for the photos , sadly ill health stopped us being there this year, we hope to be there soon , would you mind if my wife use one of your pics as pattern for a tapestry, Nignoy

[Kan Win]

Nignoy

I am sure Simon would not object to that.

Welcome to use the photos and most of all thank you for asking.

Yours truly,

Kan Win