Friday 25 April 2014

Anzac Day, Australia

Today is ANZAC Day in Australia, a day we especially remember service men and women who have served our country. ANZAC stands for Australian New Zealand. New Zealand is not a part of Australia and we here in Australia require a Passport when going to New Zealand.

ANZAC Day – 25 April – is probably Australia's most important national occasion. It marks the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War.

When war broke out in 1914, Australia had been a federal commonwealth for only 13 years. The new national government was eager to establish its reputation among the nations of the world. In 1915 Australian and New Zealand soldiers formed part of the allied expedition that set out to capture the Gallipoli peninsula in order to open the Dardanelles to the allied navies. The ultimate objective was to capture Constantinople (now Istanbul in Turkey), the capital of the Ottoman Empire, an ally of Germany.
The Australian and New Zealand forces landed on Gallipoli on 25 April, meeting fierce resistance from the Ottoman Turkish defenders. What had been planned as a bold stroke to knock Turkey out of the war quickly became a stalemate, and the campaign dragged on for eight months. At the end of 1915 the allied forces were evacuated, after both sides had suffered heavy casualties and endured great hardships. Over 8,000 Australian soldiers had been killed. News of the landing on Gallipoli had made a profound impact on Australians at home, and 25 April soon became the day on which Australians remembered the sacrifice of those who had died in the war.
Although the Gallipoli campaign failed in its military objectives, the Australian and New Zealand actions during the campaign left us all a powerful legacy. The creation of what became known as the “Anzac legend” became an important part of the identity of both nations, shaping the ways they viewed both their past and their future.

Anzac Ceremony:
At the Australian War Memorial, the ceremony takes place at about 5am and or 10.15 am in the presence of people such as the prime minister and the governor general. Each year the ceremony follows a pattern that is familiar to generations of Australians.
A typical Anzac Day ceremony may include the following features: an introduction, hymn, prayer, an address, laying of wreaths, a recitation, the Last Post, a period of silence, either the Rouse or the Reveille, and the national anthem. After the Memorial’s ceremony, families often place red poppies beside the names of relatives on the Memorial’s Roll of Honour, as they also do after Remembrance Day services.
Part of taken from the link

12 comments:

  1. Here in Canada we call it Remembrance Day, and our date is November 11th. My father was a prisoner of war and my heart goes out to all the people who fought for our freedom. Great post.

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    1. Hello Linda,
      We also have Remembrance Day on the 11th November.
      My second paragraph tells ANZAC Day is the major event that Australian and New Zealanders fought in as in the 1st World War, being Gallipoli in Turkey celebrated and remembered this day 25th April as this is the date that the soldiers landed on shore.

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  2. Here in Poland we have a Memorial Day on 1 st of November. It is a great day because we should commemorate those who had lost their lives for the country. RIP

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    1. Hello Gosia,
      Different date in your country - as you may read my reply to Linda you will see why we have the two dates :)

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  3. We have memorial day in the US which is next month I think

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  4. They were brave men and women. So many cut off in the prime of their life. We will remember them but I hate to remember what happened in the war.

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  5. Wonderful information. It is nice to remember brave men and women!

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