ANZAC DAY

ANZAC Day 

What is ANZAC day ? 

ANZAC day is a national holiday for us to remember the NZ and Australia army corps that fought at Gallipoli in World War I. Gallipoli is remembered because it is when New Zealand established its own identity as a country.

Gallipoli

The ANZAC troops landed on the beaches of the Gallipoli Peninsula, in Turkey on 25th April 1915.  They were meant to take over the peninsula so the their allies could control the Dardanelles Strait.  It did not work, there was bad planning and it was difficult to land supplies and back on the beach.  They landed in the wrong place.  The Turkish forces were up high and were able to stop the ANZAC ‘s and the British from making their way to the top.  They withdrew in December in 1915. 8556 New Zealanders fought at Gallipoli, 2721 died and 4725 were wounded.

 What does the letters of ANZAC stand for?

Australia and New Zealand Army Corps.

When was the first ANZAC day? 

The first ANZAC day was in 1916 25th April.

ANZAC Ceremony.

It has two major parts the Dawn service and later in the morning, The Anzac parade. 

The Dawn Service is before dawn and starts with a march by returned service men before dawn to a local war memorial. Then a short service follows with a prayer, hymns (including Kipling’s ‘Recessional’ or ‘Lest we forget’) and a dedication that ends with the 4th verse of Laurence Binyon’s For the Fallen -

“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 in the morning

We will remember them.”

Then the Last Post is played followed by a minute’s silence and the reveille. A brief address follows, the hymn ‘Recessional’ is sung, A prayer and the singing of the national anthem.

 The Anzac Parade takes place later in the morning. The Returned Service men wear their medals and march behind banners.  The veterans are joined by other people like armed forces, red cross, cadets. The march goes to the local war memorial.  Another service takes place.  After these services many veterans retire to the Returned and Services’ Association (RSA) to unwind.

Facts:

Thousands lost their lives in Gallipoli, 87000 Turks, 44000 men from France and the British Empire including 8500 Australians and 2721 New Zealanders.

ANZAC biscuits was known as an Anzac wafer or tile and was part of the rations given to the soldiers. They were given instead of bread as they lasted longer.

Rugby & Rugby League games are played on ANZAC day to help celebrate the day.

ANZAC also includes officers from Britain, Ireland, India, Zion, Ceylon and the Pacific Islands

The Red Poppy is the symbol of war remembrance around the world, for those who died in war or who still serve. *The red or Flanders poppy was the first to grow and bloom in the mud and soil of Flanders. * *

The last surviving ANZAC, Alec Campbell died on May 16, 2002.

The Uniform worn by ANZAC Soldiers

Some weapons used were Machine Guns, .303 Enfield Rifles, .455 Webley Revolvers, MK1 Grenade, Naval guns when there, Short Range Trench Mortars and homemade bombs.  These bombs were made from empty tins and filled with nails, shell, barbed wire, scraps of metal and an explosive charge. A fuse was fitted through the top of the tin which would be lite with a match.

**

The Bombs     The .303 Enfield Rifle

*

                               ANZAC Day

******