Roland Hearn
24th April 2007, 09:57 PM (21:57)
Today is a national public holiday in Australia and New Zealand. It is a day of unsurpassed national pride in both countries. A quote from a news service this morning. "Many say Australia was discovered by Captain James Cook in 1770 - it wasn't it was discovered at dawn on the 25th of April 1915 on a beach in the Dardanelles called Gallipoli." Australia had been a nation for just 15 years and was still very much considered as a collection of independent States by the populace. On that day the soldiers of the two nations charged a beach protected by sheer vertical cliffs with machine guns positioned on the top. They took the cliffs and help the position for nine months before a strategic withdrawal was organized. The troops of Australia and New Zealand were formed into a common army known as ANZACs, Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. The causalities were enormous but it gave these two fledgling nations an identity they had never had before. Today services around our nations began at 4:28am to mark the moment of the landing. The numbers were as big this year as ever, numbering in their thousands, and containing people of all ages. Parades, lasting for hours, of past and present troops will march in every population center in our countries. And then the drinking and gambling will begin. Today is the only day of the year that it is legal to play a gambling game called "two up." This game was popular among the troops. That is probably the dark side of the day but it is very much a part of the remembering.
Some other moments that will be remembered today are:
The battle of Possiers, France. ANZAC troops protected a large portion of the defensive line against overwhelming odds, their actions were instrumental in holding the western front.
The Battle of Beersheba. The last successful Calvary charge in history. Australian light horseman charged across four miles of open territory to attack and capture Beersheba and open up the way to Jerusalem. They did in a few hours what entire regiments were unable to do for months previously.
Kokoda WW2 in New Guinea. The first time Japanese land forces were halted and driven back in a land battle.
Australians have fought in almost every major conflict for the last 100 years. They were there in Korea and Vietnam, they are involved in the conflict in Iraq. I have teared up a few times this morning as I pass on the legends to my children and watch the parade on TV.
Some other moments that will be remembered today are:
The battle of Possiers, France. ANZAC troops protected a large portion of the defensive line against overwhelming odds, their actions were instrumental in holding the western front.
The Battle of Beersheba. The last successful Calvary charge in history. Australian light horseman charged across four miles of open territory to attack and capture Beersheba and open up the way to Jerusalem. They did in a few hours what entire regiments were unable to do for months previously.
Kokoda WW2 in New Guinea. The first time Japanese land forces were halted and driven back in a land battle.
Australians have fought in almost every major conflict for the last 100 years. They were there in Korea and Vietnam, they are involved in the conflict in Iraq. I have teared up a few times this morning as I pass on the legends to my children and watch the parade on TV.