ANZAC Day Events

Today in OZ it is ANZAC day. Not supposedly a day of celebrations but 'paying of respect' not for WWII but WWI veterans of ozzie and kiwi descent.

Unfortunately IMO we have overdone it and it will go on for 24rs none stop - the only way to avoid this excess is to leave the TV off.

I mean no disrespect to those brave 'diggers' from both nations and I have watched some sober docos this week.

But I do take my cap off to those ozzie lads and their Walers. The horses of the bush - sturdy and hard suffering. 120,000 were used in WWI in the middle east to fight the turks and germans. they and their 'mates' entered Damascus triumphant and took the city before Lawrence of Arabia could do it officially!

Only 1 returned to OZ. Those that were considered fit and young were sold off to the British Army in India and the remaining 2000 considered too old and infirm were de-maned; de-tailed and then shot and skinned and their carcases left for the vultures - shot by 'friendly fire'

Many of the soldiers of course were horrified having known these horses either from birth on their stations or for the course of the war - but orders were orders.

How senseless are wars? today I mourn the Walers

Re: ANZAC Day Events

It is the 100th anniversary of the original ANZAC Day so perhaps a bit more of a special effort was justified on this occasion.

ANZAC Day remembers military personal of ALL wars who have fought for their country.

Re: ANZAC Day Events

precisely; that is why it has got too big - so does it now commemorate the Israeli soldiers fighting the Palestinians, or the Palestinians fighting the Israels ; the Yemenis fighting the Iraq military or the Ukranians fighting the Russians etc etc etc etc- I do not see or hear commemorations to this long list of all of military around the world. ANZAC cannot represent the rest of the world and neither should it.

Re: ANZAC Day Events

The list of nations you mention as them representing is nonsense. Obviously to satisfy the pedant in you I should have said, "ANZAC Day remembers military personal of ALL wars who have fought for THIS country."

I don't think it does attempt to recognise any of those countries you mentioned, essentially it remembers Australian servicemen who have fought for their country. As a large number of them fought with the British and American forces in WWII then for obvious reasons they get a guernsey - for example those Australian airmen flying with Bomber Command in Europe.

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this is what you said and that is why I challenged - a slip of the tongue can suddenly become world wide!

I think it is your pedant slip that is showing mister and this time it slipped. Do take care we ARE on a world stage!

Re: ANZAC Day Events

As mentioned ANZAC day is today a biggy because it was 100 year
ago. The reason the ANZACs were prominent is because it was the
first time ever that they as Australians and New Zealanders fought
alongside the allies as their own self, their own Country and not
as a British division. This was the birth of those two nations.
As for the killing of all those horses. I too could weep for them.
They did the same when the first world war finished in France.
One of the best stories about the horses and their fate was a
story about a horse called Songster. Look him up and see that
not all horses met that horrible fate. Its a heart warming story.

Don't forget that we all have our own opinion on subjects so
we don't have to trance each other just because we might disagree.

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"Gallipoli holds a special place in Australian hearts.
Many believe it was here that Australians proved themselves the equal of any in the world, heralding the young nation's emergence onto the world stage.
A coming of age for two newly independent nations."

My daughter and her partner live there on the Gold Coast. They got up at 3.30 to attend a dawn service at Currumbin along with 50,000 others. She said that many of those there were young people.

Thousands of poppies streaming down the cliff side, very reminiscent of the Tower of London last year.

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A terrible loss of life for virtually no gain whatsoever.

392,000 men killed or wounded, the majority being the Turks who lost 251,000.

Bear in mind that Gallipoli wasn't long after the Turks had lost to the Russians in the Caucasus Mountains; a force of 95,000 reduced to 18,000 with 50, 000 frozen to death.

Whilst I do feel for the losses the Allies suffered and the waste of thousands we must remember them all, from all sides. stevmk2

Re: ANZAC Day Events

not to mention the Armenian genocide also?

Re: ANZAC Day Events

The disaster at Gallipoli was a double Churchillian cock-up

At the outbreak of WW1 Turkey was undecided about whether to join in, and it started to look as though she would stay neutral. So the Germans & Austro - Hungarians sent a delegation by warship to persuade her to join their side.
They were about to be intercepted by the Royal Navy when Churchill sent an ambiguous message to RN warships about not engaging a superior force, which made them hesitate, so the Germans were able to arrive in Turkey without any interference, and so persuade the Turks to join their side.

Later Churchill instigated the Gallipoli/Dardanelles campaign, which was something of a shambles, and is well documented.