ANZAC Day

On this day 87 years ago, in the breaking morning twilight, a flare burst above a narrow beach on the Gallipoli Peninsula in the Dardanelle Straits signifying the commencement of an assault by forces of the British Empire and France against Turkey during WW1. Troops of the 1st Australian Division were the first ashore at ANZAC Cove, as it is now known, followed closely by the New Zealand and Australian Division. They were met with fierce resistance and in the ensuing nine months, the Turks, during a campaign that would result in 252,000 casualties, would repel Australian, New Zealand, British, French and Indian forces. It was during this campaign that the term ANZAC was coined, a term that today is synonymous with joint Australian and New Zealand endeavours.

ANZAC Day is to Kiwis and Aussies as the 4th of July is to the Americans; it is now regarded as a defining moment in our respective national consciences. Many think of it as the day when we came of age and accepted that, as nations, we had to fend for ourselves and bear the full consequences of our actions. For at the time of outbreak of war, Australia was a very young nation - only 14 years old. Certainly federation had been ach

Perhaps it is fitting to end with a couple of quotes from the man responsible for conceiving the ill-fated Gallipoli campaign, Winston Churchill. "Courage is the first of human qualities because it is the quality which guarantees all others." At Gallipoli, the troops of both sides displayed extraordinary courage under extreme conditions of warfare. The pity is that so many were then unable to apply their talents after the war – a lost generation.

As we remember those that were lost in earlier conflicts, we should also remember those they left behind; the wives, children, parents, brothers, sisters, and friends because their suffering is part of the pattern of war that is too often ignored. It is pleasing to note back home and in New Zealand in recent times the resurgence of ANZAC Day because this signifies a growing interest in our wartime heritage by the younger generations such as ourselves. This is important if we are to have any hope of not repeating the mistakes of our past.

In Britain, the lack of success of the campaign was creating arguments amongst the leaders of the time about whether the campaign should be continued.

Our casualties during those nine months were horrendous. Of the 60,000 Australians who fought at Gallipoli, 7818 were killed and some 19,000 were wounded.

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