Anzac day 2012

Private_collector · #1 24-04-12, 12:31

Just a few hours to go now.

Shoes shined. Medals polished & re-polished again. Clothes pressed and laid out in readyness. Slouch hat brushed off and adjusted.

To sleep now, and up again at 0330hrs, to get dressed and drive the 40 min to town for the dawn service. Then home afterwards for a couple of hours rest until returning to town for the ANZAC Parade at 1000hrs.

Lest We Forget

Bless 'em all!

Ken Hughes · #2 25-04-12, 07:07

Hi Tony,at our local working mens club the ANZAC parade etc is now run by Vietnam Vets,all ww2 vets have passed on,(in our area) it is a great day for remembering those that made the ultimate sacrifice and those that are no longer with us.Every year it gets closser to our turn to run things

Private_collector · #3 25-04-12, 10:45

Ken,

That is just such a tragedy. We all know this is inevitable, but with some of the scum crowding the world now, it's so unfair we are losing these grand fellows instead.

Each year I see less of my dear old favorites on ANZAC Day. Then some time in the future I may see a plaque dedicated to their memory in our ANZAC Memorial Lane. That's very hard to come to terms with. The only redeeming feature is that majority of the WW2 guys are now tired to the extent that they are feeling 'ready to go'.

I did have one pleasent surprise today, and I will be writing a post about that particular Gentleman in next few minutes.

Private_collector · #4 25-04-12, 11:20

ANZAC 2012.jpg ANZAC 2 2012.jpg
As always, this years ANZAC Day Dawn Service was a fitting tribute to all who have served (or are serving) in Australian and New Zealand defence forces. Weather was fine but cloudy, with only a very slight hint of the approaching winter chill. The crowd was considerably larger today than it has been in many years past.
ANZAC 3 2012.jpg
The Dawn Service is conducted from the vicinity of our ANZAC Flame. This photo was taken later in the day, from the direction of the park where the crowd was assembled. The ANZAC Flame sits at one end of our Memorial Lane.
ANZAC 4 2012.jpg
At the other end of Memorial Lane, these gates virtually disappear beneath the wreaths and other tributes that adorn it on ANZAC Day & Remembrence Day.

Every year there are minor problems with noise from a large group of Corellas (chirpy birds) that rest in the trees of the park. This year was no exception, but it is actually kind of fitting, as the Corella is quite iconic. This year a Kookaburra called out once, at a perfect moment in the procedings to remind all assembled that this is Australia!

ANZAC 5 2012.jpg

This wreath says it all.

The crowds today show they will NEVER be forgotten.

Parade photos to follow.

Private_collector · #5 25-04-12, 11:41

Parade 1.jpg Parade 2.jpg Parade 3.jpg Parade 4.jpg Parade 5.jpg
These are some of the vehicles that participated in our ANZAC Parade this year. Each one carried the ex-service personnel that were unable to march.

Part 2 follows.

Private_collector · #6 25-04-12, 11:50

Parade 6.jpg Parade 7.jpg Parade 8.jpg
More photos.
Parade 9.jpg
This last photo was taken as an 'after thought' while I was walking back to the car. The photo was taken around 30 min after the parade had finished, and shows the amount of people that stayed around to mingle with the Diggers, look at the vehicles, or just take in the magic of the day. Only about 1/4 of the crowd had left at this stage.

One more post to come, and I have saved the best for last!

Consider it my 'Last Post'..........sorry

Private_collector · #7 25-04-12, 12:20

Stanley Fox 1.jpg
Folks, it is both a privelidge and a very great pleasure to present Mr Stanley (Stan) Fox.

Stan is now approaching 90 years old but still has the cheeky spirit, and dogged determination that quite possibly helped to keep him alive as he waded ashore at Normandy on 6th June, 1944. Yep, Stan was a Royal Marine, and was one fo the first British troops to land on D-Day!

I have known Stan for a number of years now, and had almost given up on ever seeing him on ANZAC Day. Imagine my surprise when I was told (by his Daughter) that he was actually participating in the Parade, being driven in one of the vehicles.

I have a book, "D-Day: Dawn of Heroes" which Stan has autographed for me, complete with service number. He's such a great old bloke, our Stan, and still has very vivid memories of D-Day. He once described the unloading of his landing craft, where some of the men were so keen to get at the germans that they wanted to be first off the barge. Stan recalls that when the door was lowered, those men were cut down by german machine-gun fire. The guns had been trained on the door, waiting for it to lower. Most of the first men off were killed or wounded. Stan went over the side of the landing craft and swam away from the LC as fast as he could. He is a very lucky man to have survived the swim ashore, and doesn't mind saying he very nearly drowned in the scramble.

Many of the things Stan told me, I since found to be reflected in the movie "Saving Private Ryan", which I had not seen at that time. The movie was slightly less graphic than Stans recalling of the day.

Stanley Fox 2.jpg
Here's to you, Stanley Fox! And all your comrades

cliff · #8 25-04-12, 11:46

Tony perhaps it would be nice to post photos showing the unique murals along Memorial Lane as I don't think there is anything quite like it in the world

Once again I had all the great intentions of going down to the dawn and 10am service and once again failed to make it but I did spend some time up in my garden remembering the mates I served with in the Territorial (Part time) 1Med Battalion at Papakura Army camp (now closed) in New Zealand back in the late 80's and remember especially the older full time soldiers that were the core of the unit and the service they had seen. I did not complete my basic training due to injury but I never forget those who still serve keeping us as safe as they can.