ANZAC Day

[Rusty]

ANZAC day is just about over, there will be some still having a drink and a game of two up but for me a busy day is at an end.
Started at 7 sharp with getting up the young one, he was quite happy today because I told that we going to Max,s place, he understands an adventure at 4.

We drove past the Australian War Memorial at 7.45 there were people parking cars and walking to the grounds to get a good spot for the parade in two hours.On a few street corners there were old Diggers shaking hands as they meet at prearranged locations, medal and ribbons all shining in the bright morning sun.

9 am arrive at Ashley Wilsons to collect a newly machined motor for my 1963 Australian army 1/4 Ton Land Rover. Won it on Ebay and Ash picked it up in Melbourne after the Tank Museum sale Let the young one out to pet the rams and load the engine in quick time, said thanks and on again to the Hedges.

9.20 am arrive at the Hedges after passing a Bren Gun carrier all on its own sitting on the road. Max had asked me to give the boys a hand, I was wandering if I was too late. Pulled into the drive to see a young lady pushing a Blitz in reverse while her Fella Aaron sat in the cab trying to clutch start "Tickets". Parked my ute and push the Blitz it fires up and Aaron is ready go. Look for my ride the Ford ute and see it sitting on the battery charger, remove the charger and Boof turns up and cranks over, nothing happens. Check under the bonnet and see the fuel bowl is low, Boof rembers to switch on the fuel pump next crank it fires, but fuel is running out of a joint in the line. Grab one of Maxes new Red dot spanners and tighten it all up were ready to go.

Not yet Boof cant get the Bren carrier started he heads off with Nathan and the tractor with a tow rope, I follow in my ute. Arrive at the Bren jump in the back with the young one and we get towed down the road. I check on fuel and spark as we roll on in gear, No spark, check battery, totally flat. Race back and grab the Jeep battery, chuck it and the young on in the back and off we go on the tow rope, she coughs to life as I work the choke. With a big bit a throttle she roars out her open exhausts and the young one sreams and crys, its toooo noisy. Jump out and run 200m back to the ute get back to Max,s and Grab the Ford, on my way now its 10.15 and the parade is due to start at 10.30.

Make into town and sit back and watch the diggers line up every one else has made it in. Young Aussie soldiers, the pipers and diggers form up and we are on the way. 200m latter we pull up outside the memorial hall and I kill the engine and step out to join the service. The crowd is quite as the drums and pipers halt, the young Aussie soldiers form an Honour guard and do not flinch for the next 45 minutes as the service is held. I admire their dedication as I shuffle from foot to foot to eliviate my discomfort at standing. The speaches are made, the last post is played, wreaths layed and the honour guard rejoin their troop. The crowd brakes away the diggers go to the club for a feed.

Its time to move off that is all except the Bren it wont start we all join in a pushing effort, no luck out with the tow rope. It takes about 30 minutes to get her going this time and John Hedges races home to find some wire. I hot wire the Bren and with a quick tow we make a slow trip home in convoy. Say farwell to the boys at the Hedges and head to Rob Farmers place to return a borrowed trailer. Rob has the Dodge WC 51 fired uo so that we can take it out for a test run. Passenger holds the battery and operates the hand brake, no foot brake working yet. We drive up and down the country road outside Robs, we both have a huge grin as we pull up at Robs. Young one steps out and says for the first time thats a roooly cool dodge dady I dont want to go home lets just drive the Dodge. Rob heads back to shed full of restoration adrenalin, I head Home. It was a really good day to remember

Lest We Forget

[Keith Webb]

Thanks for sharing this with us...

I had a flu-ish thing developing so I didn't go to the dawn service as planned. Then as it was a nice day there was pressure to stay home, so I watched part of the parade on TV where they had a nice big shot of Euan's CGT with the commentators struggling to describe it - in fact they said it had been "lovingly restored by the strike group" then described it as the property of the VMVC... at least they said it was a blitz buggy, but also said it was used as a tractor on a farm.
There is no excuse for this sort of "make it up as you go". I'll have to have a chat to the TV station to volunteer next year as an extra commentator!

Around midday I went out to the tank museum to film more material and interviews which is when my day started to look a little like yours, as John walked straight into the raised forks of the forklift (and went down) then they struggled to start the Alligator without result, leading John to call it the same anatomical name he used for the Cent whan that wouldn't start. The DVD I'm making may have some bleeping in it.

[Max Hedges]

the crowd on the steps of town hall

[Max Hedges]

of the spectactors in Sydney. I went to Sydney to catch up with fathers battalion, about 16 old diggers managed to march all well in their eighties now.
Max

[Max Hedges]

another photo taken in Sydney

[phoenix]

Good to hear a few people taking aprt in the ANZAC Day parades around the country. I took my FFR Land Rover in the Parade in Launceston (Tas) along with a M-37, 4 willys jeeps (including number 46) and a Gamma Goat. It was a good day actually

Wonderful thread here for Anzac Day ... thanks for making us part of it through MLU ...

I celebrate in my own little way, thinking of your Anzac day and what it means, and hugging my Regular and Latte flavored Tim Tams to me, that arrived to my mailbox today, Anzac day of all days, from Australia ... Tim Tam Tony strikes again Thank you from my happy tummy!

And Bless Bless Aussie Vets and those who value and love them

Karmen

[Bob Moseley (RIP)]

Hi all
Drove a Chev (yuk) Blitz in our Parade and had a great time with the vets. Here are a few shots, more people than vehicles, you see enough of them. But have a look at our dawn sky.

[Bob Moseley (RIP)]

After the main march I take a group of vehicles to the Adelaide Oval where the traditional Anzac Day Australian Rules football match is played between the premiers and runners up of last season. Here we carry vets that were players in the past in a cavalcade of honour. This is organised by our Department of Veteran Affairs and they treat the vets like royalty on that day.

All in all another brilliant day where I can in some small way thank the vets for our good life in this country.

Bob

[Phil Waterman]

Glad to hear that things went well. Take it that the earlier reported concern over liability insurance was resolved. Nice to hear that paying tribute and respect are still in fashion.

[Keith Webb]

Source

Here's the accompanying text:

In the village where I was brought up - Fovant in Wiltshire - there are a number of ANZAC graves from WW1, all the result of influenza deaths.

I can remember ANZACs coming over for memorial services. The troops were camped out around the village and used the top of the downs as a rifle range. We used to find spent bullets quite regularly. A local farm still had some of the original wooden huts for storage, and I found a couple of old army badges in one.

Fovant is famous for its 'badges', carved in the hillside chalk by the various regiments stationed there. There is a viewpoint on the A30 half way between Salisbury and Shaftesbury. There used to be a large map of Australia also, near Compton Chamberlyne, but that became overgrown years ago, as they need to be weeded at intervals.

This comes to us from the Plane talk forum.