Anzac Day

[Bodhi]

Today is Anzac Day in Australia and New Zealand which is a solemn day to remember the sacrifice of Australian and New Zealand Army Corps troops who fought for our freedom in the Great War. Lest we forget.

 

[dingus]

 

[Bodhi]

That is a great song Dingus, thanks for posting

 

[BruceD]

Song for the Day

 

[Bodhi]

That was a moving tribute to Anzacs and many women who served as Nurses, building planes etc. Thanks for posting mate.

 

[Whatmore]

 

[Bodhi]

I recall a doco where some Aussie Vietnam vets met some Viet Cong soldiers decades later. There were tears, but mostly great mutual respect. One of the The Viet Cong soldiers said the Australian troops were the best troops they faced in Vietnam. Thanks for posting Trevor.

 

[Bodhi]

Hero of ANZAC

Twenty-two years old, English-born and a trade union activist, John Simpson Kirkpatrick was an unlikely figure to become a national hero. Having deserted from the merchant navy in 1910, he tramped around Australia and worked in a variety of jobs. He enlisted in the AIF, expecting this would give him the chance to get back to England; instead, Private Simpson found himself at ANZAC Cove on 25 April 1915, and was killed less than four weeks later.

Simpson would not have made a good peacetime soldier, and he was recklessly independent in war. Instructed to recover and help the wounded he undertook this work enthusiastically. Famously, he used a small donkey to carry men down from the front line, often exposing himself to fire. The bravery of this "man with the donkey" soon became the most prominent symbol of Australian courage and tenacity on Gallipoli.

Although Simpson carried no arms and remains an enigmatic figure, the nature of his sacrifice made a vital contribution to the story of ANZAC.