Saturday, April 24, 2004

'Being in the army is like being in the Boy Scouts, except that the Boy Scouts have adult supervision.' [Blake Clark]


"Those that shed their blood and lost their lives...you are now lying in the soil of a friendly country. Therefore rest in peace. There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side here in this country of ours... You, the Mothers, who sent their sons from far away countries, wipe away your tears; your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace. After having lost their lives on this land they have become our sons as well."
-ATATÜRK, 1934 [First President of Turkey]

That’s the monument erected in the graveyard at Turkey. Later in my life I hope I can make the trip, but owing to the contention in the world, Turkey has advised Australia against making the trip to the dawn service.

Ah well. I went to the one here last year, but not this year, owing to it being on Sunday, and that Mum ‘n Dad didn’t want to get up that early to drive me in. lol.

This excerpt is from an entry I made in the Otaku Lounge a while back.

“To feel the concentrated pull of the Anzac spirit you must go there. Walk the beaches and the hills and pause a while at the little cemeteries to read the names and the achingly young ages and say a prayer for lifetimes lost”

Australia was a relatively young country when the call to war reached it, fourteen years old since federation, and eager to prove itself to the larger countries already rallied for the battle that lay ahead.

“News cabled on 5 August that Britain, and therefore the Empire, was at war with Germany immediately impacted on that post-colonial generation of Australian men and their families. They responded in patriotic droves. In the cities long queues of young men eager to sign up formed outside recruiting centers. Country boys marched together down dusty roads, some walked isolated tracks alone, some rode horses. All had a single purpose: to volunteer to serve their country at war, which too often would mean to volunteer their lives.”

Ages ranged from 18 to 45, and the youngest, the 14 year olds that faked their age to fight and die for their country.

Fourteen years of age. Such a sacrifice, a decision to travel to a country unheard of, to fight in disease ridden conditions where death stalked in every corner. Those boys were our age, if not, younger. To think, would you be able to make that decision? Would you, no pressure what so ever, go out of your way, forge your age and join the army?

I think not

417 000 Australians enlisted in the army that year. Australia’s population was five and a half million at that time.
New Zealand’s was only one million, and they gave 100 000 of their finest, a staggering 10% of their population.

At 4.29 am on Sunday 25 April 1915, Queenslanders of the 9th Battalion landed in front of the foreboding black cliffs. They had landed in the wrong place, the current taking them further up the coast than planned. Two kilometers away, the planned landing area, was a flat stretch of coast, relatively safe compared to the soon to be blood soaked cliffs of Ari Burnu.

As the landing boats continued to pile up on the beach, confused officers tried to make sense of the useless maps. The only choice they had was to make camp and ready themselves for the mad charge that would cost many their lives.

One account of one of the suicidal charges:

“I can remember wading to the coarse land and stepping over dead men as I raced to the cliff face. Everyone was rushing madly up the cliffs. Rifles were snapping; shells were bursting; in front of bayonets were glistening in the half light; and behind us was the roar of the ships.”



“One thought uppermost in my mind as I sit here is that I will not be found wanting, shall not find myself a coward”

C.B. Giffin, a 32 year old farmer from the 14th Artillery Brigade.
Few of the 60 000 Anzacs who came to Gallipoli did not have similar thoughts before they stepped onto that deadly place which was to claim 11 400 Australian and New Zealand lives.

To me the history of the ANZAC spirit is an integral part of Australia. In the First World War, Australia was the only entirely voluntary force out of all of the allies.

That’s 417000 people that volunteered their lives to meet the expectations of the Empire. You’d be hard pressed to find that many people willing to give their lives for their country.

Australia, owing to the sheer mass of forces [and bad landing plans on behalf of the British, lol] suffered the most casualties. New Zealand suffered the most percentage loss of troops [Something like 54% I think], out of all the allies.

In my opinion I think we’ve done pretty well. I mean, there’s 300+ dead American marines, and a whole lot of 0 dead Australian Infantry.

[Once again, the quote is unerringly appropriate. That's three so far. I'm scared..o.O;;]


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