Terry designed the banner, credits go his way. Looks great Terry.
I've always taken the time to think about the ANZACs and what they have done for our country, but it's only recently that I've really begun to understand what they went through.
It started late last year when I read a book my wife leant me, "An Anzacs Story - the memoirs of Roy Kyle". It was the story/memories of one anzac, but Bryce Courtney filled in the gaps with the history and other facts about the war. It really had me hooked.
I then borrowed a book from the library about the Light Horse Brigade from WWI - not the ones in the middle east but the ones that trained at Egypt and then went to Gallipoli as normal infantry. They fought and died in the bloody battle at "The Nek". Thanks to incompetent leadership they didn't stand a chance. The movie "Gallipoli" starring Mel Gibson and directed by Peter Weir was based on that story. I also watched that movie recently.
I was now hooked even more.
I bought the book "The Great War" by Les Carlyon at Xmas. It didn't cover the Gallipoli campaign because his previous book had already covered that. This was the whole story of the War in Europe, mainly the diggers and their war in France including The Somme. I had little previous knowledge of the disaster that was the war in Europe - what an absolute shambles. Thousands of men sent to their death for absolutely zero.
My family and I went to Canberra over the Xmas holidays and visited the Australian War Memorial - WOW. What an absolutely eye opening and heart wrenching experience. The "Tomb of the Lone Soldier" was incredibly through-provoking and emotional.
We didn't even get to see the whole tours, we only got through the WW1 and WW2 displays cause we spent so much time taking in the amazing models and dioramas. What a great experience.
I've now literally (just last night) finished reading "Kokoda" by Peter Fitzsimmons. Obviously it's the story of the ANZACs campaign on the Kokoda Track - again showing the diggers struggle through amazing odds, outnumbered 6 to 1, under supplied, ill-equipped, yet they still held off the Japanese and turned them around.
What the ANZACs have had to go through in war is absolutely incredible, hard to even believe that they can survive through it. It seems a common theme back in those early wars that incompetent leadership and a hang-up of the past with leaders who want to "charge" and send their men to their death - with absolutely no chance of reaching their objective. Officers who have to blindly follow orders, knowing full well that it means certain death for them and their men.
Very, very sad.
I will always remember them.
Lest we forget.