Today is ANZAC Day.
In Australia and New Zealand this day was originally created to honour the members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) who fought at Gallipoli against the Ottoman Empire during World War I.
These days it is a day of National Remembrance for those who served and died in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations and more broadly, the contribution and suffering of all those who have served our countries.
For me, here in Albany, it has rather a more poignant tone of sacrifice and contribution as Albany was the departure point to the Great War for some 30,000 young Australians and New Zealanders. Bound for Egypt and the battlefields of WWI they left our shores here on the 1st of November 1914, not knowing what they were heading for.
To think that the peaceful beach down the road from us once saw images such as these.
The Dawn Service takes part just before sunrise on top of Mount Clarence which lies just under a kilometre and a half to the west of our house. From the top of the Mount you can see across King George Sound where the original Convoy ships were anchored before their final departure from Australia.
This corner of the world may be a little paradise, but there was a cost and it’s always worth the reflection.
Further Reading
What does ‘Anzac’ mean?
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The Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC). But it stands for so much more in as much as national pride, strength of character, resilience . . .
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