ANZAC Day. Not aviation but military.
 

It's a beautiful morning here in coastal Essex and I've just returned from our local war memorial to pay my respects. It's not dedicated to Australians or New Zealanders but it's close enough.
A few years ago I stayed with a friend at his house in Sutton Veny, Wiltshire. He invited me to his church yard where there were some Australian war graves from the First World War.
There were five or six rows, and he asked me if I noticed anything unusual. They were all dated 1919.
All of these soldiers and nurses had survived the Great War and were enjoying being billeted in a beautiful English village before being repatriated when they were all killed by the Spanish Flu.
The church has an alcove dedicated to ANZACs and the local primary school children tend the graves beautifully. Worth a look for travelling Aussies but very saddening. Lest we forget.

I watched the National service from Canberra and I noticed that the length of the commemoration was markedly reduced. No Last Post or Abide With Me. Whats going on? I did like the GG marching with the Somalia contingent before taking up the reviewing dias though. The 100 year old WW2 Digger marching was also impressive.

The Aussie flag is up outside the house in Shropshire at the moment. I believe the Aussie way of doing it is half-mast till 11, then, after the silence, it goes full-mast.

I was a ten-pound-Pom, grew up there and my siblings are Aussie born and living near Perth.

Hi BOTR - it should be remembered that, whilst the Armistice is always acknowledged as 11 Nov 1918, the Treaty of Versailles was not signed until 28 Jun 1919; thus formally ending the war; and that the Imperial War Graves Commission laid the majority of WW1 headstones between 1920 and 1927, such was the size of the task. A good number of headstones reflected those who died from the Spanish Flu epidemic whilst serving right at the end of the war effort, as well as after the cease of hostilities, and many more were laid for those who died from wounds some years after the war had ended. As an example; in my local churchyard, of 3 CWGC headstones, there's one from 1916, one from a death in Nov 1919 and one from Dec 1920. The Nov 1919 stone states "...died from the effects of gas poisoning in Belgium." - clearly some (horrible) time from the cause to the final effect.
Another thing you may notice with NZ headstones is the lack of any personal inscription. British families were allowed up to 66 letters to pay their own personal tribute on the headstone below the official inscription; for this 'privilege' (!) they were charged thrupence ha'penny per letter. The governments of the dominions disagreed, on the basis that charging for a personal inscription defied Fabian Ware's intent that all were equal in death. Therefore, the Australian and Canadian governments funded the cost of a personal inscription from official coffers, as desired by the Next of Kin; the New Zealand government went further in the name of equality, and banned personal inscriptions on headstones for New Zealand personnel altogether. Hence, almost no NZ CWGC headstones from WW1 have a personal inscription. Whilst I understand the principle of the stance, I do find that the personal inscription on a headstone is sometimes most moving; it's sad (to my mind) that NZ headstones lack that connection.

Thanks for the extra info Squipdit. It is so sad that these soldiers and nurses had finished fighting and were waiting for transport home. They thought it was over. The British primary school pupils who tend the graves know more about what happened than a lot of Australian teenagers.

In the CWG cemetery near Monte Cassino there are many Canadian stones. One, the most poignant, said to the effect that the incumbent had died in an European war - like his father before him!! How that husband and mother must have suffered.

On Anzac Day in particular I remember my grandfather. He went ashore at Gallipoli exactly 108 years ago today. He did not last long before he was evacuated to England and, after a stay in hospital, back to Australia. He was a very disturbed man when he returned. My father, who was born in 1931, remembers him screaming in his sleep as his nightmares overcame him. And those nightmares continued until at least 1956 when my father left home to marry my mother. Who knows what he experienced? All we know are the awful results.

My father died recently and I am trying to write his eulogy. Clearly his life was effected by his father’s problems and I want to acknowledge that as accurately as I can. So I need some help please.

My grandfather’s service records reveal that he was evacuated from Gallipoli because he suffered from “sciatica”. And that’s what he was treated for in England. My family have always believed that he suffered from what we would now call severe PTSD and that the diagnosis of sciatica was one given by doctors who wanted to disguise his true condition as an act of kindness to him.

Is anyone here able to shed any light on the likelihood that this is true? Was a diagnosis of sciatica used during WWI to disguise the real problem from which a soldier suffered, perhaps so as to protect the soldier from accusations of desertion? I would be very grateful for any assistance please.

I apologise for writing on a non aviation subject in this forum, but trust you will forgive me.

Lest we forget.

The village of Leighterton in Gloucestershire hold a service each year on the Sunday closest to ANZAC Day. It has been going since the thirties as during the First World War there was an Airfield there and one close by at Minchinghampton. They were where the ANZAC Air Corps was founded and trained. You could say that was the initial home of the RAAF & RNZAF. Sadly there are several graves of airmen would died in crashes during training and one of an Australian who returned home but died later and requested that he be returned to Leighterton to be buried with his pals. It is attended by present representatives of the Australian and New Zealand Forces and the village school children all lay sprigs of Rosemary on the graves as the roll of honour is read out. The Air Cadets from Cirencester, Stroud and Tetbury all attend along with the local RBL. I was proud to attend as OC 1245 (Cirencester) Sqn and despite torrential rain, the cadets stood fast and paid their respects to the dead of so long ago.
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Taken after the rain!

ANZAC Day in London 2023
 

This morning I was on parade before the Cenotaph in London, as I always try to do on ANZAC Day, to honour and remember those who served alongside me in No 36 Squadron RAAF in the mid 1960s - and especially those who later died in training aircraft accidents.

The weather was dry, thankfully, and sunny but with a chilly wind. This year the event was managed by New Zealand and the first wreath was laid by His Royal Highness The Duke of Gloucester followed by their Excellencies the High Commissioners of Australia and New Zealand. As is normal, other wreaths were laid by The Rt Hon James Cleverly MP, Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, UK Heads of the Armed Services and senior officers from Australia, New Zealand and India (that also sent many soldiers to fight at Gallipoli).

The Service was brief, yet accompanied by very clearly read passages by two young girls nominated by Australia and New Zealand. Music was provided by the Band of the Grenadier Guards that also provided a trumpeter who performed the Last Post exceptionally clearly. Of course we sang 'O God our help in Ages Past' and the three National Anthems (UK, Australia and New Zealand ) before marching off before a large and appreciative crowd of well-wishers.

Sadly, this year once again there was no Service in Westminster Abbey, this time as preparations were
being made for the Coronation.

On a personal note, the reason I attend these events is to reflect upon the three years I, an RAF pilot, spent in Australia flying A Model Hercules on a co-pilot exchange posting with the RAAF. I flew all around the Pacific Rim, and I remember operating with the most professional pilots, navigators, flight engineers, loadmasters and ground staff at RAAF Base Richmond. I learnt a great deal in my time there, and ANZAC Day helps me to recall that fascinating experience.

My condolences BaaG. I have finished the Eulogy for my Father & will deliver it tomorrow. Sadly, I have no answers to your questions but my Father grew up with a WW1 veteran who turned to the bottle & was mentally abusive to my Grandmother. My Dad turned that around & didn't carry on like that.

It's funny, my English Grandad, also a veteran, was the nicest, gentlest Man you could ever meet. Of course, the beast manifests itself differently for each individual. One can only wonder about the type of Men they were before they served.

Good luck with your research. :ok:

A fairly typical country town ceremony in Oz: I was heading back for my RSL at Runaway Bay, stopped for a coffee on the way and when I was ready to leave the road was closed for the Canungra march, so I stayed for their ANZAC Day ceremony instead.

Canungra is home to the Kokoda Barracks, a major Army Training establishment, so there was a good military presence including RAN and RAAF.

Very well attended and worth staying :ok:

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