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ABOUT ANZAC |
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ANZAC HISTORY
When
Great Britain declared war on
Germany on 4 August 1914 there was
never any doubt which way
Australia would go. As a
dominion she was automatically and
legally committed; but in any case
Australian sentiment was
overwhelmingly pro-British, and
Andrew Fisher spoke for the whole
country when he promised to
support her 'to our last man and
our last shilling." |
Australia's
first acts of war
were to destroy
German wireless
stations at Rabaul,
Yap and New Guinea,
and to occupy German
New Guinea and
nearby islands
including New
Britain, New Ireland
and Bouganville.
Resistance was weak
and casualties were
few. Meanwhile
Brigadier-General
W.T. Bridges had
begun organising a
volunteer army for
overseas service, to
be known as the
Australian Imperial
Force and now famous
in history simply as
A.I.F. The response
exceeded all his
hopes and in three
months a complete
first division of
20,000 men had been
enlisted and partly
trained and was
ready to embark.
It was joined by two
brigades from New
Zealand, and on 1
November the
combined
contingent sailed
from Albany, W.A. in
thirty-eight
transports,
escorted by the Australian light
cruisers Sydney and Melbourne and
a British and a Japanese cruiser.
Its destination was England, via
Suez. Nine days later a wireless
station at Cocos Is. in the Indian
Island, signalled that it was
being attacked by a German
cruiser, Emden. HMAS Sydney left
the convoy and in a classic
running battle, disabled the enemy
ship and ran her aground. Owing
to a change of plan, the troops
were disembarked at Alexandria to
complete their war-training in
Egypt. Here they were joined by a
second mixed contingent and united
as the Australian and New Zealand
Army Corps (ANZAC) with General
W.R. Birdwood in overall command.
As a part of Allied strategy it was decided, early in 1915,
to attack Turkey through the
Dardenelles and so provide a safe
sea-link with Russia. The First
Lord of the Admiralty, Winston
Churchill, was sure the British
Navy could force a way through the
narrow passage but the attempt
was defeated with heavy loss. The
operation then became a military
one against a forewarned and
powerful enemy. On 25th April 1915
Anzac, British and
French troops stormed ashore on
the peninsula of Gallipoli against
fierce opposition from five
Turkish Divisions. After a day
of chaotic, heroic and bloody
fighting the ANZACS had
established a precarious foothold
at what became known as ANZAC Cove
and during the next two days they
held on grimly against continuous
and savage counter-attacks. Then
both sides paused to lick their
wounds and the ANZACS dug in.
During the next few months weeks
of stalemate were interspersed
with days of bitter fighting, with
appalling casualties on both
sides. From the start it was
apparent that the campaign must
fail - indeed many thought it
should never have been launched -
and in December evacuation of the
peninsula was ordered. This was
carried out with such skill that
the enemy was completely deceived
and by 8 January the last Allied
troops had left Turkish soil. In
this futile holocaust of eight
months Australian casualties had
totalled 8,587 dead and 19,367
wounded; but from defeat the
ANZACS had emerged as probably the
best assault troops in history.
One thing they never lost was
their sardonic sense of humour and
as they returned to Europe,
battle-shocked and weary they
sang:
"We
are the ragtime army
The
A.N.Z.A.C.
We
cannot shoot, we won't salute
What
bloody use are we?"
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Those
heroes that shed their blood
And lost their lives...
You are now living in the soil of
a friendly country,
Ttherefore 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 faraway
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.
ATATURK
1934
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Link:
www.awm.gov.au |
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