LEST WE FORGET. . . . . .

[Phil Perry]

I saw this last weekend, not far from where I live.

 

Very nice tribute - and reminder.

 

 

 

[kaz3g]

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

 

Between the crosses, row on row,

 

That mark our place; and in the sky

 

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

 

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

 

We are the Dead. Short days ago

 

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

 

Loved and were loved, and now we lie

 

In Flanders fields.

 

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

 

To you from failing hands we throw

 

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

 

If ye break faith with us who die

 

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

 

In Flanders fields.

 

 

[Geoff13]

I spent one of the most memorable Anzac Days of my life participating in a Dawn Service at Fovant in Wiltshire in the company of about 50 other Australian Soldiers and families.

 

We then moved up onto the hillside and spent the day Bar-b-Quing, drinking and assisting to maintain the Fovant Badges.

 

It is a bit of a tradition with Aussie Soldier serving in the UK. Ohh we had some help from some Old Pommy Barstard's to. A top bunch of blokes they were but to my memory the Poms actually drank more than they worked.

 

What a pleasure it was to be allowed to assist their efforts.

 

The following year my Dawn service was at the ANZAC Section at the Bonn War Cemetery as a guest of the New Zealand Ambassador to Bonn. Then onto the NZ Ambassadors residence for a Barby etc. It was another wonderful day which I shall treasure.

 

There have been other great Anzac Days and a couple of not so good ones but they shall be left for another day.

 

Remembrance Day in '86 I participated in a parade with 3,500 other soldiers on the Parade Ground. As I realised that mine was the only Slouch Hat on the parade I reflected upon the luck I had to be born in the best country in the world and no matter where we go in the future our heritage in Australia will always in some small way be tied to the United Kingdom. I was after all issued the Queens Warrant not the Prime Ministers.

 

Lest We Forget.

 

 

[DGL Fox]

My grandfather was one of the lucky ones that came back from Gallipoli and France...pity he died before I had a chance to know the man...

 

Lest We Forget

 

David

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

A little while back i was researching my family tree and came across a relative by the name Oliver Hogue he was a journo for the Sydney Morning Hearld and was a published writer of short stories and poems of his travels up and down the east coast via pushbike. When World War One broke out he wanted to be the official war correspondent for the SMH but was deemed to young. So he quit and signed up. He survived the last 4 months of Gallipoli and after some R@R was then sent to the Middle East and became a Camilier. He wrote of his battles at mastering these beasts and how he led many charges into battle with them. He wrote a book called "The Camiliers" that is still used in schools in the Middle East. He also wrote "Love Letters of an ANZAC". He unfortunately was one of those that glorified war.

 

He wrote under his pseudonym 'Trooper Bluegum". He survived the war and was sent to England were he was unfortunate to die from the Spanish Flu.

 

 

 

[Bryon]

This year I made the pilgrimage to France and went to the Dawn Service at Villers Brettoneaux. It was the most moving experience I have ever had.

 

After the service, the missus and I drove to Belgium and went to the Menin Gate in Ypers for the last post.

 

I would recommend the trip to anyone. Standing in the rain at dawn at Villiers Brettoneaux really brought home to me what a sacrifice the diggers made. Lest we forget