The Origins of the Word ANZAC
ANZAC is an acronym that stands for 'Australia and New Zealand Army Corps.' The ANZAC group was developed during the outbreak of WW1 in Egypt and was a part of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force. Thousands of young Australian and New Zealand citizens signed up to join the army mostly due to patriotism and for the sense of adventure. They thought they were going to be deployed in Great Britain but many were sent to Egypt for pre-war training. These troops now became known as the ANZACS. The ANZAC’s were first deployed to capture the Gallipoli peninsula on the 15th of April, 1915 to hopefully be able to build a base camp. This would allow supplies to be transferred up to Russia who were on the front lines against Germany. These soldiers were very proud to be ANZAC’s and fought courageously and with immense passion. The ANZAC name still endures today and we use it when holding ceremonies and remembering the young soldiers that risked their lives for their country. The group now has its own yearly anniversary known as ANZAC day which occurs on the 25th of April. On this day, we do not glorify war, but pay tribute to the fallen ANZAC’s. Lest We Forget.
The Origins of the ANZAC Day March
The ANZAC day march is a procession of Veterans of wars where Australia was involved. At first it was mainly for those soldiers who served in World War 1 but eventually grew to commemorate those who served in any conflict involving Australia. The Marches are normally held in cities and towns across the nation, which are attended by many, varying from Past Australian soldiers, relatives to those soldiers and other service personnel who have passed away or those who are too weakened to honour them.
In recent years, normal citizens of the town or the city would participate in the March to show respect to those soldiers. Participants in the march proudly wear medals that have been earned and issued for them, depending on how they contributed to Australia in terms of War. Relatives, who are representing a soldier, wear the soldiers deserved medals but wear it on the right side of their shirt. There are also dawn services which many people participate in, especially in their local area
In recent years, normal citizens of the town or the city would participate in the March to show respect to those soldiers. Participants in the march proudly wear medals that have been earned and issued for them, depending on how they contributed to Australia in terms of War. Relatives, who are representing a soldier, wear the soldiers deserved medals but wear it on the right side of their shirt. There are also dawn services which many people participate in, especially in their local area
Commemoration Rituals
Since The Roman times, bugles or horns have been used as signals to command soldiers on the battlefield. The Reveille was a bright, cheerful call to awaken soldiers, ready for duty. It is also used to conclude a soldier’s duty and services at funerals. It symbolises an awakening in a better world for the dead, and also rise the living back to duty, now their respects have been paid to the memory of their comrades.
A catafalque is a raised structure supporting a stand that usually holds a coffin to allow people to walk past and pay their respects. A catafalque party was traditionally mounted around the coffin to ensure the safety of the body within it. Today, catafalque parties are mounted around coffins as a sign of respect and around memorials on occasions of remembrance such as Anzac Day. The catafalque party consists of four members of an armed guard who stand with their heads bowed and their weapons reversed, facing outward - one metre from the coffin or catafalque as a symbolic form of respect for those who have fallen. The origin of the tradition of resting on reversed arms is lost in time. It was used by a Commonwealth soldier at the execution of Charles I in 1649 and it is recorded that at the funeral for Marlborough in 1722, troops carried out a formal reverse arms drill which was especially invented for the service as a unique sign of respect to the great soldier. The Last Post is one of many bugle calls in military tradition, which marks the beginning and the end of a soldier’s day. After one minute’s silence flags are raised from half-mast to the masthead, as the Rouse is sounded. It is associated with the Last Post at all military funerals, and at services of dedication and remembrance to symbolise that their duty is over and that they can now rest in peace. It is believed originally to have been part of a more elaborate routine, known in the British Army as "tattoo” that dates back to the 17th century. During the evening, a duty officer would check that the sentry posts were manned and would also round up off-duty soldiers, sending them off to their beds. He would be accompanied by one or more musicians. The "first post" was sounded when the duty officer started his rounds. When they reached the "last post", this signaled the night sentries were alert at their posts and gave one last warning to any soldiers that it was time to retire for the evening. |
The Poppy Flower
Scientific Name: Papaver rhoeas
Range/Distribution: North Africa, West Asia and Europe. Size/flower: Grows 70cm high; the flower is 5-10cm across, with four large distinct petals and a black centre. Even with its symbolism for the Fallen in WWI, the poppy is still considered a weed, particularly a weed of agriculture. They have almost all the characteristics of a successful agricultural weed, e.g. Growing at the same rate with crops, able to withstand basic weeding methods, flowers and seeds before crops are harvested and has a long-lived seed life. One of the most devastated locations of World War 1, was on the Western Front in Belgium, known as Flanders. By the end of the war Flanders was barren and destroyed, but even in spite of all this, nature had not forsaken the land. The poppy noticed by many soldiers, grew in mass numbers, even in the most ravaged and inhospitable battlefields. The new growth of life was contrasted by the bloodshed, with the bright vivid red petals of the Poppy flower ,( this explains the name "Red Weed"). This example shows, the importance of the Poppy, as new life grows from the ashes of those lost in battle, for the multitude of the fallen. Commemorating the sacrifices of the brave men and women, who fought for their country. |
Rosemary
Rosemary has long featured in Anzac Day ceremonies, pinned to the collars and chest of servicemen, ex-servicemen, school children and staff. While it's not well known when rosemary was first worn, Anzac Day ceremony was first held on the 25 April 1916, and the aromatic herb has since become a symbol with the day. The reasons known for wearing rosemary are: first off the smell of rosemary is thought to improve the memory of people originating with the beliefs of Greek scholars who would wear it whilst they studied Secondly, rosemary has a direct link with Gallipoli, rosemary can be found growing wild all over the peninsula.
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How do Australians
Commemorate ANZAC Day?
The 25th of April was officially named Anzac Day in 1916. It was marked by a wide variety of ceremonies and services in Australia, a march through London, and a sports day in the Australian camp in Egypt. In London over 2,000 Australian and New Zealand troops marched through the streets. A London newspaper headline dubbed them “the knights of Gallipoli”. Marches were held all over Australia; in the Sydney march, convoys of cars carried wounded soldiers from Gallipoli attended by nurses. For the remaining years of the war, Anzac Day was used as an occasion for patriotic rallies and recruiting campaigns, and parades of serving members of the AIF were held in most cities.
During the 1920s Anzac Day became established as a national day of commemoration for the 60,000 Australians who had died during the war. In 1927, for the first time every state observed some form of public holiday on Anzac Day. By the mid-1930s, all the rituals we now associate with the day – dawn vigils, marches, memorial services, reunions, two-up games – were firmly established as part of Anzac Day culture. |
Leonard Keysor
Leonard Keysor was a British armed force officer who served in Australia's army forces in WW1. He was born on November the third, 1885 in Maida Vale, London, England. His parents were Benjamin Kyezor, a Jewish clock importer and Julia Benjamin and were the third of five children. During WW1, he changed the spelling of his last name from Kyezor to Keysor. He was educated at Townley Castle in Ramsgate. After his schooling life, he migrated to Canada in 1904 and remained there for ten years before migrating again to Australia in 1914. His main motive to move to Australia was because both his brother (Stanley) and his sister (Madge) were living there.
Leonard had been in Australia for just three months until WW1 broke out. He enlisted to fight for Australia on the 18th of August, 1914 and was assigned to the first battalion. Firstly he served in Egypt where Australia was involved in the defence of the Suez Canal. 8 months later in 1915, he was deployed to serve in Gallipoli along with thousands of other ANZAC troops. He was promoted to lance corporal (between private and corporal) during the battle of long pine. It is in this battle where he would perform his heroic acts by risking his life to save the lives of many others that he may not have even associated with beforehand. On the 6th of August, 1915 the first battalion began to carry out a diversion attack in order to take over the Turkish trenches. For the next two days the Turkish troops attempted to regain their original position in the trenches by using rather close quarters warfare. They used bayonets and improvised bombs and grenades. Over these two days, Leonard was continually picking up and throwing back live Turkish grenades in order to save the lives of his fellow comrades. For his incredible actions he won the famous Victoria Cross Award. Eventually, he became slightly wounded by attempting to throw back a live grenade but still continued although he needed significant medical attention. After the battle, Leonard was evacuated from the Gallipoli peninsula suffering from enteric fever (a bacterial infection which produces red spots on the chest and abdominal muscles also known as typhoid fever). After some time, Leonard re-joined the first battalion after they had been transferred to serve in France in 1916. He then took part in the battle of Pozieres and was promoted to sergeant on December the 1st. On the 13th of January, 1917 he was promoted to lieutenant. Finally, on the 28th of March, 1918 Leonard was wounded and was evacuated from the front lines and returned again to take part in the battle at Villiers-Bretonneux where he was gassed. After WW1 he became a clerk in England and married Gladys Benjamin. He then moved into his family business of importing clocks. In 1939, Leonard attempted to join the army to serve in WW2 but was rejected by the medical faculty. He later died of cancer on the 12th of October, 1951. |
Charles Bean
Charles Edwin Woodrow Bean was born in Bathurst, NSW, Australia on the 18th of November 1879. His family didn't settle here for too long and left to find residence in England ten years later. After he had completed his secondary education he was awarded a scholarship to attend Hertford College, Oxford. Bean worked very hard and had a passion for journalism and history therefore he studied classics and completed his course with 2nd class honours. Later on, Bean decided to leave England and travel back to Australia where he became a part of the legal circuit in NSW. He did this for a number of years and this experience would lead to several opportunities later on in his life. In 1908, Bean found is passion of journalism growing and became a junior reporter for the Herald.
One of Beans first projects talked about the HMS Powerful. He had developed several other reports and with these he published his own book The Flagship of the South. He was then sent to NSW to conduct several reports on Australia's famous wool industry where he described the workers lifestyle and the hardships they went through simply to put food on the table for themselves and their family. With this abundance of reports he published yet another book called On the Wool Track. In 1914, Bean moved away from Australia and began reporting on the conflict erupting in Europe. Along with his fellow journalists support and his many years of experience he won a vote held by the Australian Journalists Association to become Australia's official war correspondent. He travelled with the young soldiers to train in Egypt and landed in Gallipoli on the 25th of April. Two weeks into the Gallipoli campaign, Bean became a choice to be decorated for his bravery during the charge at Krithia but was unable to be awarded as he wasn't a soldier. In August, Bean was shot in the leg but continued his journalism and refused to leave the peninsula. He remained in the dug outs and his wound was treated each day until it was completely healed. Amazingly, Bean remained at Gallipoli for the entire campaign and had filled 226 notebooks in that period of time. In 1916, Bean had come to a conclusion that museums would be built housing important artifacts and relics commemorating those who had served in war. He knew that the Canadians and British were planning to build museums. In November 1916, Bean approached the Australian Minister for Defence and suggested that the relics of Pozières should be put on display in a museum for the nation to see. Senator Pearce was beginning to follow Bean and his motive and became a powerful supporter of the development national museums. Charles Bean also persistently persuaded the systematic collection of records. However, it was not until the 16th of May 1917, a unit known as the Australian War Records Section operations under the order of Lieutenant J.L Treloar. In September 1917, Bean sketched his thinking in the Commonwealth Gazette, describing war relics as "sacred things". As more people died in the western front, he gradually became more sensitive to the sacrifice of the troops. The war's ending brought short relief to bean. Shortly before the Armistice, he wrote a short book called 'In your hands'. The book talked about his new vision of Australia. In early 1919, he returned to Gallipoli as the head of the Australian Historical mission to collect relics for the memorial and acquired Turkish accounts of the campaign and reports of the conditions of the war graves. The book in which he described the mission didn't appear until 1948 when the official histories had been completed. On his return to Australia in 1919, Bean and his staff moved into Tuggeranong homestead which is south of Canberra to work of the official history. When he began the official history, he imagined that it would take 5 years. However, the event took 23 years and the final volume was not shown until 1942. In 1946, he produced a single volume history of war, ANZAC to Amiens. In 1930, the Royal United States Institution gave Bean an award for the first three volumes. He also received an honorary degree from the University of Melbourne in the same year. The Prime Minister, John Curtain, congratulated Bean on his achievement for when the official history was completed as the third year of World War 2, Bean had hoped that there would never be such conflict as he witnessed what World War 1 was like. After the war ended, Bean sought employment where he could. He was 66 at that time and the volumes he had produced made no income. Often described as a modest man, he was actually quite shy. And yet, people respected his work. In 1964, his heart failed and remained at the Concord Repartition Hospital until he died in August 1968. |
The Slouch Hat
The Slouch Hat is an object which, Australians and the world associates with our National identity. It was first adopted by the Victorian Mounted Rifles in 1885. In 1890 the military Commandants agreed, that all their forces should adopt a felt hat, with the exception of the artillery unit (who wore helmets). The Slouch Hat was worn with an indented crown, and decorated with plumage (emu feathers). First worn overseas in the South African War, the slouch did become truly iconic for Australia in WWI and WWII, as our brave soldiers wore it, while charging into battle.
The slouch hat originated from the Hindu word 'Pagri', which means thin scarf of muslin or turban. The traditional Indian headdress was adapted by the British, a plain khaki cloth was used (wrapped around the Slouch Hat), during WW1, and it developed over time to its current form. The current Puggaree has seven folds or pleats, one for Australian Territories and one for each state. The use of adorning Emu Plumes on the Slouch Hat, originated with Queensland's Mounted Infantry in 1891, during the Great Shearers Strike. |