Thread: ANZAC Day 2014

Originally Posted by zulu Delta 534

This year, owing to a dicky third gear, Daisy the 2a 1/4 ton GS is not going in the Brisbane Anzac Day parade although she is proudly standing on display for the week at Southbank where the Southbank Piazza people are presenting a few concerts and a general display re Anzac Day itself.
Tomorrow, Thursday, Patsy and myself are off with a few other members of the MJCQ to Bald Hills School to attend and display at their annual Anzac Day ceremony in Onslow, the gunbuggy. This ceremony is a really large and well conducted concern involving all the school for approximately half the day, with each class having an opportunity to climb over the vehicles (under supervision), ask questions and generally show a surprising amount of interest.
The following day, Anzac Day itself, I aim to attend the local Dawn Service then head off to Brisbane, once again in Onslow, to take part in the Parade.
I march (to use the term loosely) with the Army Transport Association, and a couple of us old truckies take a ride in the gunbuggy to save our legs.
Our Association holds a luncheon straight after the march at a very handy club right in the centre of town so I dare say I will spend a little bit of time there after the march.
Regards
Glen

Very cool mate! Much respect

I've spent the last few days touring the Somme battlefields and visiting the memorials. It's a beautiful and peaceful countryside now but it must have been hell almost a hundred years ago. There are cemeteries and memorials everywhere.

I'll be at Villers-Bretonneux on Friday. The forecast is for showers but whatever the weather I'm sure I'll be more comfortable than the Diggers were back then.

Originally Posted by sheerluck

Dawn service for me at the local RSL memorial, my son is part of the local cadet group who will be the honour guard and catafalque party for the ceremony.

And then on to a second service at 10am.

Well it seems we're up for 3 parades now. Dawn service at 4am in Beaudesert, where my little (!) boy is in the catafalque party, then a march at 6am in Jimboomba, then back to Beaudesert for their 10am march.

And it's my son's birthday that day too.

Sadly I will be doing very little.
Again I'm sick and heavily medicated.

I will be going to the Sydney dawn service. This is when I spend some special time with the memory of my father, ex RAN, stoker PO, destroyers WW2. Phil

Running traffic control for our local dawn service, Perentie as backdrop.
Then dashing off to beat the road closures at Kalangur, where Perentie is resuming (briefly) his past life as Taxi for diggers in the parade.
Back home to watch the various services throughout the day and raise a glass to fellow soldiers, known and unknown.
Lest we forget.

I will be attending the local Dawn Service at Yulara along with the rest of our on duty crew.

Then off to start work at 0800.

Already been to an Anzac service, at our school this morning. It was good too! Most of the 1000 students probably won't go to a service tomorrow, so what they get at school is what they know.
Students led most of the ceremony, we had a cadet party, poems such as 'In Flanders Field' were read, the Last Post and a minutes' silence, there was singing and two video clips played, including one which showed soldiers killed recently, with their photos.
We had both the Oz and NZ anthems played - I like the NZ one and the way its in two languages. Actually, I think I prefer it to Advance Australia Fair.
The speakers were short and they kept the ceremony moving along nicely.
Apart from the Aussie, Kiwi and Pacific Islander families, we also have former refugee students whose families came from Somalia, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Syria and other places, so I know they were thinking about people killed and still fighting in those countries.
So, it was a good ceremony. Actually, I think Anzac Day is possibly the most unifying public ceremony we have in this country.