G'DAY EVERYONE,

IT IS THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN 25 APR WHERE ALL THE AUSSIES REMEMBER THE FIRST ANZACS AT GALLIPOLI AND OUR TROOPS IN EVERY OTHER BATTLE PAST AND PRESENT. ANZAC DAY (THE LANDING AT GALLIPOLI) WAS THE BLOODING OF OUR NATION... THIS BATTLE ALTHOUGH WE LOST WAS A SIGNIFICANT PART OF OUR HISTORY AS AN EMERGING COUNTRY. THE ANZACS LANDED ON "ANZAC COVE" A SMALL BEACH HEAD OVERLOOKED BY HILLS AND CLIFFS. AGAINST ALL ODD THE ANZACS TOOK THIS RIDGE WITH SIGNIFICANT LOSSES AND DUG IN. THE ANZACS PROCEEDED TO ADVANCE UP THE BEACH UNTIL SUCH POINT THAT IT WAS A STALEMATE BETWEEN THE TRENCHES WITH A DISTANCE OF NOT MORE THEN 10 METRES IN SOME PLACES.OVER THE COMING MONTHS THEY LOST 8000 MEN TO THE TURKS WITH A FURTHER 18 000 WOUNDED. FOR THIS YOUNG NATION THAT WAS A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF YOUNG MEN.

A MAN BY THE NAME OF ALBERT JACKA DISTINGUISHED HIMSELF WHEN HE KILLED 7 TURKISH SOLDIERS IN A SINGLE ENGAGEMENT INVOLVING CLOSE QUARTERS COMBAT. HE WAS AWARDED THE HIGHEST MILITARY HONOUR A COMMONWEALTH SOLDIER AND RECEIVE, THE VICTORIA CROSS.

THE OPERATION WAS DOOMED FROM THE START BUT WITH THAT IN MIND THE ANZACS PUSHED ON AND CAPTURED SEVERAL KEY POINTS, WITHOUT THE SUPPORT THEY COULD NOT PUSH FURTHER AND EVENTUALLY THE ORDER FOR RETREAT WAS GIVEN. TO THE CREDIT OF THE SOLDIERS THEY MANAGED TO RETREAT WITHOUT A SINGLE LOSS OF LIFE UNDER THE COVER OF DARKNESS AND SOME INGINUITY IN THE NAME OF A DRIP RIFLE. A TIN ATTACHED TO THE TRIGGER OF THE RIFLES AND A LEAKING CANTEEN BOTTLE DRIPPING WATER INTO THE TIN. THE RIFLE WOULD FIRE WHEN SUFFICIENT AMOUNT OF WEIGHT WAS IN THE TIN. THUS FOOLING THE TURKS INTO BELIEVING THEY WERE STILL THERE.

SO ON THIS DAY REMEMBER THE ANZACS AND THE BATTLE THEY FOUGHT AT GALLIPOLI AND WHILST YOU ARE AT IT REMEMBER THE PAST AND PRESENT SAILORS, SOLDIERS AND AIRMEN.

LEST WE FORGET