Today’s article is dedicated to Anzac Day. Complimentary to this piece are this weeks Quotes, Lines and Snippets column. ‘The Band Played Waltzing Matilda’ written in 1972 by Eric Bogle. The song has been recorded by a number of artists but my favourite version remains the one performed by Tommy Makem & The Clancy Brothers. It tells the story of an Australian lad sent to fight in Gallipoli in 1915. The song is a little inaccurate as it describes an amphibious assault by Australian troops at Suvla Bay, where in fact the landing at Suvla was carried out entirely by British soldiers. Given the huge casualties suffered by the British at the Somme it is possible to forget the allied casualties at Gallipoli, where around 140,000 servicemen lost their lives, 60,000 of those being Australians.. Equally it is worth remembering that 250,000 Turkish men died in those 8 months too.Anzac day is of great importance to Australians and New Zealanders with a watershed on the 16th May 2002 when the 
last Australian survivor of Gallipoli, Alec Campbell (pictured below left), died aged 103 and became the last and final entry in the roll of honour for Gallipoli. Such was the feeling for Alec Campbell, and indeed all the Anzac's he represented, that flags flew at half-mast, major newspapers devoted their front pages to the event, and the Prime Minister cut short a visit to China in order to attend Mr. Campbell's state funeral at St. David's Anglican Cathedral in Hobart, Tasmania.
last Australian survivor of Gallipoli, Alec Campbell (pictured below left), died aged 103 and became the last and final entry in the roll of honour for Gallipoli. Such was the feeling for Alec Campbell, and indeed all the Anzac's he represented, that flags flew at half-mast, major newspapers devoted their front pages to the event, and the Prime Minister cut short a visit to China in order to attend Mr. Campbell's state funeral at St. David's Anglican Cathedral in Hobart, Tasmania.Initially dedicated to the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps that fought in Gallipoli, Anzac day has grown to embrace Australian and New Zealand losses in all conflicts.
At the time of the Gallipoli campaign Australia had only been a Federal Commonwealth for 14 years and the campaign announced their arrival as a global force in their own right. Whilst Australia Day is the nation’s official national day many have chosen Anzac Day as the true national day because it was then that a large part of the national identity was forged.
At the time of the Gallipoli campaign Australia had only been a Federal Commonwealth for 14 years and the campaign announced their arrival as a global force in their own right. Whilst Australia Day is the nation’s official national day many have chosen Anzac Day as the true national day because it was then that a large part of the national identity was forged.
If anything Anzac day is growing in popularity. Despite the threat of terrorist attacks some 15,000 Australians made the pilgrimage to Turkey to commemorate the fallen ANZAC troops.
Our thoughts go out to the peoples of Australasia on this Anzac day, as well as to anyone else touched by the Gallipoli campaign.
We trust that your Knights of Gallipoli rest in peace.
