Lest We Forget - 25 April

[Albany Rifles]

On this ANZAC Day 22 make sure to remember all members of the forces of Australia and New Zealand and remember the sacrifices and contributions the have made to their countries, the Commonwealth and their Allies.

https://www.awm.gov.au/commemoration/anzac-day

[Bigfella]

Thanks Buck.

I live in a street in inner Melbourne that is around 100m long. There are about 35 little row houses. During the course of WW1 something like eight to eleven men from my street joined up to fight (the street name can be easily mispelled, so I'm pretty sure its the high figure). There were dozens more from the surrounding streets. My small suburb sent something like 600 men and the other small suburbs adjacent did the same or more.

One of them, who lived a few houses down from me, went ashore at ANZAC Cove on April 25 1915 with one of he later waves. He survived, but only for a few months. He was killed futher south at Cape Heles later in 1915 when his unit was moved to support French & English soldiers there. Every ANZAC Day I think of him & the other brave men who went half way across the world to fight a war because their country told them it needed them to.

I also think of my grandfather, who was on the Kokoda track and his brothers, one of whom escaped capture at the brutal battle at Muar River in southern Malaysia only to be captured when Singapore fell. He spent the rest of the war i nthe nototious Changi & on the terrible Thai/Burma Railway. Half the men who served in his battalion - over 700 men - died during the war. Almost all after they surrendered. I am pleased that my nephews & nieces don't have any such stories to tell about their fathers & grandfathers

Lest we forget.

[Parihaka]

Thanks Buck

Stories from Waitaha O Te Wai Pounamu.

In April 1915, the slightly built and underage Victor signed up to fight in World War I. To meet the age requirements for enlistment, Victor claimed he was born on 1 November 1894, two years before his actual birthdate.

During the Battle of Armentières in Northern France, Victor was wounded and spent time in hospital. When he was released, he went missing. Once found, Victor was arrested, put on trial, charged with desertion and sentenced to death by firing squad.

At 6:45am on 24 February 1918, Army Chaplain Reverend Hoani Parata performed the last rites for Victor while he was tied to a post and blindfolded. Victor was executed by a platoon of 12 fellow New Zealand soldiers. Hoani later wrote to Victor’s whānau telling them that Victor ‘had met his death bravely and never flinched’. He wrote that Victor ‘wished to apologise for causing his whānau anxiety with regard to his career as a soldier’ and had asked him to convey his love to them.

In 1998, Invercargill MP Mark Peck, sought redress for five executed soldiers by lodging a private member’s bill, Pardon for Soldiers of the Great War Bill. The bill successfully passed in 2000 pardoning Victor for the offence – his mana restored.

Victor’s whānau, along with the family of the other four soldiers shot, made a pilgrimage halfway around the world to the solders’ graves to honour them.

Imagine five sons and brothers all heading off to war and only one of them coming home.

This tragedy was a reality for Joseph and Jane Hunter as one by one their sons, William, John, Joseph, Harry and David joined the New Zealand Expeditionary Force to fight in World War I.

On 10 August, Joseph was reported as missing in action and a subsequent Board of Inquiry found that he was killed in action on 8 August 1915, in Chunuk Bair, Dardanelles.

David was reported missing on 22 August 1915. Findings of a Board of Inquiry held in Mudros on 6 November confirmed David was killed in action in Gallipoli on 2 August 1915.

On 8 December 1917, Harry was reported missing. The Board found that on 3 December 1917, Harry was killed in action in Walker Camp, Ypres.

William received a Military Medal for Acts of Gallantry on the battle- fields of Étaples but sadly, just one month later, William was killed in action, in the Battle of Le Cateau on 23 October 1918.

Tragically, Sergeant John Hunter was the only son to return home from the battlefields of Europe. In December 1917, John received the Military Medal for Acts of Gallantry in the Field. Ten months later, John was to be classified as unfit for duty and placed on the Nominal Roll. John, then returned to Riverton/Aparima to spend his days caring for his wife and daughter and staffing the lighthouse on Rarotoka Island (Centre Island) off the Riverton Coast.

In Riverton/Aparima’s Museum and Heritage Centre, Te Hikoi Southern Journey, a permanent and hauntingly realistic display has been created named Hunters’ Trench in honour of the Hunter boys who never made it home from war but who made such a great sacrifice for their country.

[Albany Rifles]

Thanks for sharing those stories, guys.

Pete, in World War 2 we saw much the same happening here. Every member of my Dad's high school hockey team enlisted. 3 didn't make it back and several were wounded. My Mom's brother was shot down off of Vietnam at the end of July 1945...just days from the end.

Sadly there are stories like this across all our lands.

[Monash]

Another year goes by Gentlemen and fewer and fewer of the old soldiers remain. So on behalf of all those who are not here.

Lest We Forget.

[Albany Rifles]

Again, I would like to wish all of our Australian and New Zealand members whose nations' services and sacrifices of their service personnel, especially those who fought and died at Gallipoli and other foreign shores up through Afghanistan, on behalf of the citizens of their nations and hand in hand with friends across the globe.

Lest We Forget

https://www.awm.gov.au/commemoration/anzac-day