Western Queensland Road Trip Square Tops Challenge #25
Whether you visit Australia’s capital cities or the smallest of rural towns, you will find one common element in them all. Every place in Australia has a war memorial dedicated to those who have served or are still serving our country, both at home and overseas.
Most were created after World War One to acknowledge Australia’s contribution and commemorate service personnel who died in far away lands. Since then, names have been added as Australians served in more recent engagements.
Many memorials are small and simple, in recognition of local people who served.
Wyandra
Thallon
Cunnamulla
Some pay tribute to local individuals who gave outstanding service while others honour those who remained at home.
St George
Bollon
In larger towns the memorials are grander. They remind us that, for more than a century, Australians have been and still are on active duties in many parts of the world.
Charleville
In August 1915, Australian and New Zealand forces led a successful campaign against the armies of the Ottoman Empire in what became known as The Battle of Lone Pine. Some war memorials include a tree, a descendant of the single pine tree which stood on that long ago battlefield.
Morven
For Australians and New Zealanders, today is ANZAC Day. Every year we remember the soldiers of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps who served at Gallipoli in a campaign which began at dawn on 25th April 1915 and lasted for eight months. We gather to give thanks for their service and also for those who have served our countries since then.
This year is different. There have been no community Dawn Services, no marches or parades and no gatherings of comrades, families and friends. Instead we joined our neighbours in a minute’s silence, all standing outside our homes as the sun rose, with candles lit and phones streaming the playing of the Last Post and Reveille.
Lest We Forget
Read more about ANZAC Day here
While our travels are on hold, I’m joining in every day with Becky’s April Square Tops Challenge over at The Life of B. The rules are simple: photos must be square and fit the theme word “top”.
Oh yeah – that’ll do it – reduced to a blubbering wreck! But what about poor Mrs Khan who lost all five of her sons? Surely there has to be a point at which a mother is not asked to sacrifice her children further…….
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I can’t decide if they all died or if that was the date of their service. I did wonder but there was nothing to give me an indication.
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I wondered the same, but in the end I thought the end date would have to be the end of the war for demobilisation (is that what it was called?) Which gave me some hope one may have returned, but then I reflected that a commemoration usually only comes along with the end of life……… I would love to know the story behind that list.
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I tried to find more information but nothing came up. I’m thinking the wording “served during WW2” indicates they all returned home and the dates might be their discharge dates. I’d like to think Winifred was lucky enough to have all of her sons safe and sound again.
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Well I’ll happily accept this as the outcome, then I won’t have to weep myself to sleep every time I think of the poor woman.
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😊
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A sobering post. And yet wars still go on.
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It’s important that we remember and acknowledge our service personnel. I doubt that there will ever be a time when they aren’t needed.
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Something else we all have in common, Carol. A death toll from wars. 😦
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Sad and true.
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Australia and New Zealand gave so much in the wars that were not their wars, quite extraordinary. So glad you all found a way to remember this year.
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It was nice to still be able to pay our respects. There were many Commonwealth countries, or Empire as it was in those days, who all did their bit.
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I don’t think we do enough to remember enough in the UK how much the Commonwealth did, particularly during first world war. So many in the UK 😦 still think of that one as a European war
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It’s interesting if you visit the Somme and Flanders and see in the museums how many countries actually did take part. Australia had a population of 400,000 in 1918 and 62,000 died serving in the war. That’s a big loss.
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I visited Flanders a few years ago, and the Australian and NZ memorials in Zonnebeke are the ones that I still think of to this day – https://beckybofwinchester.com/2017/10/07/gardens-remembrance-passchendaele/
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The Australian memorial at Villers-Bretonneux in France is very special too.
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War memorials leave us feeling humbled and grateful. So many gave so much. Seeing so many neighbors at dawn with candles would be so moving. A wonderful action for these unusual times. Such an emotional post. Thanks
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It’s a nice way to acknowledge service to our country.
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That sounds a lovely way to commemorate Anzac Day this year. Sometimes simple is best.
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It was certainly the best everyone could do understand the current circumstances. It might become a new tradition.
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That’s a very moving post.
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That’s the reaction I was hoping for. 😊
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Oh Leon would like that gun! You know, I am always struck by the reverence with which Aussies treat their veterans and their war memories. I have not seen evidence of that here, and you know I spend a lot of time in Artillery circles.
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I saw your question re the sprigs of rosemary. Rosemary stands for remembrance.
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Didn’t know that. Just always loved the smell and taste.
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Beautiful. I love studying war memorials and it’s lovely to see these.
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Every one is special, even those with just a few names.
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