On Anzac Day throughout Australia and New Zealand, in the major cities and the small towns people gather to honour and commemorate those lost originally in WW1, and now in every war since. The day starts with the Dawn Parade at 6.00am, and in many towns there is often a civic service at around 10.00am.
In Australia sprigs of Rosemary are worn on lapels as a symbol of remeberence, in New Zealand a red poppy takes on the same role. The poppies are significant, as many soldiers lost their lives in a field, a poppy field called Flanders during the Battle of Paschendale on October 12 1917. This day is said to be the blackest day in New Zealand's recorded history in terms of the number of lives lost in a day.
The term name ANZAC is an acronym which stands for AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND ARMY CORPS, a group of soldiers that landed on the Galipolli Peninsula in Turkey and fought during WW1, of which my grandfather was one.
Thank you Lauren for remembering, we do remember them.
