Anzac Day is a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand that broadly commemorates all Australians and New Zealanders “who served and died in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations” and “the contribution and suffering of all those who have served”. Observed on 25 April each year, Anzac Day was originally devised to honour the members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) who served in the Gallipoli Campaign, their first engagement in the Great War (1914–1918)
With the coming of the Second World War, Anzac Day became a day on which to commemorate the lives of Australians and New Zealanders lost in that war as well and in subsequent wars. The meaning of the day has been further broadened to include those killed in all the military operations in which the countries have been involved. Anzac Day was first commemorated at the Australian War Memorial in 1942, but, due to government orders preventing large public gatherings in case of Japanese air attack, it was a small affair and was neither a march nor a memorial service. Anzac Day has been annually commemorated at the Australian War Memorial ever since. In New Zealand, Anzac Day saw a surge in popularity immediately after World War II. – via Wikipedia
This video, Australian soldiers during WW2 singing ‘Waltzing Matilda’ while marching, is moving, and affected me. It reminded me of the huge contributions these countries and their people made towards sustaining freedom.
I thought I’d share it with all WUWT readers.
Thank you to all who have served, past and present.
Lyrics:
Once a jolly swagman camped by a billabong,
Under the shade of a coolibah tree,
And he sang as he watched and waited till his billy boiled
You’ll come a waltzing Matilda with me.
Chorus:
Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda,
You’ll come a waltzing Matilda with me,
And he sang as he watched and waited ’til his billy boiled,
You’ll come a waltzing Matilda with me.
Down came a jumbuck to drink at that billabong,
Up jumped the swagman and grabbed him with glee,
And he sang as he shoved that jumbuck in his tuckerbag
You’ll come a waltzing Matilda with me.
Chorus:
Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda,
You’ll come a waltzing Matilda with me,
And he sang as he shoved that jumbuck in his tuckerbag,
You’ll come a waltzing Matilda with me.
Up rode the squatter mounted on his thoroughbred,
Down came the troopers – one, two, three,
Whose that jolly jumbuck you’ve got in your tuckerbag?
You’ll come a waltzing Matilda with me.
Chorus:
Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda,
You’ll come a waltzing Matilda with me,
Whose that jolly jumbuck you’ve got in your tuckerbag?
You’ll come a waltzing Matilda with me.
Up jumped the swagman, and sprang into the billabong,
You’ll never catch me alive said he,
And his ghost may be heard as you pass by that billabong
You’ll come a waltzing Matilda with me.
Chorus:
Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda,
You’ll come a waltzing Matilda with me,
And his ghost may be heard as you pass by that billabong,
You’ll come a waltzing Matilda with me.
For us Yanks, some information about the song:
“Waltzing Matilda” is Australia’s best-known bush ballad, and has been described as the country’s “unofficial national anthem”.
The title was Australian slang for travelling on foot (waltzing) with one’s belongings in a “matilda” (swag) slung over one’s back. The song narrates the story of an itinerant worker, or “swagman”, making a drink of billy tea at a bush camp and capturing a stray jumbuck (ram) to eat. When the jumbuck’s owner, a squatter (landowner), and three mounted policemen pursue the swagman for theft, he declares “You’ll never catch me alive!” and commits suicide by drowning himself in a nearby billabong (watering hole), after which his ghost haunts the site.
The original lyrics were written in 1895 by Australian poet Banjo Paterson, and were first published as sheet music in 1903. Extensive folklore surrounds the song and the process of its creation, to the extent that it has its own museum, the Waltzing Matilda Centre in Winton, in the Queensland outback, where Paterson wrote the lyrics. In 2012, to remind Australians of the song’s significance, Winton organised the inaugural Waltzing Matilda Day to be held on 6 April, the anniversary of its first performance.
The song was first recorded in 1926 as performed by John Collinson and Russell Callow. In 2008, this recording of “Waltzing Matilda” was added to the Sounds of Australia registry in the National Film and Sound Archive which says that there are more recordings of “Waltzing Matilda” than any other Australian song.
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Appreciate it Anthony. It’s one of the few days the shops close and people remember. Watching docos about some of those battles is a revelation. Australian, NZ and US forces really fought as one back then, and it definitely made for a better world.
thank you.
I particularly enjoyed the explanation(s) of the lyrics. Whichever one is right, they all express the cocky, anti-authoritarian attitudes of Aussies(at the time) – both irritating and charming AND which are needed now, more than ever.
I am Canadian; dad was a navigator/bombardier in the RCAF in WW II, stationed in England; he told lots of stories – naughty adventures (buzzing the Eiffel Tower), eccentric colleagues, official incompetence – BUT never about combat. He enjoyed working with Polish and Indian air force colleagues.
When visiting Ottawa, we saw the official war memorial “to our glorious dead”. “nothing glorious about war” he muttered. He disclaimed heroism, but felt strongly there was a job that needed doing and he did his share
You are indeed a Champion Anthony for posting this. I would like to echo the comments of David William Spencer Sivyer re – “battles of the Coral Sea, Bismark Sea and Guadalcanal aside.” I have read widely for decades on WWII and Australia was fortunate the US sent so many of their few Pacific carriers to the Coral Sea in May 1942 so soon after Pearl Harbor. I realize they were reading some enemy signals.
Re Kokoda – I have a view that it is appalling that Australia rushed such raw & untrained troops to Kokoda – considering that Japan had been rampaging around north Asia since 1931 – there is no excuse IMHO for our politicians to have had us so poorly prepared so near home in 1942.
Over a couple of decades – what I term the “Paul Keating and Channel 9” version of history says that the Kokoda campaign “saved” Australia. IMHO there is much evidence contrary to that.
First the Divisional strength defeat of Japanese forces on Guadalcanal by the US.
Second – any Japanese that got near Port Moresby were a weakened, disease ridden and poorly supplied crew that could have been harried more by Allied Air and ground Forces if the need had been critical.
Third – we know from Japanese documents that in 1942 conferences their Army was against invading Australia because of our size and the need for too many Divisions – when they were bogged down in China. We were fortunate that Japanese strategy at their top Army-Navy level was not exactly handled the most effectively and the IJN was left to define the south east margins of the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere. We know that post Midway and by the end of 1942 momentum was increasingly with the US and their huge naval expansion.
A few words on WWI. You often see views expressed in media along lines of – “what the hell was Australia doing in 1915 going half way around the World to invade Turkey anyway!”
I find it is seldom that media explains that the Ottoman Empire was allied with Germany and the central Powers against the British and French – us included. High level German Army and Navy missions were in what is now Turkey doing their best to get the Ottomans enthused to do more to assist Germany in the War. The Ottoman Navy lead by the German battlecruiser SMS Goeben and the light cruiser SMS Breslau had already attacked the Black Sea coast of Russia in October 1914. The Ottomans had a large army advised by the German General Otto Liman von Sanders and in Jan-Feb 1915 had attempted a raid on the Suez Canal. The Ottomans Army engaged in dozens of operations during the war from the Caucasus to Iraq and Egypt generally tied up many Allied troops that could have been otherwise employed fighting Germany in France.
Seizing the Dardanelles was a worthwhile war aim which the Allies had the forces to achieve and had the entire March-April 2015 campaign been better administered from the top the result could have been better.
Apologies for raving on.
Anthony
thanks for writing this. Those who follow my posts will know I don’t always support the content of the articles written on WUWT and that I am what many here would call an alarmist. But it is nice to know that on what is a special day for us Kiwis, you took the time.
The Anzac spirit has unfortunately evaporated. The diggers were volunteers-volunteering to put their lives on the line to defend King and Country. These days, patriotism is denigrated by the Left. Christianity is demonised. Just look at the Sri Lankan coordinated massacre-left leaning figures could not bear to mention the word “Christian” in their statements to the press. Considering Judeo-Christian values are at the very core of our Constitution, civilisation and society, this displays a disturbing betrayal of our society. Their treachery reflects values that are the opposite of what our society stands for.
I doubt you would see the leftist-brainwashed youth of today putting their hands up to defend Australian Sovereignty. They have been brainwashed to just surrender. Throughout history, a tribe, society or nation that was unable or worse still, unwilling to defend themselves almost invariably was vanquished-their land plundered, their women (and men these days in this era of equality) raped, their people slaughtered and enslaved, their culture expunged from history. In short, thoroughly vanquished. As in my previous comment, those traitors that sold out their society are more than likely to come to a sticky end.
My father’s division–104th ID Timberwolves (US)–was assigned to Monty clearing Holland. My father encountered Brits, Aussies, and Canadians. Had a great opinion of them all. Did say that the Aussies and Canadians hated the hauteur and command distance of the Brit officers and so, when one was about, called their own officers by their first names.
One of my mom’s brothers was a Marine and spent some time in Australia. Thought well of his time there.
I am a WWII history buff.
I thank the Australians and New Zealanders for their contributions and sacrifices.
I have three great uncles, brothers who perished in France and Belgium, WW1, serving in NZ forces and Australian.
William, Robert & Benjamin Sanderson. (Benjamin with Au forces) None of these 3 have descendants.
My G’father John Sanderson returned home with gas injuries, he then died in 1937.
WW2 arrives and my father and his first cousin both enlist, Stanley Blackwell buried El Alamein, dad survived, I was born 1951.
John’s file is an interesting read in archway archives.nz. almost his final note on file is “It is desired” and a reference to a number that I cannot find any meaning to other than the yr date, he was already on a posting back to England.
What makes it possibly more interesting is this is after his 3 brothers have been killed, and a begging letter from mother saying have I not given enough, with the loss of 3 sons, copy on Australian file, many family discussions of does it have any significance.
I have tried finding other references to “it is desired” in time of war, in personal files does not exist, or not that I can find, but you can find it in various documents from VERY SENIOR persons of interest, ie it is desired you do not bomb paris.
Eliza Jane, mother of above 4 boys, and grandson lived to see VE, died late May 1945.
Thank you Anthony for the kind words. Perhaps the day resonates so much with Aussies because in the First World War we lost so many from a small population.Australia had a population of roughly 5 million and from that there were;
416,809 Enlistments
329,968 Sailings
We had
215,585 Casualties
166,789 Wounded
59,341 Deaths
86,666 Other Casualties
For years after, they were known as the “Lost Generation”. Pretty much the entire population aged from 18-45 volunteered to fight. (And quite a few who lied about their age.)
We shall remember them.
https://www.cwgc.org/
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) honours the 1.7 million men and women of the Commonwealth forces who died in the First and Second World Wars, and ensures they will never be forgotten
The uncle I never knew.
Thanks for this.
I’m one of the lucky ones, for all kinds of accidents of history my family were little touched by WW1 (the second war – a little different). Anzac day meant little when I was younger, but progressively more as I turn into a grumpy old fart.
A year ago I had the privilege of being shown around the battlegrounds of Ieper (Ypres) in Belgium, with some stops at the Commonwealth War Graves, and the last post at the Menin Gate – all a few days before Anzac Day.
What can I say? One of the most harrowing days I’ve ever experienced. The horror and sacrifice are difficult to comprehend.
If possible – visit these places – to try and ensure we never forget.
I now look with newly opened eyes at the monuments all through Australia, in the older suburbs and churches, and especially in the country towns. Every town has a monument, they are still all well cared for.
Anzac Day is a big deal still, as it should be.
In Flanders fields, a new monument was put in place yesterday on Anzac day for the Maori’s whom lost their life in the first WW:
https://www.facebook.com/vrtnws/videos/337262440264753/
Impressive moment when a few men did the haka. Thanks to all the old generations of so many countries which helped to end that war and freed us up from occupation.
My own father was a prisoner of war after only 10 days after the start of the fighting. Nobody was prepared then for a long war, so there was nothing for them: only a kind of camp, no food during days and little for the next months. He was very lucky that after a half year he might work on a farm, because all young men were at war and they needed the workforce. At least had something to eat…
Thanks Anthony,
Amazingly for a gobshite like myself, I really don’t have anything more to say than just thank you.
Back in the day when I was a part time soldier, and young (who enlisted for entirely corny, patriotic reasons according to most of my university contemporaries), the tune that stirred everyone while sitting up polishing boots and brass long into the night before Anzac day was Cold Chisel’s ‘Khe Sahn’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTjvG4WJD_A. Having enlisted in the RAE (to a man because it meant we’d ‘get to blow shit up’) the song’s opening line might have had something to do with its popularity in the Squardon.
I had the privilage of visting Menin Gate and Hill 60 while in Ypres a couple of years ago with my old man and young son. On my first visit to Baku in 2001, having gone for a walk, I found myself in a memorial to Azeri soldiers killed fighting with their Turkish brothers in Gallipoli. Sobering, humbling experiences that lead me to wondering if I’m really worthy of the sacrifices on both sides.
Lest we forget. Not least because he who forgets history is doomed to repeat it