ANZAC Day 2004

Faces of ANZAC Day 2004

Legacy of ANZAC Walk

ANZAC Day 2004, London

Faces of ANZAC Day 2004:

Bryan Moles of the Johnsonville RSA with daughters Victoria (right) and Alexandra, lay poppies at the services memorial at Whenua Tapu cemetery.		Signaller Michelle Martin (Linton) was one of the four members of the catafalque party provided by the NZ Army for the dawn service at Otaki.

Chris Anderson, a WWII veteran, reaches out to the contingent of Ranger Guides that came to the dawn service at Otaki.		A tri-service Cadet Forces catafalque guard practices for the Porirua Civic service.

A veteran and a young lady place their wreaths on the Peace Memorial during the Porirua civic ceremony.		Brigadier Roger Mortlock OBE NZ Army (Rtd) gives the address at Porirua.

Otaki RSA President Don Moselen and WWII veteran Nan Simcox toast fallen comrades. Nan served as a nurse in the Pacific, Egypt and Italy.		Veterans lead the parade down the streets of Porirua.

Legacy of ANZAC Walk

At dawn on ANZAC Day 2004, a group of six young people, two each from Australia, New Zealand and Turkey completed a 350km sponsored walk from Sutanahmet Istanbul, to ANZAC cove.

This is the second year that this charity walk has been sponsored by FEZ, (A UK and Turkey based travel firm) with support from TNT magazine and the Britain-Australia Society. Three of the walkers, one from each country were fully sponsored by the three organising bodies, with the other three 'non-sponsored' selected from a 100 word submission explaining what taking parting the walk would mean to them.

	At ANZAC Cove, celebrating the end of their long trek are Legacy walkers: (L-R) Ufuk Taylan (Turkey), Dilek Enes (Turkey), Aaron Langmaid (Australia), Turgut Kacmaz (son of Huseying Kacmas - Turkeys last surviving Gallipoli veteran who passed away in 1994 aged 111 years), Emily Webb, and Kiwis Christopher Maguigan and Christine Shanahan.

The walkers for this year were:

Australia: Aaron Langmaid (sponsored), Emily Webb (non-sponsored)

New Zealand: Christine Shanan (sponsored), Christopher Maguigan (non-sponsored)

Turkey: Levent Akinco (sponsored), Serpil Ungel (non-sponsored)

Leaving Istanbul on 15 April 2004, the six with support teams walked 35km each day.

Money raised from the Legacy of ANZAC Walk 2004 will be donated to the Returned and Services League Australia (RSL), the Royal New Zealand Returned Services Association (RSA) and the Mehmetcik Vakfi (Turkish Servicemen Society).

“This walk has been the most amazing experience – I felt privileged and honoured for having been part of it”, said Christine Shanahan.

Commenting on his trek, twenty-seven year old Christopher from Timaru said, “ANZAC day has always meant something important to me… I am just so grateful that I have been given a once in a lifetime opportunity to commemorate it in this way”.

David Cox, President of the RNZRSA, said: “I offer my sincere congratulations to Christine Shanahan and Christopher Maguigan and their Australian and Turkish companions on their completion of the Legacy of ANZAC Walk. This feat is positive proof that today’s young people are made of the same stern stuff as their forebears, who 89 years ago, fought with great courage and daring while facing overwhelming odds…..The selfless effort of these six young people from three nations will held ensure that Gallipoli stays and honoured name in the annals of New Zealand, Australian and Turkish military heritage”.

ANZAC Day 2004, London – by Bernard Redshaw

ANZAC Day, 25 April 2004 was well commemorated in London. I was privileged to accompany the NZ High Commissioner, HE Hon Russell Marshall in attending five events, and I was amazed at the numbers attending each. It was also impressive to see so much youth involvement. At all of the main events, young people from Australian secondary schools and New Zealand’s Nelson College (my own school) were to read lessons or quotations.

A moving Dawn Service was held at the Australian War Memorial at Hyde Park Corner. Some 4,500 attended, completely filling the area. Many were veterans, but the majority were young people with an average age of around 25 years - visiting Australians and New Zealanders who had risen early to travel into the Capital for this special event. At the end of the Service, most remained to chat with each other, enjoying welcome refreshments provided by the Salvation Army.

At 9.00am a short wreath laying Service was held in the Crypt of St Paul’s Cathedral. Then at 10.50am, to the accompaniment of the Band of the Irish Guards, I marched with a large group of ex-Servicemen onto Whitehall to assemble for a larger Service at the Cenotaph. Here I laid a wreath on behalf of the Royal New Zealand Returned Servicemen’s Association. There was much more space for the public on Whitehall, but it was full to capacity. As we marched off, the Band played Waltzing Matilda and Maori Battalion. It put a spring in our steps.

The whole of Westminster Abbey was full for the midday ANZAC Service. The flags of Turkey, Australia and New Zealand were led in followed by the Union Flag, all borne by serving soldiers of their respective nations. Among many highlights, for me, two stood out: a Maori choir singing How Great Thou Art in Maori, and the great ring of bells at the end of the Service. Again, many remained outside the Abbey to mingle chat.