Proud to be a Victorian and Australian....

Day #12: Sunday April 24 - Easter Sunday

France: Sunny, approx. 25 degrees....

Another bloody pearler of a day!!!

What would an Easter Sunday be without an Easter egg hunt?? Or some Cadbury Creme Eggs?? Hope Mum has saved some for me!!! None of the Cadbury Creme variety on offer this morning, but many of the solid variety. Helen and I bought some Easter Eggs from home to give to the kids, and after a bit of discussion and eavesdropping of kid's conversations about their disappointment in missing family Easter egg hunts, we decided to stage our own.

Delville Wood, the South African Memorial, was the scene for the hilarity. I can't tell you much about the Memorial as Helen, Jean, Nick and I were busy bunnies hiding eggs in the woods. Bruce, Bob and David took the kids off to find out more about the South African experience and we had some fun seeding the ground.

After some creative bullshitting from me about the very famous Easter Egg Hunt Tree of Delville Wood, the kids were off and running. I think the boys ran over most of the one's that were scattered on the ground in their attempt to be first....but first at what I'm still unclear about!!! The girls were a lot more sensible (of course!) in their searches....finding the majority of the eggs. After a few stinging nettles and cuts, they decided to pool their resources and share them out.....these kids are fab-o!!!

The 'Easter Egg Hunt Tree' is the second tree from the front of the photos....the boys have by this point run over about 5 eggs....

The girls with Helen, Jean and Paul assisting the girls....

The little I did find out about the South African Memorial is that one particular tree is the only tree to survive the battles of 1916. As for the battles....I'll have to find out from Bruce at some stage!!!!

The lucky tree!!

On the way to the Somme batlefields, we stopped at an intersection in Languevale where there is a Scottish Piper Memorial. And of course we have our New Zealander piper!!! We were out an about early this morning and may have woken a few of the locals. In front of the Memorial, Tom piped 'Scotland the Brave', was asked for an encore and then also played 'Waltzing Matilda'. The men cycling past (in the Tour de France?? *grin*) yelled out 'Bravo' and the local shopkeeper was eagerly watching from his stoop. Another fantastic performance from our Tom!!! Again as soon as I can figure out how to upload video....I'll add it in!

At Greviller's British Cemetery Hadley did his commemoration ceremony and then we listened to Bruce talk about Poziereres and the Battle of the Somme. On the first day there were over 22000 casualties, in 6 weeks of fighting, 8000 men die. It is during this time that faith in the British command disappears: (Lt.??) General Birdwood, an Englishman, was referred to as the soul of ANZAC; on the Western Front he is referred to as the arsehole of France. It is here that most Australians die.

Hadley's tribute was for a family friend's relative....he brought a piece of Australia with him....the gum leaves are laminated along with his tribute....

Here we visited the First Australian Division Memorial and the ruin of the Poziereres Windmill that was blown up by the Germans. Australia's official war historian C.W. Bean (and Bruce's constant touchstone) described the battle as a mincing machine. You can imagine who the meat was!

They love us here....

The 1st Division Memorial....

The ruins of the Poziereres windmill....

And here are the ruins....suitably decorated!!

The gang :)

We stopped for (another!) hot chocolate at Tommy's Cafe. A mad bloke who has recreated the trenches in the backyard of his cafe. Historically accurate?? Well his trenches had a lot of English songs blasting from them....perhaps no.... On the road near here is a water tank with a picture of a digger, the rising sun and the names of the VC winners in this area. We're not forgotten here!!

Artillery shells stacked up at Tommy's Cafe...

The water tank....

Names of the VC winners in the area....

I had never heard of the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing on the Somme before coming here. I certainly won't forget it now. The Memorial has the names of 73000 missing British and South African soldiers who fought here. This is the largest British memorial in the world and it takes your breath away.

These memorials are all just so BIG....bloody awful....

French graves on the left, Commonwealth on the right....

There are just toooo many names....

It's kinda hard to take 'touristy' photos in such a sad place....

It was here at Thiepval that Bridget stopped the entire Memorial. She has a beautiful voice and has been singing up a storm all trip. Quite unexpectedly, Bruce asked Bridge if she could sing 'Amazing Grace' for those here who are lost. Their names are found on the memorial and wherever they may be, I hope with all my heart that they heard her sing today. Everyone at the Memorial stopped as her voice echoed throughout the arches. It was heartbreaking for everyone who was there and heartbreaking for Bridget as well. She has probably been the most outwardly affected on the trip. Her efforts to sing so beautifully were just remarkable. I don't know how she did it. And I've been kicking myself ever since that I didn't video it. But I will always remember her voice, singing so sweetly. Thanks Bridge! It's a memory I will always have of the Western Front....as will those other lucky few who were there today!

Lunch was at the Ulster Memorial and wasn't it nice to hear an Irish accent in France!! Great pumpkin soup and sandwiches and a quick look at the Memorial to the 36th Ulster Division, a replica of Helen's Tower in Ireland, and then it was off on the road again!!

An unusual memorial....

The people of Newfoundland, Newfies, are often the butt of jokes....similar to the Irish. The Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial is anything but funny. It is a very moving memorial and a lovely tribute to the men who died here. The population of Newfoundland during World War I was 260,000 and the men who fought here suffered an 86% casualty rate!!! On on of there forays over the top, 900 men attacked and 63 returned. The memorial is staffed by Canadian volunteers and they are very chipper and cheerful! Along with the remains of the subsided trenches there are also remains of some of the barbed wire that was used here.

The gang again....

The Newfoundland Memorial

The trenches....

The remains of some of the barbed wire....

The ground surrounding the Memorial....I'd hate to be going over the top, through barbed wire and facing German guns....what a slaughter....

A photo of a photo in the memorial....I liked it....

 Villers-Bretteneux. Finally. Tomorrow we will spend our early morning at the memorial here. But first: Adelaide Cemetery. Here we heard Bridget's tribute to her adopted digger. The Unknown Soldier who is interred at the Australian War Memorial was exhumed from this cemetery. It is a favoured stop on the battlefield tour route and today they would have a memorable experience. Bruce gave us all a line to read from Paul Keating's speech at the Australian War Memorial when the Unknown Soldier was interred. The part I read is in italics....

"We do not know this Australian's name and we never will.

We do not know his rank or his battalion. We do not know where he was born, nor precisely how and when he died. We do not know where in Australia he had made his home or when he left it for the battlefields of Europe. We do not know his age or his circumstances – whether he was from the city or the bush; what occupation he left to become a soldier; what religion, if he had a religion; if he was married or single. We do not know who loved him or whom he loved. If he had children we do not know who they are. His family is lost to us as he was lost to them. We will never know who this Australian was.

Yet he has always been among those whom we have honoured. We know that he was one of the 45,000 Australians who died on the Western Front. One of the 416,000 Australians who volunteered for service in the First World War. One of the 324,000 Australians who served overseas in that war and one of the 60,000 Australians who died on foreign soil. One of the 100,000 Australians who have died in wars this century.

He is all of them. And he is one of us.

This Australia and the Australia he knew are like foreign countries. The tide of events since he died has been so dramatic, so vast and all – consuming, a world has been created beyond the reach of his imagination.

He may have been one of those who believed that the Great War would be an adventure too grand to miss. He may have felt that he would never live down the shame of not going. But the chances are he went for no other reason than that he believed it was the duty he owed his country and his King.

Because the Great War was a mad, brutal, awful struggle, distinguished more often than not by military and political incompetence; because the waste of human life was so terrible that some said victory was scarcely discernible from defeat; and because the war which was supposed to end all wars in fact sowed the seeds of a second even more terrible war – we might think this Unknown Soldier died in vain.

But, in honouring our war dead, as we always have and as we do today, we declare that this is not true. For out of the war came a lesson which transcended the horror and tragedy and the inexcusable folly. It was a lesson about ordinary people – and the lesson was that they were not ordinary. On all sides they were the heroes of that war; not the generals and the politicians but the soldiers and sailors and nurses – those who taught us to endure hardship, to show courage, to be bold as well as resilient, to believe in ourselves, to stick together.

The Unknown Australian Soldier whom we are interring today was one of those who, by his deeds, proved that real nobility and grandeur belongs, not to empires and nations, but to the people on whom they, in the last resort, always depend.

That is surely at the heart of the ANZAC story, the Australian legend which emerged from the war. It is a legend not of sweeping military victories so much as triumphs against the odds, of courage and ingenuity in adversity. It is a legend of free and independent spirits whose discipline derived less from military formalities and customs than from the bonds of mateship and the demands of necessity. It is a democratic tradition, the tradition in which Australians have gone to war ever since.

This Unknown Australian is not interred here to glorify war over peace; or to assert a soldier's character above a civilian's; or one race or one nation or one religion above another; or men above women; or the war in which he fought and died above any other war; or one generation above any that has been or will come later.

The Unknown Soldier honours the memory of all those men and women who laid down their lives for Australia. His tomb is a reminder of what we have lost in war and what we have gained.

We have lost more than 100,000 lives, and with them all their love of this country and all their hope and energy.

We have gained a legend: a story of bravery and sacrifice and, with it, a deeper faith in ourselves and our democracy, and a deeper understanding of what it means to be Australian.

It is not too much to hope, therefore, that this Unknown Australian Soldier might continue to serve his country - he might enshrine a nation's love of peace and remind us that, in the sacrifice of the men and women whose names are recorded here, there is faith enough for all of us."

The Hon. P. J. Keating MP
Prime Minister of Australia
November 11, 1993
Canberra, Australia

Whatever you may think of Paul Keating. This is a BRILLIANT speech. After our reading, we conducted our service: David reciting the Ode, Hadley on the bugle and the people around us were blown away. They, and I, were lucky to be there.

Another cluster of graves....

His memory is as dear today
as in the hour
he passes away

In answer to his answer to
his country's call
he gave his best
his life his all

Bridget's tribute....

Villers-Bretteneux was home to the Australians and they made friends quickly with the French. It was Victorians who raised money to help rebuild the primary school in VB. As a result, the school is now named 'Victoria School'. There is a Aboriginal-esque mural in the quadrangles, the hall contains carvings and pictures of Victoria and the attic contains memorabilia from the war. These people could not have been any more excited and happy to see us!! After the Black Saturday fires, the Victoria School raised money to help rebuild Strathewen Primary School. A real bond exists between this school and Victoria. The money they raised bought an outdoor chess set for the school.

The school quadrangle....

There's a frog on the mural!!!! :)

A picture of the Block Arcade (and Haighs) hanging in the hall....

Poster in the attic....

Photo in the attic....

A blurry 'Never Forget Australia'....

Villers-Bretteneux Memorial. Cripes! This is where we will be tomorrow morning. You walk up a hill...okay maybe more of a rise, but it's been a busy trip....to get to the memorial. On the way up you pass rows of graves....and cable and lights.... Considering that tomorrow is the big day, it wasn't too intrusive. But intrusive enough. We have a purpose here: to commemorate two more diggers.

The entrance to the memorial and the Stone of Remembrance....

Walking up to the memorial....

Another life lost
Hearts broken for what

Tell Mother I'll be there
in answer to her prayer

Just so many names....such a waste....

David's private tribute on behalf of his Dad....he is leaving some Australian soil along with some gum leaves....Dave's Dad kissed every leaf before putting them in an envelope for him to bring with him....

Liz Smart's tribute....

K-Rudd's chair...wait for it....

....Yep, I warmed up K-Rudd's seat for him....

Where we will be sitting....about 5 rows from the front...

Martin's tribute....behind everyone is a massive boom...made it a little hard for his tribute....

A little link to home....look carefully in the tulips....

Liz and Martin did a fantastic job, under difficult conditions, to commemorate their Diggers. There was a lot of work going on around us for the ceremony tomorrow. C'est la vie! What could we do. Well, we blew everyone away is what we did!! After the two tributes, David read the Ode, Hadley stopped everyone in their tracks with the Last Post and Tom brought a tear to everyone's eye with Waltzing Matilda. It was certainly a magic moment. Chatter stopped. People bowed their heads. And I'm sure many, like I, had a tear in their eye thinking of our boys and the sacrifices that they made. I'm proud to be a Victorian on the Premier's Spirit of ANZAC Prize Tour and I'm bloody proud to be an Australian today.

An early night tonight, well early-ish, as we have an EARLY start tomorrow. 3am wake up call for me....YIKES....but this is the reason we are here. Bloody excited!