ANZAC Day 2017

While the focus of ANZAC Day remains firmly planted on the Gallipoli peninsula with the Dawn service commemorating the landings on 25 April 1915, increasingly over the years, greater attention has been paid to the Australian National Memorial,  located outside of the village of Villers-Bretonneux in France and the Menin Gate in Belgium which commemorate losses and sacrifice on the Western Front of World War 1. This will be even more important next year.

ANZAC Day in Belgium honours the almost 13,000 ANZACs who fought and gave their lives in the battles of the Ypres Salient during World War One.  In effect there were four actual battles in the Ypres salient but for Australians, the Third Battle is of most significance and 2017 marks the 100th anniversary. Of note, most Australian soldiers buried in Belgium died during the Third Battle of Ypres (comprising of the Battle of Menin Road, Battle of Polygon Wood, Battle of Broodseinde, Battle of Poelcapelle and the Battle of Passchendaele).

In 2018, there will be commemorations to mark the 100th Anniversary of the Armistice which ended World War 1. At that time of the Armistice, the Australians were part of the 100 Day Offensive and for the first time were in a single formation, the Australian Army Corps with Australian officers and commanded by an Australian General, Lieutenant General Sir John Monash.

Lest we forget.

General Sir John Monash with Australian Prime Minister Billy Hughes, 1918