I have to admit that this year I didn't. Not because I couldn't, but I didn't. I had a sleep in and then popped into work for a few hours.
Funnily enough, I can't believe that I admit to this quite significant change of attitude.
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My grandfathers would have been 125 now.
Both were injured in WW1 and eventually sent home. One was an army chaplain, assessed as being unfit after being gassed in the trenches - and probably as a result died young (I never met him). I have his war diary detailing some of the abject stupidity and consequences of the need to enforce "military order". The other according to records was affected by "shrapnel injury/extensive/severe". He was sent to Calais then England in 1918, hospitalised for a couple of months, discharged from hospital then readmitted for 10 days a few days later with influenza before being sent home. I knew him well, he never spoke about the war except a joke that he'd been "saved by the bible", claiming that he'd had a bible in his top tunic pocket which deflected a bullet. That was partly true, it was his paybook - which I have, complete with bullet gouge and his bloodstains. The bullet went into his arm, damaged some tendons - he could never extend the little finger on his right hand. He joked that this hooked little finger served as an ideal platform to support a beer glass at the RSA. I have the paybook in a wooden box he made, along with his service medals, some regimental buttons, a gold nugget that his father had dug from the ground or a riverbed in Westland near where he is buried in pauper's grave, and a WWI German officer's belt buckle inscribed "God With Us" (God Mitt Uns).
That stupid futile war fought by ordinary NZ and Aussie blokes, who'd almost invariably write their mother's names as "NK" on enlistment forms - on a "great OE" - to protect the honour of the aristocracy.
Lest we forget.
We have been for a few years but were away and didn't attend the dawn service. My son got ill 2 days ago so I stayed home and my wife attended a later one with my daughter.
I was there in spirit.
Fred99:
... and a WWI German officer's belt buckle inscribed "God With Us" (God Mitt Uns).
Lest we forget.
The motto itself "Gott mit uns" was on all belts in WWI and WWII for the regular troops. The difference of a soldier's and officer's belt was only the buckle for the first made of aluminium and made from polished steel with brass for the latter. For the WWII belts, there additionally were some insignias we don't like to talk about at this place on the belt as well. Ironically the Nazis didn't request to have somebody else than God mentioned within the motto (for the normal troops). Others (i.e. Waffen-$$, Special forces) as invariably volunteers and system supporting soldiers it was different. After war, they could be easily identified as such since they had their service number tattooed below one arm.
BTW: My grandfather faced the same FUBAR in France/Verdun in WW I - he got entombed (or do you name it "blocked"?) But before that, he was glad and loved it when he remembered *THIS* experience strictly forbidden to talk about in the public later on.
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josephhinvest: Went to the Warkworth dawn service. Was very nice. 1500-2000 people there.
We are away from home this Anzac Day, we usually alternate yearly between dawn service at Waikumete and the local civil 10am service
Puhoi for us, at 9am, as the kids Scouts were on parade there.
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Yep, went to the Dawn service on Waiheke. I guess a couple of hundred+ there.
Went to the dawn service at the Morrinsville RSA. Great weather and right on que at 6.10 a freight train rolled thru again as the service started..
Regards,
Old3eyes
Went to the Dawn Parade in Paraparaumu.
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I went to the Wellington one. It wasn't as fun as I thought it would be. Are there any better ones?
Dulouz:
I went to the Wellington one. It wasn't as fun as I thought it would be. Are there any better ones?
It's not a party. It's a commemoration service for the fallen and those who sacrificed.
Tinkerisk:
Fred99:
... and a WWI German officer's belt buckle inscribed "God With Us" (God Mitt Uns).
Lest we forget.
The motto itself "Gott mit uns" was on all belts in WWI and WWII for the regular troops. The difference of a soldier's and officer's belt was only the buckle for the first made of aluminium and made from polished steel with brass for the latter. For the WWII belts, there additionally were some insignias we don't like to talk about at this place on the belt as well. Ironically the Nazis didn't request to have somebody else than God mentioned within the motto (for the normal troops). Others (i.e. Waffen-$$, Special forces) as invariably volunteers and system supporting soldiers it was different. After war, they could be easily identified as such since they had their service number tattooed below one arm.
BTW: My grandfather faced the same FUBAR in France/Verdun in WW I - he got entombed (or do you name it "blocked"?) But before that, he was glad and loved it when he remembered *THIS* experience strictly forbidden to talk about in the public later on.
The one we have here is brass, the embossed disc is silver coloured, which I think is nickel silver plated.
One of the craziest accounts in my (other) grandfather's diaries was what happened in training in Egypt. Some Aussies in their camp were forced to go marching in the desert heat wearing their full uniforms etc. Several died, many were near death from heatstroke or dehydration. One would have thought Aussie officers might be wise as to the risk of that happening, despite the need to toughen-up the boys for the coming slaughter.
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