Remembering the Anzacs

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More than a century has passed since the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) was formed.

Each year, Australians pause to remember the troops－known as Anzacs－who fought in World War One and the veterans who followed.

Sydney’s Cenotaph honouring fallen soldiers. /CGTN Photo

"It was created 103 years ago and it began as an acronym," said Brad Manera, a senior historian with the Anzac Memorial in Sydney. "But now,
Anzac means a lot of things to a lot of people. For Australia it is an extraordinary word."

The Anzacs were created in 1914 at the start of World War One. Just one year later however, they were thrust into an improbable task: to halt the Ottoman Empire’s advances in an attempt to claim the Turkish peninsula of Gallipoli. Thousands of Australian soldiers were killed in the campaign.

"I think probably the great legacy of the Australian performance at Gallipoli is that of the courage, the endurance and the sacrifice of the soldiers involved," said Manera.

"There is not a great deal of credit for the high command, however, the individual soldiers looked after their mates, they engaged the enemy with ferocity and they stuck it out. And I think that created a legend that we’ve become very proud of in Australia."

Sydney Dawn Service. /CGTN Photo

Since then, Anzac Day has been celebrated on April 25－the date the ANZAC troops first landed at Gallipoli. It has become a day of remembrance for the sacrifices of soldiers from all wars, and one that has become very personal for an increasing number of people.

Anthony Malloy attended his very first dawn service in Sydney this year at the age of 71, with his father’s World War Two medals proudly displayed on his chest.

Anthony Malloy with his father’s World War Two medals. /CGTN Photo

"I think people should think about the soldiers that saved this country, brought it up to what it is today and are still doing so," he said.

Anzac Day has had a different impact on different generations, Manera said. And there seems to be a renewed interest this year, which marks the 100-year anniversary of the end of World War One.

Sydney’s Anzac Day dawn service. /AP screenshot

"These days, the 25th of April－Anzac Day－and the 11th of November－Remembrance Day or Armistice Day－by no means are occasions for celebrations," he said. "But they are, and hopefully will remain, a day for reflection and commemoration."

(Top picture: A young boy makes his way down Elizabeth Street during the ANZAC Day parade, April 25, 2018, in Sydney, Australia. /VCG Photo)

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