Clan Donald Links

ANZAC

AUSTRALIAN NEW ZEALAND ARMY CORP

Firstly l would like to say how very proud l am to be an Aussie, as I’am sure all our Aussie member’s and all Australian’s are. How indebted we are to all those brave men who fought and gave their lives so we could all live as we do today in this wonderful country of our’s as free people .Hopefully l can do these brave men justice today as l tell you what the Anzac Spirit means to me.

The Anzac spirit, l feel is instilled in us all, to stand and fight for all we believe in, our mate ship, our larrikin humour and to stand tall and proud to be an Aussie. I feel we must never forget what these men did for us.How many times have some of us been asked by our youth, ‘What is Anzac Day? Why do these men and women march? Let us not ever forget their ultimate sacrifice for us, we do not need to pass on the horrors of it, but, please let us pass this proud knowledge of these brave men on to our young people. It is part of our heritage and our young people need to know why our men fought and died for this country.

HOW THE WORD ANZAC'S CAME ABOUT

ANZAC came about because it was easier for when doing the paper work, instead of Australian and New Zealand Army Corp, they wrote ANZAC across the page and it caught on.
Wow, did it ever…

GALLIPOLI BIRTH PLACE OF THE ANZAC’S

For the soldiers at Battle of Gallipoli, life would not have been worth living if they had betrayed the ideal of mate ship. Despite the loss at Gallipoli, Australian and New Zealand soldiers were seen to have displayed great courage, endurance, initiative and discipline. The stereotype developed that the Anzac rejected unnecessary restrictions, possessed a sardonic sense of humour, was contemptuous of danger, and proved himself the equal of anyone on the battlefield. It is said that English officer’s remarked that on Gallipoli the Aussie's charged into battle like a football scrum. In the first 24hrs 1,800 Anzac casualties were evacuated from Anzac Cove. In the first 5 days the casualties and killed were more than 8,000.
The dysentery, diarrhoea, enteric fevers (typhoid fever) only some of what they endured. The weather was mild when they arrived, yet torrential rains flooded their trenches and it was boggy and sodden. The Turks were use to these conditions so it wasn’t such a problem for them. They lived with their dead mates next to them in the sodden muddy trenches for many days at a time.
Today the Turks look after our brave men in their final resting places. For this we thank them. As in any war, both parties were only doing their part in fighting for their country’s freedom.

SIMPSON AND HIS DONKEY

John (Jack) Simpson Kirkpatrick

(6th July1892-19th May 1915)

John Kirkpatrick served under the name John Simpson, he was a stretcher bearer with the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps during the Gallipoli campaign in World War 1.After landing at Anzac Cove on 25th April 1915, he found a donkey and began carrying the wounded British Empire soldiers from the frontline to the beach ready for evacuation.
Simpson and Murphy (his donkey) kept doing this for three and half weeks, often under enemy fire, until he Simpson was killed by a stray enemy bullet. Simpson and his donkey are a very important part of not only the Gallipoli Campaign, but also to our history.

SIMPSON & HIS DONKEY

What these brave men must have endured on this day and the weeks ahead following the landing at Anzac Cove Gallipoli. To be faced at the base of the steep hillside only to be shot down as they tried to defend themselves on the way up. They stormed the beaches before daybreak many not making it to the shore, being shot down as they embarked.

Gallipoli Peninsula 25th April- 9th January 1916

Casualties and Losses

220,000, 59% casualty rate [4] 253,000 60% Casualty

Country	Dead	Wounded	Casualties
Australia	8,709	19,441	28,150
New Zealand	2,721	4,752	7,473
British		21,255
French		10,000
Newfoundland soldiers (Canadian)		49

THE LIGHT HORSE BRIGADES

Let us not forget the contribution of the Light Horse Brigade.
Due to the rugged terrain the horses were considered unsuitable
and the soldiers were sent in without their horses to aid the infantry .These brave men were later reunited with their horses and went on to other battles.

I hope to one day stand on Anzac Cove to pay honour to our fallen hero’s and try to imagine (if possible) what they felt that morning as they were running on to the beaches.
I would like to think that somehow they know that this nation they fought so hard for are all so very proud of what they have done and given to all generations that have come after them.