Speech Presented by Mr Phil Webb on ANZAC Assembly 24th April 2008
LEST WE FORGET
Distinguished Guests, Parents and Friends, Ladies, Gentlemen and Men of St Patrick’s College, it was with honour that I accepted the task of presenting today’s ANZAC Day address. As the father and uncle of members currently on active service overseas, this year’s ANZAC Day, even more than previous years has a particular poignance for me. In every ANZAC Day ceremony, we hear the words “Lest we forget” and often they roll off the tongue without a great deal of thought. Today, I want us all to consider thoughtfully the meaning of these words.
The words originally come from the famous British poet, Rudyard Kipling. In fact, Kipling addressed his hymn-poem to God. Originally, it was not directly applied to those fallen in war. It was written to correct vain boasting after victory and very sadly, after the death of his own son in action in World War I. To quote one stanza from many:
"The tumult and the shouting dies,
The Captains and the Kings depart.
Still stands Thine ancient sacrifice
A humble and a contrite heart.
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet
Lest we forget. Lest we forget."
In essence, what the poet is saying is that after the battle is over, and those who are in charge (The Captains and Kings) depart the field, what is left is the sacrifice of those who fought and died, and will forever remain on that field of battle.
Anzac Day marks the anniversary of the first significant military action fought by Australian and New Zealand troops in the First World War when an allied expedition set out to capture the Gallipoli Peninsula to open the way to the Black Sea. Landing on April 25, 1915, with the intention of capturing Constantinople (now Istanbul), the invading forces were bogged down on the beach and suffered heavy losses. None of those magnificent men who were lost in those darkest of days played any role in the formation of battle plans. None made any decisions about when and how they invasion would take place. They were not the “Captains and Kings”, but yet they committed themselves ultimately to their duty.
Australia lost 8700 men at Gallipoli. Over time the blood sacrifice of the Diggers came to be seen as something of an initiation ceremony for the birth of an independent Australia, Gallipoli came to stand for reckless valour in a good cause, for enterprise, resourcefulness, fidelity, comradeship and endurance.
Like other battles in which many young people died, the military action at Gallipoli left relatives, friends and fellow Australians to find meaning in what had happened. They sought it in many places: in Stoic acceptance of the absurdity and folly of war, in the classical tradition of the patriotic warrior, and in religious traditions.
Many of those affected by the Great War struggled to make sense of what they had until then taken for granted about their world. The young men who died had lived long enough to show promise and to be loved, but not long enough to give shape to their life’s path. In their dying, they broke a web of relationships to family, to mates, to friends and lovers, to their local communities, and to their nation.
This is true of all wars. Australia more than any other developed country on Earth, has committed troops to aid its allies for nearly the past 150 years. We are all familiar with the establishment of our country as an outpost of the British Empire, and history has shown that we have taken this attachment to our mother country seriously and unquestioningly, coming to her aid when needs arose, which has been frequent. Over the years, new allegiances have been brought to play, but never at the expense of our original birthright.
Troops from the colonies that became known as Australia were aiding Great Britain as early as the 1860s, fighting in the Moari Wars in New Zealand, fighting German and Dutch in the South African (Boer) War, in the Afghan War, the Sudan, the Boxer Rebellion in China, all before the Federation of the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901. Since then, Australians have fought and died in conflicts away from our shores, and in some conflicts that I am sure many of you would never have even heard of …
Australians at war: deaths as a result of service with Australian units
|
Conflict |
Dates of conflict |
Number of deaths |
|
New Zealand |
1860–61 |
Accurate figures not available |
|
Sudan |
1885 |
9 |
|
South African War |
11 October 1899 – 31 May 1902 |
589 |
|
China |
6 August 1900 – 25 April 1901 |
6 |
|
First World War |
4 August 1914 – 31 March 1921 |
61,508 |
|
Second World War |
3 September 1939 – 30 June 1947 |
39,767 |
|
Malayan Emergency |
16 June 1948 – 31 July 1960 |
39 |
|
Korean War |
27 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 |
340 |
|
Indonesian Confrontation |
24 December 1962– 11 August 1966 |
15 |
|
Malaya Peninsula |
19 February 1964 – 11 August 1966 |
2 |
|
Vietnam War |
3 August 1962 – 29 April 1975 |
521 |
|
Thailand |
25 June 1965 – 31 August 1968 |
2 |
|
Somalia |
20 October 1992 – 30 November 1994 |
1 |
|
East Timor |
16 September 1999 – 18 August 2003 |
3 |
|
Afghanistan |
11 October 2001 – present |
3 |
|
Iraq |
16 July 2003 – present |
2 |
|
Total |
|
102.808 |
In all, Australia has lost 102,808 of its precious men and women in conflicts away from home. In World War I, the so incorrectly labeled “War to end all wars” there were 324,000 Australians who served. Over 61,000 of them did not return. That is about 1 in 5 troops were lost. Next time you are standing around, see how many groups of five or more people you can spot, and this horrifying statistic becomes remarkably real. Aspects of the landing at Gallipoli made death particularly poignant and challenging. The soldiers died not in defence of their own land but in someone else’s war, far from home. The action in which they died was of doubtful wisdom, and was inadequately planned and executed. In the event, the soldiers died to hold for a short time a few hills, a few valleys, and a tiny stretch of beach.
In response to the defeat some simply wept for the folly and the waste of the enterprise. Others looked for a higher meaning. Some drew inspiration from the bravery and generosity shown by so many of the soldiers. Others identified in Gallipoli a particularly Australian contribution to the war, and saw that it gave a distinctive shape to the Australian people.
Many of the graves at Gallipoli carry simply the soldier’s name, the date of his death, and the details of his service. Many also bear an epitaph chosen by the family, and of these epitaphs, most are religious texts.
Some texts express simple grief and resignation. "The Lord has given, the Lord has taken away", for example. Other texts display hope in life after death, either through personal immortality, or through continuing memory.
Of the epitaphs, some express confidence that this death had a purpose. "Greater love than this no man has, than to lay down his life for his friends", for example. Again, there are secular parallels: "He died for king and country", or, "for his fellow soldiers".
These epitaphs are moving and modest. In them we see families grieving for a dead son or brother, and struggling to find meaning in it. The following message from Kemal Ataturk, a Turkish Commander at Gallipoli, and the first President of Turkey after the war and now known as the father of the Turks, erected at Gallipoli in 1934:
“These heroes who shed their blood and lost their lives. You are now lying in the soil of a friendly country. Therefore, rest in peace. There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side here in this country of ours. You the mothers who sent their sons from far away countries, wipe your tears. Your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace. After having lost their lives on this land they have become our sons as well.”
This message from a former enemy is a powerful example of the futility and wastefulness of war, and a true expression of reconciliation and a recognition of the heroism of sacrifice made by soldiers from all sides.
Ninety years on, there are no longer any living survivors of the campaign, but the parades, services and rituals of ANZAC Day have survived, and some have expanded. Large crowds now go to Gallipoli each year. The legend of ANZAC remains relevant to many Australians.
The word “ANZAC”, however, has different meanings for different people, and so remains open to interpretation.
Lieutenant Colonel Harry Jarvie, commander of the RTF Afghanistan said in his address at the dawn service last year: "As Australian soldiers we should use today to reflect on why we serve and to rededicate ourselves to maintaining the ideals and values that so many in the past have fought to protect. Freedom only survives, as long as people like us are willing to defend it"
The spirit of ANZAC, with its human qualities of courage, mateship and sacrifice, continues to have meaning and relevance today, for our sense of national identity.
The English poet Wilfred Owen wrote about life in the trenches of World War I while serving on the front lines. His poem “Dulce Et Decorum Est” was written in 1917 and describes the sort of conditions the young Anzacs fought in.
After graphic descriptions of the horror of war he challenges the
reader;
“My friend, you would not tell with such high zest
To children ardent for some desperate glory,
The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est
Pro patria mori.”
That last line, in essence, means “It is sweet and becoming to die for one's
country.” This is the great lie that our men and women were asked to follow.
Conflict is a human failing. There is no glory in war itself. The glory comes from the extraordinary acts of otherwise ordinary men and women. War itself is profane.
The Anzacs knew the danger of the situation. They knew that many of them would not come home. But they showed a spirit that was something other than courage, for courage as a word does not go far enough or deep enough.
There is no glory in war, but the ANZAC Spirit is about HOW those troops fought that war. In our lives today, ANZAC Spirit is about how we as individuals live our lives.
There is a very famous quote;
“Those who do not learn from the mistakes of history are condemned to
repeat them.”
But Anzac day is not about remembering mistakes. It is not about winning or losing. ANZAC Spirit is not about the glorification of war or denying the horror of the situation. It is about doing and being your personal best, not being
beaten down by the sheer magnitude or inevitability of a situation.
Writers of the day described the Anzac troops leaping off boats,
wading to shore and engaging the enemy with total commitment and undeniable valour.
Quickly that became known as the ANZAC Spirit, and became part of the reputation that our soldiers carried with them into battle in conflicts ever since.
Today we can embrace that spirit if we choose to.
It is not simply bravery, nor is it recklessness.
It is about knowing that there is a job to be done, rolling up your
sleeves and doing it without complaining. It is about being part of something bigger than you, and accepting that. It is about helping your mate, even if it slows you down. It is about doing the right thing even if that is the hard thing.
It has become part of Australia’s image of itself and is literally an example of building character.
Perpetuating the memory of our fallen warriors by continuing to live the ANZAC Spirit is the enduring legacy of ANZAC Day. From the beginning it was about the job ahead. It is also about unity and being part of a community. We should never forget what those soldiers gave for their country. We should also take the time to think of our soldiers currently overseas in conflicts around the world.
But we should also look within; within ourselves, our communities, our towns, cities and our country. We should look for the strength to do our bit, to follow the hard path if we have to.
At this, and at every ANZAC Day ceremony around the world, across Australia, in the Middle East, in East Timor, the Solomon Islands, Africa, on Gallipoli and everywhere members of the Australian Defence Forces are stationed or deployed, the haunting strains of the Last Post is played. This has special significance to service men and women. It is used in tribute of those who did not and will not return safely from the field. A Post signifies a bugle call used to convey a specific order, in days before more sophisticated electronic communication and signaling….
1st post “Return to barracks”
2nd post “Shut the gates”
3rd post “Lights out”
4th (Last) post “Those who are returned safe, will not being coming home”
This, to me, will always bring home the significance of ANZAC Day. It is not about jingoistic chest beating and the glorification of that which is un-glorifiable. It is not about colonial expansion or the avenging of some perceived across border rivalry. It is about the heroism and sacrifice of those magnificent men and women who served and sacrificed, who did not count the cost, who simply and honestly did what they considered was their duty.
When those in positions of power over us, those “Captains and Kings” of Kipling’s poem, decreed that all other avenues had been tried and failed, when the bugles sounded and the drums crashed, and they declared, “Cry havoc, and let slip the dogs of war!” these glorious souls answered the call, and willingly or unwillingly carved their names for eternity on the rolls of heroism, that we might remember their sacrifice …
“LEST WE FORGET”