Honour and respect for Spirit of ANZAC

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1 APRIL 2015 Brought to you by Daryl Maguire MP Member for Wagga Wagga School children from across the district were part of the Rural Commemorative Children s Choir who participated in the Kangaroo March Re-enactment launch at Wagga s Victory Memorial Gardens. Many of the children took part in the wreath laying ceremony at the Wagga Cenotaph and helped capture the emotion and significance of the day. See more pictures from the launch inside. Honour and respect for Spirit of ANZAC The ANZAC spirit forged on the battlefields of Gallipoli is a significant and defining part of Australia s history and our growth as a nation. At dawn on 25 April 100 years ago, the first Australian troops landed at Gallipoli in one of the bloodiest campaigns of the First World War. Communities across the Wagga Wagga Electorate come together on this national day of ceremony to honour the men and women who have served this great country and made the supreme sacrifice so today we can enjoy the peace and freedom of a true democracy. The Gallipoli campaign is significant to our area as many soldiers from across the districts fought there, indeed in many theatres of war. This Spirit of ANZAC publication highlights some of those local soldiers who served and died at Gallipoli, and others such as Tumut s Victoria Cross recipient Jack Ryan who fought on the Western Front and showed great bravery and devotion to duty. It is his bravery and the bravery of so many thousand others in all conflicts which we stand to remember on ANZAC Day. Their sacrifice is important and should never be forgotten. It is always fantastic to see the involvement of community groups and young children on this day of remembrance. I urge you to try to attend a service or march in this special year of commemoration in honour of all our service men and women who have served Australia. Daryl Maguire Member for Wagga Wagga ANZAC Day Saturday, 25 April 2015 LEST WE FORGET

2 COMMEMORATING THE CENTENARY OF THE GALLIPOLI CAMPAIGN ANZAC We will remember them. The Gallipoli campaign in 1915 was a defining moment in Australia s character and development as a young nation. The attack was a strategy aimed at seizing the Dardanelles and gaining an advantage in World War One by capturing Constantinople, capital of Turkey (now Istanbul). More than 20,000 Australians and New Zealanders and servicemen from other countries, including British and French soldiers, went ashore at the Gallipoli Peninsula on that first day. The day of the dawn landings 25 April became a national holiday known as ANZAC Day. 28 JUNE 1914 Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the throne of Austria- Hungary, triggers a diplomatic crisis which soon spreads around the world. 4 AUGUST 1914 Great Britain declares war on Germany and the First World War (also known as The Great War) starts. Australia pledges a force of 20, AUGUST 1914 Voluntary recruitment for Australian Imperial Force (AIF) starts. 1 NOVEMBER 1914 The First Division of the AIF sails from Albany, Western Australia, for Egypt. 10 JANUARY 1915 Soldiers of 11th Battalion, AIF, pose on the Great Pyramid of Khufu (Cheops) near Mena camp four months before the landing at Gallipoli. This is a well known and very popular photo. 20 APRIL 1915 More than 200 ships assemble in the harbour at Mudros, Lemnos, in preparation for the British and French invasion of Turkey. 25 APRIL 1915 Australian forces involved in the dawn landing at ANZAC Cove on the Gallipoli Peninsula, Turkey. At 4.30am the invasion starts. British, Australian and New Zealand forces, and French (at the Turkish mainland at Kum Kale) land. The British are confined to two small pockets of land on the tip of the peninsula at Cape Helles and the ANZACs to a strip of rugged country further up the peninsula inland of Ari Burnu Point (ANZAC Cove). 19 MAY 1915 Private John Simpson Kirkpatrick of Simpson and his Donkey fame killed by machinegun fire. 19 MAY 1915 Lance Corporal Albert Jacka, 14th Battalion, AIF, becomes the first Australian to win the Victoria Cross in World War One for his action in battle. 24 MAY 1915 Formal truce to bury the dead. 6-9 AUGUST 1915 Battle of Lone Pine Australians are awarded seven Victoria Crosses (five of them on one day, 9 August). Australian casualties at Lone Pine were more than 2,000 men while the Turks estimated losses at 6, AUGUST 1915 Charge of Australian Light Horse Brigade at the Nek. 22 NOVEMBER 1915 Field Marshal Lord Kitchener advises Gallipoli should be evacuated a massive task involving 93,000 troops, 200 guns and more than 5,000 animals, stores and ammunition. Nurses take on a vital role Members of the Australian Army Nursing Service (AANS) have played a critical role in all theatres of war where Australian troops have served. The first army nursing service left for the Boer War in early 1900, marking the start of more than 100 years of dedicated service to Australian forces called to duty in war and conflict. More than 2100 members of the Service served during WWI, including Gallipoli, and endured shocking conditions under the threat of death, disease and as They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old; Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning GALLIPOLI CASUALTIES The eight-month-long Gallipoli campaign involved a total of about one million men from both sides. Approximately 469,000 British Empire soldiers and about 500,000 Turkish soldiers served on Gallipoli. The Allied force included between 50,000 and 60,000 Australians and 8,556 New Zealanders. KILLED WOUNDED TOTAL Ottoman Empire 86, , ,309 United Kingdom 21,255 52,230 73,485 France 9,798 17,371 27,169 Australia 8,709 19,441 28,150 New Zealand 2,721 4,752 7,473 British India 1,358 3,421 4,779 Newfoundland Total Allies 43,890 97, ,198 Information: Dept Veterans Affairs The above table does not include illness many soldiers became sick due to the unsanitary conditions, especially from enteric fever, dysentery and diarrhoea. It is estimated that at least 145,000 Allied soldiers became ill during the campaign. Turkish sick are thought to be about 64, DECEMBER 1915 Evacuation of Australian and allied forces from ANZAC Cove and Suvla Bay. By the time of evacuation close to 44,000 allied troops have been killed from a total of almost 300,000 casualties. Evacuation of British troops from Cape Helles takes place on 8-9 January 1916, ending the campaign. prisoners of war. During WWI, 2139 nurses served overseas, 423 served in Australia, 25 died and 388 were decorated. Seven Military Medals were awarded to nurses for acts of courage. Local nurses Lyla Welman, of Tumut, and Wagga s Ethel Cameron served overseas with the AANS during WWI. Staff Nurse Cameron, 26, enlisted on 1 December 1916 and embarked from Sydney on board RMS Mooltan on 9 June She returned to Australia 28 April Staff Nurse Welman, aged 29, also enlisted in December She served overseas until her return to Australia on 1 March 1919.

3 Wagga Digger keeps Gallipoli memories alive Wagga motor mechanic Reg Duke would never have imagined 100 years after stepping onto the shores at Gallipoli his story would be told nationally as part of this year s centenary commemorations. Private Reginald Herbert Duke was one of thousands of ordinary young Australians sent off to fight in The Great War, and was later described by his sergeant as one of the bravest men to fight the enemy. His parents Arthur and Eleanor Duke, of Arundel at Gregadoo, Wagga, farewelled 23-year-old Reg their eldest of three sons who embarked on 18 October 1914 with the 1st Battalion. It was the great adventure so many yearned and chased but it was also the last the family would see of young Reg. The first entry on his records states Reg joined the battalion at Gallipoli on 7 May 1915 but it is possible he was part of the 1st Battalion s landing on the peninsula on 25 April. The next recorded entry confirms Reg was killed in action on 26 May at Courtneys Post and soon after buried at Shrapnel Valley Cemetery. His father Arthur Duke, in a letter to Defence Base Records, revealed his son was shot in the trenches while sniping. His company leader, Sergeant Payne, later wrote to Reg s mother, Eleanor Duke, after he returned from the Dardanelles: I was with him till the last. He was one of the bravest lads in the company and a better lad never faced the foe. I was deeply moved and we all tried to avenge his death. Sgt Payne also said he had the bullet which killed Reg and offered to send it back to Mrs Duke if she wanted it. Reg was small in stature at just 5 4 tall but was handy with a rifle, honing the skill on the farm near Wagga, and was quickly identified for this wily hide and seek sniping role requiring courage and coolness. Wagga s John Duke with his daughter Nikki and grand children Jesse, 13, and four-year-old twins Alexander and Jorjii. John s uncles Reg and Arthur were both killed in the First World War Reg at Gallipoli and Arthur in a tragic accident on the ship sailing overseas. INSET: Reg Duke s medals. Another letter from Arthur Duke makes mention of Reg s best mate, Archie Barwick, who sent a parcel of his friend s personal belongings back to Arundel. Reg was nicknamed Wagga and this was highlighted in the recent ABC series The War That Changed Us which featured Barwick s story and the extensive diaries he kept throughout the entire war. A few years later the Duke family farewelled another son Arthur Frederick Duke who embarked from Melbourne on HMAT Shropshire on 11 May A freak accident on board the ship tragically claimed 22-year-old Arthur s life before he saw any action. Arthur slipped on the stairs between decks which had become covered by a spilled bowl of stew. He suffered concussion and a fractured skull. He died the next day on 9 June 1917 and was buried at sea. The letter from Sergeant Payne to Reg Duke s mother, Eleanor. Private Reginald Herbert Duke, known in the trenches at Gallipoli as Wagga.

4 WAGGA WAGGA KAN Re-enactment to mark centenary of historic march Marchers young and old will later this year step-off in the footsteps of the men who joined the original Kangaroo March a century ago in a re-enactment trek from Wagga to Campbelltown. The 36-day march covering 520 kilometres will start on 5 September 2015 and finish on 10 October, visiting towns and villages along the general route the original Kangaroos followed. The original march set off from Wagga on 1 December 1915 with 88 men and finished in Sydney on 7 January 1916 with a strength of 222 after the 350-mile journey. More information on the march re-enactment can be found at kangaroomarch.org.au The Kangaroo March Re-enactment was launched with much fanfare, singing and period costume at Wagga s Victory Memorial Gardens. These photographs were taken at the launch. Wagga s own VC hero CORPORAL John Hurst Edmondson is Wagga Wagga s Victoria Cross hero. He was born at Wagga on 8 October 1914 and baptised in St John s Anglican Church, where a memorial plaque pays tribute to his bravery. As a child, Jack moved with his parents to Liverpool where he was educated and where he worked on the family farm until his enlistment in the 2/17th Battalion on 20 May On the night of April 1941, a party of heavily armed German infantry broke through the wire defences at Tobruk, Libya. A group of seven, including Cpl Edmondson, attacked the Germans with bayonets. During the charge Cpl Edmondson was wounded in the neck and stomach but continued to advance under heavy fire, engaging one enemy soldier with his bayonet. Later he came to the assistance of a comrade who was being overpowered by two enemy soldiers. Despite his wounds, Cpl Edmondson engaged both Germans and saved his officer s life. Cpl Edmondson died shortly afterwards. He was just 26. His actions were described as outstanding for resolution, leadership and conspicuous bravery. Cpl Edmondson is buried at Tobruk.

5 AROO MARCH The Kangaroos marching to Sydney. This was a snowball recruiting march which started at Wagga Wagga on 1 December 1915 and gathered recruits on the way. Tumut VC winner was a Kangaroo Jack Ryan was one of those ordinary men who performed extraordinary acts of bravery on the battlefields in times of war. Tumut-born Edward John Francis Ryan (pictured at right) was awarded the great honour of a Victoria Cross in World War One, and 100 years after he joined up his home town is making sure he gets all the recognition he deserves. This local war hero is being honoured in Tumut during centenary commemorations of The Great War Private Jack Ryan signed up for the army on 30 November 1915 in Wagga Wagga. The next day the 25-year-old labourer joined the Kangaroo March which set off for Sydney as part of a major recruitment drive as the Gallipoli campaign neared an end. Pte Ryan, 55th Battalion, was awarded the VC on 30 September 1918 in France. During an attack Pte Ryan dashed forward and was one of the first to reach the enemy trenches. He organised and led the men near him to attack, then rushed the remainder of the enemy on his own, being wounded as he drove them back across No Man s Land. He returned to Australia in September 1919 and was discharged on 10 January Jack Ryan died of pneumonia on 3 June 1941, aged 51. WWII is over 70 years later He s known far and wide across the globe as the Dancing Man in Sydney an iconic photograph of a dapper young man pirouetting his way down Elizabeth Street to celebrate the end of World War Two. This year marks 70 years since the end of World War Two when Japan surrendered on 15 August The Dancing Man since identified as retired Sydney barrister Frank McAlary QC joined thousands in the ticker-taped streets to celebrate the end of hostilities which had raged in Europe and the Pacific since This day became known in Australia as Victory in the Pacific Day (also known as Victory over Japan Day, VP Day or VJ Day). On 2 September 1945, a formal surrender ceremony was performed in Tokyo Bay, Japan, aboard the battleship USS Missouri. Three months earlier, on 7 May 1945 the German High Command authorised the signing of an unconditional surrender on all fronts: the war in Europe was over.

6 THE LAST ANZACS The many thousands of men who fought and died at Gallipoli helped forge an Australian legend which endures today. But two Diggers above all others became reluctant heroes later in life for their longevity and a nation s last links to the Gallipoli campaign. Albert (Ted) Matthews and Alec Campbell hold a special place in Australian history they were the last ANZACs. Mr Matthews (right) was the last veteran of the Gallipoli landing on 25 April 1915 ANZAC Day. He died in his sleep on 9 December 1997, aged 101 years. Early in the landing, Ted Matthews was struck in the chest by shrapnel. A thick pocket-book, given to him by his mother, saved his life. After the Battle of Gallipoli, he went on to fight on the Western Front. Then on 16 May in 2002, Australia lost Alec Campbell (left), aged 103 the last of a brave breed of men who fought at Gallipoli. Alec Campbell was only 16 (see photo at top) when he enlisted in Launceston straight from school in June He arrived at Gallipoli in November 1915 with the 15th Battalion and was there through to the evacuation. Older Diggers nicknamed him The Kid. He later became very ill and was discharged in August Years later Mr Campbell who shied away from the attention recalled the Gallipoli experience: I joined for adventure. There was not a great feeling of defending the Empire. I lived through it, somehow. I enjoyed some of it. I m not a philosopher. Gallipoli was Gallipoli. That s all there was about it, he said. Lockhart lad wins Military Medal His war almost ended before it even began, but Lockhart Digger Percival Day fought back against illness and became a decorated soldier for his bravery in the field. Private Day was due to land at Gallipoli in late November 1915 but was struck down with paratyphoid and then pneumonia. He was immediately sent to hospital for treatment and it was months before he would fully recover. In early 1916 he was taken back to Australia, where he eventually overcame the illness and reported fit for duty with the permission of his parents in June He was soon back on a ship overseas and after a long wait finally joined his mates in the trenches on the Western Front in France. Pte Day was awarded the Military Medal on 10 May 1917 for leading an attack against an enemy trench and taking the garrison prisoners. Soon after, he was promoted to the rank of Corporal. A letter dated 24 October 1917 from his mother Margaret to Defence Base Records, in response to news he had been awarded a medal, reads: I am very pleased to know my son has done so well at the Front. At the time of writing that letter, Mrs Day would not have known her son was killed in action on 4 October 1917 at Flanders, Belgium. He was 20 years of age. Who were the ANZACs? AUSTRALIAN and New Zealand troops served together under British commanders at Gallipoli. This combination of forces from the two nations was given the acronym ANZAC, taking the first letter of the words, Australia and New Zealand Army Corps. The Australian and New Zealand Army Corps was disbanded in 1916 and other ANZAC formations were then formed and fought in the Middle East and on the Western Front. The term ANZAC was used again during the Vietnam War as part of the name of battalions comprising Australian and New Zealand troops. Corporal Percival Francis Day, 3rd Battalion, of Lockhart. BELOW: Lockhart was just a small farming community when The Great War of raged overseas. The community never missed an opportunity to honour its local soldiers, and this photograph from the Australian War Memorial shows a local gathering in a paddock shortly after the war with two of its returned men. It is a fantastic reflection of the era and the fashions of the day a century ago, particularly hats being worn by men, women and children.

7 ABOVE: This photograph was taken at Steele s Post by a fellow soldier, most likely Private Murray. It shows members of the 5th Battalion with Wagga s Wal Higgins in the background at left looking through a periscope attachment. Another soldier at right is adjusting a periscope. LEFT: The headquarters of the 1st Field Company Engineers to which Wal Higgins was attached. He took the photograph of his fellow Diggers at Wire Gully. BELOW: An overview of Anzac Cove and Diggers entrenched on the steep slopes of Gallipoli. Wagga soldier s unique snapshot of Gallipoli A rare photograph of Wagga Digger Walter Higgins peering through a rifle periscope and surrounded by his mates in the trenches at Gallipoli is part of an amazing collection of World War One history which found its way back to Wagga after many decades. A collection of photographs was taken by Wal Higgins and his mate, a Private Murray, who successfully smuggled a camera into the trenches against regulations which banned cameras (although many soldiers had them). Whilst the pair defied orders way back then, 100 years later in 2015 their daring and ingenuity gives readers an insight into a local man s perspective from the trenches. Wal, who was 20 years old when he enlisted on 9 December 1914, spent 208 days at Gallipoli with the 1st Field Company Engineers, from May 1915 through to November. When Pte Murray was wounded and evacuated from Gallipoli, Wal found the camera and continued to take photos. He had the photographs developed in Malta where he spent time in hospital with malaria. The snaps were sent to his father who lived in Sydney. In a local newspaper article from the 1960s quoting Wal, he said the last he saw of the pictures was in a scrapbook in 1920 until he re-discovered them while researching family history among his late father s belongings. He said he remembered every detail of the pictures but thought they had been thrown out many years ago and was delighted to find they had been sent to Wagga after his father died. Wal was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant and after Gallipoli served on the Western Front in France. He suffered a severe gun shot wound to a finger on 19 December 1917, three months after being awarded the Military Cross for actions establishing a line of communication under heavy shelling at Polygon Wood in September Wal Higgins was discharged on 19 January He enlisted in the Second Australian Imperial Force in 1942, serving with the Volunteer Defence Corps.

8 Local soldiers part of Gallipoli legend Yarrangobilly station hand Bert Harris had a brief stint at Gallipoli before facing the full wrath of war on the Western Front during World War One. Bert was 19½ years old when he enlisted on 8 June 1915 and just over four months later on 31 October was on the Gallipoli peninsula six months into the campaign. He joined the 4th Battalion as part of the 7th Reinforcements and was part of the evacuation from Gallipoli in the days leading up to Christmas He then went with the battalion to France where he was wounded in action in August 1916, shot in the left arm. On recovering, he rejoined the battalion and served until he was killed in action at Demicourt on 15 April A studio portrait of Private Bert Harris Pte Harris, who had family connections in Brungle and Tumut, is buried in Hermies Hill British Cemetery, France. Private Hector McDonald was a horse breaker at Tarcutta before enlisting in the army to join the fight overseas. Now 100 years since the Gallipoli campaign, Pte McDonald will forever be remembered as one of 2000 Australian casualties in the Battle of Lone Pine. He arrived at Gallipoli on 6 August 1915 the day the battle for Lone Pine started and was thrust straight into action with the 2nd Battalion 6th Reinforcements. He was reported missing, and later confirmed killed, during the period 6-9 August. He was 25 years old. While Anzac casualties were high, the Turks had estimated losses of nearly 7000 in this battle alone. Australians Tarcutta horse breaker, Pte were awarded seven Victoria Crosses in Hector Donald McDonald. the three-day period five of them on the one day, 9 August. Pte McDonald is buried in the Lone Pine Cemetery, Gallipoli, Turkey ANZAC Day activities in the region ADELONG 9.15am: Service at the Grahamstown/ Shepherdstown Monument followed by a pilgrimage to the Adelong Cemetery am: Contingent to assemble at Adelong Services and Citizens Club am: March to Memorial Park for Combined Service am: Wreath laying at the Cenotaph followed by Combined Service at 11.15am pm: Luncheon at the club with guest speaker Emily Smyth, a veteran of East Timor and Afghanistan. BATLOW 6.00am: Dawn Service at the Batlow Cenotaph in Memorial Park. Breakfast to follow at Batlow Bowling Club. 3.00pm: March starts in Pioneer St for the Batlow Cenotaph. March returns along Pioneer St after the ANZAC Service. 5.30pm: Dinner for invited guests at the Batlow RSL. LOCKHART 9.00am: Memorial Service at the Lockhart Cemetery am: March steps off to the Cenotaph. Form up at 10.20am outside the Commercial Hotel. ANZAC Service to start at the Cenotaph after the parade s arrival. Parade then marches back to Ex- Servicemen s Club for refreshments and luncheon. PLEASANT HILLS 8.30am: ANZAC Service at the Pleasant Hills Hall. Descendants from 17 Honour Roll veterans will read their war service and other history. Morning tea to follow. TALBINGO 6.00am: Dawn Service at Miles Franklin Park. A blessing of the plaque commemorating 10 World War One service personnel from the area will take place at the service. TARCUTTA 10.45am: March forms up and steps off to the Tarcutta Memorial Hall for wreath laying am: ANZAC Service in Memorial Hall. THE ROCK 5.30am: Dawn Service at the Cenotaph and gunfire breakfast afterwards at The Rock Memorial Bowling Club. Assemble at the club at 5am am: March steps off from the club followed by the ANZAC Service at the Cenotaph. Assemble at 10am at the club or Cenotaph. Luncheon afterwards at the club. TUMUT 6.00am: Dawn Service in Richmond Park am: March steps off at Tumut Fire Station, to Richmond Park for ANZAC Commemoration Service. Afterwards at the RSL Club. URANQUINTY 9.00am: Service at Wirraway Park rest area. WAGGA WAGGA 6.00am: Dawn Service at the Cenotaph in the Victory Memorial Gardens. 6.45am: Pilgrimage to the War Cemetery, Kooringal Rd. The service will be held on the lawn outside the gate of the cemetery to respect the graves. ANZAC Day breakfast will be served at the RSL Club, Cost $10 per person. Buffet style includes rum and milk. Club opens at 7am 10.30am: Main March steps off followed by a wreath laying service and Commemorative Service at the Cenotaph. Occasional address by Colonel Steve Jobson CSC (Commandant Army Recruit Training centre) starting at 11.15am at the Cenotaph. The start point for the ANZAC Day March is at the corner of Baylis and Morgan Sts. March participants should be at the start point 30 minutes prior. 1.00pm: Gates open for Australian football and rugby league games Robertson Oval. A RSL Service will be conducted at 3.15pm to honour those who served in the defence of Australia. Entry is a gold coin donation. 5.00pm: Sunset Service at the Wagga RSL Club Memorial located at the entrance of the club. YERONG CREEK 11.00am: March steps off in Plunkett St. Form up at 10.45am. ANZAC Service to follow. Luncheon afterwards at the bowling club. Friday April 24: Dinner at Yerong Creek Bowling Club Hall. Guest speaker is an Afghanistan veteran. This year 18 plaques will be placed in Stanley Galvin Park for the 17 veterans from the area, and one for the Lone Pine Tree. Contact Daryl Maguire MP Phone: or (02) Fax: (02) Electorate Office: Morgan Street, Wagga Wagga NSW waggawagga@parliament.nsw.gov.au Authorised by Daryl Maguire MP. Printed by MSS Media, 161 Lake Albert Road, Kooringal NSW 2650, using Parliamentary entitlements PLEASE RECYCLE RESPONSIBLY