Lest We Forget

[Yob]

anyone going to dawn services / 2 up this year?

 

[punkin]

Dawn service every year, always have since i was a teen.

No 2 up for me.

 

[DU99]

My dad was in airforce served in New Guinea and Italy,father in law was in the navy,my grandfather was a "rats of tobruk " and so was my wife's grandad.myself did 18 months national service (1972) stayed in melbourne.

 

[mrTbeer]

My Grandma had 3 brothers all went to WW2. Here is one of the nicer stories. First Australian POW in WW2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Sweeney
My Grandad served in the navy in the 30's but during WW2 was essential services (qld police) thus not allowed to re-enlist.

I'll be up for the dawn service and leave the pub to the old diggers.

 

[Womball]

My Grandfather on my mothers side was an infantry solder in WW2 and a POW for 3 years, no body in our family spoke about it so I don't know the whole story.

My Grandfather on my fathers side was a Australian sapper in the engineering corps in Darwin when it was bombed by the Japs (and every other bombing afterwards). He was my best friend and mentor as a kid and taught me every little thing about "boys stuff" there is to know (fishing, gardening, chopping wood, making a fire, building stuff in his man cave, etc) the greatest man I have known..........He was also a great brewer! (I always wondered why his shed smelt the way it did.....now I know)

I raise a glass to both of them.......Lest we forget.

Also taking my youngest son to the dawn service on Thursday morning.......he loves to hear the stories of his great grand fathers, as best as I can tell.

 

[Online Brewing Supplies]

My Grand killed Japs and others over two wars I am sure he will forgive and be forgiven.
The other side fought Russians in their occupied country for independence and freedom and won.
Nev

 

[Phoney]

My grandfather was an engineer in the Soviet red army based in Belarus during the Great Patriotic War (WW2). His unit eventually rolled all the way into Germany in 1945. After the war the whole family on my Mums side moved to Leipzig for the next two decades to keep the bloody Germans in check, grandad stayed in the army till he retired in Belarus at age 60. Passed away at 83.

But it's all good, we were allies then*

Lest we forget..


*If anyone here's grandparents fought for the Axis powers, we dont hold it against you

 

[Fish13]

i'll be on the water having a beer/sharing a beer for the fallen and those about to fall.

 

[brettprevans]

anyone going to dawn services / 2 up this year?

taking my eldest daughter b to the local service mate if your going to be there. She took my slouch hat for show and tell today. Happy to catch up on the day.

 

[Westaussiebrewer]

i shall be attending both services and marches and attend the festivities at the RSL

 

[wbosher]

I remember watching a program on the History channel where they read out a whole lot of letters from the soldiers from both Aus and NZ who served in WWI. The general theme that came across in those letters was one of animosity.

Strange to think that the ANZAC spirit between Aussie and NZ soldiers has evolved from an event where they didn't even like each other much.

Anyway, I'll be raising a glass for the boys on both sides of the ditch.

 

[Dave70]

My grandfather on the old man's side was a flight navigator on one of the Lancaster bombers that was, sadly for him and his crew, shot down over Normandy on D Day. He was 22 and my father was about a year old. I've read many of the letters he wrote home. He was a witty, well spoken and intelligent man who, like many of that era, seemed mature beyond his years. What a waste.

Nan confided in me one day that she still watches the march and imagines seeing the 'love of her life' as she put it, walking tall with his mates. Since they never found the bodies, I think there may have been a time when she might have even held a secret hope to see his face in the crowd.

She's now 95 and though her body's falling to pieces, she's still got a pin sharp mind. She told me on one occasion after we were talking about my cousins deployment in East Timor, 'I've had a bloody gut full of wars'.

After a father and two uncles (lost one uncle) in WW1, loosing a husband in WW2, a son who went to Vietnam a competitive athlete and returned a heart rending drunk, and a grandson who was discharged from service after loosing a quarter of his foot in a training accident, I cant blame her.


“Those heroes that 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 now here in this country of ours … You mothers, who sent their sons from faraway countries wipe away the 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.”


Mustafa Kemal Ataturk

 

[warra48]

Took this shot of a very poignant poem, when we were doing a tour 2 years ago of the Western Front in Flanders in France and Belgium.

 

[Arghonaut]

My Great Uncle lied about his age and was enlisted, eventually fought at Galipoli, was wounded, spent 3 months recovering before being sent back into action in France, died a week later, aged 18. My great grandmother was pregnant with my Grandmother when it happened, and she was named after him. His name has been passed down. My grandmother passed whilst my wife was pregnant with our first, but she died knowing my son will be carrying on the name.

Lest we forget.

 

[Bribie G]

I didn't realise there was a march in Old Bar today, I'd been in Taree and when I got back into the village they were assembling and there were some young army cadets, high school age, and shit were they proud to be in their uniforms. The thing that brought a tear to my eye was knowing they were probably the same age as my Granddad when he lied about his age in 1916 and joined. Got shot up at Passchendaele but survived with bits missing.

MAN in the middle, He was 15

 

[Camo6]

Raising a glass to all Diggers, past and present.

A special one to my old mates Norm Ashcroft and Gordon Webb. Fought hard, survived the war and died doing what they loved at ripe old ages. They taught me skills and values I can hopefully pass down myself one day.

Lest We Forget.

 

[Danwood]

My thoughts go to my adopted county's fallen, now and before.

I had the pleasure of serving with a few diggers in Afghan a few years back, whilst in the British Army...good blokes.

Also, 11hr 11 day 11month is on a Monday this year, so have a late smoko and take a couple of quiet minutes.

Indeed, lest we forget.

 

[Danwood]

I didn't realise there was a march in Old Bar today, I'd been in Taree and when I got back into the village they were assembling and there were some young army cadets, high school age, and shit were they proud to be in their uniforms. The thing that brought a tear to my eye was knowing they were probably the same age as my Granddad when he lied about his age in 1916 and joined. Got shot up at Passchendaele but survived with bits missing.

MAN in the middle, He was 15

gdad.png

Great photo, Bribie.

I'm amazed how those blokes moved around in that gear, and with no real protection. That heavy wool and canvas gear, when wet especially, would've weighed a ton. Ceramic plates (now Kevlar) weigh a bit, but you get a bit of protection for it at least.

Furthermore, that handle bar tache to his right wouldn't have helped with maneuverability either !

True champions !!

 

[Screwtop]

http://www.gympietimes.com.au/news/cheers-mate-top-anzac-ale-gympie-royal-hotel/1842936/#.UXhYmrzoDV8.facebook

The recipe and Iconic Tap Decal are the brainchild of our very own (AHB wambesi) of Canberra Brewers who appears in this article. The commercial debut of Nick's beer took place at The Royal Hotel Gympie today, hometown of his mate Cpl Ashley Birt. Nick travelled to Gympie to be part of the ANZAC day release.

Screwy

 

[Rowy]

I get up to Gympie a fair bit. I'll have to give it a go.