Living legacy evident in crowds abroad

Thousands of people showed up at Anzac Day services supported by the ADF in the UK and around the world, to honour and remember those who have fought, died and continue to serve.

The Dawn Service at Hyde Park Corner, near the Australian War Memorial in London, was attended by Her Royal Highness, Princess Anne.

The Princess of Wales, Princess Kate, also attended a wreath-laying service at the Cenotaph and the Commemoration and Thanksgiving Service at Westminster Abbey.

Head of Australian Defence Staff – London AIRCDRE Matthew Harper said: “Many of our Anzacs set sail for the battlefields of Europe from British ports. Marking Anzac Day here in London is to stand close to that history, and acknowledge the deep ties between Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.”

Among those braving the crisp London morning were two brothers – Stephen and Paul Crooks – who made the journey down from outside Manchester, not as Australians or New Zealanders, but as Britons with their own thread running directly back to Gallipoli.

As former British Army soldiers, they stood in the crowd wearing replica medals belonging to their grandfather – a Queen’s Lancashire Regiment soldier.

“He was wounded at Gallipoli and crawled away and survived,” Stephen Crooks said.

“That’s why we are here.”

A group of 20 army cadets from The King’s School in western Sydney also attended the Dawn Service before marching in the wreath laying service at the Cenotaph.

“We have been visiting some of the World War I and II battlefields, including Flanders Fields, and are here this morning to represent the school and the previous old boys who fought in those battles,” Year 11 student Hugh Miller said.

Year 11 student Alexander Dohnt wore his great-grandfather’s medals during both services.

“It’s a privilege and quite an experience to remember and honour those fellow Kings’ boys who fought in the wars as well as my own family’s contribution,” Alexander said.

After laying a wreath, Princess Anne signed the Book of Remembrance.

As the morning progressed, the focus moved to Whitehall and the Cenotaph, Britain’s own national memorial to the fallen of both world wars and subsequent conflicts, where Princess Kate laid a wreath honouring the Anzacs.

The day’s ceremonies closed with a service at Westminster Abbey, which has its own deep connection to Commonwealth war commemoration.

The Grave of the Unknown Warrior inside the Abbey was the first such tomb to be established anywhere in the world, and Australians have gathered there on Anzac Day for generations.

This year marks 111 years since the original Gallipoli landings – the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during WWI.

AIRCDRE Harper said that while Anzac Day commemorations are about remembrance, they are also about what the Anzac legacy means today.

“In a world that is increasingly uncertain, the values of mateship, loyalty and standing by one another remain just as important as they were over a century ago,” he said.

“The strength of our relationships with friends and allies continues to rest on those shared values and mutual trust.”