NZ Anzac Day

Anyone got a pic of Steve & the boys at ANZAC cove? There were a few published.

Hi James
yes England Cricket fans know all about him!
Andy:( 🙁 🙁 🙁

Chap called Steve Waugh took the Aussie cricket team there on a recent journey to play England in England.

I think it gave them another edge.

Gallipoli

I’m not Australian or NZ but I went to the peninsular in 1997.
You can’t believe how small ANZAC Cove is until you stand on it.
Also an awful lot of Brits and French and of course Turks died there too.
It’s also very unspoiled by development too. Millions of wild flowers there in the Spring
Andy.

🙂 🙂

I want to go to Gallipoli too one day. It is on my list of things to do before I get too old.

Dave, glad to hear your Anzac day went well.
That “saluting story” is awesome !!

My family has a copy of Johnny Checketts’ autobiography that is personally signed by him. That is a real honour and something that we will not part with, ever. I have not yet read it but will endeavour to do so.

Cheers
Chris.

I will make the pilgrimage to Gallipoli oneday I am sure……… 🙂

I attended the Dawn Parade in Cambridge at 6.00am this morning, and it was as moving as always. This was followed by a retreat by all to the nearby pub for the obligatory cup of rum with a tot of coffee, and then at 9.00am the Civic Parade commenced, which has a longer service and the returned servicemen are joined by civil units of the town on parade from ambulane and police personnel to Scouts aqnd Guides.

Between services I met an incredible old chap, very interesting. He’d lead a Company in the 18th NZ Battalion at El Alamein and had gone through Crete and Greece, and more. He was wearing many medals including the DSO. But he pointed out another with a green ribbon and said “I’ve got a much rarer one here. It’s a Greek Military Medal. It’s the only one in New Zealand.” I felt so humbled. This guy was truly a hero who’d done a great deal for us, and he’d been honoured and reverred by many countries. This is what the ANZAC Day experience is all about, remembrance and learning.

I am so pleased to hear that Johnny Checketts still going well. He was apparently rather ill last year but puled through to full health I hear. He is one of my biggest heroes. He still works for the RNZAF even in his 90’s, as a volunteer at the museum at Wigram. He has done much for the museum, including being one of the ‘Moth Doctors’ who restored the museum’s and the Historic Flight’s Tiger Moths. Thjough I used to see him round base I never had the opportunity to chat with him. I wish I had.

I did salute him once, or so he thought. My mate and I were on our way to a parade. He was walking towards us, and there was an officer behind him, whom we were obliged to salute. We did, but Johnny thought we were saluting him. He saluted back and said thanks. I absolutely loved this and saw it as a wonderful moment, but my naive mate laughed and asked me what the heck was that old guy thinking? I said “Don’t you know? That was Wing Commander Johnny Checketts, fighter ace. I’d rather salute him any day than that bograt Pilot Officer!” He agreed once I’d explained.:)

On this ANZAC day in 2004……

Indeed…….. ‘Lest we Forget’