Hi folks.

For those wanting to add something about Anzac day for tomorrow.

I do feel for the ex-servicemen and those still serving. Especially older diggers and nurses as this once a year gathering is also a roll call of who is still living amongst their battalions and the like. Something quite important I easily imagine.

I think the RSL or related organisation is setting up a site for Australians and NZders to upload some personal messages to the diggers and also to share their stories. Which is kind of nice.

There is that gentlemen who collectively started an idea about neighbours on their front yards with candles for a dawn type service.

We will be watching from home for the pre-recorded Anzac messages tomorrow morning.

I might watch this in the evening – Tame Impala, Jimmy Barnes to lead star-studded Anzac Day tribute concert

Some of the biggest names in Australian music, including Tame Impala, Missy Higgins, Birds of Tokyo, Paul Kelly, Courtney Barnett and The Wiggles, will star in a televised Anzac Day tribute concert this weekend.

With memorial services and parades cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, Australian music promoter Michael Gudinski and rocker Jimmy Barnes collaborated to create the concert called Music From The Home Front. It aims to pay tribute to Australian and New Zealand servicemen and women.

The artists will record their acts at home and they will be edited together to create the concert which will be broadcast nationally on the Nine Network from 7.30pm on Saturday. Nine is the publisher of this masthead.

“We really felt we wanted it to be home-to-home,” Gudinski, who came up with the idea last week, said.
“Nearly everything will be done from their home because we wanted it to be intimate, not heavy. It will feature some legendary songs with special performances of music that was relevant and important to the Anzacs.

“I don’t want to go into too much detail but one of the things we are going to do is have a lot of people together singing Ben Lee’s We’re All In This Together.”

The Australian initiative comes after the success last weekend of the Global Citizen and World Health Organisation’s One World: Together At Home concert which was curated by Lady Gaga and saw performances from musicians including Paul McCartney, Elton John and Lizzo. The two hour broadcast on Seven and Ten was watched by more than 820,000 people and at least 24 million people have viewed the YouTube stream.

The event aimed to raise money for WHO’s COVID-19 response fund and to celebrate frontline health care workers.
The artists on the first line-up of Music From The Home Front are: Ben Lee, Birds Of Tokyo with WASO, Courtney Barnett, Dave Dobbyn, Delta Goodrem, G Flip, Ian Moss, Jimmy Barnes, Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker, Marlon Williams, Missy Higgins, Paul Kelly, The Rubens, The Wiggles, Vance Joy, Vika and Linda Bull.

“We are announcing a whole lot more acts on Thursday and more on Friday but there will be some surprises on Saturday which we aren’t going to announce ahead of time too,” Gudinski said.

sarahs mum said:

Now, that’s jen-you-wine.

WWII veterans are still getting a big cash bonus from Veterans Affairs. Is that right?

Probably.

mollwollfumble said:

WWII veterans are still getting a big cash bonus from Veterans Affairs. Is that right?

Probably.

Ref?

Witty Rejoinder said:

mollwollfumble said:

WWII veterans are still getting a big cash bonus from Veterans Affairs. Is that right?

Probably.

Ref?

ChrispenEvan said:

Witty Rejoinder said:

mollwollfumble said:

WWII veterans are still getting a big cash bonus from Veterans Affairs. Is that right?

Probably.

Ref?

LOL

Most of the major free-to-air TV stations are advertising a broadcast of a service.

I don’t feel strongly compelled to kit up in dress uniform or pin on the medals, but I always find the Requiem worth listening to.

The ANZAC Requiem.

On the morning of April 25th, 1915, Australian and New Zealand troops landed under fire at Gallipoli, and it was then and in the violent campaign which followed, that the ANZAC tradition was forged.

On this day, above all days, we recall those who served in war and who did not return to receive the grateful thanks of the nation.

We remember those who still sleep where they were left – amid the holly scrub in the valleys and on the ridges of Gallipoli – on the rocky and terraced hills of Palestine – and in the cemeteries of France, Belgium and the United Kingdom.

We remember those who lie asleep in ground beneath the Libyan desert, in North Africa, the mountain passes and olive groves of Greece and Crete, and the hills of Lebanon and Syria.

We remember those who lie buried in the jungles of Malaya and Burma – in New Guinea – and in the islands of the Pacific and in our own far North.

We remember those who lie in unknown resting places in almost every land, and those gallant men and women whose grave is the unending sea.

Especially do we remember those who died as prisoners of war remote from their homeland, and from the comforting presence of their kith and kin.

We think of those of our women’s services who gave their lives in our own and foreign lands and at sea, and of those who proved to be, in much more than name, the sisters of our fighting men.

We recall, too, the staunch friends who fought beside our men on the first ANZAC Day – men of New Zealand who helped create the name of ANZAC, and those who served the United Kingdom, the United States of America, and other Allied Forces.

We think of those gallant Australians who died in Korea, Malaya, Borneo, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan and in peacekeeping and peace enforcement commitments, assisting to defend the Commonwealth, and other countries of the Free World, against common enemies.

We think of every man and woman who in those crucial times died so that the lights of freedom and humanity might continue to shine.

We remember those Defence and civil personnel who lost their lives during peacetime service and whilst on humanitarian missions.

May these all rest proudly in the knowledge of their achievements.

May we and our successors in that heritage prove worthy of their sacrifice.

I slept in and didn’t make the driveway service. I will participate in some two-up later though.

Divine Angel said:

I slept in and didn’t make the driveway service. I will participate in some two-up later though.

I picked a sprig of rosemary and had a minute of silence.

Maybe they should worry about China putting intelligence agents into parliament instead of another dawn service?

wookiemeister said:

Maybe they should worry about China putting intelligence agents into parliament instead of another dawn service?

If China can put intelligence into parliament, good luck to them.

captain_spalding said:

wookiemeister said:

Maybe they should worry about China putting intelligence agents into parliament instead of another dawn service?

If China can put intelligence into parliament, good luck to them.

It’s the first principle of sun Tzu

You don’t fight open war – you use spies, bribes and treachery to win

Looks like they are winning

Lest we forget.

does minute’s silence

I’m ashamed to say I slept right though the whole thing. I blame the dearth of trumpeters and buglers in this bit of the scrub.

Anyway, have given my favourite Patriotic Brass a spin.

salutes

I live in the CBD Sydney and was up this morning looking out on the balcony watching the sunrise .
City deserted
Very quiet
Out of nowhere you hear a lone bugler playing Last Post

It was beautiful

Brett

I think it would have meant a lot to my Dad that everyone did a good job at staying home.

I would have slept through the whole thing (and would not have been at all ashamed), had I not been woken up by bogan neighbours loudly broadcasting some service in their driveway, a few metres from my bedroom window, at 5:30am.

My advice to lockdown Oz: The next time Scomo or Murdoch or Ita Buttrose or Alan Jones tells you to do this-or-that silly-buggery in your driveway, remember that you don’t actually have to do it. Just tell them to get fucked.

Bubblecar said:

I would have slept through the whole thing (and would not have been at all ashamed), had I not been woken up by bogan neighbours loudly broadcasting some service in their driveway, a few metres from my bedroom window, at 5:30am.

My advice to lockdown Oz: The next time Scomo or Murdoch or Ita Buttrose or Alan Jones tells you to do this-or-that silly-buggery in your driveway, remember that you don’t actually have to do it. Just tell them to get fucked.

Were you hungover to boot?

Witty Rejoinder said:

Bubblecar said:

I would have slept through the whole thing (and would not have been at all ashamed), had I not been woken up by bogan neighbours loudly broadcasting some service in their driveway, a few metres from my bedroom window, at 5:30am.

My advice to lockdown Oz: The next time Scomo or Murdoch or Ita Buttrose or Alan Jones tells you to do this-or-that silly-buggery in your driveway, remember that you don’t actually have to do it. Just tell them to get fucked.

Were you hungover to boot?

No.

Aussies gather on COVID-19-free Antarctica

Ethan James 9 hrs ago

While those in Australia have been forced to distance on Anzac Day, the nation’s Antarctic expeditioners have come together to pay their respects.

The icy continent is the only one free of coronavirus amid the global pandemic, meaning services could take place in a more traditional manner.
There are 89 expeditioners who are hunkering down for the winter at Australia’s four research stations, Mawson, Davis, Casey and on sub-Antarctic Macquarie Island.

They all paused on Saturday morning for renditions of the last post.
“The Anzac Day commemorations this year on our Antarctic stations are particularly special,” Australian Antarctic Division Director Kim Ellis said.

Mr Ellis said the nation’s Antarctic program had strong links to the military, with many servicemen and women volunteering on supply and construction missions after WWII.

“Our expeditions put people in remote and extreme environment and it gives us a very strong and enduring connection with the Anzac spirit,” he added.

While Antarctica itself has been untouched by COVID-19, the pandemic has impacted the AAD’s operations and scientific research.
The 2020-21 summer season has been scaled back, while the delivery of the new $529 million icebreaker RSV Nuyina is delayed indefinitely.
Virus travel restrictions have meant specialist teams are unable to reach the shipyard in Romania.

The vessel was due to arrive in Hobart in November. An interim ship has been contracted to fill the summer void after the Aurora Australis sailed its final mission earlier this year.

mollwollfumble said:

WWII veterans are still getting a big cash bonus from Veterans Affairs. Is that right?

Probably.

What? All three or so of them remaining?? The lazy mooching bastards!!

gaghalfrunt said:

mollwollfumble said:

WWII veterans are still getting a big cash bonus from Veterans Affairs. Is that right?

Probably.

What? All three or so of them remaining?? The lazy mooching bastards!!

There are about 10000 of them

dv said:

gaghalfrunt said:

mollwollfumble said:

WWII veterans are still getting a big cash bonus from Veterans Affairs. Is that right?

Probably.

What? All three or so of them remaining?? The lazy mooching bastards!!

There are about 10000 of them

Thought it was more like 4,000?

roughbarked said:

dv said:

gaghalfrunt said:

What? All three or so of them remaining?? The lazy mooching bastards!!

There are about 10000 of them

Thought it was more like 4,000?

OK. “In June last year, the DVA had just 13,278 “

roughbarked said:

roughbarked said:

dv said:

There are about 10000 of them

Thought it was more like 4,000?

OK. “In June last year, the DVA had just 13,278 “

However, I know that from my mother, many of these are wives of exservicemen.

That surprises me, my father was a RAT and would be 102 years old if still alive so I figured any remaining would be a minimum of about 97 or 98.

gaghalfrunt said:

That surprises me, my father was a RAT and would be 102 years old if still alive so I figured any remaining would be a minimum of about 97 or 98.

My great uncle was a Rat of Tobruk that did not return home. I am not sure of what his age would be now though if he had survived.

gaghalfrunt said:

That surprises me, my father was a RAT and would be 102 years old if still alive so I figured any remaining would be a minimum of about 97 or 98.

Yes. My dad was a Rat of Tobruk and also was at ElAlemein and Syria fronts before being sent home injured whereafter recovering in Beisbane was sent straight to Kokoda to manhandle the 25 pounders to the top of the Owen Stanleys.
He put his age down to join beiing 37 at the time. They wanted him in the engineers. He was born in 1902 but more were younger than 19 when they signed up.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_notable_surviving_veterans_of_World_War_II

roughbarked said:

gaghalfrunt said:

That surprises me, my father was a RAT and would be 102 years old if still alive so I figured any remaining would be a minimum of about 97 or 98.

Yes. My dad was a Rat of Tobruk and also was at ElAlemein and Syria fronts before being sent home injured whereafter recovering in Beisbane was sent straight to Kokoda to manhandle the 25 pounders to the top of the Owen Stanleys.
He put his age down to join beiing 37 at the time. They wanted him in the engineers. He was born in 1902 but more were younger than 19 when they signed up.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_notable_surviving_veterans_of_World_War_II

They probably knew each other, my dad was a sapper, Did El Alamein and Tobruk, was then sent to PNG,Borneo and Malaya (not necessarily in that order )

monkey skipper said:

gaghalfrunt said:

That surprises me, my father was a RAT and would be 102 years old if still alive so I figured any remaining would be a minimum of about 97 or 98.

My great uncle was a Rat of Tobruk that did not return home. I am not sure of what his age would be now though if he had survived.

many years ago, when I was a first aid officer, I rode on one of the cars that transported servicemen along St Georges Terrace for the parade after the ceremony… The vehicle I was on was The Rats of Tobruk.. probably four (or five, I can’t remember) of the toughest down to earth blokes I have spent time with..

Another year I was on the WLA truck… I had no idea they existed until that day.. one of them also died that day, but she had a pretty tough spirit… it was then that I realised I was better working with people who were already dead than to watch someone die whom I had spent some time with.

gaghalfrunt said:

roughbarked said:

gaghalfrunt said:

That surprises me, my father was a RAT and would be 102 years old if still alive so I figured any remaining would be a minimum of about 97 or 98.

Yes. My dad was a Rat of Tobruk and also was at ElAlemein and Syria fronts before being sent home injured whereafter recovering in Beisbane was sent straight to Kokoda to manhandle the 25 pounders to the top of the Owen Stanleys.
He put his age down to join beiing 37 at the time. They wanted him in the engineers. He was born in 1902 but more were younger than 19 when they signed up.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_notable_surviving_veterans_of_World_War_II

They probably knew each other, my dad was a sapper, Did El Alamein and Tobruk, was then sent to PNG,Borneo and Malaya (not necessarily in that order )

Yep. They probably drank Arakis together.

roughbarked said:

gaghalfrunt said:

roughbarked said:

Yes. My dad was a Rat of Tobruk and also was at ElAlemein and Syria fronts before being sent home injured whereafter recovering in Beisbane was sent straight to Kokoda to manhandle the 25 pounders to the top of the Owen Stanleys.
He put his age down to join beiing 37 at the time. They wanted him in the engineers. He was born in 1902 but more were younger than 19 when they signed up.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_notable_surviving_veterans_of_World_War_II

They probably knew each other, my dad was a sapper, Did El Alamein and Tobruk, was then sent to PNG,Borneo and Malaya (not necessarily in that order )

Yep. They probably drank Arakis together.

I know that dad was in Tobruk for more than 10 months. The ship he disembarked from was sunk before he got off the wharf.

roughbarked said:

roughbarked said:

gaghalfrunt said:

They probably knew each other, my dad was a sapper, Did El Alamein and Tobruk, was then sent to PNG,Borneo and Malaya (not necessarily in that order )

Yep. They probably drank Arakis together.

I know that dad was in Tobruk for more than 10 months. The ship he disembarked from was sunk before he got off the wharf.

roughbarked said:

roughbarked said:

roughbarked said:

Yep. They probably drank Arakis together.

I know that dad was in Tobruk for more than 10 months. The ship he disembarked from was sunk before he got off the wharf.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tobruk_Ferry_Service

Anyway, today while in town I took a sprig of rosemary to both my father and Mrs rb’s father. The latter being the navigator on high flying Sunderlands spotting submarines for others to shoot at.

At 37 years of age in 1939

roughbarked said:

Anyway, today while in town I took a sprig of rosemary to both my father and Mrs rb’s father. The latter being the navigator on high flying Sunderlands spotting submarines for others to shoot at.

Sunderlands were sub-killers themselves, sinking 26 U-boats. A RAAF Sunderland of 10 Squadron sank the first one.

A 461 Sqdn Sunderland was attacked by eight Junkers 88 aircraft, which were no push-overs. It shot down three of the attackers, and damaged four more.

captain_spalding said:

roughbarked said:

Anyway, today while in town I took a sprig of rosemary to both my father and Mrs rb’s father. The latter being the navigator on high flying Sunderlands spotting submarines for others to shoot at.

Sunderlands were sub-killers themselves, sinking 26 U-boats. A RAAF Sunderland of 10 Squadron sank the first one.

A 461 Sqdn Sunderland was attacked by eight Junkers 88 aircraft, which were no push-overs. It shot down three of the attackers, and damaged four more.

461 was another RAAF squadron.

captain_spalding said:

captain_spalding said:

roughbarked said:

Anyway, today while in town I took a sprig of rosemary to both my father and Mrs rb’s father. The latter being the navigator on high flying Sunderlands spotting submarines for others to shoot at.

Sunderlands were sub-killers themselves, sinking 26 U-boats. A RAAF Sunderland of 10 Squadron sank the first one.

A 461 Sqdn Sunderland was attacked by eight Junkers 88 aircraft, which were no push-overs. It shot down three of the attackers, and damaged four more.

461 was another RAAF squadron.

Yes. But Arch flew with the spotters. He claimed to have never fired a shot or sunk a sub. It was his job to find them and direct others to do the mopping up.