tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53711288504155667.post8430523256851874343..comments2023-10-23T12:00:17.793-05:00Comments on Gail's Place: Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17906255371805150247noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53711288504155667.post-12447230401792425962016-02-20T21:44:17.345-06:002016-02-20T21:44:17.345-06:00I'm very appreciative that your memorial recog...I'm very appreciative that your memorial recognises the contribution of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. They were a division of the British army under whose high command they were directed. The whole disastrous Gallipoli campaign was devised by Winston Churchill. The Battle of Chunuk Bair, a New Zealand offensive is one of the most devastating yet extraordinary episodes of WWI. Although Gallipoli was a military defeat, the Aussies and NZers were evacuated from the peninsula without loss of life. Before leaving to join this war, Australians considered themselves to be British citizens living overseas but on Gaillipolli, the Western Front and North Africa they developed a sense of identify different to that of Tommy their English counterpart. They realised that they weren't like him, not so accepting and were notorious for their lack of discipline (refusing to follow the orders of British officers) and other questionable behaviours - among them thieving and rabble rousing. It took some time to wrest control of our own forces from the British and install Australian troops under our own command structure but once we did the tide began to turn. John Monash, a civil engineer, was the first man to plan, prepare and coordinate attacks on the enemy and it was the Aussies whose successful tactics and campaigns helped to shorten the war. After the war Australain soldiers raised funds for the establishment and rebuilding of schools where even today French children since Australain songs and honour the Austrailian soldiers who liberated their towns and villages all those years ago. The tend the graves of the fallen and never forget. Neither should we. a good yarnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16149377639622327630noreply@blogger.com