Today was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I will never forget. We had an amazing Anzac Day with lots of respect and remembrance and also some very cold, wet weather! I am really thankful for this wonderful opportunity.
We woke up at 3 am on Anzac Day, after I had only had 4 hours of sleep, so I was very tired. We had a super early breakfast and then boarded the bus in rainy, cold weather to go to Villers-Bretonneux for the Dawn Service. When we got there, the security was thorough but fast and efficient, so we managed to get to the Australian Memorial when there were still reasonably placed seats. There were lots of people, so it was very busy there.
After an introduction to the ceremony and an explanation of the morning’s events, the ceremony began. First, the Voices of Birralee, an amazing choir, sang songs about the ANZACs. They also sang the national anthem and ‘Amazing Grace’ later on. I really liked the way these young voices were brave in front of so many people. Next, we were talked to about what happened at Villers-Bretonneux and why the villagers are so thankful for the Australians liberating their village. We were given an explanation behind the meaning of ‘Anzac’ and were played recordings from the quotes of real WW1 people. I felt very emotional when we were played the letter of a young soldier to his mother telling her how much he loved her and missed her. He was killed the next day. Next, official representatives of governments and organisations were invited to lay their wreaths on the steps to the tower. We listened to speeches from the French Defence Minister and the Australian Minister for Defence Christoper Pyne.
Finally, it was time for us to place our wreaths on the steps. I held our group wreath in one hand and my own, handmade one in the other. Even though it was very cold and rainy, I felt very proud to be Australian and to be able to commemorate the fallen and living diggers, who sacrificed so much so that we can live in a free society. The Dawn Service was over as suddenly as it had started but the memories will last forever.
We then had breakfast with the people of Le Hamel, who were all very nice. I was really grateful that they had taken the time to make all of this food for us. After a hearty, proper breakfast, we went to the Memorial for the Battle of Le Hamel, which was a success as a result of Sir John Monash’s ingenious planning and use of artillery, aircraft and tanks. The memorial grounds also had a former German trench in it, which was exciting to explore.
We subsequently went to the Thiepval War Memorial, which holds a massive number of the names of missing diggers from the Battle of the Somme. It has 72, 000 names on the wall, which is way more than the Menin Gate! It was sad that so many died. Behind the memorial, there was also the Thiepval War Cemetery, which has the graves of 300 French and 300 British soldiers. It was interesting to see that the French had crosses instead of headstones, which is traditional for them.
After Thiepval, we went to the Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial, where troops from Newfoundland fought on the first day of the Battle of the Somme, 1 July 1916. They were inexperienced, so when they encountered delays to the front line as a result of wounded soldiers, they went on top of the trenches and were mowed down. They then charged and were massacred by German artillery and machine gun fire. There are lots of trenches and shell holes remaining, so it is easy to imagine being in the battle yourself. We saw many statues and plaques dedicated to the soldiers of Newfoundland.
Our final destination before returning to Amiens was the Hawthorn Ridge War Cemetery No. 2, where people could pay respects to their fallen family members or others they wanted to commemorate. There were two other cemeteries very close to it, showing just how many people died in just the first day of the battle. It was very sobering to see the rows of headstones.
Finally, we went back to Amiens, where we all ate dinner early and had a nice, early sleep. When we were coming back from dinner, it started to rain really heavily. Unlike in Darwin, the rain was really cold, so we had to run to the hotel, freezing. Tomorrow, we will look at where Australians were most involved in the Battle of the Somme. It will also be our last day of the tour. Time just flies when you’re having fun!
Peter Susanto
ANZAC Spirit Study Tour 2019 - Peter 