dawn service

98 years ago today, 18000 Australian and New Zealand forces landed at dawn on the beach at Suvla Bay, expecting to find gently sloping terrain and little resistance.
Instead there were steep cliffs and a Turkish force prepared to defend their land.
By the end of the first day, 2000 ANZACs lay dead, many more wounded and eight months later when the remaining troops and allies were evacuated, hundreds of thousands of men had died.
ANZAC day commemorates the anniversary of this landing, the beginning of the Gallipoli Campaign. In cities, towns and rural communities throughout Australia, people gather before dawn for the service.

This was my first dawn service. In Kalamunda, several thousand locals turned up and what a moving experience it was.
Scouts had kept an all night vigil at the memorial, a young lad played the Last Post and bagpipes played as wreathes were placed.

Followed by an invitation to the 'gunfire' breakfast in the Kalamunda Hall, it really was a memorable start to this day.

'And the band played Waltzing Matilda, as the ship pulled away from the quay
And amidst all the cheers, the flag-waving and tears, we sailed off for Gallipoli' Eric Bogle