ANZAC Day marks the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War. The acronym ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, whose soldiers were known as Anzacs. The pride they took in that name endures to this day, and Anzac Day remains one of the most important national occasions of both Australia and New Zealand.

When war broke out in 1914, Australia had been a Federal Commonwealth for only thirteen years. In 1915, Australian and New Zealand soldiers formed part of an Allied expedition that set out to capture the Gallipoli Peninsula, under a plan by Winston Churchill to open the way to the Black Sea for the Allied navies. The objective was to capture Istanbul, capital of the Ottoman Empire and an ally of Germany.
The ANZAC force landed at Gallipoli on 25 April, meeting fierce resistance from the Turkish defenders. What had been planned as a bold strike to knock Turkey out of the war quickly became a stale-mate, and the campaign dragged on for eight months. At the end of 1915, the Allied forces were evacuated after both sides had suffered heavy casualties and endured great hardships.

Over 8,000 Australian and 2,700 New Zealand soldiers died. News of the landing at Gallipoli made a profound impact on Australians and New Zealanders at home and 25 April quickly became the day on which they remembered the sacrifice of those who had died in war. Wikipedia

Of course, this is a clinical view but the 25th. Of April strikes to the very heart of every patriotic Australian and New Zealander and every year, thousands of old ‘Diggers’ (As the Aussie Soldiers are affectionately named), march the streets of every capital city in Australia after the Dawn Service and the same thing also happens in New Zealand, Samoa and The Cook Islands.

Of course, the WW1 Veterans have all passed on and so ANZAC DAY now also honours all Allied Soldiers who saw combat in all campaigns and wars since then and Australia marks the day as the ‘Coming of Age’ of its nation.

Now you ask, “Why am I putting this in a Rolls-Royce and Bentley Enthusiasts’ website?

Well, many of the old soldiers are unable to march in the parade but still want to share an active part in it and that’s where Motoring Clubs come in. The Victorian Branch of the Rolls-Royce Owners Club of Australia had 30 Members who volunteered to drive these old diggers behind their respective marching units through the main thoroughfare of the City of Melbourne and right up to the steps of the Shrine of Remembrance in front of thousands of cheering spectators.

I was one of those Members honoured in transporting some old WW11 War Heroes (and these men and women are REAL heroes and heroines – not the much misused term they use for sporting personalities these days) and I thought I’d share some photos with you of some of our motorcars that participated.

Robert Wort, Friday April 25th. 2008.