Commemorating Anzac Day

Anzac Day is when we honour and reflect on the impact of war, conflict and peacekeeping operations in Australia's history. Today marks a milestone in this history - the centenary of the Gallipoli landing by the ANZAC's on the 25th April 1915.  The centenary of World War is of special significance for all Australians - it remains our mostly costly conflict in terms of deaths and casualties and its effects touched the lives of nearly every Australian family and community....mine included - my Grandfather at just 17 years of age served on the Western Front in France and Belgium. Anzac Day always brings back memories of marching with him on as a young child.

This year I have been touched by the 5000 Poppy Project a heartfelt project that invited crafters across Australia to participate in a tribute of respect and remembrance. The aim of the project was to create a massive field of handmade poppies to display as a visual tribute in Federation Square, Melbourne... and oh my goodness what an amazing and emotionally moving sight it is. 

The poppy is a symbol of commemoration tied to the history of the Armistice of 11th November 1918. During World War 1 red poppies were among the first plants to grow in the devastated battlefields of France and Belgium. Poppies have also become synonymous with the Australian War Memorial and was adopted as the symbol for all the centenary celebrations. My daughter has had an ANZAC focus in her classroom this week and her little Grade 1/2 class have been very engrossed in her lessons. They even made their own paper poppies to add to a wreath they laid at their schools Anzac service. She also shared the story of her great grandfather and encouraged the children to do the same. Sharing real stories about their relatives has helped them connect with what they had been learning this week, making it a much more authentic learning experience.

The poppy making continued at home with a little card creation that I made, colouring in an image from the Wavy Blooms stamp set using ShinHan Touch Twin Markers. I kept the card simple and respectfully classic in design, adding only a strip of random stamping ( partially stamped using a 2nd generation stamping technique ) and a few touches of gold in way of embellishent. The sentiment was computer generated and printed onto White Daisy Cardstock 

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning

We will remember them

Anzac Day

On 25 April every year, Australians commemorate ANZAC Day. It commemorates the landing of Australian and New Zealand troops at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915. The date, 25 April, was officially named ANZAC Day in 1916. It now more broadly commemorates all those Australian Servicemen who died and served in military operations all over the world.
This morning my father, eldest daughter and I attended our local Dawn Service to honour these men of our defence forces. However,the minute I hear the first note of the bugler playing the Last Post memories of my grandfather come flooding back. When I was a child we marched with Pa every Anzac Day - it was our special moment with him. He never spoke of the war but even back then we knew this day was very important to him. It was in November last year, when my family and I traced my grandfathers footsteps on the World War 1 battlefields of France and Belgium that I really understood the huge sacrifice he, and all the soldiers before & after him have made for our freedom.
Lest We Forget



This is Pa's official war portrait - he is not yet 17 years old - but very handsome!



This page above I created today - my Anzac Day memorial layout to honour Pa & his mates of the 3rd Division AIF.




...and here is a page from the Storybook I did of our trip - laying poppies at the
3rd Division Memorial at Sailly–le–Sec in the Somme France.





and here is Pa and Nana on their Wedding Day - this layout was created with the beautiful Vintage Romance Kit from Creative Memories.






We also have another connection to the WW1 battlefields of the Western Front...my great uncle sadly lost his life on these battlefields - his wife was my grandfather's eldest sister and he left behind 2 children including a daughter who was 1 month old. That daughter is just about to celebrate her 94th birthday. It was a special moment for us to visit his resting place - pay our respects and in pictorial form; reunite him with his family....here are a few pages from the same Storybook of this visit.





and below is a page done this afternoon using the Digi Kit - A Little Luck designed by the clever Janet Carr - perfect colours to showcase this special photo.



They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.