Lest We Forget

To Australians ANZAC Day goes far beyond the anniversary of the landing on Gallipoli in 1915, It is the day we remember all Australians who served and died in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations we have been a part of.

The spirit of ANZAC, with the human qualities of courage, mateship, and sacrifice, not only continues to have meaning and relevance for our sense of national identity, it serves as a reminder to us of all the best qualities of the Australian Idiom.

On ANZAC day, there are ceremonies which are held in towns and cities across the nation to acknowledge the service of our Aussie veterans and we have recently incorporated the people and services that fought side by side with our gallant soldiers.

In Canberra, the Memorial, in close cooperation with RSL ACT, hosts the Dawn Service and the National ANZAC Day Ceremony.

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commemorative Ceremony will be held after the ANZAC Day Dawn Service at the Aboriginal Memorial plaque on the side of Mount Ainslie.

Now we hear this garbage from our Socialist Parties, who want to see the back of anything that is traditionally Aussie or they themselves feel vulnerable, because after each war, we have needed to fight against the Socialist takeover of our society.

It is from the stories below that the incorrigible Australian spirit became a legend and the unique Aussie fighting spirit has bee passed down.  It is also because of these men and the many brave souls, never to return to our shores, that we must not take a backward step to Socialism and the inevitable cowardly attacks on their bravery and legend in order to break our spirit allowing the creep of misery and social decay that Socialism spreads wherever it gains a foot hold.

Australia’s greatest shame is the attack on our ANZACS has occurred through our Government,  and that some Australians actually voted for these disgraceful people.

What they could not see and will never understand is Australia will never submit, Vic, NSW and now Qld have shown this and the ACT elections may well reflect the same.  On top of this will be the decimation of the Greens and ALP Parties, due to this kind of attack on our history,  our spirit and our Democracy.

Below I have listed 10 VC winners from Gallipoli so you may see for yourself why these cowardly Socialists that want to denigrate Anzac Day, need to be returned to their collective shoe boxes.

1. Frederick Harold Tubb VC (28 November 1881 – 20 September 1917) was an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

2. Alexander Stewart Burton VC (20 January 1893 – 9 August 1915) was an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

3. William Dunstan VC (1895 – 1957) was an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry “in the face of the enemy” that can be awarded to members of the British and Commonwealth armed forces.

On 9 August 1915, at Lone Pine, Gallipoli, Turkey]… the enemy made a determined counter-attack on the centre of the newly captured trench held by Lieutenant Tubb, Corporals Burton and Dunstan and a few men. [The enemy] advanced up a sap and blew in a sandbag barricade, leaving only one foot of it standing, but Lieutenant Tubb with the two corporals repulsed the enemy and rebuilt the barricade. Supported by strong bombing parties the enemy twice again succeeded in blowing the barricade, but on each occasion they were repulsed and the barricade rebuilt, although Lieutenant Tubb was wounded in the head and arm and Corporal Burton was killed by a bomb.

4. John Patrick Hamilton VC (24 January 1896 – 27 February 1961 (aged 65)) was an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

He was 19 years old, and still a private when the following deed took place at Sasse’s Sap during the Battle of Lone Pine on the Gallipoli Peninsula for which he was awarded the VC:

5. Albert Jacka VC, MC & Bar (10 January 1893 – 17 January 1932) was an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest decoration for gallantry ”in the face of the enemy” that can be awarded to members of the British and Commonwealth armed forces. Jacka was the first Australian to be decorated with the VC during the First World War, receiving the medal for his actions during the Gallipoli Campaign. He later served on the Western Front and was twice further decorated for his bravery.

On 19 May 1915, the Turks launched an assault against the Anzac Line, capturing a section of the trench at Courtney’s Post; one end of which was guarded by Jacka. For several minutes he fired warning shots into the trench wall until reinforcements arrived, after which he attempted to enter the trench with three others; all but Jacka were either wounded or pinned. It was then decided that while a feint attack was made from the same end, Jacka would attack from the rear. The party then proceeded to engage the Turks with rifle fire, throwing in two bombs as Jacka skirted around to attack from the flank. He climbed out onto “no man’s land”, entering the trench via the parapet. In the resulting conflict, Jacka shot five and bayoneted two Turkish soldiers, forcing the remainder to flee the trench; he then held the trench alone for the remainder of the night. Jacka’s platoon commander, Lieutenant Crabbe, informed him the following morning that he would be recommended for his bravery. The full citation for the Victoria Cross appeared in a supplement to the London Gazette on 23 July 1915: War Office, 24th July, 1915

6. Leonard Maurice Keysor VC (also known as “Keyzor” or “Kyezor”) (3 November 1885 – 12 October 1951) was a British-born Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry “in the face of the enemy” that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. Born in England, Keysor emigrated to Australia shortly before the outbreak of the First World War. He enlisted in the First Australian Imperial Force in August 1914 and served in Egypt before landing at Gallipoli, Turkey at the beginning of the campaign.

On 20 June 1915 he was promoted to lance corporal, before taking part in the Battle of Lone Pine in August.

It was during the course of this battle that Keysor performed the actions that led to him receiving the Victoria Cross. Early in the morning on 6 August 1915 the 1st Battalion carried out a diversionary attack at Lone Pine and after heavy fighting that lasted almost the entire day they managed to capture the Turkish trenches. After this more fighting would continue around the position for the next three days as the Turks attempted to regain the position. The fighting was carried out at close range, using bayonets and improvised grenades and bombs. Over the course of about 50 hours on 7–8 August, Keysor continually risked his life to pick up the Turkish grenades as they were thrown into the trenches and throw them back.  Later, despite being wounded and ordered to seek medical attention, Keysor continued to remain in the line, volunteering to throw bombs for another company.

7. George Raymond Dallas Moor VC, MC & Bar (22 October 1896–3 November 1918) was a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. He was 18 years old when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC, the citation in the London Gazette, 23 July 1915 reads:

On 5 June 1915 south of Krithia, Gallipoli, Turkey, when a detachment of the battalion which had lost all its officers was rapidly retiring before a heavy Turkish attack, Second Lieutenant Moor, realising the danger to the rest of the line, dashed back some 200 yards, stemmed the retirement, led back the men and recaptured the lost trench. This brave act saved a dangerous situation.

8. Alfred John Shout VC, MC (8 August 1882 – 11 August 1915) was the most highly decorated Australian during the Battle of Gallipoli. In 1915 he was awarded the Military Cross during the landing at Anzac Cove in April and receiving the Victoria Cross posthumously for his actions during the Battle of Lone Pine in August. He was also Mentioned in Despatches twice.

On 25 April 1915, the men of the 1st Australian Brigade—of which the 1st Battalion was part—landed ashore at Anzac Cove between 05:30 and 07:30 among the second and third waves of Australian troops. On landing with his unit, Shout was “soon in the thick of the fighting”, and moved up with one of the 1st Battalion’s companies to Baby 700 following a request for reinforcements. Arriving at the position around 11:00,  he led a party of men to support the thin defensive line near Walker’s Ridge as part of the Australians’ rearguard action.  The Allied position on Baby 700 had become dire by that afternoon, which was compounded by the small number of available infantry in the area and the complete lack of artillery support, when the Turks launched an assault. By this stage, Shout and Lieutenant Leslie Morshead of the 2nd Battalion were the only two surviving officers in their sector of the line. At 16:30, the Turks broke through the defensive line and the Allies were forced to abandon their positions on Baby 700; Shout was one of the last to leave the position, and withdrew down to the beach. On returning to the beach, he was immediately tasked with leading 200 men to reinforce Lieutenant Colonel George Braund’s position at Russell’s Top on Walker’s Ridge. Shout, as dusk began to set in, established a post at the base of the ridge as the men started to dig in.

By 27 April, Shout had been continually in action without rest since the landing. That morning, he was despatched to a sector of Walter’s Ridge to replace a wounded officer.  At his new post, Shout and his men were subject to heavy rifle fire from Turkish soldiers located in the scrub just beyond the Australians’ trench. He promptly set about reorganising his men and, having done so, ventured out to reconnoitre the exact position of the Turkish soldiers in order to accurately direct his men’s rifle fire.  Despite being wounded early in the action, Shout refused to leave the frontline.  Later during the day, the Turks were closing in on the Australian trench and Shout led a bayonet change against their position.  He was later wounded a second time, with a bullet passing through his arm and rendering it useless, but still refused to leave. Soon after, he was wounded a third time and was evacuated for treatment. Throughout the battle, Shout had carried several wounded men out of the frontline.  Cited for his “conspicuous courage and ability” at Walker’s Ridge, Shout was consequently awarded the Military Cross, becoming the first member of his battalion to be honoured with the decoration. The notification and accompanying citation for the medal was published in a supplement to the London Gazette on 3 July 1915.

On 6 August 1915, an assault on the “impregnable” Turkish position at Lone Pine was launched by the men of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Battalions, 1st Australian Brigade, with the 1st Battalion in reserve.  The attack was orchestrated as one of a set of feints in order to draw Turkish attention and divert reinforcements from the British landings at Suvla Bay and thus the Allied offensive on Sari Bair. The Australian assault commenced in the late afternoon just before sunset, and within half an hour they had seized their objectives.  Despite the initial success, the Australian casualties had been heavy and the 1st Battalion was ordered forward in preparation for the expected Turkish counter-attack. The battle subsequently descended into “bitter, savage fighting” over the following days, predominantly in the form of “deadly bombing duels” with grenades.

At 09:00 on 9 August, the 1st Battalion relieved the 3rd Battalion at Sasse’s Sap on the Lone Pine frontline. However, as soon as the men of the 3rd Battalion were clear of the trenches, the Turks renewed their attack and were successful in seizing a significant proportion of Sasse’s Sap.  In response, Shout and Captain Cecil Sasse gathered three men to carry sandbags in order to construct trench barricades and charged down the Sap. The two officers ran at the head of the party, with Sasse sniping at the Turkish soldiers with his rifle while Shout hurled bombs. The group advanced small stages at a time until they had recaptured approximately 20 metres (22 yd) of the line, at which point the trio carrying the sandbags constructed a barricade while Sasse continued to fire at the Turks. Sasse was credited with killing twelve Turkish soldiers during the action and Shout with eight, while forcing the remainder to flee.

9. William John Symons VC (10 July 1889 – 24 June 1948) was an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

He was 26 years old, and a second lieutenant in the 7th Battalion, (Victoria), Australian Imperial Force during the First World War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.

On 8–9 August 1915, at Lone Pine, Gallipoli, Turkey, Symons was in command of a section of newly captured trenches and repelled several counter-attacks with great coolness. An enemy attack on an isolated sap early in the morning resulted in six officers becoming casualties and part of the sap being lost, but Symons retook it, shooting two Turks. The sap was then attacked from three sides and this officer managed, in the face of heavy fire, to build a barricade. On the enemy setting fire to the head cover, he extinguished it and rebuilt the barricade. His coolness and determination finally compelled the enemy to withdraw.  He later achieved the rank of lieutenant-colonel.

10. Hugo Vivian Hope Throssell VC (27 October 1884 – 13 November 1933) was an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

On Hill 60 during a postponed attempt by British and Anzac troops to widen the strip of foreshore between the two bridgeheads at Anzac and Suvla by capturing the hills near Anafarta. Hill 60, a low knoll, lay about half a mile (0.8 km) from the beach. Hampered by confusion and lack of communication between the various flanks, the battle had been raging for a week with heavy losses.”

“On 29–30 August 1915 at Kaiakij Aghala (Hill 60), Gallipoli, Turkey, Second Lieutenant Throssell, although severely wounded in several places, refused to leave his post during a counter-attack or to obtain medical assistance until all danger was passed, when he had his wounds dressed and returned to the firing line until ordered out of action by the Medical Officer. By his personal courage and example he kept up the spirits of his party and was largely instrumental in saving the situation at a critical period.”

Capturing a section of the trench at Courtney’s Post; one end of which was guarded by Jacka.  For several minutes he fired warning shots into the trench wall until reinforcements arrived, after which he attempted to enter the trench with three others; all but Jacka were either wounded or pinned.  It was then decided that while a feint attack was made from the same end, Jacka would attack from the rear. The party then proceeded to engage the Turks with rifle fire, throwing in two bombs as Jacka skirted around to attack from the flank. He climbed out onto “no man’s land”, entering the trench via the parapet. In the resulting conflict, Jacka shot five and bayoneted two Turkish soldiers, forcing the remainder to flee the trench; he then held the trench alone for the remainder of the night. Jacka’s platoon commander, Lieutenant Crabbe, informed him the following morning that he would be recommended for his bravery.
The full citation for the Victoria Cross appeared in a supplement to the London Gazette on 23 July 1915:   War Office, 24th July, 1915

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