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ADF members based in the UK converged on the battlefields of the Somme in northern France for this year’s Anzac Day commemorations.
The Australian National Memorial in Villers-Bretonneux, the largest memorial to our fallen outside Australia, hosted the first of the day’s ceremonies.
Exactly 89 years after one of the most ferocious battles ever fought, Aussies once again stood at Villers-Bretonneux, to remember the fallen.
Wreaths were laid by numerous Australian and regional officials as well as government representatives and other groups visiting from Australia.
Australian Ambassador to France Penny Wensley spoke of past and present challenges, our national identity and the Anzac spirit that both inspires and defines today’s Australians.
This ceremony was followed by a wreath-laying service at the French Monument, very close to the aptly named Rue Victoria primary school, which was funded by Victorian school children.
Later, a commemoration of the 90th anniversary of the Battle of Bullecourt was held at the Commonwealth and French Monuments in that village’s centre.
The final ceremony for the day was held at the Digger Memorial, one of the most recognisable memorials erected on the Western Front.
Throughout the day, the Australian military personnel formed an honour guard, adding to the emotion.
Lt-Col Louise Abell said she knew that all the Service personnel involved, and their families, found the commemorations in France very moving.
“They were honoured and proud to have represented the ADF today in remembering those who went before us,” she said.
Capt Edward Stokes said all the services were unique and moving and made all personnel proud to be Australian.
“The efforts of the French who attended the commemorations made me realise how grateful they are to the Australian diggers who fought on the battlefields of the Somme,” Capt Stokes said.
“It was a really compelling experience.”
There are few places in the world that grip the throat like the battlefields of France. A trip like this is a deeply poignant experience, especially for those with a military background, and those who wish to pay homage to fellow Australians who carried with them the hope and pride of a nation.
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