This Photograph was taken this morning at the ANZAC Day Dawn Service In My Home Town.

Thankyou Magnum. My Granfather fought at Gallipoli, and was one of the luckier ones (he came home) I would like to see this photo of Simpson and his donkey against an unobscured background if possible, at some stage in the future please Magnum. On a less serious note my daughter was extremely upset this morning when she went to watch Playschool and the Anzac Day March was on the ABC instead! I hope she never gets to experience the true horrrors of War. What part of Australia do you live in?

I am up in Coffs Harbour PunkClown. I am not too good at using the selection tools and blurring the backgrounds but if you would like the full sized jpeg file just let me know your email and I will send it to you so you can play with it if you would like? What part of the Aussie woods do you live in PunkClown?

I'm way down south in Melbourne, Magnum! I did not mean my comments as a criticism of your image, I appreciate it in the spirit it was posted. I was merely thinking that you may be able to get clear sky behind it from a different angle, perhaps? Thanks for replying Magnum, I hope the weather is nice up in Coff's Harbour today (a beautiful part of Australia, btw) It has beeen raining in Melbourne this morning, but it's bright and sunny now! (Well, you know Melbourne, I expect it to rain again any minute, lol) :-)>

From a cultural illiterate here in the States: Huh? I know I've heard the words "Gallipoli" and "Anzac" before, but am not really sure what they mean. Guess I'm a dufus. Father was on several South Pacific islands, and in occupied Japan, but never talked much about the war. One of his friends married a nice Australian lady, who still had her accent last time I saw her, (at funerals, unfortunately). Donkey? Guess we have our own war memorials. Suspect both sides have. Maybe after I retire I can travel some, and learn history. I too hope little Rebeccky can live in peace.

No Criticism taken PunkClown and I appreciate all the advice and feedback I recieve here at renderosity.

Misha I am no expert but I will try to explain as much of it as I can, but it may not be 100% correct.
ANZAC stands for Australian New Zealand Armed Corp. And ANZAC DAy is the day the ANZACS landed at Gallipoli. Gallipoli was a beach head area of Turkey that the ANZACS landed on during the second world war. The name of the place they landed has been changed to Anzac Cove in recognition of the battle. I think somewhere around 27,000 Australians lost their lives fighting on that beach head. There was a mistake made by the people who planned the landing and they landed on the wrong beach. The beach was extremely well defended and the ANZACS where massively out numbered and had no where near as much fire power, the battle for that beach head lasted for several months and not until ordered to retreat did the ANZACS take one backward step; and thus the ANZAC spirit was created.
The above photograph is of Sampson and his donkey. Sampson was a heroic stretcher bearer who risked his own life far more times then anyone should have had to in order to bring the wounded back to safety for treatment. Sampson used the donkey to transport the wounded.

ANZAC day is a day of commemoration of our Ex-Service men and women for all their sacrifices over the years and battles.

It is also a day most of us have way to much to drink and play Two Up but that is a whole storey on its own.

If anyone knows more about The Battle of ANZAC Cove please feel free to share your knowledge and correct any mistakes on my behalf.

I did a bit of research Magnum, for those curious: Gallipoli is a peninsula on the European side of the Dardanelles. Landings of Allied forces were made from the 25th April 1915, with the Australian and New Zealand troops going ashore on a beach, later named Anzac Cove. Turkish resistance was strong and though further landings were made, the campaign bogged down in trench warfare. After each side had suffered a quarter of a million casualties (8,587 Australians were killed and 19,367 wounded) the allies successfully evacuated the peninsula without further loss between December 1915 and January 1916. (source: The Oxford Australian Reference Dictionary) I'm fairly sure the guy with the Donkey's name was Simpson...whatever his name was, he was pretty brave, as were all the people involved, and I bet a lot of them were pretty scared most of the time too. The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est Pro patria mori.

In our own little world of cameras and computers, its sometimes difficult for many of us to remember that when something goes wrong, 27,000 people can loose their lives in one afternoon, or as PC said, both sides lost a quarter million lives during the mission. The world is still just as crazy now as ever, and sometimes I fear were headed in that same direction again, although I always perish the thought. Nice picture magnum. I like the angle, but my only suggestion would be to try to catch it the time of day when sunlight strikes it from some angle off one side or the other, although the almost silhouette is powerful too.

Sorry for not being able to join this thread earlier...
...Yet, I should have done so for being a descendant of the defendant counterparts to your ANZAC ancestors, dear Magnum and PunkClown.

I share your sensitivity for a grimm tragedy in history, your sorrowful thoughts for the losses from both sides, and your fears about wars...

I hope, someday, we may find the chance to commemorate the lost souls together side by side on an 'ANZAC day', at the 'ANZAC Cove'.
If such an aim brigns you to my homeland like thousands of Aussies do every year, please let me now...

Regards...

I most certainly will doruksal and I truely hope that one day I shall make it to ANZAC Cove on ANZAC Day and to spend that day with fine company like yourself would be most appropriate and appreciated.

Thankyou for your words, Doruk my friend...and I second Magnum's sentiments whole-heartedly!