Simpson Prize Tour 2018: Day 9
Day 9: Anzac Day
On 25 April, the ninth day of our tour, the group attended the Anzac Day dawn service at the Australian National Memorial at Villers-Bretonneux. The Tasmanian member of our group, Kate Sheahan, described the day:
On 25 April, a week into our pilgrimage exploring the battlefields of the Western Front, the Simpson Prize group made our way to Villers-Bretonneux to attend the dawn service and commemorate the 100th anniversary of the second battle of Villers-Bretonneux, fought over 24–25 April 1918. The service was the climax of my experiences on the Western Front and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Our excellent tour guide, Koenraad, managed to arrange seats for us in the front rows of the service, something that improved our experience greatly. Although we were cold, a little bit wet from the rain, and immensely tired, this did not hinder the moving and humbling experience of being gathered among the 4,000 other people that attended the Anzac Day service. They, too, were there to pay respect to the Australians who fought in the battle of Villers-Bretonneux, other battles of the Great War, and subsequent conflicts throughout history.
The day started at 12 midnight when we left our accommodation and made our way to Villers-Bretonneux – but not before we had all made good use of the coffee facilities provided at the hotel.
We arrived at the memorial at around 1 am and took our seats. There were films playing detailing the battle of Villers-Bretonneux and explaining how the Australian 15th and 13th Brigades regained the ground won by the Germans in their Spring Offensive. The triumph of Pompey Elliott’s and Thomas Glasgow’s brigades brought an end to the German advance in one of the most prominent allied victories on the Western Front.
In the dark, cold hours of the early morning the memorial had been softly lit and the atmosphere was sombre, but simultaneously full of anticipation. Waiting for the service to begin, it was inevitable that my mind drifted to 100 years ago, to the soldiers who at this hour would have been in the midst of their famous counter-attack, to the 1,400 Australian soldiers who lost their lives in the battle for the town, and to the 11,000 Australians whose names are listed on the memorial as “missing in action”.
The service was absolutely beautiful, including speeches from His Royal Highness Prince Charles, French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, and Australian Prime Minister Malcom Turnbull, who said: “The Australians were called upon just three years on from the landing on Gallipoli. It was said they had no chance – but they were confident. In classic Australian style. ‘Boys, you know what you have to do – get on with it’.”
The 100th anniversary and Anzac Day dawn service was without a doubt an experience anyone that was there will never forget, and something that will resonate in our minds every time we reflect on our journey with the Simpson Prize group.
Sara Hinton also reflected upon the Anzac Day dawn service:
This event was certainly one which will stay with me for the rest of my life. As we walked into the memorial the only lights that could be seen were from the torches lighting up the stone graves of fallen soldiers. As we walked in further, seats were aligned for thousands of people, all here for the same reason: to pay respect and thank the Australian men and women who lost their lives.
The ceremony officially began at approximately 5 am. It was still dark, yet grey clouds were now visible, a solemn and sorrowful scene that matched the feel of the ceremony. Anzac Day may traditionally be a day for Australians to stop and commemorate losses in war, but the ceremony enlightened me on a new aspect. Sitting watching the French and Australian flags flying high above, hearing the Australian Prime Minister and French Prime Minister both pay their respects, seeing the slouch hat of modern Australian soldiers next to the cap of the French soldiers, signified to me the sense of friendship we should remember on Anzac Day. We should be not only reflective but also proud of the young men who fought beside their French mates, who fought till they could fight no more, not only for Australia but also for the freedom of France. The ceremony was a testimony to the friendship between the two countries, which still stands strong a hundred years on.