Will
Longstaff's Menin
Gate at
midnight, is one of the
best-known paintings in the Australian War
Memorial's art collection.
The famous
painting depicts the ghosts of fallen soldiers marching past the
Menin Gate Memorial in Belgium.
Longstaff described
how the painting came about. He had attended
the dedication ceremony of the Menin Gate and that night, unable to
sleep, he had walked back to the
Memorial.
While
standing there he had a vision of all the spirits of the dead rising up
from the cornfields.
The
painting brought some comfort to many people who had lost loved
ones. When you consider,
that out of a population of under five million, 60,000 Australians had
not
returned
home. There was not
even a grave to attend. It is not surprising that the painting,
with a
spiritual
theme, was
very popular.
ANZAC
stands for Australian and
New Zealand Army Corps. ANZAC Day is held on April 25 and is
the anniversary of the first major military action by Australian and
New
Zealand forces in the 1915
Gallipoli campaign during the First World War.
Over
8,000 Australian soldiers died
in the Gallipoli campaign, and even though the campaign was a
failure, the ANZAC legend was formed. Australia was a young
nation and the
courage and character
shown by Australians at Gallipoli was quickly recognised and honored
back home.
In 30
years from 1915, 100,000 Australians died in war service.
Many of those died in action. Many
also died through sickness and accidents. Many
Australians came home with severe war
injuries and
died not
long after,
or had a greatly
shortened life.
For the first
time, during the Second World War, Australia's mainland was
attacked, when Darwin was
bombed by the Japanese. 40,000 Australians lost their lives in
WW2.
Over 500
Australians died in the Vietnam War, and since WW2, Australians
have also seen action in
places like Indonesia, Malaya, Afghanistan and Iraq.
Many
Australians who lost their
lives in war weren't thinking they could save the world or
defeat
evil
regimes. As in the trenches of France, and
the patrols in Vietnam,
or on the
Kokoda Track, Australians
were looking after their mates alongside
them. Many Australian veterans march on ANZAC Day in
memory of
their
mates left behind, and the ones that have passed on before them.
Many Australians alive
today,
who
have served our country in war, battle with
physical and emotional
problems due
to their war
service. Many who served in Vietnam came back home to
little or
no public
recognition of their service. Many Korean Veterans feel their war
service has
been forgotten by the general
public.
ANZAC Day
is a day on which to commemorate the lives of Australians lost
in war and military conflicts.
It is also a day when Australians can reflect on the many different
meanings of
war. Gatherings are held at
war memorials across the country.
Peter
Barnes initiated this song in 2001. He is the author (and copyright owner) of the song
and he
created the concept, title and lyrics. You can contact Peter by email here
Please