On 4/24/2021 9:36 PM, Kevrob wrote:
> My late father served in the US Army Corp of Engineers in the north of Australia and in New Guinea, so I grew up on tales of the Australian "diggers" he met.
>
> Australian/NZ SF/F writers?
>
> I always enjoyed A Bertram Chandler, especially
> stories featuring John Grimes.
>

ANZAC DAY
Wiki

History

Anzac Day marks the anniversary of the first campaign that led to major
casualties for Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World
War. The acronym ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps,
whose soldiers were known as Anzacs. Anzac Day remains one of the most
important national occasions of both Australia and New Zealand;[3][4]

Gallipoli campaign, 1915

In 1915, Australian and New Zealand soldiers formed part of an Allied
expedition that set out to capture the Gallipoli Peninsula to open the
way to the Black Sea for the Allied navies. The objective was to capture
Constantinople, the capital of the Ottoman Empire, which was an ally of
Germany during the war. The ANZAC force landed at Gallipoli on 25 April,
meeting fierce resistance from the Ottoman Army commanded by Mustafa
Kemal (later known as Atatürk).[6] What had been planned as a bold
strike to knock the Ottomans out of the war quickly became a stalemate,
and the campaign dragged on for eight months. At the end of 1915, the
Allied forces were evacuated after both sides had suffered heavy
casualties and endured great hardships. The Allied deaths totaled over
56,000, including 8,709 from Australia and 2,721 from New Zealand.[7][8]
News of the landing at Gallipoli made a profound impact on Australians
and New Zealanders at home and 25 April quickly became the day on which
they remembered the sacrifice of those who had died in the war.

Though the Gallipoli campaign failed to achieve its military objectives
of capturing Constantinople and knocking the Ottoman Empire out of the
war, the actions of the Australian and New Zealand troops during the
campaign bequeathed an intangible but powerful legacy. The creation of
what became known as an "Anzac legend" became an important part of the
national identity in both countries. This has shaped the way their
citizens have viewed both their past and their understanding of the
present. The heroism of the soldiers in the failed Gallipoli campaign
made their sacrifices iconic in New Zealand memory, and is often
credited with securing the psychological independence of the nation.[9][10]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anzac_Day

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