Anzac Day dawn services around the world
Princess Anne has layed a wreath at Anzac Cove in Gallipoli where the largest crowd of Australians in five years has attended a dawn service. Follow updates.
Europe
Don't miss out on the headlines from Europe. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Australians have returned to Anzac Cove in Gallipoli in the largest crowds in five years, with Princess Anne among those laying a wreath for the 110th anniversary of the fateful landings in Turkey.
More than 2,600 people were on the beaches where Anzac soldiers led their assault.
Princess Anne was part of the official ceremony, laying a wreath in memory of those fallen in the conflict on behalf of King Charles.
Australia’s Governor-General Sam Mostyn was also among those paying respects alongside dignitaries from Turkey, Austria, and South Africa.
During her speech, Princess Anne spoke about the bravery of the men and boys who went to war, and spoke about a campaign which cost and changed the lives of tens of thousands of Australian, New Zealand, British and French soldiers.
‘Their words have helped us understand and support families left behind,’ she said.
“110 years later, we stand here at dawn to commemorate the Anzacs, remembering their bravery, courage and sacrifice.
“We also remember all Australian and New Zealand men and women who since that day have served their country in wars, conflicts and peace missions. Their service is not forgotten, we will remember them.”
Gary and Jan Lloyd, of Glandore, Adelaide, were among the Australians at Gallipoli.
They had five relatives serve in the Gallipoli campaign, including Gary’s grandfather Captain Frederick Gerald Lloyd.
Mr Lloyd said it was humbling to visit the Turkish peninsula where his grandfather served.
“The area is so beautiful it’s hard to comprehend the horrendous things that happened there,” he said.
“We’ve visited the cemeteries to see all the graves, so many of them were 20, 21, and 22.”
Mr Lloyd said his grandfather had kept a diary of his service, which gave him an insight into what it was like during the campaign and made him feel closer to him.
“Like all the returned soldiers, my grandfather didn’t talk about what happened here,” he said.
The commemorations there came as Australians gathered in Villers-Bretonneux in France to honour those lost on the Western Front. In London, there were prayers at Westminster Abbey and a dawn service at Hyde Park.
Prince Edward’s wife, Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, stepped in for King Charles for the official duties.
Dressed in black, she laid a wreath during the dawn service and at the Cenotaph, a war memorial on Whitehall in the centre of London.
Australian High Commissioner to the UK Stephen Smith also attended the service.
The service at Villers-Bretonneux heard of the story of Corporal Walter Ernest Brown who served on the Western Front, a bloody battlefield in World War I.
Corporal Brown survived that war and then re-enlisted when World War II broke out.
He was 15 years over the age limit but had said that he had a duty to his country, even though he had a wife and two children to consider.
Corporal Brown was killed in action in the Pacific theatre and has no known grave.
Air Marshal Stephen Chappell and Lynette Wood, Australia’s ambassador to France, also addressed The DDawn Service in France.
“Before the outbreak of the First World War it was unlikely many Australians had heard of Fromelles,” Mr Chappell said.
“Yet by the war’s end, these far away places were the final resting places of many Australians.
“More than 400,000 enlisted in the First World War. Almost 60,000 Australians made the ultimate sacrifice during the war.”
He added that the beauty of Villers-Bretonneux was hard to compare with the descriptions of it being described as hell during the fighting in World War One.
Anzac Day services have also been held in Thailand, Malaysia and Papua New Guinea.
Ms Wood delivered the first commemorative address of the morning in Villers-Bretonneux.
“We have come together at dawn here in northern France to commemorate and pay our respects to those who served during the First World War - our original Anzacs,” she said.
“The Anzac legend was carved on the shores of Gallipoli, where Australian and New Zealand troops landed under heavy Turkish fire on the 25th of April 1915, suffering a devastating defeat. Australians also served in the deserts and valleys of the Middle East, in the skies, on the seas, and in the trenches of the Western Front and, closer to home, in the islands of the Pacific.
“On the anniversary of the Gallipoli landing, here in Villers-Bretonneux, brave Australians helped to defend and then recapture this town to help bring the last German offensive of the war to an end. Close to 2,500 have no known grave and are commemorated here at the Australian National Memorial to the Missing at Villers-Bretonneux. “Today, thanks to the incredible work of Australian and French officials, and the local communities gathered here, the remains of four of these soldiers have recently been unearthed - almost 108 years since they lost their lives on the battlefield.”
She said work was being done to identify the soldiers and rebury them with dignity.
There were 1,114 at the Hellfire Pass in Thailand to pay their respects, where Australians built the Death Railway.
Admiral David Johnston, the Chief of Australia’s Defence Force said: “Here in Thailand, we remember those who fought in the Pacific theatre of the Second World War.
“Their enduring Anzac spirit remains strong with us, and we pay our respects to those who served – and the families and communities affected by war.”
More Coverage
Originally published as Anzac Day dawn services around the world
‘Done deal’: Russia’s big claim ahead of ‘critical week’
Washington peace plan for Ukraine has yet to be released, but Russia has already made a major territorial claim. Follow updates.
Key suspect in Kim K’s $15m robbery dies after threats
An alleged suspect in the Paris gunpoint robbery of Kim Kardashian has died just as the case was set to go to trial.