On this A.N.Z.A.C. Day, my wife and I are thinking of all the courageous troops who endured so much in 1915 on the beaches and in the rugged hills of the Gallipoli Peninsula. As we pause to reflect on the sacrifice of the Armed Services personnel of Australia and New Zealand in two World Wars, and in other conflicts and peacekeeping operations, our thoughts will also be with those communities around the world who are being torn apart by violence and conflict, and those who are fighting for freedom in the face of oppression.

In 1916, one year after the Gallipoli landings, my great-grandfather, King George V, wrote of the first A.N.Z.A.C.s, “They gave their lives for a supreme cause in gallant comradeship.” One hundred and six years later, gallant comradeship remains a defining mark of the uniformed men and women of New Zealand and Australia.

Lest we forget

HRH The Prince of Wales

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