ANZAC DAY – A REFLECTION
Commander David Hedgley, RNZN
Commanding Officer HMNZS ENDEAVOUR
Who wants to get up so early in the morning on ANZAC day? why can’t we wait until a more civilised time? What’s the point?
The ANZAC DAY dawn service at the Cheras Cemetery, Kuala Lumpar answered all those questions for the 150 people attending in 2005. A Naval contingent of 22 officers and ratings from HMNZ Ships Endeavour and TE Mana travelled from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur to participate in the ANZAC Day commemoration which, being New Zealand’s year to organise, was coordinated by the New Zealand Defence Attaché to Malaysia, Group Captain May Cox, RNZAF.
The placing of candles along the pathway eased the walk through the graveyard on a dark and sultry moonlit morning. With an oil lamp lighting the entrance to the Commonwealth War Grave section of the cemetery visitors were ushered into this hallowed ground. Although the presence of the hundreds of headstones was clear for all to be aware of, the darkness masked the true extent of the number of graves laid out with military precision. This place oozed tranquillity, but there was a pervading feeling that we visitors were not alone. It was as if those whose resting place this cemetery was, welcomed our attendance and acknowledged our purpose.
At 0630, ninety years after the landings at Gallipoli, the commemoration began with an address by the Gp Capt Cox. Not only were the fallen from the First World War remembered but also those from WW II and other campaigns since, where ANZAC Servicemen and women, as well as those from other nations have laid down their lives to secure the peace and freedom for those who live on and those yet to come.
A poignant address my Mr Geoff Randal, the New Zealand High Commissioner to Malaysia was endorsed by equally important thoughts from the High Commissioners of Australia and Britain. But what brought home to many of us that those who died did not do so in vain were the words of Kemal Attaturk read by the Turkish Ambassador: “Those heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives…are now living in the soil of a friendly country. Your sons are lying in our bosom and are in peace. …. they have become our sons as well”.
With wreaths laid at the memorial cenotaph and “the ode” repeated by all, the sound of the Last Post by a lone bugler from the Malaysian Army heralded a time for personal reflection. Dawn was now breaking and as light flooded the cemetery the lines of memorial stones became clearer. The names of the fallen could now be read, as could their ages. With the majority of those interred less than 20 years old we could all now see the true meaning of the sacrifice before our very eyes…. and we all knew that “we will remember them”.
Cdr Hedgley is the Commanding Officer of the Royal New Zealand Navy tanker, HMNZS ENDEAVOUR currently deployed to South East and North Asia with the ANZAC frigate HMNZS TE MANA. Both ships have conducted exercises in the South China Sea. In addition the ships will support New Zealand’s involvement in the World Expo 2005, Aichi, Japan with a week long port visit timed to coincide with New Zealand Day, 3 June 2005. ENDEAVOUR and TE MANA will then proceed further north for diplomatic visits to Vladivostok, Russia and Shanghai, China before returning to Australian waters.
For further information on RNZN operations and deployments contact the Defence Public Relations Unit at Wellington, +64 4 4960270.
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