In 2009 I was a young kiwi soldier who found himself in Afghanistan. I will never forget the day we were on a base and a group of Turkish soldiers came up to us. The only word they said that we could understand was "ANZAC" while pointing at the flag on my uniform. They shook all our hands and gave us hugs and asked for a photo. Even after 100 years the ties to Gallipolli remain strong on both sides.
Firstly, Thank you for your service. If not for the battle of Kapyong the 3RAR and RNZ Artillery were going to have an ANZAC BBQ with Turkish soldiers in Korea,(the first time the three armies served together). Both Aussie and Kiwis are very good at turning former enemies into friends, and Johnny Turk was the first “New Friend”
I love when foreigners come here and really do want to be a part of Oz. Know that we appreciate that, and your service. (Then again, Kiwis aren’t really foreign here anyway, right?) :)
They landed on the wrong beach and were slaughtered by the turkish on the hill. The ANZAC’s and Turkish actually became strong allies after and fought together in WW2. We were open to each other because of this speech. “Those heroes that shed their blood And lost their lives. You are now lying in the soil of a friendly country. Therefore, rest in peace. There is no difference between the Johnnies And the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side Here in this country of ours, You, the mothers, Who sent their sons from far away countries Wipe away your tears, Your sons are now lying in our bosom And are in peace After having lost their lives on this land they have Become our sons as well”. - Ataturk
I'm a first generation Aussie. I have relatives who fought in the Boer War and WW1. My Father and Uncle both served in the British Royal Navy in WW2 as juniors. My father was sunk twice in the English channel and often joked about getting tired of having to swim home. Obviously, his way of coping with the death he'd seen. Both served on D-Day. My Father, a signalman on the ships bridge knew something was happening but didn't know what. Until dawn when he saw the hundreds of ships ready for the offensive. It wasn't until he went to shore in France and saw the disrespectful swapping of souvenirs off deceased enemy soldiers, he turned his life to Christ. Thankfully, he hadn't perished first. He served in the war and killed no one but carried his perceived guilt to his grave. Thankyou American brother. We've always needed your support. And my family have always appreciated it. May Christ bless you in all ways, if only in eternal life. I'll see you on the other side :)
"Those heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives ... You are now lying in the soil of a friendly country. Therefore rest in peace. There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side here in this country of ours ... You, the mothers who sent their sons from faraway countries, wipe away your tears; your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace. After having lost their lives on this land they have become our sons as well." - Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, commander of the Turkish forces at the Dardenelles during WW1 and later founder of modern Turkey.
Turkey isn't a friendly country any more. Trump pulling out and leaving the Kurds to be massacred by a country that did the same to Armenia's. They deserve to get a taste of their own medicine. The Hague needs to look at trump and his cronies who ethnically cleanse anyone who they believe are a threat. You almost want IS in Constantinople wreaking havoc. You reap what you sow.
@@danhemming6624 Please don't blame a whole country's people for the actions of their government. This only feed racism and bigotry and there is more than enough in the world. And that's how war and killing starts.
He was born in Peebles in the Scottish Borders emigrated to Australia in the seventies.He is a legand in Aussie but not so known in Scotland.Im a Scottish Borderer from Hawick.The first time I heard about him was when I was in New Zealand visiting my sister and went to Gary Key house he also was a Borderer band he loved Eric Bogle's music.
Beautiful Don, as the father of a modern day Digger who's life was changed by a stay in Afghanistan and had to leave the ADF, this song rips me everytime I hear it. "We will remember them, lest we forget "
God bless you and your family mate. That's my first time to watch it and it was very powerful. I served in Iraq 2004. Songs like this are very emotional. Lest we forget
Thank you for your service Sir... my Grandfather fought on the Western Front, where he was gassed, lost an eye due to the gassing & had terrible stomach problems till he passed. His son, my Father, then fought in WWII in the Middle East against Rommel's panzars, who they defeated. Then back to Australia to train for jungle warfare against the Japs... in New Guinea & Borneo, where he contracted malaria. As my beautiful Mother (who looked after the two, brave frontline soilders) said. The lovely young man who went away to War at seventeen... never came home. LEST WE FORGET
Lets also remember the beautiful Australian horses that played a big part in the survival of those soldiers that did make it home, they were shot because the government did not believe they were worth bringing home! :(
A lot of those horses were not Army issue, they belonged to the lighthordemen who brought them to war. They were not permitted to bring them home and some if their owners took them out into the desert and shot them rather than leave them to cruelty and neglect in Egypt where they would have been worked to death. It absolutely broke the hearts of the lighthorsemen who should have been allowed to bring these beautiful 4 legged heroes home. As I understand it, around 130,000 horses went to war and only 1 came home.
I'm Canadian but I've spent some time down in NSW after living in SE Asia and absolutely felt like and was treated like I was home. I miss hiking and being in the bush down there. Aussies are the best! I'm now a big fan of CANZUK now, Canucks stood side by side with ANZAC and British at Gallipoli.
You (Canada) fought side by side with us (Aus) when we held Tobruk for 8mths keeping the Suez Canal in allied control, we gave Rommel his first defeat in battle he kept personal photos of our Bayonet charge that wiped out his infantry telling Hitler “If you ordered me to take Hell I’d use Australians to take it & kiwis to hold it!” (Meaning the Rats of Tobruk Aus/Can) I much prefer this story we fought under our own command but British officers ordered us to die at Gallipoli, we aren’t like USA we don’t celebrate any war victories “Les We Forget”
As an Aussie, this song has such a deep meaning for us. This song portrays the horror those brave souls must have endured. The saddest thing is that very recently we lost the last survivor of this terrible time so now they can only be honoured by family members. My hope is that younger generations never forget the meaning of ANZAC day and just what those poor young men gave up to ensure that their lives are free. Thankyou for taking the time to react and for giving it the respect it deserves. Much appreciated.
You are correct. The British command of the day did see Australians , New Zealander’s and all others fighting alongside Britain as cannon fodder. Why the assault on Gallipoli went so wrong was because the British command , in part , used flawed maps that misrepresented important aspects of the terrain such as elevated mountainous terrain on which the Turks were primarily defending from. This gave the Turks a great advantage given Britain’s allies faced the task of not only dodging Turkish fire from those elevated positions upon landing on the beach but also having to scale this terrain while under fire in order to reach the enemy. With that said the Turks suffered well over double the casualties compared to their attackers.
Don't forget the terrible decision to pull back the units that had made it inland past the hill country. And I always try to remember the poor British troops who landed in the southern tip of the peninsular. They got slaughters too. Bad Command & control, can never excuse these tragic errors..
The reason the operation failed, Churchill and the British, French high command decide that a naval force could force the Dardanelles without the need to land troops to capture the peninsula and silence the Turkish Artillery. Gallipoli was lightly defended, it would have been easily taken, when the Armada failed it gave the Turks ample time to send in massive numbers of troops and time to dig in. The invasion was defeated before the first allied troops set foot on the shores. Even if the first day objectives had been taken the Army still would have been bottled up on the southern end of the peninsula without a port to bring in supplies. The Turks had their whole country and short lines of communication to back them up, it was a no-win situation. The great irony, the English invented Marines as we know them, a naval infantry force, and one of their main missions was to go ashore to take forts and silence guns, Churchill decided it wasn't necessary as the Turks would be defeated with gunboat diplomacy and knock out of the war. The sheer arrogance and racism of the day lead to this disaster. Churchill and other politicians shifted blame to the commanders in the field, and all the excuses flowed, like poor maps, etc, etc. Even tho Churchill made one of his famous speeches and took the blame, it was just theatre, the noble leader falling on his sword because he had failed. Churchill was demoted from First Lord of the Admiralty as a condition of Conservative entry to the coalition but remained in the Cabinet in the sinecure of Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. Churchill resigned in November 1915 and left London for the Western Front, where he commanded an infantry battalion of the Royal Scots Fusiliers early in 1916. Even today historians still blame the commanders for the defeat, using hearsay from a hundred years ago to validate their opions, when they should be asking why didn't the invasion happen when the peninsula was weakly defended, and the Turks unaware of the danger to Ottoman's empire.
By Villers Bretonneux we were leading ourselves....and never lost a battle under our own command....and were the catalyst in ending the war by our dominance in france.
This bloody song brings me to tears whenever i hear it. I used to have an album on vinyl years ago by an Aussie band called The Bushwackers Band that had this song on it, and i played this song for my dad and he cried, which i had never seen him do, i also played it at his funeral, he was SGT J D BLANTON of the 2/23 btn soldier number VX82409 who fought in the south pacific in world war 2 against the Japanese in Papua New Guinea, Borneo and Tarakan where he was horribly wounded and was hospitalized for 3 years after, he came home a very changed man, my grandfather served in the Australian army in the Australian Light Horse Brigade in the 1st world war, they were both such strong and amazing men, i love and miss them both so much. A big cheers to ya Donny boy for this upload and wonderful show of respect. My absolute thanks and respect to all that have served, you're all absolute legends in my book boys.
The issue the Australian command had was that they weren't in control of their own troops. After this Australia led its own troops on the ground and made its own decisions in battle,
The English did not like the idea of colonalists having commands. Even in their own ranks there was class distinction whereby the Lords had to command. Typically they did not care about the plebs. It all turned around when they had to recognise the genius of General Monash and he was made Commander in chief. He was put in charge of a force that included Americans and the famous battle fought at Le Hamel that changed the face of was forever.
Thanks honey! As an Australian, it is good to see people looking at our history. Anzac Day is big.... infact huge. We thank them all. Remembering the individual's sacrifice is needed. Cheers :D
Every Anzac Day3 songs. I play this song only 19 and On Every Anzac Day. Breaks my heart and makes me cry knowing the horrors they went through for us. Every Aussie needs their Matilda.
"From the Murray's green banks to the dusty outback. I waltzed my Matilda all over." The real reference here is to the fact that many of the ANZACs were from country areas and it was common to walk all over the countryside looking for work and carrying their Matildas. Matildas was their name for the bedroll that carried as per a backpack. These were our "Swaggies" who primarily worked in the sheep industry, the golden era of Australia prior to WW1
Eric Bogle was born in Scotland. Your great country gave us George,Malcolm and Angus Young.Bon Scott and Jimmy Barnes,his brother Swanee and Colin Hay plus many more. No Scotland no AC/DC , Cold Chisel ,Barnesy.
Paul A yes.australia usually claims other countries talents as their own.its a beautiful country though.just doesn’t really have a proud culture like Scotland or Ireland or New Zealand
@@shaneryan6691 Of course your page has no content because you're a shit stirrer. Every country in the world has talent and culture. Aboriginal culture can be traced further back than most cultures so I wouldn't get so cocky. New Australia is a nation of immigrants and we are proud of them. My mother in law is Scottish. She was the Highland Dancing champion of Scotland and still chose to come to Australia. I'm proud of her heritage and I'm proud of my Irish heritage but both she and I call ourselves Aussies - and proudly so.
Yes indeed and what is rarely stated is the proportion of the population it represents. Australia had been one of the richest nations on earth thanks to the Golden Fleece years. So many menfolk were lost in WW1 action that their wives struggled to keep farms operational.
Our total population was a scant 3 million at the time, so every family had at least one member either fighting, nursing or otherwise supporting the war effort
this is more than a song.. it fills my soul with every emotion and I walk away emotionally drained yet so full of pride for the men and women and yes children *my grandfather was 15 when he joined the light horse..*
Hey man, I’m a 1/4 Scottish Australian. My Great Grandfather was a Gordon immigrant, I have a number of Scottish memorabilia from him. Bydand! In Australia we appreciate every single culture in our Society. We are one, but we are many. Thank God for Scotch Whiskey.
It was Australia and New Zealand's first involvement in any war after becoming independent nations. Prior to the Gallipoli campaign, politicians and citizens viewed it as our first chance to prove ourselves in war. Despite the loss, it came to commemorate the bond between Australia, New Zealand and fellow comrades (mateship) as well as the futility of war. Another good Australian Anti-War song of the Vietnam era was Redgums, I was only 19. ruclips.net/video/Urtiyp-G6jY/видео.html
@@TheDonsChannel , Mark Knopfler has two good war songs. The first is 'Remembrance Day' ruclips.net/video/CBPSr4TsQkI/видео.html The second is 'Done with Bonaparte' ruclips.net/video/cOaytyiWuXw/видео.html
@@billturner7363, technically yes but they were relatively minor affairs and the conflicts started while Australia was a collection of colonies. No Australians died in conflict during the boxer revolution, in fact they ended up performing police duties after all the fighting was done. www.awm.gov.au/articles/atwar/boxer During the Boer War, 282 of the Australian contingent died in action or from wounds sustained in battle. www.awm.gov.au/articles/atwar/boer Compare that to the 26,111 Australian casualties (including 8,141 deaths) at Gallipoli, in a war that started after Federation. www.awm.gov.au/articles/encyclopedia/gallipoli
@@billturner7363 exactly we were involved in many wars prior but our soldiers were classed under the british. The numbers of how many died and injured that were Australian were not always correct due to some still being classed as belonging to another country and lumped in as a british soldier. 1 death of any soldier is a heavy penalty and just as important as thousands during any conflict.
I lost one grandfather at Gallipoli and another was wounded later in France, lost his left leg. My Father was orphaned at 6 and he signed up and served in WW2. Both my brothers served in the army. I followed my father's path into the Navy. We all saw action and came home in one piece. The ANZAC legend will never die.
Many years ago, I heard Eric Bogle sing this song in my local folk music club in the UK. Hearing this very powerful song in a small room ( over a pub) with Eric singing without a microphone was a very moving experience.
I'm here in 2021 on ANZAC DAY. I've just got back from the dawn service. Such a sad and proud day. Thankyou for your truly respectful reaction. It was heart felt. Lest we forget.
LEST WE FORGET Proud Aussie ,, my great grandfathers went to ww1 and grandfathers to ww2 ,,never got to meet either of my grandfathers due to war ,, and they would be turning in their graves with whats happening in Australia today
Dom Fuller I found out that both my grandfathers worked together during WW2. Turned out they were ambulance officer and fireman and so of course ended up at the same catastrophes. They had no idea they would end up so long afterwards sharing grandchildren.
I lost three great uncles in Gallipoli all Scots from Dumfries and Galloway they came to Australia in 1912 . My uncle Randolph Mille was the first Lieutenant Randolph Miller AIF . Waltzing Matilda refers to a mans swag and it means travelling all over the country waltzing your Matilda with you ( swag ) bed roll . Thanks for sharing . Lest we forget .
@@adriannewman4624 yeah Adrian and Don, guess this would have worked better visually... ruclips.net/video/E22gszljklc/видео.html . Still a great reaction Don
The uploader is a Canadian who made the video originally to play at a Remembrance Day ceremony where she lived. Her explanation (which I agree with) is that while the story of the song is specific to Gallipoli, the sentiments it conveys are universal.
Thankyou for your respectful attitude and comments.My Grandpa was a Scot who served in WW1,1ST allied troops in France,returned to Australia damaged goods.
We are brothers of convict and settler blood. We will always defend the freedom of the way we live today and always will never forget those who gave us this freedom.
As an Aussie I've always been drawn more to Villers-Bretonneux more so than Gallipoli. Not sure why but as I learned more about the western front and how the French still commemorate the Australian involvement I guess it would be a more welcoming place to visit.
I have been to the dawn service there back in 2009 when it was still new and quite small. It's was astonishing for me to see these French towns and villages that still thank not only Australians, but all other countries for what they did during WW1. It's a truly special and somber place to visit
Being an ex-Aussie soldier we talked about all the battles (including V-B and Hamel particularly) and the general consensus was that up until Gallipoli Australia was just a bunch of colonies that banded together (1901) to some sort of Commonwealth and was composed of mainly Brits, Scots, Irish, Welsh immigrants, chinese ex-goldrush miners and of course the Aboriginal originals who all identified very separately...but after the fires of this first big battle and the suffering that went with it that that they much more identified as Australians and a nation rather than a rag tag bunch of people trying their luck on the frontiers... Hence why ANZAC day was from Gallipoli landing day 25th April 1915 and probably bigger than any other day in Australia - just what we learned and felt (I am old so talking about the 1970's and 1980's in Australia views we had, but we felt it very strongly and when we marched when we were serving in uniform or after we were all no longer able to serve - usually injuries or damage of some sort, sometimes mental health that stopped the ability to keep going - on ANZAC day it was about representing all those who had sacrificed to get the nation to where it was and nothing to do with ourselves - not really sure if people can understand that?). I've stopped doing ANZAC day as I get too upset.
Because we “won” Villers Brentonneux. Gallipoli was a blood bath with both the Anzacs and the Turks trying to proof themselves as young nations. I’m glad the RSL finally let the Australian Turks march on ANZAC day because they were never truly enemies. That letter from Ataturk always has me in tears.
I cam across your channel the other night with your videos reacting to Issac and Geography Now's Australia videos tho those where decent i only just subscribed after seeing this video, so few have reacted to this song and even fewer truly felt the lyrics or understood them but your reaction was one of those very few, earned a sub and my respect mate you're a top bloke. I would add one thing the video was made for presentation at a school in Canada hence why the photos are Canadian it's in the original videos description which is quite an interesting read.
I'm so glad you did some research on this. So many sites I've seen reacting to this song have no idea of the history behind it. It means a lot to us here in Australia.
I feel that the thing that makes this song strike so hard is that it is about the hidden costs of war, the wounded, the maimed the men and women who lives are changed, and their families, by the tragedy that is war. We can feel the pain in this song.
Eric was, of course, a Scot who migrated to Australia and wrote many beautiful defining songs about Australian life. The Green Fields of France was another enduring ballad about the futility of war. His wonderful ballad, Now I'm Easy, was also recorded by the legendary Slim Dusty, who is about as Aussie as you can get. Thank you for your wonderful, respectful review and showcasing Mr Bogle's powerful tribute.
Thanks for that Don. And thanks to Erik Bogle...he knows how to bring a tear to your eye. The last ANZAC was Alec William Campbell who passed away 16th May 2002. He was 103. Thats a long time to hang on to such memories. Respects to him and his family. Because its not just songs we are listening to here it's real stories about real people and I hope with all my heart we never have to go through that again.
Sorry to correct you Jenny Claude “Chuckles” Choules died in 2011 at the ripe old age of 110 not only the last Australian but the last ww1 veteran globally, God bless them both.
I was lucky enough to be in Edinburgh on what would have been ANZAC day in Australia (1996) , travelling with a bus load of Aussies & Kiwis (a couple of Yanks and a few South Africans). It was decided by our Contiki tour guide we would do a pub crawl through your Nation's Capital. We started off in a dark and smoky subterrainian pub full of more mature menfolk and - being a rowdy bunch we gave the aussie chant of Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oi Oi Oi on arrival. The youngish chap singing quietly in the corner, accompanied by his guitar, stopped the song he was singing and started up with "And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda". Not a dry Aussie or Kiwi eye in the house. Very humbling and moving experience. The chaps in the pub enjoying a quiet pint explained that the ANZAC history was known to them by word of mouth through the local vets.
I know this was 2 years ago, but Only seen this second... Thankyou from the bottom of my heart for this video and keeping the ANZAC spirit alive and available for the younger gen... I'm an Aussie girl, Dad volunteered as a Vietnam Vet at 17 (fudged the books saying 19) and he is my best friend, my biggest inspiration and a human with bigger heart than anyone I know. As Dad says to my little boy; I fought so you wouldn't have to. True Australian mateship that every Aussie has the duty to uphold. Your mates can depend on you! To the point of Life and Death, you can depend on your mates! If you ever have a chance to come over here for ANZAC Day, it's something you'll treasure for the rest of your life. We are all just heart and flesh no matter how far apart we may be... An Aussie mate has your back! Danielle x
My father was an ex-serviceman from WW2 (he was stationed in London where he met and married my mother) and he said the only part of this song he had an issue with was the reason they march. It is to honour those who didn't come back and remember what their death meant to the country and our freedoms.
My great grandfather served in ww1, he came back but he was never the same. I've not heard this version of this song before and it still gave me chills. This Anzac day my son will march in the parade, wearing the medals of his great uncle who served in Vietnam. We keep the memories alive so our kids won't have to suffer like our forebears did.
Eric recorded this song at the height of the anti-Vietnam movement in Australia. What he eventually got wrong was that ANZAC DAY went on to get stronger and more important as time has gone on and the young people do NOT ask why are they marching.
By the time the campaign ended, more than 130,000 men had died: at least 87,000 Ottoman soldiers and 44,000 Allied soldiers, including more than 8700 Australians. Among the dead were 2779 New Zealanders, about a sixth of all those who had landed on the peninsula.
Nobody here seems to remember John Monash who organised the astonishing bloodless withdrawal from Gallipoli. He was later appointed to overall command of the newly independent Australian Army, against the lies and antisemitic agitation of the Australian Press, in particular Keith Murdoch, Rupert's father. The Australian Prime Minister, Hughes, personally visited the battle fields and asked the troops if it was true, as Murdoch insisted, that they hated Monash and would never follow him. The reply he got was shocking: they would follow Monash to the ends of the Earth, because they knew that he would look after them as far as was humanly possible. He worked out much of the technique of modern warfare, and used it to win the Battle of Hamel (4th July 1918) in France, a trench-warfare action that Monash had planned to take 90 minutes to reach its objectives; a quite preposterous notion given that no WW1 set-piece battle had been won, or lost, within weeks or months of its intended completion. The Battle of Hamel was won in 92 minutes. Monash's tactics were adopted in the main allied actions in late 1918 and the Germans gave up. Monash was the first person in 400 years to be knighted by the King on the battlefield in recognition of his service. After the war Monash was given the task of repatriating the Australian troops. He set up a network of Repatriation Hospitals throughout Australia where maimed and wounded ex-servicemen were looked after, free of charge, for the rest of their lives. Until recently Australia had a Federal Repatriation Minister. I'm afraid the song somewhat missed this point. By training he was a Lawyer and an Engineer. Eventually both skills were needed when he was put in charge of the Victorian State Electricity Commission, responsible for supplying electricity to the whole state.
Rex Whitehead. True. Perhaps the greatest man we ever called Australian. National shame we don’t have a film about his life. Edit: My Dad fought as a 17 year old in the 2nd World War (in Borneo and other places). He told me Monash managed to organise for his men to get hot meals in the trenches. Seemingly a small detail in the massive scenario of the 1st Great War, but it says everything about the man. Murdoch was an arsehole. Not a true Australian, full stop.
Glenn Maillard. Could I suggest the name "Jerilderie" for any such film? That ties up Monash, Ned Kelly, and a really good pretender to the British Crown. :)
@@glennmaillard9076. Indeed. The tanks going back to refuel carried wounded men on stretchers; then they turned around and took hot food to those still fighting. Doesn't sound much but it sure impressed his men who saw that other countries' common soldiers were being treated like dirt.
I need to read my book on Monash. Can’t remember the Jerilderie connections. Though, you know, suddenly as I write I think I do. Something about Ned being at a farm where Monash was as a boy. My Dad was a stretcher bearer for a time. At his funeral I played a song I wrote for him. My father was a stretcher bearer a long, long time ago, My father was a stretcher bearer back in Borneo, And sometimes he talks about the ones he carried out, But the ones he left behind lie buried in his mind. My father sits in an armchair a good man growing old, And he always feels the heat but he never feels the cold, And sometimes with a beer he talks about the past, But how he feels about his mates, well, I guess I never ask. My father was just seventeen when he went off to war, He lied about his age knew what he was fighting for, And sometimes I listen and sometimes I cry, But I guess I’m just like my father I only ever cry inside. Repeat first verse. Sorry about that, mate. Just remembering. But a film is called for! Really, probably a trilogy. Even what he did to set up the SEC, back in the day, was a massive step forward for the quality of lives of millions. But he was a Jew! Go figure! Nah, being an Australian is owning a proud citizenship. Obey our democratic laws, but otherwise be who you are. The land the ‘Fair go.’ That’s what my father fought for. That’s what John Monash fought for. Sorry to get maudlin, but I don’t like being told what I need to be or what I should believe or how I should behave - that’s for the Nazis and the Commies, the Hitlers and Stalins of this world who Dad despised, those who want to control the lives of others - providing I still obey and respect Australian laws. Now, stepping down from the soapbox: Go Tiges!
Glenn Maillard. Monash's dad became owner, or manager, of a small business in Jerilderie, when John was a young boy, and moved the family from Melbourne. The Kelly Gang rode in and took over, locking the police in their own gaol, and robbing the bank. They stayed for a few days and socialised with the locals. Monash met Ned then. Ned also wrote the "Jerilderie Letter" while there. It has almost the same status to Australians as the Declaration of Arbroath has to the Scots. :) The Monashs moved back to Melbourne for the sake of John's education and he eventually became a perennial student at my alma mater, the University of Melbourne. He got degrees successively in Arts, Law, and Engineering. That occupied much of his time up to the outbreak of WW1. In recent times, the 19-year old son of a Scottish aristocrat went to Australia and got a job driving a fork-lift truck at a Rice Research Institute in Jerilderie. In due course he inherited the title "Duke (or. maybe, Earl) of Loudon", or some such. One bunch of historians believe that he was the true heir to the throne after some jiggery-pokery in France in the 14th or 15th century illegally deprived his ancestors of that right. His sons grew up playing Aussie Rules at the Jerilderie Footy Club. :)
I have heard Eric perform this song many times,ry recording and in person,He wrote it and nobody comes close to his rendition,we are moved by it but Eric had to find the words to do justice for all who suffered. one to cheer the heart is that Eric Bogle went on to become one of the worlds best known performers for this genre and remained practically unknown in Australia,I get a laugh when I think about how the scots would feel if they knew he was an immigrant to Australia from a little town,Peebles in Scotland
Nice reaction. One thing I would point out is that Gallipoli was our first involvement in the European theatre, but not our first involvement in World War I. The Germans had colonies in New Guinea before the war, and there were some land and naval engagements between us and the Germans that took place as early as September 1914.
As Aussies we will never forget Australian and New Zealand forces . Give us any challenge and we together will overcome. We are Brothers in arms. ANZAC all the way. We give grace to those that deserve it but we inflict discipline on those that try to harm us. Try it and you will learn.
The Pogues did a version of this song that I have listened to hundreds of times over the decades; and it still has me tearing up every time. My Scottish grandfather was gassed and lost a leg during WW1.(I'm an Aussie)
Those figures are even worse when you consider the population of Australia at the time was only approximately 7.2 million and New Zealand about 1.6 million. My grandfather was one of the survivors, his two cousins didn’t survive the first half hour after landing. He would never march (found it traumatic) at the parades but always went to the two up at the RSL. When he passed, at 96, he was the local RSL’s only surviving Anzac survivor. Additionally the English landed them in the wrong landing area.
Let it be know that Eric Bogle wrote this song not as a tribute to Aussie soldiers but as a political stance against war. “What are they marching for, I ask myself the same question”
My Grandfather was a Scott, fought in WWII. As a proud Australian I look forward to ANZAC day each year as it's a remembrance to all that have given the greatest sacrifice. Thank you Don! Had me a tear in my eye...
I know this is 3 years old so you probably wont see this but here goes anyway. First up this song was written for and about the ANZACs, it means a lot to us. Secondly, it went bad because of Churchill and the fact that he and his key military advisors decided everything on old charts of the Gallipoli peninsula. They had no updated information on what the terrain was like at that time so sent the ANZACS to slaughter pretty much. Thank goodness for the ANZAC spirit and tenacity and for the Turks honor and respect. Here is an example of respect between the ANZACS and the Turks. At the Gallipoli Battle, the Turkish and Anzac soldiers did not let their cultural differences disrupt their humanity, dignity and principled mutual respect as humans and warriors. Two of their many acts exemplifying this, which are etched in Australian, New Zealand and Turkish history, included exchanging cigarettes and pausing the battle to bury the fallen, as well as friendly interactions during this cease-fire. These actions were rarely seen in the past nor in the present day anywhere in the world. This is no doubt a shining example of the good things humans are capable of, and the Anzacs and Turkish soldiers hold a special place in world history. Although both the Anzacs and the Turks fought against each other in one of the most devastating, harsh and brutal battles in history, remarkably neither side developed enmity toward the other at the time or after Gallipoli - another example to the world. The interactions between the Anzac and Turkish soldiers, who represent the Western and the Islamic civilizations, should be remembered, honored and replicated. Their conduct in such desperate conditions is a model for how to fight against today’s increasingly polarized world. In an inspiring speech, the founder of the Republic of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, said in tribute to the Anzacs: “Those heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives ... You are now lying in the soil of a friendly country. Therefore rest in peace. There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side here in this country of ours ... You, the mothers who sent their sons from faraway countries, wipe away your tears; your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace. After having lost their lives on this land they have become our sons as well.” *Copy editor at Daily Sabah
TattooedAussieChick as a mother of two soldiers, be proud and support them if it's their choice. They choose to potentially give their life for their country and you. There is no greater gift. Bless all of our service personnel.
@@westaussie965 Churchill may have achieved something, but his personal morality wasn't so different from Hitler's. Ask what they think of him in Bangladesh. He was a racist and classist bigot, and guilty of genocide and war crimes. Fuck him.
It's nice to see you relating to the song, The Don. And thank you for protecting us nations of the Commonwealth. ...my brother is Donald by the way. Meldrum. My grandfather was an Australian immigrant from Scotland. Proud of that.
Once a jolly swagman camped by a billabong Under the shade of a coolibah tree, He sang as he watched and waited 'til his billy boiled You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me
This is the best version of this song. My main take away was how they were so excited to go just like the British they thought it would be quickly over. The crowds cheered them off but couldn't look at the injuries when they arrived back. The futility of the war.
Gallipoli was a brutal campaign that was disorganised from the get go as there wasn't enough known about the surrounding sea and landscape. There's a great mini-series on Netflix at the moment called Gallipoli, and I think it was episode 6 was particularly difficult to watch as the futility of it all is finally understood. Thank you for your respect and your reaction. This song is tough any time of the year, but particularly on ANZAC day when we remember all our soldiers, airman and seaman that have served.
John williamson sings better and has the trademark Aussie voice for songs such as this and "I was only 19". His version's video actually is fitting with the story.
Thank you, this song always brings a tear to my eye as my Grandfather was an original ANZAC being in the 1st Div 4th Battalion AIF which was among of the first to land at Gallipoli, thankfully he survived the war and married my nan when he returned to Australia, again thanks
The Anzac's were greatly outnumbered, and highly underestimated. Aus and NZ have some of the best troops in the world, making others look like boy scouts. Hats off to our boys.
My Great Grandfather was in France - he was gassed and survived, WW 11 was Grandfather ( his son) went to Borneo and was captured was in the same regiment and left from the same place. My Grandmother was in the Land Army, My Great Aunts and Uncles were with the other forces - I have memories of being told one of them was captured. You asked why Australia and New Zealand were involved...England is the "Mother Country, and when she calls her children to, come we do". ANZAC for the AFL is about a 2 week-long event because there are games before the actual day, for Australians and New Zealanders ANZAC Day is so important. Any person who has the will to go and serve their country - either as a full-time or a Reservist they are the heroes ( in my opinion)
In 2009 I was a young kiwi soldier who found himself in Afghanistan. I will never forget the day we were on a base and a group of Turkish soldiers came up to us. The only word they said that we could understand was "ANZAC" while pointing at the flag on my uniform. They shook all our hands and gave us hugs and asked for a photo. Even after 100 years the ties to Gallipolli remain strong on both sides.
With a heart bursting with respect - thank you for your service Ironside.
Wow
Also when aussies visit Gallipoli, the turks are like brothers and it was the turks who first built the aussie memorials
'We will remember' always
Firstly, Thank you for your service. If not for the battle of Kapyong the 3RAR and RNZ Artillery were going to have an ANZAC BBQ with Turkish soldiers in Korea,(the first time the three armies served together). Both Aussie and Kiwis are very good at turning former enemies into friends, and Johnny Turk was the first “New Friend”
"Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn,
At the going down of the sun & in the morning,
*We shall remember them!* "
Lest We Forget ❤🇦🇺🇬🇧
Lest we Forget 🇦🇺🇳🇿🇹🇷
And shaii never forget these brave diggers that died and served their country,Amen
Lest we forget
Lest we forget
As a Kiwi who is proudly a naturalized aussie who served in the 80's in the ADF. Just wanted to say THANKS
You're welcome from one veteran to another 😀👍
As a young Australian man I would like to say thank you for your service and all you have done.
Goddamn embodiment of ANZAC. Love it mate! 🇦🇺🇳🇿👌
I love when foreigners come here and really do want to be a part of Oz. Know that we appreciate that, and your service. (Then again, Kiwis aren’t really foreign here anyway, right?) :)
Thanks for your service Shaun. Greatly appreciated mate. 🤝
They landed on the wrong beach and were slaughtered by the turkish on the hill. The ANZAC’s and Turkish actually became strong allies after and fought together in WW2. We were open to each other because of this speech. “Those heroes that shed their blood
And lost their lives.
You are now lying in the soil of a friendly country.
Therefore, rest in peace.
There is no difference between the Johnnies
And the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side
Here in this country of ours,
You, the mothers,
Who sent their sons from far away countries
Wipe away your tears,
Your sons are now lying in our bosom
And are in peace
After having lost their lives on this land they have
Become our sons as well”.
- Ataturk
So true the biggest reason why it went wrong
Turks didn't fight in WW2
@@MrSlavaoat Yes they did they entered the war in 1945 fought against Germany and Japan , Not sure where you got your info from mate but it wrong . ✌️
@@MrSlavaoat they certainly did dude. Look it up. The got into it in the forties
I’ve never heard that quote from Ataturk. It’s a very generous and moving quote. True magnanimity.
I am an American and I weep every time I hear this song. God bless the ANZAC. Australia 🇦🇺 and New Zealand 🇳🇿
Thank you.
My Grandfather landed on Gallipoli that day
Hi, Bill. You should listen to this version by The Pogues, it's by far the best one every recorded.
ruclips.net/video/cZqN1glz4JY/видео.html
God bless you too America.
I'm a first generation Aussie. I have relatives who fought in the Boer War and WW1. My Father and Uncle both served in the British Royal Navy in WW2 as juniors. My father was sunk twice in the English channel and often joked about getting tired of having to swim home. Obviously, his way of coping with the death he'd seen. Both served on D-Day. My Father, a signalman on the ships bridge knew something was happening but didn't know what. Until dawn when he saw the hundreds of ships ready for the offensive. It wasn't until he went to shore in France and saw the disrespectful swapping of souvenirs off deceased enemy soldiers, he turned his life to Christ. Thankfully, he hadn't perished first. He served in the war and killed no one but carried his perceived guilt to his grave. Thankyou American brother. We've always needed your support. And my family have always appreciated it. May Christ bless you in all ways, if only in eternal life. I'll see you on the other side :)
"Those heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives ... You are now lying in the soil of a friendly country. Therefore rest in peace. There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side here in this country of ours ... You, the mothers who sent their sons from faraway countries, wipe away your tears; your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace. After having lost their lives on this land they have become our sons as well." - Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, commander of the Turkish forces at the Dardenelles during WW1 and later founder of modern Turkey.
Wow. That is incredible. Lovely words
Reading those words on the monument when I went to ANZAC cove in Turkey meant so much.
@@alyshajackson9784 I know what you mean I had the same experiences in Italy, France and Belgium
Turkey isn't a friendly country any more. Trump pulling out and leaving the Kurds to be massacred by a country that did the same to Armenia's. They deserve to get a taste of their own medicine. The Hague needs to look at trump and his cronies who ethnically cleanse anyone who they believe are a threat. You almost want IS in Constantinople wreaking havoc. You reap what you sow.
@@danhemming6624 Please don't blame a whole country's people for the actions of their government.
This only feed racism and bigotry and there is more than enough in the world.
And that's how war and killing starts.
Mate, Eric Bogle wrote this song. He grew up a lowland Scot before he emigrated to South Australia. So this is the original, authentic version.
Thanks David for making sure Don knew that Eric Bogle gave us this beautiful heart wrencher
@@micheledix2616 I lived in Adelaide for a while and have been to a couple of his concerts. I adamantly promote Eric for all his songs.
He was born in Peebles in the Scottish Borders emigrated to Australia in the seventies.He is a legand in Aussie but not so known in Scotland.Im a Scottish Borderer from Hawick.The first time I heard about him was when I was in New Zealand visiting my sister and went to Gary Key house he also was a Borderer band he loved Eric Bogle's music.
Beautiful Don, as the father of a modern day Digger who's life was changed by a stay in Afghanistan and had to leave the ADF, this song rips me everytime I hear it. "We will remember them, lest we forget "
God bless you and your family mate. That's my first time to watch it and it was very powerful. I served in Iraq 2004. Songs like this are very emotional.
Lest we forget
Lest we forget!
Lest we forget.
Thank you for your service Sir... my Grandfather fought on the Western Front, where he was gassed, lost an eye due to the gassing & had terrible stomach problems till he passed.
His son, my Father, then fought in WWII in the Middle East against Rommel's panzars, who they defeated. Then back to Australia to train for jungle warfare against the Japs... in New Guinea & Borneo, where he contracted malaria.
As my beautiful Mother (who looked after the two, brave frontline soilders) said. The lovely young man who went away to War at seventeen... never came home.
LEST WE FORGET
I am ex australian army and this song gets me every time.Thank you so much for sharing this important song.
You're welcome mate. Thanks very much for watching. Respect to you for serving
Thanks for your service mate. Greatly appreciated 🤝
You're a legend to me, thanks Craig.
Lets also remember the beautiful Australian horses that played a big part in the survival of those soldiers that did make it home, they were shot because the government did not believe they were worth bringing home! :(
And shot to avoid cruelty from the enemy
ruclips.net/video/hniMrGeF4us/видео.html
The beautiful horses were called whalers
A lot of those horses were not Army issue, they belonged to the lighthordemen who brought them to war. They were not permitted to bring them home and some if their owners took them out into the desert and shot them rather than leave them to cruelty and neglect in Egypt where they would have been worked to death. It absolutely broke the hearts of the lighthorsemen who should have been allowed to bring these beautiful 4 legged heroes home. As I understand it, around 130,000 horses went to war and only 1 came home.
@@elizabeth10392 your numbers are correct
I'm Canadian but I've spent some time down in NSW after living in SE Asia and absolutely felt like and was treated like I was home. I miss hiking and being in the bush down there. Aussies are the best! I'm now a big fan of CANZUK now, Canucks stood side by side with ANZAC and British at Gallipoli.
Canadians are some of the best people on this planet. Sending a warm welcome from Australia.
You (Canada) fought side by side with us (Aus) when we held Tobruk for 8mths keeping the Suez Canal in allied control, we gave Rommel his first defeat in battle he kept personal photos of our Bayonet charge that wiped out his infantry telling Hitler “If you ordered me to take Hell I’d use Australians to take it & kiwis to hold it!” (Meaning the Rats of Tobruk Aus/Can) I much prefer this story we fought under our own command but British officers ordered us to die at Gallipoli, we aren’t like USA we don’t celebrate any war victories “Les We Forget”
I knew that the French and British were there, I never knew that the New Foundland regiment saw service on the peninsular.
You never stop learning
We were together at Kap Yong, Korea as well...
And now more Canucks and Canadians play ice hockey in Australia than ever.
As an Aussie, this song has such a deep meaning for us. This song portrays the horror those brave souls must have endured. The saddest thing is that very recently we lost the last survivor of this terrible time so now they can only be honoured by family members. My hope is that younger generations never forget the meaning of ANZAC day and just what those poor young men gave up to ensure that their lives are free. Thankyou for taking the time to react and for giving it the respect it deserves. Much appreciated.
You are correct.
The British command of the day did see Australians , New Zealander’s and all others fighting alongside Britain as cannon fodder.
Why the assault on Gallipoli went so wrong was because the British command , in part , used flawed maps that misrepresented important aspects of the terrain such as elevated mountainous terrain on which the Turks were primarily defending from.
This gave the Turks a great advantage given Britain’s allies faced the task of not only dodging Turkish fire from those elevated positions upon landing on the beach but also having to scale this terrain while under fire in order to reach the enemy.
With that said the Turks suffered well over double the casualties compared to their attackers.
I read that. What a truly terrifying experience that would have been. Brave Men.
Lest We Forget ❤
Don't forget the terrible decision to pull back the units that had made it inland past the hill country. And I always try to remember the poor British troops who landed in the southern tip of the peninsular. They got slaughters too. Bad Command & control, can never excuse these tragic errors..
The reason the operation failed, Churchill and the British, French high command decide that a naval force could force the Dardanelles without the need to land troops to capture the peninsula and silence the Turkish Artillery. Gallipoli was lightly defended, it would have been easily taken, when the Armada failed it gave the Turks ample time to send in massive numbers of troops and time to dig in. The invasion was defeated before the first allied troops set foot on the shores. Even if the first day objectives had been taken the Army still would have been bottled up on the southern end of the peninsula without a port to bring in supplies. The Turks had their whole country and short lines of communication to back them up, it was a no-win situation. The great irony, the English invented Marines as we know them, a naval infantry force, and one of their main missions was to go ashore to take forts and silence guns, Churchill decided it wasn't necessary as the Turks would be defeated with gunboat diplomacy and knock out of the war. The sheer arrogance and racism of the day lead to this disaster. Churchill and other politicians shifted blame to the commanders in the field, and all the excuses flowed, like poor maps, etc, etc. Even tho Churchill made one of his famous speeches and took the blame, it was just theatre, the noble leader falling on his sword because he had failed. Churchill was demoted from First Lord of the Admiralty as a condition of Conservative entry to the coalition but remained in the Cabinet in the sinecure of Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. Churchill resigned in November 1915 and left London for the Western Front, where he commanded an infantry battalion of the Royal Scots Fusiliers early in 1916. Even today historians still blame the commanders for the defeat, using hearsay from a hundred years ago to validate their opions, when they should be asking why didn't the invasion happen when the peninsula was weakly defended, and the Turks unaware of the danger to Ottoman's empire.
To be fair, a lot of the British generals, particularly Haig, treated British soldiers as cannon fodder as well.
By Villers Bretonneux we were leading ourselves....and never lost a battle under our own command....and were the catalyst in ending the war by our dominance in france.
Hard not to tear up to this. Lest we forget
It really is. I really struggled myself
Aussie Dan . Always tear up on this one.
This bloody song brings me to tears whenever i hear it. I used to have an album on vinyl years ago by an Aussie band called The Bushwackers Band that had this song on it, and i played this song for my dad and he cried, which i had never seen him do, i also played it at his funeral, he was SGT J D BLANTON of the 2/23 btn soldier number VX82409 who fought in the south pacific in world war 2 against the Japanese in Papua New Guinea, Borneo and Tarakan where he was horribly wounded and was hospitalized for 3 years after, he came home a very changed man, my grandfather served in the Australian army in the Australian Light Horse Brigade in the 1st world war, they were both such strong and amazing men, i love and miss them both so much. A big cheers to ya Donny boy for this upload and wonderful show of respect. My absolute thanks and respect to all that have served, you're all absolute legends in my book boys.
I hear you mate. I’ve similar story but one of my Grandfather’s didn’t come back from Burma Thai pow. Lest we forget.
The issue the Australian command had was that they weren't in control of their own troops. After this Australia led its own troops on the ground and made its own decisions in battle,
The English did not like the idea of colonalists having commands. Even in their own ranks there was class distinction whereby the Lords had to command. Typically they did not care about the plebs.
It all turned around when they had to recognise the genius of General Monash and he was made Commander in chief. He was put in charge of a force that included Americans and the famous battle fought at Le Hamel that changed the face of was forever.
Thanks honey! As an Australian, it is good to see people looking at our history.
Anzac Day is big.... infact huge. We thank them all. Remembering the individual's sacrifice is needed.
Cheers :D
I have the pleasure of playing guitar with Eric and I never tire of this song. It's always received with respect.Thanks for sharing
Great respect for Eric Bogle who gave us this memorial.
Every Anzac Day3 songs. I play this song only 19 and On Every Anzac Day. Breaks my heart and makes me cry knowing the horrors they went through for us. Every Aussie needs their Matilda.
It really was horrible. Thank you very much for watching and for telling me your story. The songs put shivers down your spine.
"From the Murray's green banks to the dusty outback. I waltzed my Matilda all over."
The real reference here is to the fact that many of the ANZACs were from country areas and it was common to walk all over the countryside looking for work and carrying their Matildas. Matildas was their name for the bedroll that carried as per a backpack. These were our "Swaggies" who primarily worked in the sheep industry, the golden era of Australia prior to WW1
Eric Bogle was born in Scotland. Your great country gave us George,Malcolm and Angus Young.Bon Scott and Jimmy Barnes,his brother Swanee and Colin Hay plus many more. No Scotland no AC/DC , Cold Chisel ,Barnesy.
Very true mate. ACDC are awesome. My wee girl loves them. Yes Eric Bogle was Scottish too. He wrote some great songs
Yes but we fixed them once they arrived here
Paul A yes.australia usually claims other countries talents as their own.its a beautiful country though.just doesn’t really have a proud culture like Scotland or Ireland or New Zealand
One Eyed Kitty Me too. My Great Grandfather was a Gordon highlander immigrant. Bydand! We are one but we are many.
@@shaneryan6691 Of course your page has no content because you're a shit stirrer. Every country in the world has talent and culture. Aboriginal culture can be traced further back than most cultures so I wouldn't get so cocky. New Australia is a nation of immigrants and we are proud of them. My mother in law is Scottish. She was the Highland Dancing champion of Scotland and still chose to come to Australia. I'm proud of her heritage and I'm proud of my Irish heritage but both she and I call ourselves Aussies - and proudly so.
You’re a good man, Don. A solid, decent man and I’m proud to share the planet with you.
Thank you very much mate. Greatly appreciate your kind words
Yeah official 8,709 killed at Gallipoli, 61,522 Aussies were killed in WW1.
Lest we forget all that have served.
Yes indeed and what is rarely stated is the proportion of the population it represents. Australia had been one of the richest nations on earth thanks to the Golden Fleece years. So many menfolk were lost in WW1 action that their wives struggled to keep farms operational.
Our total population was a scant 3 million at the time, so every family had at least one member either fighting, nursing or otherwise supporting the war effort
this is more than a song.. it fills my soul with every emotion and I walk away emotionally drained yet so full of pride for the men and women and yes children *my grandfather was 15 when he joined the light horse..*
Very hard hitting song
Mmm the light
The charge of the light brigade
The greatest victory
Helping the Jewish people back their homeland
i am a proud australian and this song is so iconic it is sung and played every year on anzac day lest we forget
This is such a sad song that is one of my favorites. I cry every time I hear it.
You should watch a live version if Waltzing Matilda and listen to the crowd when they play it in Australia, it is incredible
Hey man, I’m a 1/4 Scottish Australian. My Great Grandfather was a Gordon immigrant, I have a number of Scottish memorabilia from him. Bydand! In Australia we appreciate every single culture in our Society. We are one, but we are many. Thank God for Scotch Whiskey.
Bydand thats the Gordon Highlanders moto. I’ve my Grandfathers memorabilia also 🇦🇺🏴
Whisky ❤ if it is Scottish
It was Australia and New Zealand's first involvement in any war after becoming independent nations. Prior to the Gallipoli campaign, politicians and citizens viewed it as our first chance to prove ourselves in war. Despite the loss, it came to commemorate the bond between Australia, New Zealand and fellow comrades (mateship) as well as the futility of war.
Another good Australian Anti-War song of the Vietnam era was Redgums, I was only 19.
ruclips.net/video/Urtiyp-G6jY/видео.html
Thank you very much Philip. I actually watched that yesterday. Great song
@@TheDonsChannel , Mark Knopfler has two good war songs.
The first is 'Remembrance Day' ruclips.net/video/CBPSr4TsQkI/видео.html
The second is 'Done with Bonaparte' ruclips.net/video/cOaytyiWuXw/видео.html
I’m sorry but Aussies were in the Boer war in South Africa after federation and the boxer rebellion after federation.
@@billturner7363, technically yes but they were relatively minor affairs and the conflicts started while Australia was a collection of colonies.
No Australians died in conflict during the boxer revolution, in fact they ended up performing police duties after all the fighting was done.
www.awm.gov.au/articles/atwar/boxer
During the Boer War, 282 of the Australian contingent died in action or from wounds sustained in battle.
www.awm.gov.au/articles/atwar/boer
Compare that to the 26,111 Australian casualties (including 8,141 deaths) at Gallipoli, in a war that started after Federation.
www.awm.gov.au/articles/encyclopedia/gallipoli
@@billturner7363 exactly we were involved in many wars prior but our soldiers were classed under the british. The numbers of how many died and injured that were Australian were not always correct due to some still being classed as belonging to another country and lumped in as a british soldier. 1 death of any soldier is a heavy penalty and just as important as thousands during any conflict.
I lost one grandfather at Gallipoli and another was wounded later in France, lost his left leg. My Father was orphaned at 6 and he signed up and served in WW2. Both my brothers served in the army. I followed my father's path into the Navy. We all saw action and came home in one piece. The ANZAC legend will never die.
Wow. What a story mate. You're family are great. Respect to you all.
You're absolutely spot on mate. The Anzac story will never die.
Lest We Forget
it will not.
my father was in the navy for 21 years im going to follow him into the services as he passed away 3 years ago when i was 15
Many years ago, I heard Eric Bogle sing this song in my local folk music club in the UK. Hearing this very powerful song in a small room ( over a pub) with Eric singing without a microphone was a very moving experience.
I had the same wonderful experience in a little folk club in South Australia in the early 70s.
Brings a tear to my eye every time hear this , you picked the right version .
LEST WE FORGET
I'm here in 2021 on ANZAC DAY. I've just got back from the dawn service. Such a sad and proud day. Thankyou for your truly respectful reaction. It was heart felt. Lest we forget.
Thanku for doing your research I really appreciate it. God bless you and the ANZACS♥️
LEST WE FORGET
Proud Aussie ,, my great grandfathers went to ww1 and grandfathers to ww2 ,,never got to meet either of my grandfathers due to war ,, and they would be turning in their graves with whats happening in Australia today
Dom Fuller I found out that both my grandfathers worked together during WW2. Turned out they were ambulance officer and fireman and so of course ended up at the same catastrophes. They had no idea they would end up so long afterwards sharing grandchildren.
Dom Fuller You got that right.
Yes wouldn’t they
I lost three great uncles in Gallipoli all Scots from
Dumfries and Galloway they came to Australia in 1912 . My uncle Randolph Mille was the first Lieutenant Randolph Miller AIF . Waltzing Matilda refers to
a mans swag and it means travelling all over the country waltzing your Matilda with you ( swag ) bed roll . Thanks for sharing . Lest we forget .
Love the clip but I found it a bit strange that there were so many clips of the Canadian defence forces,,, but other than that 👍🏼 for the reaction
I was surprised by that too. Maybe I did the wrong video??
The Dons Channel all good mate 👍🏼
@@adriannewman4624 yeah Adrian and Don, guess this would have worked better visually... ruclips.net/video/E22gszljklc/видео.html . Still a great reaction Don
Yes WTF is the Canadians got to do with ANZAC?
The uploader is a Canadian who made the video originally to play at a Remembrance Day ceremony where she lived. Her explanation (which I agree with) is that while the story of the song is specific to Gallipoli, the sentiments it conveys are universal.
I'm an Aussie, and I cried. Thankyou Don. Cheers
Powerful song. You're welcome mate
Thank you for the backstory at the start. You gave and showed the respect these boys deserve
You got shivers - I got tears! You did well holding it together. Thanks for sharing, cheers mate.
I think it's great you did some research and gave some information to the audience before the reaction. Big thanks on behalf of Australia!
Thankyou for your respectful attitude and comments.My Grandpa was a Scot who served in WW1,1ST allied troops in France,returned to Australia damaged goods.
From a proud Aussie thank you man tearing up while commenting
We are brothers of convict and settler blood. We will always defend the freedom of the way we live today and always will never forget those who gave us this freedom.
As an Australian veteran, the following song makes me proud to have served my nation.
Keep up your good work Don
👍🍻🇦🇺
Thank you.
All veterans deserve to be remembered
As an Aussie I've always been drawn more to Villers-Bretonneux more so than Gallipoli. Not sure why but as I learned more about the western front and how the French still commemorate the Australian involvement I guess it would be a more welcoming place to visit.
I have been to the dawn service there back in 2009 when it was still new and quite small. It's was astonishing for me to see these French towns and villages that still thank not only Australians, but all other countries for what they did during WW1. It's a truly special and somber place to visit
Being an ex-Aussie soldier we talked about all the battles (including V-B and Hamel particularly) and the general consensus was that up until Gallipoli Australia was just a bunch of colonies that banded together (1901) to some sort of Commonwealth and was composed of mainly Brits, Scots, Irish, Welsh immigrants, chinese ex-goldrush miners and of course the Aboriginal originals who all identified very separately...but after the fires of this first big battle and the suffering that went with it that that they much more identified as Australians and a nation rather than a rag tag bunch of people trying their luck on the frontiers...
Hence why ANZAC day was from Gallipoli landing day 25th April 1915 and probably bigger than any other day in Australia - just what we learned and felt (I am old so talking about the 1970's and 1980's in Australia views we had, but we felt it very strongly and when we marched when we were serving in uniform or after we were all no longer able to serve - usually injuries or damage of some sort, sometimes mental health that stopped the ability to keep going - on ANZAC day it was about representing all those who had sacrificed to get the nation to where it was and nothing to do with ourselves - not really sure if people can understand that?). I've stopped doing ANZAC day as I get too upset.
Because we “won” Villers Brentonneux. Gallipoli was a blood bath with both the Anzacs and the Turks trying to proof themselves as young nations. I’m glad the RSL finally let the Australian Turks march on ANZAC day because they were never truly enemies. That letter from Ataturk always has me in tears.
Good on ya mate! My dad was from Glasgow when the Germans were bombing in WW2 and then they moved to Australia at the end RIP Dad!
I cam across your channel the other night with your videos reacting to Issac and Geography Now's Australia videos tho those where decent i only just subscribed after seeing this video, so few have reacted to this song and even fewer truly felt the lyrics or understood them but your reaction was one of those very few, earned a sub and my respect mate you're a top bloke.
I would add one thing the video was made for presentation at a school in Canada hence why the photos are Canadian it's in the original videos description which is quite an interesting read.
Thank you very much. I really appreciate that lovely feedback it means a lot.
Thanks for subscribing mate 👍🏴🇦🇺
I'm so glad you did some research on this. So many sites I've seen reacting to this song have no idea of the history behind it. It means a lot to us here in Australia.
I feel that the thing that makes this song strike so hard is that it is about the hidden costs of war, the wounded, the maimed the men and women who lives are changed, and their families, by the tragedy that is war. We can feel the pain in this song.
Wow! Well I was in tears 😔 thank you for sharing this song. So emotional. God bless 🙏🏻
i think all young soldiers who have fought in any war could relate to this song ,regardless of which country they come from
Eric was, of course, a Scot who migrated to Australia and wrote many beautiful defining songs about Australian life. The Green Fields of France was another enduring ballad about the futility of war. His wonderful ballad, Now I'm Easy, was also recorded by the legendary Slim Dusty, who is about as Aussie as you can get. Thank you for your wonderful, respectful review and showcasing Mr Bogle's powerful tribute.
Yes, Now I’m Easy is my favourite Eric Bogle song.
Its good to see you listening to the original artist, most people credit The Pogues with his songs
Thanks for that Don. And thanks to Erik Bogle...he knows how to bring a tear to your eye. The last ANZAC was Alec William Campbell who passed away 16th May 2002. He was 103. Thats a long time to hang on to such memories. Respects to him and his family. Because its not just songs we are listening to here it's real stories about real people and I hope with all my heart we never have to go through that again.
Sorry to correct you Jenny Claude “Chuckles” Choules died in 2011 at the ripe old age of 110 not only the last Australian but the last ww1 veteran globally, God bless them both.
I was lucky enough to be in Edinburgh on what would have been ANZAC day in Australia (1996) , travelling with a bus load of Aussies & Kiwis (a couple of Yanks and a few South Africans). It was decided by our Contiki tour guide we would do a pub crawl through your Nation's Capital. We started off in a dark and smoky subterrainian pub full of more mature menfolk and - being a rowdy bunch we gave the aussie chant of Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oi Oi Oi on arrival. The youngish chap singing quietly in the corner, accompanied by his guitar, stopped the song he was singing and started up with "And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda". Not a dry Aussie or Kiwi eye in the house. Very humbling and moving experience. The chaps in the pub enjoying a quiet pint explained that the ANZAC history was known to them by word of mouth through the local vets.
I know this was 2 years ago, but Only seen this second... Thankyou from the bottom of my heart for this video and keeping the ANZAC spirit alive and available for the younger gen...
I'm an Aussie girl, Dad volunteered as a Vietnam Vet at 17 (fudged the books saying 19) and he is my best friend, my biggest inspiration and a human with bigger heart than anyone I know. As Dad says to my little boy; I fought so you wouldn't have to.
True Australian mateship that every Aussie has the duty to uphold. Your mates can depend on you! To the point of Life and Death, you can depend on your mates!
If you ever have a chance to come over here for ANZAC Day, it's something you'll treasure for the rest of your life. We are all just heart and flesh no matter how far apart we may be... An Aussie mate has your back! Danielle x
one of the most moving songs to hear on ANZAC day, such a haunting melody
My father was an ex-serviceman from WW2 (he was stationed in London where he met and married my mother) and he said the only part of this song he had an issue with was the reason they march. It is to honour those who didn't come back and remember what their death meant to the country and our freedoms.
This song always makes me tear up. Happens to me with pretty much any folk song like this.
Don, I agree 100% with your comments on the 98 year old playing the Anthum on a harmonica. I salute you. 👍
My great grandfather served in ww1, he came back but he was never the same. I've not heard this version of this song before and it still gave me chills. This Anzac day my son will march in the parade, wearing the medals of his great uncle who served in Vietnam. We keep the memories alive so our kids won't have to suffer like our forebears did.
Eric recorded this song at the height of the anti-Vietnam movement in Australia. What he eventually got wrong was that ANZAC DAY went on to get stronger and more important as time has gone on and the young people do NOT ask why are they marching.
By the time the campaign ended, more than 130,000 men had died: at least 87,000 Ottoman soldiers and 44,000 Allied soldiers, including more than 8700 Australians. Among the dead were 2779 New Zealanders, about a sixth of all those who had landed on the peninsula.
Nobody here seems to remember John Monash who organised the astonishing bloodless withdrawal from Gallipoli. He was later appointed to overall command of the newly independent Australian Army, against the lies and antisemitic agitation of the Australian Press, in particular Keith Murdoch, Rupert's father. The Australian Prime Minister, Hughes, personally visited the battle fields and asked the troops if it was true, as Murdoch insisted, that they hated Monash and would never follow him. The reply he got was shocking: they would follow Monash to the ends of the Earth, because they knew that he would look after them as far as was humanly possible.
He worked out much of the technique of modern warfare, and used it to win the Battle of Hamel (4th July 1918) in France, a trench-warfare action that Monash had planned to take 90 minutes to reach its objectives; a quite preposterous notion given that no WW1 set-piece battle had been won, or lost, within weeks or months of its intended completion. The Battle of Hamel was won in 92 minutes. Monash's tactics were adopted in the main allied actions in late 1918 and the Germans gave up. Monash was the first person in 400 years to be knighted by the King on the battlefield in recognition of his service.
After the war Monash was given the task of repatriating the Australian troops. He set up a network of Repatriation Hospitals throughout Australia where maimed and wounded ex-servicemen were looked after, free of charge, for the rest of their lives. Until recently Australia had a Federal Repatriation Minister. I'm afraid the song somewhat missed this point. By training he was a Lawyer and an Engineer. Eventually both skills were needed when he was put in charge of the Victorian State Electricity Commission, responsible for supplying electricity to the whole state.
Rex Whitehead. True. Perhaps the greatest man we ever called Australian. National shame we don’t have a film about his life.
Edit: My Dad fought as a 17 year old in the 2nd World War (in Borneo and other places). He told me Monash managed to organise for his men to get hot meals in the trenches. Seemingly a small detail in the massive scenario of the 1st Great War, but it says everything about the man. Murdoch was an arsehole. Not a true Australian, full stop.
Glenn Maillard. Could I suggest the name "Jerilderie" for any such film? That ties up Monash, Ned Kelly, and a really good pretender to the British Crown. :)
@@glennmaillard9076. Indeed. The tanks going back to refuel carried wounded men on stretchers; then they turned around and took hot food to those still fighting. Doesn't sound much but it sure impressed his men who saw that other countries' common soldiers were being treated like dirt.
I need to read my book on Monash. Can’t remember the Jerilderie connections. Though, you know, suddenly as I write I think I do. Something about Ned being at a farm where Monash was as a boy. My Dad was a stretcher bearer for a time. At his funeral I played a song I wrote for him.
My father was a stretcher bearer a long, long time ago,
My father was a stretcher bearer back in Borneo,
And sometimes he talks about the ones he carried out,
But the ones he left behind lie buried in his mind.
My father sits in an armchair a good man growing old,
And he always feels the heat but he never feels the cold,
And sometimes with a beer he talks about the past,
But how he feels about his mates, well, I guess I never ask.
My father was just seventeen when he went off to war,
He lied about his age knew what he was fighting for,
And sometimes I listen and sometimes I cry,
But I guess I’m just like my father I only ever cry inside.
Repeat first verse.
Sorry about that, mate. Just remembering.
But a film is called for! Really, probably a trilogy. Even what he did to set up the SEC, back in the day, was a massive step forward for the quality of lives of millions. But he was a Jew! Go figure! Nah, being an Australian is owning a proud citizenship. Obey our democratic laws, but otherwise be who you are. The land the ‘Fair go.’ That’s what my father fought for. That’s what John Monash fought for. Sorry to get maudlin, but I don’t like being told what I need to be or what I should believe or how I should behave - that’s for the Nazis and the Commies, the Hitlers and Stalins of this world who Dad despised, those who want to control the lives of others - providing I still obey and respect Australian laws. Now, stepping down from the soapbox: Go Tiges!
Glenn Maillard. Monash's dad became owner, or manager, of a small business in Jerilderie, when John was a young boy, and moved the family from Melbourne. The Kelly Gang rode in and took over, locking the police in their own gaol, and robbing the bank. They stayed for a few days and socialised with the locals. Monash met Ned then. Ned also wrote the "Jerilderie Letter" while there. It has almost the same status to Australians as the Declaration of Arbroath has to the Scots. :)
The Monashs moved back to Melbourne for the sake of John's education and he eventually became a perennial student at my alma mater, the University of Melbourne. He got degrees successively in Arts, Law, and Engineering. That occupied much of his time up to the outbreak of WW1.
In recent times, the 19-year old son of a Scottish aristocrat went to Australia and got a job driving a fork-lift truck at a Rice Research Institute in Jerilderie. In due course he inherited the title "Duke (or. maybe, Earl) of Loudon", or some such. One bunch of historians believe that he was the true heir to the throne after some jiggery-pokery in France in the 14th or 15th century illegally deprived his ancestors of that right. His sons grew up playing Aussie Rules at the Jerilderie Footy Club. :)
This has always been the most heart breaking song I have ever heard. I'm 67 and have yet to hear a song that has effected me more.
Thank you to the diggers. The ANZAC spirit will never die
🇦🇺❤
Stand free 👍🏻🇵🇪🏴
I saw a great series on Utube about the ANZACS with Paul Hogan in it that is a must watch if want the story of what they went through and survived.
Gerard Walsh
I own it on DVD, & it’s fantastic
Thanks so never knew the story of waltzing Matilda. So sad and beautiful
Good on ya, mate! You're a good bloke
Thank you very much mate. I really appreciate the kind words
I have heard Eric perform this song many times,ry recording and in person,He wrote it and nobody comes close to his rendition,we are moved by it but Eric had to find the words to do justice for all who suffered.
one to cheer the heart is that Eric Bogle went on to become one of the worlds best known performers for this genre and remained practically unknown in Australia,I get a laugh when I think about how the scots would feel if they knew he was an immigrant to Australia from a little town,Peebles in Scotland
I'm not sure what you're trying to say but Eric Bogle is well known in Australia, at least by my generation.
Nice reaction. One thing I would point out is that Gallipoli was our first involvement in the European theatre, but not our first involvement in World War I. The Germans had colonies in New Guinea before the war, and there were some land and naval engagements between us and the Germans that took place as early as September 1914.
I cry every time I hear this song. So emotional. This and I Was Only 19 by Redgum. God bless our servicemen and women...past and present ❤
As Aussies we will never forget Australian and New Zealand forces . Give us any challenge and we together will overcome. We are Brothers in arms. ANZAC all the way. We give grace to those that deserve it but we inflict discipline on those that try to harm us. Try it and you will learn.
"...then they turned all their faces away." That line gets me every time.
The Pogues did a version of this song that I have listened to hundreds of times over the decades; and it still has me tearing up every time. My Scottish grandfather was gassed and lost a leg during WW1.(I'm an Aussie)
stephen mills me too
Love the pogues version
Those figures are even worse when you consider the population of Australia at the time was only approximately 7.2 million and New Zealand about 1.6 million. My grandfather was one of the survivors, his two cousins didn’t survive the first half hour after landing. He would never march (found it traumatic) at the parades but always went to the two up at the RSL. When he passed, at 96, he was the local RSL’s only surviving Anzac survivor. Additionally the English landed them in the wrong landing area.
Let it be know that Eric Bogle wrote this song not as a tribute to Aussie soldiers but as a political stance against war. “What are they marching for, I ask myself the same question”
My Grandfather was a Scott, fought in WWII. As a proud Australian I look forward to ANZAC day each year as it's a remembrance to all that have given the greatest sacrifice.
Thank you Don! Had me a tear in my eye...
Aussies will always march to Waltzing Matlida. It' what we do.
Exactly mate. Traditions and history in the military is massively important
I know this is 3 years old so you probably wont see this but here goes anyway. First up this song was written for and about the ANZACs, it means a lot to us. Secondly,
it went bad because of Churchill and the fact that he and his key military advisors decided everything on old charts of the Gallipoli peninsula. They had no updated information on what the terrain was like at that time so sent the ANZACS to slaughter pretty much. Thank goodness for the ANZAC spirit and tenacity and for the Turks honor and respect. Here is an example of respect between the
ANZACS and the Turks.
At the Gallipoli Battle, the Turkish and Anzac soldiers did not let their cultural differences disrupt their humanity, dignity and principled mutual respect as humans and warriors. Two of their many acts exemplifying this, which are etched in Australian, New Zealand and Turkish history, included exchanging cigarettes and pausing the battle to bury the fallen, as well as friendly interactions during this cease-fire.
These actions were rarely seen in the past nor in the present day anywhere in the world. This is no doubt a shining example of the good things humans are capable of, and the Anzacs and Turkish soldiers hold a special place in world history.
Although both the Anzacs and the Turks fought against each other in one of the most devastating, harsh and brutal battles in history, remarkably neither side developed enmity toward the other at the time or after Gallipoli - another example to the world.
The interactions between the Anzac and Turkish soldiers, who represent the Western and the Islamic civilizations, should be remembered, honored and replicated. Their conduct in such desperate conditions is a model for how to fight against today’s increasingly polarized world.
In an inspiring speech, the founder of the Republic of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, said in tribute to the Anzacs: “Those heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives ... You are now lying in the soil of a friendly country. Therefore rest in peace. There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side here in this country of ours ... You, the mothers who sent their sons from faraway countries, wipe away your tears; your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace. After having lost their lives on this land they have become our sons as well.”
*Copy editor at Daily Sabah
It breaks my heart. I have six sons. I never want any of them to go to war. ☹️
TattooedAussieChick as a mother of two soldiers, be proud and support them if it's their choice. They choose to potentially give their life for their country and you. There is no greater gift. Bless all of our service personnel.
You are very sincere Don. Thank you for your commentary.
Being an Australian veteran, this song means a lot.
God bless mate
Interesting fact Winston Churchill wasn't liked in Australia during the old generation for his actions during ww2 towards Australia.
Churchill was First Lord of the Admiralty at the time of Gallipoli and lost his position because of the lives lost and mess it created.
The Welsh also hate him for sending in Scottish soldiers to break up a miners strike.
@Zoomer Waffen you utter moron🖕🏻🖕🏻🖕🏻He was amazing during ww2, other politicians wanted to let the Germans invade Britain😡
@@westaussie965 Churchill may have achieved something, but his personal morality wasn't so different from Hitler's. Ask what they think of him in Bangladesh. He was a racist and classist bigot, and guilty of genocide and war crimes. Fuck him.
It's nice to see you relating to the song, The Don.
And thank you for protecting us nations of the Commonwealth.
...my brother is Donald by the way. Meldrum. My grandfather was an Australian immigrant from Scotland. Proud of that.
Good reaction, kindest respects. We will remember them.
Gratitude and much respect...lest we forget 🙏 ❤️
They need not say it's our fault, if blood should stain the wattle
Much respect to the fallen, lo, though gone for so many years now, but still not forgotten.
Once a jolly swagman camped by a billabong
Under the shade of a coolibah tree,
He sang as he watched and waited 'til his billy boiled
You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me
Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda
You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me
This is the best version of this song. My main take away was how they were so excited to go just like the British they thought it would be quickly over. The crowds cheered them off but couldn't look at the injuries when they arrived back. The futility of the war.
That 1 dislicker has some nerve
You're not wrong. It happens all the time. Haters gonna hate.
@@TheDonsChannel yep
@@TheDonsChannel There's always one nut job.
Gallipoli was a brutal campaign that was disorganised from the get go as there wasn't enough known about the surrounding sea and landscape. There's a great mini-series on Netflix at the moment called Gallipoli, and I think it was episode 6 was particularly difficult to watch as the futility of it all is finally understood.
Thank you for your respect and your reaction. This song is tough any time of the year, but particularly on ANZAC day when we remember all our soldiers, airman and seaman that have served.
On ANZAC day
Essendon Bombers vs Collingwood Magpie
And
St. George Dragons vs Sydney Roosters
My great grandfather was a anzac and this song is for him
Watch the John Williamson version... the one you’re watching is full of Canadian footage.
I know it's unaustralian but i think i like this version better..Either way the song itself is just so moving.
John williamson sings better and has the trademark Aussie voice for songs such as this and "I was only 19". His version's video actually is fitting with the story.
Canadians are not ANZACS but they certainly are allies. They were there too. We will remember them.
Thank you, this song always brings a tear to my eye as my Grandfather was an original ANZAC being in the 1st Div 4th Battalion AIF which was among of the first to land at Gallipoli, thankfully he survived the war and married my nan when he returned to Australia, again thanks
The Anzac's were greatly outnumbered, and highly underestimated. Aus and NZ have some of the best troops in the world, making others look like boy scouts. Hats off to our boys.
My Great Grandfather was in France - he was gassed and survived, WW 11 was Grandfather ( his son) went to Borneo and was captured was in the same regiment and left from the same place. My Grandmother was in the Land Army, My Great Aunts and Uncles were with the other forces - I have memories of being told one of them was captured. You asked why Australia and New Zealand were involved...England is the "Mother Country, and when she calls her children to, come we do". ANZAC for the AFL is about a 2 week-long event because there are games before the actual day, for Australians and New Zealanders ANZAC Day is so important.
Any person who has the will to go and serve their country - either as a full-time or a Reservist they are the heroes ( in my opinion)