ANZAC Day, 25th
April, is the most recognised secular day of remembrance in Australia and probably
New Zealand (home of the “Kiwis”).
Hearing snippets of war songs at parades or on television on Anzac Day has made
me want to dig deeper as a mark of respect and remembrance. The particular
power of war songs, or anti-war songs, are in their strength and diversity of
emotion: sorrow, action, anger, remembrance, fear, mateship, loneliness, love,
generosity, authority and protest.
The
songs start with the most recent wars then end with World War I. On casualties
alone that latter war has the most meaning and I’ll show it has meaning in my
family’s history.
Australia's
endless wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have generated few songs but here is Please Remember Me (originally
Dante's Prayer by Loreena McKennitt).
I Was Only 19 is without doubt the most famous and realistic Australian song of the Vietnam War. It was written and sung by John Schumann when he led the far left and undervalued Australian group Redgum.
I Was Only 19 is without doubt the most famous and realistic Australian song of the Vietnam War. It was written and sung by John Schumann when he led the far left and undervalued Australian group Redgum.
From World War II the poem High
Flight was eventually published. Here’s
the John Denver rendition.
Band of Brothers was a superb series with
a memorable theme tune but the lyrics are too American, for my taste anyway.
Its a Long
Way to Tipperary was cheekily sung by
the captain and crew song of Das Boot the greatest
submarine movie. Adolf would have forbidden such a song.
Politicians
and the commercial media perpetuate the assumption that true Anzacs were and are all front line
infantry. Other occupations were more
dangerous than infantry. Pilots and aircrew often suffered the highest
casualties and shortest life expectancy of any service. Sailors, in particular
submariners, were often in great danger both from the enemy and also from
accidents while encased in their high risk vessels. Here is the Navy
Hymn for Submariners.
Religion
is an undoubted comfort to many soldiers while fighting and years later to
those who returned alive. The hymn Abide With Me is sung by Hayley Westernra from Christchurch, New Zealand.
Anzac Day remembers
Aussies and Kiwis who served in all the wars to which their countries were
committed, yet it still centres on World War I, Australia's worst, most
wasteful, war. It is often forgotten that in that war more Australians died (53,000) on the battlefields of France and Belgium
than at Gallipoli (8,709 deaths).
And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda is
by Scottish-Australian singer and songwriter Eric Bogle who, like Redgum, has produced
lasting songs of meaning. The song is about a digger who is wounded at
Gallipoli, treated in hospital, then returns to Australia.
What
happened to "those brave wounded heroes of Suvla” in the song? Following
up the reality led me to my, now late, grandfather. In 1915 on the
Mediterranean island of Lemnos,
this photo is of my Grandfather, Staff Sergeant
Leo Coates, in his unit, the No. 1 Australian Stationary Hospital. He helped to
develop one of the first field X-ray machines and then operated it (as
pictured) to save lives. On November 4, 1915 he moved with the hospital to Gallipoli. Sergeant Coates later rose to Colonel serving in World War II India and Britain. His son (my Dad) would fight in Vietnam (1970-71).
I
think Eric Bogle’s The Green Fields of France or No Man’s Land is
the most memorable anti-war song ever written. As a haunting poem, march, song
of love and injustice it is a fitting anthem to remember the men and women,
living and dead, who are our Anzacs.
Pete
The Red poppy was first adopted by the veterans organisation US Legion after WW1 and followed by British and Commonwealth groups.
ReplyDeletehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remembrance_poppy
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moina_Michael
Thank you for posting this and all the links. I recall one night , Taps began, even though I had heard it hundreds of times, this particular evening, I could see a line of soldiers from every army that came forward to be recognized for their sacrifice. How do we make it up to them ? I suppose through remembering them with song and flowers etc, but is that truly enough ?
ReplyDeletePete. The Ambonese have a song about William Doolan of Gull Force, who single handed held up the Japanese advance. Gull Force soldiers brought the tune 'The Rose in her Hair' to the Ambonese, who put new lyrics to it. The tune is still popular in Newfoundland, check out the Youtube version sung by the group Simani. Below is a link to an English translation of the Ambon Malay lyrics. There are many versions, demonstrating just how popular it used to be. I first heard it from en ex PNG Kiap who'd learned it in Ambon after the war, where he'd been sent to investigate Japanese war crimes. fwiw Anzac Day coincides with the anniversary of the RMS. There's a memorial to Doolan at the war graves in Tantui that thankfully survived the civil war. A great song long overdue for revival.
ReplyDeletehttps://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/66133274
Hi Anonymous [at 28/4/18 3:20 PM]
ReplyDeleteThanks so much. I've found "The Rose In Her Hair" by the group Simani at Youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltbASDoBmxU Uploaded by "oldirishladdie" on Jan 31, 2009, "This video is featured with lyrics, MIDI, and chords at GEST Songs of Newfoundland and Labrador..."
I'll do an article on this, especially on the heroic "Driver" Tom Doolan, later this week.
Regards
Pete