• Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.

    We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team
  • HI folks the server that hosts the site completely died including the Hdd's and backups.
    Luckily i create an offsite backup once a week! this has now been restored so we have lost a few days posts.
    im still fixing things at the moment so bear with me and im still working on all images 90% are fine the others im working on now
    we are now using a backup solution

ANZAC DAY 25th APRIL

Pomgolian

Pomgolian

Kiwi Brummie
:angel: The ANZAC's commemorate today ....

FOR THE FALLEN, AND THE SERVICE MEN AND WOMEN...
ANZAC biscuits

We eat these biscuits every ANZAC DAY in memory of the Mother's of the troops and loses to their families too...

1cupDessicated coconut,
1cupRolled oats
1cupPlain flour
1cupSugar
1pchSalt
4ozMargarine
2tblGolden syrup
1tspBicarb soda
1tblBoiling water
Mix coconut, flour, oats, sugar and salt together light.
Melt margarine and syrup, soda (first disolving the soda in boiling water). Then add to dry ingredients.
Put teaspoonfull on greased trays leaving room for spreading.
Bake in moderate oven for 15 minutes until golden brown.
Loosen on tray and remove when cold.

(I'm addicted to them and eat them on other days too)
 
Last edited:
We give thanks to them and their families for their huge sacrifice for us!
 
If you can read this...............Thank a teacher

If it's in English.....................Thank a Veteran.
 
Pom,

While reading the recipe, a voice behind me suggests if you use butter instead of margarine and dip them in chocolate, you get the de-luxe version which taste even better. ;)
 
Anzac Day

Late again folks - this poem was in our Tasmanian Senior newspaper

THE FINAL INSPECTION...
The Soldier stood and faced his God,
which must always come to pass,
He hoped his shoes were shining,
just as brightly as his brass.

"Step forward now, you Soldier,
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To My Church have you been true?"

The Soldier squared his shoulders and said,
"No, my Lord, I aint.
Because those of us who carry guns
Can't always be a saint.

I've had to work most Sundays,
And at times my talk was tough.
And sometimes I've been violent
Because the world is awfully rough.

But, I never took a dollar,
That wasn't mine to keep...
Though I worked a lot of overtime,
When the bills got just too steep.

And I never passed a cry for help,
Though at times I shook with fear.
And sometimes, God, forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.

I know I don't deserve a place,
Amongst the people here,
They never wanted me around,
Except to calm their fears.

If you've a place for me here, Lord,
It needn't be so grand.
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't, I'll understand.

There was a silence all around the throne,
Where the saints had often trod,
As the Soldier waited quietly
For the judgment of his God.

"Step forward now, you Soldier,
You've borne your burdens well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets,
You've done your time in Hell."
Author unknown

LEST WE FORGET - WAR AIN'T THE ANSWER - THERE'S GOT TO BE A BETTER WAY.
 
April 25 is Anzac Day in Australia and New Zealand, marking the landings at Gallipoli in 1915 and the disastrous campaign there. Churchill’s idea for a second front went badly wrong, and he ended up resigning as First Lord of the Admiralty. The deaths of thousands of diggers at Gallipoli became a galvanizing event that helped establish a sense of nationhood for Australia, which until recently had been a British colony.

A controversial event in which some see Australia as the victim of imperial Britain and others as an early example of Australian spirit in the face of adversity and a willingness to act in the world, at a time when Australia’s security and economy were in large part linked to great powers elsewhere, as they are today.

The great majority of these soldiers were just coming into manhood with all their life before them. The stoicism and fortitude with which they bore their pain must have been truly remarkable. One must have felt very proud of these Australians, as they waited their turn to get their wounds dressed-

I suppose what was the most uppermost thought in their minds was regret at leaving little mountain cemeteries which every valley and hillside contained, Where for the past few weeks small groups of men carefully wrote the name of some comrade on a rough wooden cross, carefully raking a mound to plant flowers!

‘They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.’

Research Wikipedia
 
Last edited by a moderator:
We must also remember the British and French Army contingents who outnumbered the gallant Australia and New Zealand Army Corps in terms of men and casualties.
 
The Fallen

Kate's poem post on the ANZACs set me off on one of my rare thoughtful moods, causing this old song to keep running through my head. While it's specific to the fallen in Europe, I believe it's relevant to all those who died for a questionable cause anywhere...


The Green Fields of France

Well, how do you do, Private William McBride,
Do you mind if I sit down here by your graveside?
And rest for awhile in the warm summer sun,
I've been walking all day, and I'm nearly done.
And I see by your gravestone you were only 19
When you joined the glorious fallen in 1916,
Well, I hope you died quick and I hope you died clean
Or, Willie McBride, was it slow and obscene?

Did they Beat the drum slowly, did the play the pipes lowly?
Did the rifles fir o'er you as they lowered you down?
Did the bugles sound The Last Post in chorus?
Did the pipes play the Flowers of the Forest?

And did you leave a wife or a sweetheart behind
In some loyal heart is your memory enshrined?
And, though you died back in 1916,
To that loyal heart are you forever 19?
Or are you a stranger without even a name,
Forever enshrined behind some glass pane,
In an old photograph, torn and tattered and stained,
And fading to yellow in a brown leather frame?

The sun's shining down on these green fields of France;
The warm wind blows gently, and the red poppies dance.
The trenches have vanished long under the plow;
No gas and no barbed wire, no guns firing now.
But here in this graveyard that's still No Man's Land
The countless white crosses in mute witness stand
To man's blind indifference to his fellow man.
And a whole generation who were butchered and damned.

And I can't help but wonder, no Willie McBride,
Do all those who lie here know why they died?
Did you really believe them when they told you "The Cause?"
Did you really believe that this war would end wars?
Well the suffering, the sorrow, the glory, the shame
The killing, the dying, it was all done in vain,
For Willie McBride, it all happened again,
And again, and again, and again, and again.

(Copyright Eric Bogle)
​
 
Last edited:
Eric Bogle

Paul - isn't Eric Bogle a great writer? How true is his verse.

To others posting on here - yes I know that our Aussies may not have given the sacrifice that the UK did - but hey - we were there with you mates and doing the best that we could do. Let's just give thanks for the men and the women (black and white) who gave their lives in these terrible times. Many of our Aboriginals fought and died in the war too.

We recently watched Tv about the Aussie nurses who were shot down by the Japanese - I remember my mother going to hear the surviving nurse speak here in Tasmania who was too tall to be fatally shot down in the water with the other nurses - she had no hatred - just wanted everyone to know that war is futile.

This isn't a competition is it? We all gave what we could. Over there you were subjected to horrific loss and hardships and our hearts bled with you, according to my parents. We sent food parcels mum said.

My tutor at writing class now was one of the children evacuated from London and thanks to "our Gracie" and Carl Chinn I've learnt much more about the evacuation of children from London.

This posting may not be perfect - but I've done the best I could do to express what I feel - Hugs

Peace
Kate
 
Exactly my sentiments, Kate. Any deaths in war are a futile waste no matter what nationality the victims happen to be.

p.s. I do realise that while other nations may have lost more, in percentage of population the loss of ANZAC's was probably greater, but hey, they were more than mere statistics.
 

Lest we forget it is the 94th anniversary of Australian and New Zealand troops landed at Gallipoli in1915 during World War 1.
On that first day, 2,000 Anzacs were killed or wounded.
The Anzac ceremony also pays tribute to all Australians who have served their country in war.
 
ANZAC Day in Australia

Not sure of which individual forum site to post this, but.....

...today in Australia we have ANZAC Day where we remember and give thanks to all Australian and New Zealand defence force members past and present who have served our countries.

I know from personal experience through father, grandfather, brother and friends that they were always heavily supported by members of the other Defence force members,either in the carry out of duty, when injured in hospital or socialising.

Thank you to all from this Aussie girl on this special day
 
Last edited by a moderator:
So pleased to see the anzac day remembered,these were our real friends when we needed them.
I have attended the service,at daybreak in Kings Park, Perth,W.A,it is a very moving experience.
 

We give thanks for their sacrifice for us!:australiaflag::newzelandflag:
 
This Morning I attended The dawn service for ANZAC Day at Blackboy Hill Greenmount Midland Western Australia. Besides a dawn service it also has a sunset service and a all night virgil is mantained by the Bilgoman district of the Scout Association of West Australia and the RSL. I also watched on TV services at Gallipolli and France and around the country.

The Memorial is here because it was a military camp from which had large numbers of troops who left to serve at Gallipolli and other locations in WW1 it was also used extensively by the 2nd AIF and Australian Military Forces in WW2.

The camp and its adjuntant structures were on the hill that is now utilised by St Anthony's Primary school and church and Greenmount Primary school.



Lest We Forget the 30,000 British,10,000 French.8000 Aussies and over 2000 Kiwis lost at Gallipolli.

Also the 230,000 Turkish lost at Gallipolli defending their homeland

Remembering my father Leslie Oakley Royal Marines 1924-36 and 1939-45 WW2 who came home safely .

Pam
 
This is my tribute for this years A N Z A C DAY :australiaflag::newzelandflag:
There Won't Be Many Coming Home - Roy Orbison

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlniwSxlncU"]
HTML: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlniwSxlncU
[/ame]

Chris/Pom/ :angel:
 
Last edited:
I took these photos of the Gallipoili Memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum today.

Old Boy
 
To all who died in wars may I say............ Thank you for our freedom and may you Rest In Peace for evermore.

My late brother-in law, Philip Thomas Herbert marched proudly every ANZAC DAY in memory of all his lost pals and all veterans as well.
 
Hi All.

Today 25th April is again ANZAC day. It is special to my wife and I. In 1912 Arthur White emigrated to Australia. When war broke out he joined the Australian Army and on 25th April 1915 he was amongst the troops who landed at Gallipoli. Later he was able to spend a short leave in Birmingham visiting his mother during which he met a postwoman Sarah Giddings. He was so attracted to Sarah that at the end of the war he took his demob in England and returned to Birmingham where they got married. Later they had two daughters, the youngest being Winifred, She grew up and met and married youirs truly, Chris Beresford. We have now been together for sixty years and I often think that but for the Great War (as we used to call it) my life would have been so different.

Old Boy
 
Last edited:
Yes 25th April

I attended The Anzac service at Blackboy hill Greenmount West Australia again with my youngest grandson.
Pleased to say there were many families with young children to say thanks. Not so many of the old diggers .

Pam
 
hi Pam, Wouldnt be many diggers left from that era, they will all be on that Great Parade Gound in the sky, having read a lot of War History in my life, I was80 last month
I dont think the Aussies or New Zealanders every got the credit they deserved, their bravery against the Turks was outstanding, and of course later on in Burma with Bill
Slim they proved they are up there with the finest soldiers in the world, kind regards, Bernard
 
Hello Bernard.

Sorry I should have said Diggers from my Dads era WW11 I believe we still have one gentleman age 109 in Western Australia. Glad to hear off you. My dad was in the Royal marines served in the Royal Navy.
My mom was one of the girls working in the BSA amunitions with her sisters.

Regards Pam
 
ANZAC DAY is a very special day for all to honour those whom served their country in times of need, throughout the different conflicts since the founding of Australia and New Zealand and will ever be so.

Blessed, April 29 2017.
 
Sorry I missed this post on ANZAC day. I was lucky to visit the Gallipoli exhibition at the Te Papa Museum, Wellington NZ, earlier this year. There was no entrance fee but plenty of generous donations. I'm afraid my photos below don't do it justice so please take a look at the links below.

What a fitting tribute to all those who fought and suffered in the campaign.

https://www.gallipoli.tepapa.govt.nz/about

https://www.gallipoli.tepapa.govt.nz/mosaic

https://www.gallipoli.tepapa.govt.nz/watch

upload_2018-4-27_9-28-41.png
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top