Major Ian Lakey's great great uncle was killed in the August offensive at Gallipoli and is buried at Lone Pine Cemetery. Today he addressed the crowd at the Town Green. This is his speech in full:
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Support, service and sacrifice
It is a great privilege for me to be here today and represent the Australian Defence Force in this centennial year of the landings at ANZAC Cove.
Our servicemen and women fought in a belief that their various contributions would help to make a better world, and we should all seek to honour their contributions by striving for our best in our daily lives.
ANZAC day is not merely a date, or some remote campaign, but rather a spirit. It is a time to reflect on the past generations of Australians who in hardship displayed courage, discipline, self-reliance, self-sacrifice, resourcefulness and friendship. The spirit of ANZAC day, which was bequeathed to us from battlefields long ago, will live on because it is a reflection of the very heart of our nation.
Every nation remembers some past event, some battle, or some defining moment of history. Our defining moment came in 1915 at Gallipoli, a campaign which, if not an outright defeat, was certainly not a success.
Although that campaign is now growing distant, we should never over look the courage and commitment of all Australians who have gone before us. The story of Alfred Shout is one I am sure will continue to inspire.
Alfred Shout volunteered for the 1st Australian Imperial Force in 1914, on the outbreak of war. He was posted to the 1st Battalion, and like many of those early volunteers - described as the cream of Australia's youth - he helped to create the ANZAC legend that did so much to bind our young nation. Lieutenant Shout's unit landed at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915, and he was awarded the Military Cross after courageous bayonet charges and deliberate exposure to enemy fire. He was badly wounded a few weeks later but discharged himself from a hospital ship early in order to get back to leading his platoon.
Some of the fiercest fighting in the Gallipoli campaign occurred in August 1915, with Australians seeking to take positions on the ridges at The Neck and at Lone Pine, as part of a desperate allied offensive. Promoted to captain while at Gallipoli, Shout won a Victoria Cross during the fighting at Lone Pine.
His citation typifies this fighting: 'on the morning of August 9 1915, CAPT Shout and his men charged down the trenches strongly occupied by the enemy, and threw a number of bombs, killing eight and capturing the remainder. Later, from the position gained, in the morning, he captured a further length of the trench under similar conditions and he continued to bomb the enemy at close range, until he was severely wounded, losing an eye and part of his arm.
Despite these terrible injuries, he continued to proceed further, and had managed to light several more bombs when he was mortally wounded in the chest by enemy fire. He still continued to direct his men until he passed out, and died the next day from his wounds'.
I chose the story of Capt Shout, as many Australian families can relate to having supported, served and sacrificed for our great nation. Mine is no different, with my great uncle also killed in action on 09 Aug 1915 serving with the 3rd Aust Inf Bn at Lone Pine.
We, the succeeding generations, have an obligation to remember the efforts of women and men who have served Australia in war. We can honour their contributions by trying to live in the manner they would have expected from us.
On this day, Australians and New Zealanders at home and abroad have gathered to commemorate not just those ANZACs who died in the Great War, but every one of our service men and women who have died in war or as a result of it since then, and those men and women of our Defence Force who have served. We remember those who have fallen and give our thanks to those that continue to serve on deployments around the world.
Duty, patriotism, individual sacrifice, and the affirmation of the Australian – New Zealand relationship are the enduring legacies of Gallipoli and all subsequent conflicts involving our two nations.
The men and women who forged the ANZAC spirit made sure that those who led them earned their respect. They all understood the values of independence, freedom and fairness and - above all - possessed a willingness to defend these things if need be. Because freedom only survives as long as people are willing to defend it.
So here we stand today, along with thousands of others in cities and townships around the globe, to honour great men and women and… great sacrifice. We gather, as we shall always gather, not to glorify war, but to remind ourselves that we value who we are and the freedoms we possess, and to acknowledge the courage and sacrifice of those who contributed so much in shaping the identity of this proud nation.
I see first-hand, each and every day, young sailors, soldiers, airmen and woman following in the footsteps of the original ANZACS. They continue to uphold the beliefs, courage, discipline and self-sacrifice that forged the spirit of our nation. Let us remember.
Thank you.