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LEE EVANS MPMember for Heathcote

ANZAC DAY – WEDNESDAY 25 APRIL 2018

Contact LEE EVANS MPElectorate Office:Shops 1 & 2, 17-23 Station Street, Engadine NSW 2233Phone: 9548 0144 Fax: 9548 5639Email: heathcote@parliament.nsw.gov.auWeb: www.leeevansheathcote.com.au

The inspirational cover picture on thisyear’s Spirit of ANZAC publicationtypifies what being an Australian is allabout.Courageous and dedicated Diggers helpingout a fallen mate in need is the power ofANZAC – qualities which have been passed down throughthe generations over a century.When we talk about sacrifice, determination, endurance andmateship, we talk about the ANZAC legend. It was born onthe battlefields of Gallipoli and has been worn on the sleevesof our military personnel ever since through the decades.Thousands of young Australians went to war, confrontednear impossible challenges, pain and fear – and often death– so today we can enjoy the freedom and democracy thisgreat country offers us all.ANZAC Day is our chance to remember all the men andwomen who have fought and died in defence of Australia,indeed, taken up the fight for world peace.I encourage communities within the electorate to embracethe Spirit of ANZAC at this special time – this year markingthe 100th anniversary of the Armistice.At the 11th hour, on the 11th day, of the 11th month thisyear, it will a century since the guns fell silent and the GreatWar ended. A momentous occasion for peace around theworld.ANZAC Day is a time-honoured tradition, part of Australianhistory and culture which unites our nation … it is a day weshould all feel proud to belong in this great country.

Lee Evans MPMember for Heathcote

A message from Lee

The Australian CyclingCorps was formed inEgypt in 1916 as part ofthe Australian ImperialForce and fought on theWestern Front in Franceand Belgium.They were used as despatchriders and conductedreconnaissance andpatrolling. Trench warfare and the mudand rubble of the WesternFront made life hard for thecyclists.They performed other taskssuch as layingcommunications cabling,traffic control, unloadingstores and supplies andburying the dead.The soldiers were equippedwith bicycles made by theBirmingham Small ArmsCompany and were issuedwith rifles.The cyclists were notdesignated fighting units but were regularly exposedto artillery fire and attacksby enemy aircraft.Approximately 3,000 menserved in the AustralianCycling Corps.

Boys on bikesdid their bit

The Midgley brothers of Menai were a tight bunch whoalways had each other’s back.Their father Richard Snr died when the boys were just toddlersand their mother Fanny, the post mistress at Menai, instilled astrong sense of mateship in her boys.So much so that the three of them – Richard, Frederick and Harold– decided to enlist in the Army and fight together in the GreatWar.They were never far from each other’s side. Fred and Harry workedtogether as plasterers while Richard, the oldest of the three, was ashipping clerk.They all signed up on the same day, 28 August 1916, at Moore Parkin Sydney, and were assigned consecutive service numbers startingwith 755.The trio set sail together from Sydney on 9 November 1916 withthe 18th Battalion and were later assigned to the AustralianCycling Corps.Working on the Western Front in France and Belgium was adangerous assignment for the cyclists. Conditions did not suit thebikes and they fulfilled various other roles behind the lines, butwere always in danger of shell fire and bombing from enemyaircraft. At various stages in the war, all three Midgley brothers werewounded in action, each taking a bullet and being sent to hospital.But it was Fred who would make the ultimate sacrifice on hisreturn to the field. Fred was killed in action at Morlancourt on 19May 1918, and is buried in Dive Copse British Cemetery, Sailly-le-Sec, France.Richard and Harold both returned to Australia in 1919.

‘One in, all in’ for the Midgley brothers

PICTURED AT RIGHT (fromtop): Private FrederickMidgley. He was Killed InAction in 1918.

Fanny Midgley, the postmistress at Menai, who sentthree sons off to war.

Richard Midgley Snr. He diedmany years before WWI whenhis sons were young. He wasthe first mail porter at Menai.

LEFT: A painting depictsthe signing of theArmistice in a railwaycarriage at Compiègne, innorthern France, on 11November 1918. The warended at 11am that day. RIGHT: Australianscelebrate the end of TheGreat War.

And the guns finally fell silent …

At 11am on 11 November 1918, the Armistice which wassigned by Germany earlier that morning, came into effect.It was the end to World War One, also known as The GreatWar of 1914-18, or “the war to end all wars”.As news filtered back to Australia that fighting hadstopped, cities and towns around the country eruptedinto celebrations.Troops remained on active duty at the Front and with thenews of the ceasefire came a numb sense of disbelief …could it really be true!Soldiers were still surrounded by devastation, death andterrible memories. It took many days for the impact of the Armistice tobecome “real”, to fully believe the war had ended, thatthey had survived, and would soon return home – albeitwithout many of their mates.Colonel Percy Dobson wrote:It was hard to believe the war was over. Everything was justthe same, tired troops everywhere and cold drizzly winterweather – just the same as if the war were still on.

WORLD WAR ONE100th anniversary of …✸ The Battle of Villers-Bretonneux, France✸ The Battle of Hamel, France✸ The Battle of Amiens, France✸ The Battle of Mont St Quentin, France✸ Allied troops occupying Lebanon and Syria✸ The First World War Armistice

WORLD WAR TWO75th anniversary of …✸ The Battle of the Atlantic

It was fought along thousands of miles ofshipping lanes by submarines, ships andaircraft, by code-breakers, intelligenceoperatives and thousands of civilianseamen and merchant mariners. It startedin September 1939 and continued untilGermany’s surrender in May 1945.

✸ Australian work on Hellfire Pass andcompletion of Thai Burma Railway.Hellfire Pass is the name of a railwaycutting 75 metres long and 25 metres deepon the former Burma Railway in Thailand.Between 180,000 and 250,000 South-EastAsian civilian labourers and about 61,000POWs worked on the railway’sconstruction. About 90,000 civilianlabourers and more than 12,000 Alliedprisoners died.

KOREAN WAR65th anniversary of …✸ The Korean War Armistice

A ceasefire was agreed to on 27 July 1953after two years of negotiations. Almost a million military personnel fromboth sides, and two million civilians, died.Australia lost 339 personnel killed and1216 wounded, with 44 still listed asmissing.

VIETNAM WAR50th anniversary of …✸ The Battles at Fire Support Bases Coral

and Balmoral.Australian, New Zealand and United Statesforces were involved in a series of intensefighting between May and June 1968 atFire Support Bases Coral and Balmoral.A total of 26 Australians died at FSB Coraland Balmoral. Estimates suggest more than 300 NorthVietnamese died.

45th anniversary of ...✸ The formal end of Australian military

hostilities in the Vietnam War. Australia’sinvolvement was officially over when theGovernor-General issued a proclamationon 11 January, 1973. More than 3000 Australians werewounded, and 521 died.

This year marks many significant anniversaries inAustralia’s military history:

The final day of The Great War❖ The very last person on record to die in World War One was American, Private Henry

Gunter, shot dead at 10.59am. His unit was ordered to take an enemy machine gun post. ❖ Australians were not in action on November 11 – yet many died in hospitals on this day,

from injuries and illness. Artilleryman Sydney Harper drowned on November 11 at theFrench port of Le Havre. The last Australian deaths resulting from battle were recordedon November 4. Three airmen and three engineers were among them.

❖ A Canadian killed at 10.58am – he was the last Commonwealth soldier to die, shot by asniper. The last Brit killed was Private George Edwin Ellison, a 40-year-old father, shotdead at 9.30am, at Mons. The last German to die was shot just after 11am as confusionstill surrounded the ceasefire.

Private John Arney wassailing off to war but hissweetheart back homewas never far from histhoughts.John (pictured) embarkedfor overseas service inWorld War Two with the

2/3 Battalion aboard the transport shipOrcades and arrived in Egypt on 14February 1940.While on board the ship, John purchaseda velveteen sailor doll which was made inEngland by popular dollmaker NorahWellings. The souvenir doll carried theOrcades’ name on its cap.He posted the doll back to Ethel Regan athis first opportunity while in Jerusalem,Palestine, in March 1940. He later servedin New Guinea and was promoted toCorporal.John and Ethel marriedand after the war theysettled in Helensburghwhere John was born andgrew up, and where familystill lived.At the time of hisenlistment he wasworking as a motormechanic in Narromine.John was discharged inMarch 1945 as he wasrequired inemployment in anessential occupation.

The enlistment offormer Australian Testcricketer Albert“Tibbie” Cotter waspowerful publicity forthe Army in itsrecruiting campaign forThe Great War.

Cotter (pictured) was a top sportsman andestablished his cricketing career while atschool in Sydney.He played for NSW at 18 and at 20 wasselected as a fast bowler for Australia,representing at this level from 1904 to1912.In a nine-year international career heplayed in 21 Tests, taking 89 wickets.Cotter joined the Army on 15 April 1915,aged 31 – 10 days before the Gallipolilandings. He had little riding experiencebut was accepted into the Australian LightHorse.After being at Gallipoli in the final monthsof the ill-fated campaign, Trooper Cotter’sunit was deployed to Palestine, where hewas noted for his “fine work under heavyfire”.On 31 October 1917 the 4th Light HorseBrigade helped capture Beersheba after thebrilliant and now famous cavalry-stylecharge.Tpr Cotter served on that day as astretcher bearer. At the end of the charge,as troops dismounted to engage theenemy, he was shot dead by a Turkishsoldier at close range.Tpr Cotter’s elder brother, Private JohnCotter, was killed in action in France on 4October 1917.

Aussiecricketerkilled atBeersheba

The sailor doll JohnArney sent home to hisgirlfriend Ethel.

Souvenir dollfor sweetheartleft at home

ANZAC Memorial artwork honours local soldiersLocal soldiers who enlisted and foughtin The Great War are to be honoured aspart of a stunning artwork at therefurbished ANZAC Memorial inSydney’s Hyde Park.Heathcote Electorate is included in aproject to collect soil from 1,699 NSWtowns, suburbs and localities wheresoldiers enlisted for World War One.Students at Scarborough Public Schoolparticipated in the soil collection last year.Jim Powell from Helensburgh HistoricalSociety gave an interesting presentationabout local connections in WWI.As part of the ANZAC Memorial CentenaryProject, soil samples will be taken from the

sites and displayed in the Hall of Service aspart of a permanent artwork by artist FionaHall.The ANZAC Memorial is the State’sprincipal memorial to all Australians whohave served, and collecting soil from sitesfrom where men and women across NSWcame from reminds us that this memorialbelongs to everyone.It will form a lasting record of the State’shistory and the geographic reach of the callto serve as a worthy tribute for thisCentenary of ANZAC period.The ANZAC Memorial upgrade will becomplete in late 2018, as the Centenary ofANZAC commemorations draw to a close.

Troops of the 2/27th Australian InfantryBattalion take a break in the Ramu Valley Area,New Guinea, after marching from Guy’s Post on8 November 1943. Pictured among the group(front far right) is Sutherland’s Private RegWalker.

The 2/27th took part in the Kokoda Trailcampaign and then the Battle of Buna-Gona,before being briefly withdrawn to Australia.

In August 1943, they returned to New Guineaand took part in the Finisterre Range campaign,leading the 21st Brigade’s effort to captureShaggy Ridge. The battalion’s final campaign ofthe war came in the final months of the conflictduring the Borneo campaign. Reg wasdischarged, after the war, on 20 May, 1946.

Scarborough Public School students assist in the collection of soil for the ANZAC Memorial artwork in Sydney’s Hyde Park.

BUNDEENAANZAC SUNDAY – 22 April9.30am: March along The Avenue from Beach St to

Bundeena Reserve.9.45am: Service at Bundeena Reserve.

ANZAC DAY – 25 April5.45am: Dawn Service at Bundeena Reserve. Breakfast

from 7am at the reserve.

ENGADINECOMMEMORATION SUNDAY – 22 April2.15pm: Marchers step off at John Keenan Park, Old

Princes Highway. Form up at 1.55pm.2.30pm: ANZAC Service at the Engadine Community War

Memorial in Engadine Town Square.ANZAC Day – 25 April5.30am: Dawn Service at the Engadine Community War

Memorial in Engadine Town Square. Assemble at5.15am.

HEATHCOTE5.30am: ANZAC Day Dawn Service at Club Heathcote.

HELENSBURGH5.45am: ANZAC Day Dawn Service at the War Memorial in

Charles Harper Park.

MENAI5.30am: ANZAC Day Dawn Service at Parc Menai.

STANWELL TOPS10.00am: ANZAC Day Service at Lions Memorial Park. To be

confirmed at time of printing. Please check latest detailson Council websites closer to April 25.

SUTHERLAND5.15am: March steps off and proceeds to Peace Park.

Assemble outside the club at 5am.5.30am: ANZAC Day Dawn Service in Peace Park.

WORONORA RIVERANZAC SATURDAY – 21 April1.00pm: Service at Woronora RSL Sub-Branch War

Memorial, 118 Prince Edward Park Rd, Woronora.ANZAC DAY – 25 April5.45am: Dawn Service at Woronora RSL Sub-Branch War

Memorial.

SYDNEYANZAC Day - 25 April4.15am: Dawn Service at The Cenotaph, Martin Place9.00am: March starts the intersection of Elizabeth Street

and Martin Place12.30pm: Commemoration Service at ANZAC Memorial, Hyde

Park5.00pm: Sunset Service at The Cenotaph, Martin Place

PLEASE NOTE: All times and venues have been supplied by various RSLSub-branch officials. Care has been taken to ensure as many services aspossible have been included and were correct at the time of publication.For verification of other services please contact your local RSL Sub-branch.

2018 ANZAC Day activities in the region

A story in last year’s Spirit of ANZAC publication honouring the warservice of Engadine airman Douglas Buckle has a new chapterwhich evolved later in the year.Former Engadine resident Wayne Oriel, now of Scarborough, read withinterest the tribute piece on Douglas which was distributed across theHeathcote Electorate the week before ANZAC Day.In December 2017, Wayne was in Iceland where Douglas is buried anddecided to visit the War Graves Commission Cemetery in Reykjavik.“I lived in Engadine for quite a few years and was very touched by the article,” Wayne said. InDecember I was in Iceland and visited the War Graves Cemetery to pay my respects to theyoung man. The area is very well kept and an Australian flag had been placed at thegravesite. The cemetery is a 300 metre walk from the Perlan museum and easy to get to ifyou are visiting Reykjavik.”Wayne took images of Douglas Buckle’s headstone and they are reproduced on this page.Douglas was 18 when his parents gave him permission to enlist in the Royal Australian AirForce in 1940. He was then in Canada for more training, and onto Iceland before being dueto join a squadron in England. Douglas fell dangerously ill while based at RAF Rest Camp inIceland and died of septicaemia aged 19 on 27 August 1941.

Authorised by Lee Evans MP. Printed by MSS Media 161 Lake Albert Rd Kooringal NSW 2650, using Parliamentary entitlements. MARCH 2018

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