ANZAC Day 2008. Dawn service, London

ANZAC Day 2008. Dawn service, London
Originally uploaded by escottf.

This morning I went to the ANZAC Day dawn service at Hyde Park Corner in London.

It was the first time I'd been to a dawn service since I was in the cub scouts (as far as I can remember).

A thousand or so Kiwis and Aussies defied a stereotype by being both quiet and sober - but seriously, the ceremony was dignified, sober and certainly made you think.

It's a ceremony that has come to mean a lot to the people of New Zealand and Australia - probably (in NZ's case definitely) more important than our national days as the first expedition of the ANZACs (Australia and New Zealand Army Corp) pretty much defined our countries as countries in our own right.

The ceremony also remembers the dead without glorifying war or denigrating the opposition (a number of speeches mention the "enemy" casualties - many former enemies are now firm friends). It makes you hope for the future (and peace) while supporting our current soldiers and respecting their sacrifices and those of their families.

I arrived just after the speeches began (5am) and it was hard to hear the readings but I did see a program after the ceremony and got to read it - it had letters from soldiers - some who lived and some who died at Gallipoli (the battle of Gallipoli started on the 25th of March 1915). Sad but so touchingly human.

I'm glad I made it to the service - it made me also want to go to the service that is held every year at Gallipoli itself.

...although, it made me think (once again) that New Zealand needs a new national anthem. After the vaguely rousing God Save The Queen, and the upbeat Advance Australia Fair, God Defend New Zealand sounds dreary (and not particularly singable) and it is made worse by having it in Maori first (which fewer people know - although it does sound a much better anthem).

While we're at it, when are we going to get the Silver Fern as a flag? An argument has been made that people have fought and died under the existing flag - they fought for our country, our ideals, our people, their families and their lives - NOT our flag.