Today is Anzac Day and I will shortly take Tom to a memorial service in Springwood. While I have the highest regard for sacrifice, especially where it touches the lives of family, friends and country, I also have some misgivings. With each passing year, the sense of sentimentality grows and a media-driven storm of commentary, frequently platitudinous, whips up something approaching a mild hysteria.

It is well documented that returning soldiers of all stripes and nations wanted to forget the war they had just fought. They did not want to talk about it. They had lost comrades and seen first hand the abysmal logic of trench warfare. My Uncle Tony was so disgusted that he threw away his medals.

So that is my one note of caution. Below are two picture of crowds gathering in Memory Park Hazelbrook to welcome home soldiers, sometime during the latter part of WW1 or just after.

On another sad note, my Uncle Ralph passed away this week. I met and stayed with Ralph on visits to the UK in 1980 and in 1990 and also when he came to Australia for a holiday. He was 90 years of age and served with the RAF in WW2. I know that my mum is very sad, as is her remaining sibling, Sam. I will look for some photos to post here as a tribute.