My wife and i attended dawn service to commemorate the landings 100 years sgo  on the beaches in Turkey.

We wre encouraged by the number of young people and familys present at the service, i would estimate around 2000 folks were there not bad for a small city like ours.Also remembering My Grandfather Albert Moore Gibbon who was killed in France six days before this filthy war finished.

 

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.

 

Brian, I was fortunate to visit the Australian War Memorial in Canberra and saw the sculpture of "The man with a donkey†on reading the story of what it was I about I found it was of Jack Simpson V.C. (and Murphy the Donkey). Jack was from South Shields.

After that I noticed there were many Anzac memorials and how well kept and respected they were.

Impressed. Hope the younger generations keep it up.

Lots of coverage on the news today.

Vic i did not know Jack was from South Shields

I am not a badge of honour,
I am not a racist smear,
I am not a fashion statement,
To be worn but once a year,
I am not glorification
Of conflict or of war.
I am not a paper ornament
A token,
I am more.

I am a loving memory,
Of a father or a son,
A permanent reminder
Of each and every one.

I'm paper or enamel
I'm old or shining new,
I'm a way of saying thank you,
To every one of you.

I am a simple poppy
A Reminder to you all,
That courage faith and honour,
Will stand where heroes fall.

The Man and the Donkey.

'He gave his life so others may live'

The Customs House South Shields are commemorating his life 19th to the 23rd May 2015

John Simpson Kirkpatrick

Born South Shields 6th July 1892

Died Gallipolli 19th May 1915.