ANZAC Day is the solemn day of remembrance of
those Australian and New Zealand Army Corps soldiers who fought and
died at Gallipoli in 1915. It is also a day of remembrance for all
soldiers who died while fighting for their country.
On 25 April 1915, eight months into the First World War, Allied
soldiers landed on the shores of the Gallipoli peninsula. The troops
were there as part of a plan to open the Dardanelles Strait to the
Allied fleets and force a Turkish surrender. The Allied forces
encountered unexpectedly strong resistance from the Turks, and both
sides suffered enormous loss of life. The forces from New Zealand
and Australia, fighting as part of the ANZAC (Australian and New
Zealand Army Corps), played an important part in the Gallipoli
campaign.
The day is marked with parades, tributes, and playing Reveille and
The Last Post (now used in British Ceremonies and funerals).