Centennial of ANZAC No doubt we have all heard about the National effort towards Centennial of ANZAC arrangements, these will span 2014 through to 2018 and probably a little beyond. The State of Victoria has also put in place a committee to oversee centennial activities in the state. It is not clear at this stage how this initiative will benefit the Navy Community, however, we all need to be conscious of its existence. There will be many ideas created around how best to remember the actions and consequences of World War One. These ideas may stem from composing music, through to commemoration. Each organised group will have their particular interest, all of which needs to be respected and responded to in a responsible way. It might be best to avoid being overly directive in what we think constitutes a suitable mark of remembrance. Within the Navy Community, those organisations that carry the banner for the entire fraternity will hopefully demonstrate their capacity to press for a number of activities that will bring together many interested individuals. We also have a number of historic achievements to focus on, for instance the sinking of the SMS EMDEN, Battle of Bita Paka, loss of the submarines AE1 and AE2 and other incidents. The period of discovery, insofar as mapping out the relevant activities that should be commemorated may be less that we expect. If external funding is required to enable these activities to occur then we need to appreciate that each federal member of parliament has been allocated $100K in support of Centennial of ANZAC. No doubt each proposal should be made known to your local federal member immediately after the members have been elected on 7 September. One request is that you also include a request for funds in support of the ‘Answer in the Call’ project. Whilst it should be well understood that this is a key project to be supported by all elements of the Navy Community, the wide range of activities proposed should ideally be made known to all in the Navy Community. Most important is that we minimise conflict by recognising all established services. Underpinning this request is the desire to maximise the benefit derived from RAN support as there will be an increased demand on HMAS CERBERUS. To assist to develop our commitments, particularly in 2014 and 2015 we request you discuss any proposal your organisation may have and let NCCV know about each activity you are contemplating. This way we can readily see if there is a conflict. We will also be able to identify if similar projects are under review across multiple organisations. With your assistance, we will be able to generate the best possible outcome throughout the Centennial of ANZAC program. Maintaining our Heritage Most of our colleagues will know that the Centennial of ANZAC will present enormous opportunity for the Navy Community to come together for the purpose of presenting a united force. Hopefully our leaders within the Navy Community recognise our failings and the need to demonstrate a capacity to unite. Much will be published from now until the end of the events that mark the centennial years covering WWI, 2014 through to 2018. Let’s hope the destination described by these words is consistent and realise some enduring legacy. We should campaign strongly for us to inevitably achieve success in presenting our heritage. The least we should aim for is to encourage many more of our ex-Navy bretheren to join our various organisations - strength in numbers! ONCE NAVY, ALWAYS NAVY!
Posted on: Thu, 29 Aug 2013 22:02:45 +0000
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