Humanities Year 9 students undertake a unit studying Australia’s participation in the Great War. The Simpson Prize is a competition where students Australia wide send in essays reflecting on conflict and the meaning of the ANZAC legend. The following samples are from Year 9 students: The ideal of the ANZAC legend is one engraved in Australian and New Zealand culture — on April 25th each year, both nations pay their respects to the concept of a courageous, masculine, patriotic soldier. However, although there are several ways in which the ANZAC legend applies to the stories of individual soldiers during World War I, it is ultimately a generalisation that overlooks various significant aspects of the actual ANZAC experience from 1914 to 1918. While the ANZAC legend effectively encapsulates the optimism, patriotism and mateship that would have been commonplace in the stories of many individual soldiers, it does not acknowledge ANZAC deserters, the response by soldiers to crippling injuries, surviving veterans diagnosed with PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), the role of Indigenous Australians during World War I or the mistreatment of Turkish captives by ANZAC soldiers. Tom Ponissi The mateship that the ANZAC soldiers showed to everyone, allowed them to emulate the ANZAC legend. The way that the soldiers on Gallipoli worked amiably with not only their allies, but also with the enemy Turks, clearly displays the ANZAC legend. The soldiers that fought at Gallipoli were well known for their friendly nature. ‘The Broken Years’ by Bill Gammage has
a study within it that states ‘one in three said that the experience of mateship was incomparable.’ 237 soldiers from the Australian Imperial Force were involved in the research. ‘The Broken Years’ also concludes by saying ‘mateship was a particular Australian virtue, a creed, almost a religion’ which helps to emphasise the point of this binding mateship that was shared between ANZAC soldiers, however, this mateship wasn’t just applied to the allies. The mateship that the ANZAC soldiers shared also spread to the enemy side. Tanis Van Laake The ANZAC legend leads us to believe that each Australian soldier was a brave and formidable fighter under enemy fire, who would single-handedly storm the enemy trenches. One such example that aligns with the legend is the tale of the New Zealand and Australian Division infantryman, Albert Jacka. Eight months after he enlisted, Jacka found himself and his unit vastly outnumbered in a section of trenches at Courtney’s Post, Gallipoli, fending off a savage and inexorable Turkish assault. When Jacka saw that the Turks had captured one section of Courtney’s Post, he rallied a group of men and made a
Ray Weston from the Vietnam Veterans Education Team comes every year to share his experiences with VCE Unit 2 History students.
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charge on the Turkish position later in the night. What ensued after that attack was reported as an accompaniment in the London Gazette, 23rd July 1915: “War Office, 24th July, 1915 No. 465 Lance-Corporal Albert Jacka, 14th Battalion, Australian Imperial Forces: …When all except himself were killed or wounded, the trench was rushed and occupied by seven Turks. Lance-Corporal Jacka at once most gallantly attacked them single-handed, and killed the whole party, five by rifle fire and two with the bayonet.” For his actions that night at Courtney’s Post, Jacka was awarded the Victoria Cross, the greatest award for valour in the Commonwealth forces. Although highly important, bravery is not the only thing that helped define the ANZAC legend. Harrison Burt It is of interest that current student Ben Jacka is a direct descendant of Albert Jacka, once Australia’s most famous fighting soldier.
