Anzac Day, April 25th, marks the anniversary of the first major
military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces
during the First World War, and today is an occasion of national
remembrance, but let’s not forget those Australians and New
Zealanders who lost their lives in the war before WW1. Every
Australian knows about Gallipoli, and it is particularly
significant for our family because my great grandfather, Harry
Percival Edwards, landed at Gallipoli on 26th May 1915.
Unfortunately, he was shot in the head 17 days later and on 20th
June he is recorded as still having a Turkish bullet lodged in
his skull just above the right temple. Nonetheless, he survived
the war and was discharged on March 21st 1916. Great Grandfather
Edwards was an ANZAC, but let’s not forget that Gallipoli wasn’t
our first major action. Although they weren’t called ANZACs ,
606 Australians* and 230 New Zealanders** lost their lives in
the second Boer War in 1900-02. The Boer War was the first
overseas conflict to involve Aust