Villers Bretonneux
Anzac Day 2012
A marked contrast to last year when the ceremony took place on a balmy spring morning. This year it was bitterly cold with a wind that gave no quarter and rain constantly looking as though it could fall in torrents at any moment.
Five thousand Australians attended and listened to HE Mr Ric Wells, their Ambassador to France, explain the story behind Villers-Bretonneux, as to how it became to be so associated with the Australians and Australia.
He was followed by the Honourable Warren Snowdon MP, Australian Minister for Veteran’s Affairs who gave the Commemorative Address.
As dawn turned into an atrocious day many of the gathering edged forward in a slow moving line to leave their own personal wreaths to family members—unforgotten heroes. This year the coffee and croissants provided by the Department of the Somme were most welcome.
It hadn’t rained but at Bullecourt a few hours later it would not let up for an instant.
Villers-Bretonneux
Click on the thumbnail for a larger version
