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ANZAC Day in Villers-Bretonneux
In 2020, Northern France will still commemorate ANZAC Day
The Anzac Day ceremony in France, which is held every April 25, at dawn, at the Australian Memorial in Villers-Bretonneux, has been - along with all other official Anzac Day ceremonies - cancelled. Below is a short reel highlighting what normally happens in Villers-Bretonneux on ANZAC Day.
The Significance of Villers-Bretonneux
This Behind the News video production explains the important battle that happened in the French town of Villers-Bretonneux.
How to Commemorate ANZAC Day this year
As soon as it was announced that the commemorations were cancelled to the public, a small number of veterans and civilians looked for ways to commemorate while respecting containment measures. Two veterans, Bill Sowry and Terry James, suggested standing in front of the driveways to observe a minute of silence.
At the same time, Justin Wilbur offered to light a candle as a tribute to the soldiers. He created a
Facebook group "Aussies and Kiwis for ANZACs" where people are sharing memories and stories. On this page, there's an app to allow people to have a virtual ANZAC Day ceremony. Those wishing to participate in this commemoration will be invited to go to their balconies, windows or any other appropriate place to observe the minute of silence, to the sound of The Last Post, The Ode and Reveille.
How France will be Commemorating ANZAC Day in 2020
Dana Levy from Hauts de France Tourism in Australia has now associated France, and in particular the inhabitants of the Somme, with this very special ceremony of Anzac Day 2020. “For more than 100 years, the destinies of Australia and the Department of the Somme have been intimately linked,” Dana said. “This is just another show of the strong bi-partisan relations our two communities have. Hopefully next year we can all commemorate together again back in Villers Bretonneux.”
Whilst joining in the Australian #drivewaysatdawn initiative, with the support of Val de Somme Tourism, the Corbie region in France will be decorating their windows with Australian flags, garlands and drawings of Australian fauna for the month of April as a tribute to the Australian soldiers who paid the ultimate sacrifice.
Sir John Monash Centre in Northern France
The Sir John Monash Centre is a museum and interpretive centre that commemorates Australian servicemen and women who served on the Western Front during the First World War. The below describes its purpose:
The Sir John Monash Centre tells Australia’s story of the Western Front in the words of those who served.
Set on the grounds of the Villers-Bretonneux Military Cemetery in northern France, and adjacent to the Australian National Memorial, the Sir John Monash Centre is the hub of the Australian Remembrance Trail along the Western Front, and establishes a lasting international legacy of Australia’s Centenary of Anzac 2014-2018.
This cutting-edge multimedia centre reveals the Australian Western Front experience through a series of interactive media installations and immersive experiences. The SJMC App, downloaded on each visitor’s personal mobile device, acts as a ‘virtual tour guide’ over the Villers-Bretonneux Military Cemetery, the Australian National Memorial and the Sir John Monash Centre.
The experience is designed so visitors gain a better understanding of the journey of ordinary Australians — told in their own voices through letters, diaries and life-size images — and connect with the places they fought and died. A visit to the Sir John Monash Centre will be a moving experience that leaves a lasting impression.