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FOTOBAI President, Bruce Waxman, will be onboard a cruise ship between Darwin and Broome on ANZAC Day, but his ANZAC obligations will not be neglected as he prepares for an ANZAC service on board.
Bruce has written an ANZAC address that will be presented by the Ship's Master during the cruise. Below is the content of Bruce's speech and we have also included a link to a video of the onboard service on ANZAC Day -
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Squadron Leader Bruce Philip Waxman OAM AASM (East Timor) RAAF (Rtd)
President, Friends of the Odd Bods Association Inc. ‘pressing on remembering’.
I thank the ship’s master Matthew for presenting this address on my behalf as I am in covid isolation.
The origins of Anzac Day
On 25 April 1915, the ANZAC legend was born on the shores of Gallipoli in Turkey. It was a Sunday morning, before dawn, when a group of volunteer Australian and New Zealand soldiers waded ashore on a small beach, near Gaba Tepe, (pronounced ‘Garba Teepay’) on the eastern shore of the Gallipoli Peninsula. The term ANZAC is an acronym of Australia & New Zealand Army Corps and from that day on they became known as the ANZACs.
Moreover the ‘Anzac spirit’ was born which is based on the values of mateship, courage, and selflessness, to which I would like to add kindness.
Sir John Monash, one of my military and civilian heroes, who led his 4th brigade throughout the Gallipoli campaign organized the first Anzac Day on 15 April 1916 in the field in Egypt, where his troops were recuperating from the campaign.
He turned out the whole Brigade at 0645, with a short service and stirring address, followed by a march with the massed bands and a finale with the massed buglers playing the Last Post. The rest of the day he declared a holiday with cricket matches, swimming carnival in the Suez Canal and at night a big Mess dinner.
ANZAC Day was born out of our descendants coming of age at Gallipoli. ANZAC Day does not glorify war, it is an occasion to remember and pay tribute to all those who have contributed so much, in so many ways, to their countries and their democracy. ANZAC Day belongs to “Aussies” and “Kiwis”, while Remembrance Day is observed around the world.
Friends of the Odd Bods Association Inc.
Some of you who may have met me on this Expedition, might consider me to be a bit of an ‘Odd Bod’?......
In the context of Anzac Day that title belongs to my late father Flying Officer Joseph Waxman DFC RAAF Retired, a bomber pilot with RAAF 466 Squadron in Bomber Command in WWII surviving 32 sorties over Europe in 1944 – 1945. He was the lucky one. My name sakes, Flight Sergeant Bruce Williams, dad’s first cousin and Flight Lieutenant Philip Cawthorne DFC , a friendship formed in training, were both bomber pilots killed in action over Europe.
There were moreAustralianAircrew killed in action in Bomber Command in WWII than killed in action in both the AIF and the Royal Australian Navy.
After the war these lucky ones formed the Odd Bods (UK) Association, as many were aircrew in BritishSquadrons and considered by the ‘Poms’ to be Odd Bods, marched on Anzac Day, held a reunion lunch and in the Anzac spirit helped each other in the adjustments to civilian life.
The ‘Friends’ was formed in 2015, on the invitation of our fathers, to maintain these traditions… ‘ pressing on remembering’ and I was elected president as I missed the first meeting!.......
I served in the RAAF Specialist Reserve as a surgeon from 2000 -2014 with deployments to Bougainville, East Timor and as a civilian to Banda Aceh, after the tsunami.
There only a few of the original odd bods alive today.
Today I would have been leading the march down St Kilda Road, Melbourne to the Shrine of Remembrance, behind the Odd Bods banner and acting as MC at our reunion lunch, but I will be there in the Anzac spirit!
Lest we forget!
Bruce P Waxman
23 April 2023
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