Veterans and their families will take part in an international remembrance service at dawn on Monday (25th April) to mark the 107th anniversary of the Gallipoli campaign in the First World War.
Legion Scotland and Poppyscotland will join members of the Australian and New Zealand community for the service and wreath-laying ceremony at Comely Bank Cemetery at 5.30am. Led by Rev Dr Karen Campbell, it will feature Scots Guards piper Lance Sergeant Mark Macrae and bugler Iona McFarlane.
Later that morning, Edinburgh’s Lord Provost Frank Ross and Government representatives from Scotland, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, France, and Turkey will take part in Legion Scotland’s annual ANZAC and Gallipoli Day Service at the Scottish National War Memorial inside Edinburgh Castle at 11am.
ANZAC Day marks the service and sacrifices made by the Australian and New Zealand Armed Forces, as well as those from Scotland and the rest of the world who served alongside them. It is the national day of remembrance in the two countries.
Both services are open to the public, with a limited number of tickets for the memorial available from 9:30-10:15am in front of the Castle on the Esplanade.
At dawn on April 25th, 1915, the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC), together with British, French, and Russian forces landed on the Dardanelles Peninsula (now part of Turkey) at the start of the Gallipoli campaign.
This ended in a stalemate, with troops withdrawing in January 1916. A total of more than 100,000 soldiers were killed.
Dr Claire Armstrong, Chief Executive of Legion Scotland, said: “This is an opportunity to come together to remember the service and sacrifices of ANZAC servicemen and women through the years, as well as our own soldiers who fell during the Gallipoli campaign.
“It is a chance to reflect on the extraordinary courage of our Armed Forces community, both past and present, as well as the enduring friendship between our countries.”
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