anzactreasures

www.ozbird.com © Anzac Main Page " The last 10 surviving Anzacs I interviewed were among the greatest heroes I have ever met - each with a real story to tell and real national treasures every one of them." This is how Dr Jonathan King has described meeting and hearing the life stories of these brave Diggers. .

	Ray Longmore, 103 "The Tunneller". Australia's oldest Anzac and Grand Old Man of the Clan, went straight from his farm to Gallipoli as a tunnel digger. After evacuation he fought at Villers-Bretonneux, where he was riddled with bullets from a machine gun one month before war ended.

	Walter Parker, 103, "The Supply Man", was born in Sydney and enlisted at 18 carrying ammunition and water through the muddy trenches to troops at the Gallipoli front. He fought in France until he was shot in the arm at Poziers and invalided home.

	Jack Buntine, 102 "The Sniper", was born in Melbourne. He joined up at 18 as a knockabout station hand who lived with Aborigines in the Victorian bush after escaping from a violent German employer, to whom he had been sold as a farm hand at 10. After serving as a sniper at Gallipoli he won the Military Medal in France "for conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty" delivering the stores and rescuing the wounded while under continuous fire.

	Doug Dibley, 101, Rotorua, NZ, "The Stretcher Bearer", enlisted as a seventeen year old office clerk serving as a stretcher bearer alongside Simpson and his donkey. Contracting spinal meningitis he was invalided back home.

	Frank Isaacs, 101, Perth, "The Orphan Soldier" was reared as an orphan since the age of 6. He enlisted in the infantry at 17 and was hit by shrapnel three times after charging ashore at Gallipoli - in the face, arm and leg. "I lost an eye, had me jaw broken and teeth blown out", he said. He then fought in France until a brick wall was blown up on top of him. Dug out and invalided to England, he recovered and returned to France.

	Len Hall, 100, Perth, "The Light-horseman who rode with Lawrence of Arabia", joined at 16. He was the main gunner for the ill-fated charge of the Turkish stronghold at the Nek. He then rode with Henry Chauvel's legendary Light-horsemen in the heroic charge that captured Beersheba. Len was badly wounded. He then rode with Lawrence of Arabia to liberate Damascus.

	(Joseph) Les Leach, 99, Sydney, "The Water Carrier" was born in Greymouth, NZ. He enlisted at 17, sailing to Gallipoli where he was appointed head water carrier. He was given a four gallon can that saved his life when it stopped a bullet. After evacuation Les sailed back to France and fought on until shot in the hand at the Western Front and invalided to Britain.

	Alex Campbell, 98, "The Kid Soldier", Tasmania, is the youngest Anzac alive. He joined up at 16 and sailed with the 15th Battalion for Gallipoli He was badly wounded and shipped back home.

	Fred Kelly, 100, "The Gunner" joined up at 18 serving at Gallipoli as a Vickers machine gunner. After evacuation he manned the big guns for the 5th Division, in French battles like Fromelles in 1916. At Villers-Bretonneaux he was hit three times and left for dead before being accidentally discovered and invalided to Australia.

	Ted Matthews, 100. Sydney "Signaller and last Witness" enlisted and landed on Gallipoli April 25, 1915. Although hit by a shrapnel on the chest, as thick pocket book his mother gave him saved his life and he went on to fight at Villers-Bretonneux.