Boy's Own War. G. S. Willmott

       Battlefield Tour Map

      Cameron and all the students found the tour both informative and heartbreaking.

      Gordon spoke of the thousands of boys, aged fourteen to seventeen years, who had lied about their age and enlisted to fight in World War 1. Many died, including some who were executed by firing squad for desertion and cowardice. This particularly moved the male students of the same age. It could have been them.

      Their final stop was Villers-Bretonneux for the ANZAC Dawn Service. The night before the ceremony a copy of the proceedings was distributed among the students.

      Official Anzac Day Commemorations 2015

      ANZAC Dawn Service

      Wednesday, April 25^th 2015

      Site Opens 3 a.m.

      Ceremony Commences 5.30 a.m.

      Venue: The Australian National Memorial

      Villers-Bretonneux

      Villers-Bretonneux Cemetery

      Standing in the cold darkness, facing memorial, they contemplated what had taken place a century ago. Not only in Villers-Bretonneux but across the entire Western Front, Gallipoli and the Middle East. Soldiers who had left their homes on their great adventure, only to be confronted with horrible conditions with far too many lives lost through ill conceived and badly executed battle plans. Despite the breadth of the First World War Allied soldiers including the Australian diggers had overcome extraordinary odds and achieved peace.

      At dinner, the students and chaperones had discussed how long peace had lasted until another generation was sent away to the Second World War, and then Korea, Malaya, Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan. In total more than 100,000 Australian diggers have died, all in their prime of their lives. In wars occurring since 1860 with the American Civil War, the number of people killed totals more than 175 million, a number increasing all the time.

      The sound of drums cut through the darkness and the students’ thoughts. The catafalque party slowly approached the cenotaph. The catafalque party consisted of four members of the Australian armed guard who stood, their heads bowed and their weapons reversed, facing outward approximately one metre from the catafalque (cenotaph) as a symbolic form of respect for those who have fallen.

      Cameron felt quite special amongst the group, as he was the only one wearing khaki, dressed in his cadet uniform. The ceremony proceeded with the singing of hymns and an address given by the Australian Minister of Veteran Affairs. Wreaths were laid as a lone bugler played the Last Post followed by a minute’s silence, later agreed by the students as an incredibly moving part of the service. Reveille was played and the national anthems of Australia, New Zealand, and France. Each student then placed a poppy at the base of the cenotaph.

      After the formalities the students and their chaperones made their way to the gunfire breakfast hosted by the people of Villers-Bretonneux. Each year the villagers prepare a traditional ANZAC day breakfast of eggs and bacon with coffee and rum. Mr. Jones and Mrs. Jennings allowed the students a nip of rum in their coffee; after all it was ANZAC Day.

       Diggers Gunfire Breakfast

      The school group began their return journey with the train to Paris and several hours later boarded the plane to Melbourne.

      Opinion was again unanimous; the trip had lived up to all expectations. Their belief in the ANZAC spirit had been strengthened for all time.

      Reality soon hit them; ahead was Year 12, their final and most important school year.

      Sun Surf & Sex

      Chapter 4

      November 2015

      Joshua and Cameron were seventeen, recently graduated and looking forward to a bright future. They had both scored very well in exams and been accepted into their preferred university courses. Cameron would undertake a Degree in Information Technology while Joshua, joining the School of Engineering, would graduate with a degree in mechanical engineering.

      The university term would commence late January and meanwhile the two boys were looking forward to ‘schoolies week’ in Queensland. Each year, after graduation, thousands of school-leavers from around Australia would descend on the Gold Coast for a week of drinking, drug taking, sex and body surfing. It was renowned as a wild week with police always making many arrests for drunk and disorderly behaviour, not to mention drug possession. In general, most of the kids were well-behaved and just letting off steam after twelve years at school.

      Cameron and Joshua, along with four other Haileybury boys, arrived in Surfers Paradise having booked a three-bedroom apartment at the Chevron Apartments.

      They threw their bags in the apartment and headed straight for the beach. The weather was magnificent, not a cloud in the sky.

      After claiming a spot on the sand they all ran down to the water and dived under the waves, engaging in a bit of bodysurfing. Returning to their towels the Haileybury boys sat and checked out the girls. None of them had seen so many bikini-clad chicks in their lives. Joshua was talking to his good mate Dave about their plans for the night when a stunning girl walked up to him.

      ‘Hey Josh, fancy seeing you here.’

      ‘Oh hi. Sarah. I thought you’d be somewhere on the coast.’

      ‘Of course, I wasn’t going to miss out on schoolies.’

      ‘So, where are you staying?’

      ‘At the Chevron Apartments. I’m sharing a place with five school friends.’

      You’re kidding? That’s where we’re all staying.’

      ‘No way. What floor?’

      ‘The sixth.’

      ‘That’s amazing we’re on the seventh. Well, you never know, we might bump into you in the lift sometime.’

      ‘You never know.’

      ‘OK well I better get going. Good to see you Josh.’

      ‘You too Sarah.’

      ‘Jesus mate!’ exclaimed Daniel ‘Who was that?’

      ‘One of my sisters friends from netball.’

      ‘Well I’d like to bump into her in the lift, or anywhere else for that matter. She’s drop-dead gorgeous.’

      Two nights later the doorbell rang on the seventh floor. Daniel opened the door. It was Sarah. Daniel was again awestruck. She looked fantastic in a sun frock, just enough cleavage to make him salivate.

      ‘Hi my name’s Sarah. I’m a friend of Joshua’s. Is he around?’

      ‘Yeah sure. Oh, JOSHUA. Sarah wants to see you mate.’

      Joshua was on the balcony sipping a Bundaberg Rum and Coke. He placed the drink on the outside table and came over.

      ‘Hey Sarah, what’s up?’

      ‘The girls and I wondered if you boys would like to come over for a drink tonight?’

      ‘Sounds great, what time?’

      ‘In an hour or so, does that suit you?’

      ‘Yeah, sounds fine.’

      ‘Don’t you want to check with the other guys first?’

      ‘No need I speak for all of them.’

      ‘OK we’ll see you a bit later.’