Overseas ANZAC Commemorations
Belgium
Polygon Wood OP0PPY
Many who left the shores of Australia to serve in WWI did not return. The same happened during WWII. One of the war graves and memorials for fallen Australians is Polygon Wood in Belgium. There are many overseas sites of significance including those in France, Malta, The Philippines, Malaysia, and Papua New Guinea. At Polygon Wood a large mound known as the Butte used for training by the Belgian Army before WWI, now stands a memorial to the 5th Australian Division. (the above painting of Polygon Wood was by George Edmund Butler (1872–1936)
Polygon Wood was destroyed in the battle. It has been re-built with walking tracks, and to honour those who served the Great War, it has a large cemetery. It contains the graves of many soldiers, in fact 2,103 burials have been conducted with full honours, and 428 are identified. Work on the cemetery by Australians began at Polygon Wood soon after the Armistice was signed on November 11, 1918. Many Australians now visit Polygon Wood, its 'Brothers in Arms' memorial and stop at the ANZAC Rest Cafe, often tracing the footsteps of family members who served in the area in WWI.
To honour those at Polygon Wood, a commemorative callsign OP0PPY will be activated on April 25, ANZAC Day. Philippe Haverhelst ON8PV reports that a lot of remembrance occurs at that time, that will be joined by OP0PPY using an ICOM 7400 feeding a Hexbeam on CW and Phone.
The memorial at Polygon Wood is similar to that commemorating the Australian 1st Division at Pozieres on the Somme. It is a tall obelisk with the rising sun emblem of the Australian Imperial Force, and underneath a large plaque which reads ''To the Officers Non-Commissioned Officers and Men of the 5th Australian Division who fought in France and Belgium 1916 - 1917 - 1918.' Beneath these words is a list of the battles, which include of course Polygon Wood. At the bottom the main inscription is repeated in French. In 1935, the memorial was visited by the Prime Minister of Australia, Joseph Lyons, when he toured the Western Front.
UBA “Brothers in Arms Memorial Project”
To honour the ANZAC spirit, service and sacrifice, a group of Belgium radio amateurs will be on air this Saturday, ANZAC Day, April 25.
The Royal Belgian Amateur Radio Union (UBA) is setting up its OP0PPY station at Dreve, next to the Polygon Wood Memorial of WWI.
There are several stations on HF, VHF and UHF looking to include many contacts with Australia, Turkey and the United Kingdom.
Among the array of equipment for OP0PPY is a Hex Beam for the HF bands. Also on display from WWI is a private collection of communication apparatus and photographs.
The “Brothers in Arms Memorial Project” is part of the world commemoration of WW1 and the Centenary of Gallipoli which led the ANZAC troops to the western front in Europe, including Belgium.
Turkey
TC100 prefix in Turkey
ANZAC commemoration event stations include TC100GS, TC100GP, TC100KT, TC100VKZL, TC100A, TC100TC, TC100A, TC100B, TC100E, TC100K, TC100GLB.
To commemorate 'Gallipoli' 100 years ago, look for Team Papa TC100GLB that is QRV until April 30, on the HF bands using SSB, RTTY and PSK.
Another is TC100GP (GP for Gallipoli http://www.teampapa.org/archives/316) on air and looking particularly for ANZAC related stations.
Summing up nicely the sentiment of the commemorative activity, TC100GP said that its message is one of 'peace to the world'.
TRAC welcomes VK/ ZL ANZAC ceremony guests
The radio amateurs visiting Gallipoli on ANZAC Day ceremonies from Australia and New Zealand are to be met by members of the Türkiye Radyo Amatörleri Cemiyeti (TRAC).
An email from TRAC said the meeting point with the guests will be at the first check-point as the buses disembark there, and at Akbas Cemetery. TRAC will have a visible contact post and will listen to 145.550 MHz and 433.550 MHz simplex.
The guests should call Aziz TA1E on those frequencies, and stay tuned all day. A small welcoming gift has been prepared by TRAC which it would like to hand over.
Some TRAC members also are in the ceremony area as part of their emergency communications duty. If the flow of the events permits, TRAC would like the visitors at its HF-locations, but despite best efforts that may be not possible.
The Echolink System TA3EC now covering ANZAC Cove will also be on 432.850 MHz with CTCSS 88.5 Hz on receiver and transmit. Alternative QRG is 432.825 MHz with same CTCSS. APRS will be YM3KCN on 144.800 MHz.
During the ceremonies TRAC will be on the frequencies forwarded by Belgium +/- QRM. Most probably 10 MHz CW or PSK will be possible at that time of the day. TRAC will also have stations on 40m and 20m simultaneously with the third station on 30m.
Calling Frequencies for 2015 ANZAC Commemoration
Band Digital CW SSB
160m 1805kHz 1825kHz 1850kHz
80m 3.630MHz 3.530MHz 3.585MHz
40m 7.040 MHz 7.010 MHz 7.095 MHz
30m 10.145 MHz 10.110 MHz 10.120 MHz
20m 14.095 MHz 14.010 MHz 14.250 MHz
17m 18.095 MHz 18.105 MHz 18.115 MHz
15m 21.095 MHz 21.105 MHz 21.250 MHz
12m 24.925 MHz 24.895 MHz 24.935 MHz
10m 28.055 MHz 28.025 MHz 28.450 MHz
6m 50.225 MHz 50.500 MHz 51.150 MHz
2m 145.000 MHz 144.050 MHz 144.150 MHz
The Echolink System covering Anzac-Cove will be TA3EC on 432.850 MHz with CTCSS 88.5 Hz on Rx and TX. Alternative QRG is 432.825 MHz with same CTCSS.
APRS will be YM3KCN (144.800 MHz).
TRAC information is at:
http://www.goncasuyu.org/?lang=en
New Zealand
NZART has a month-long commemoration
The callsign ZL100ANZAC will be activated from ANZAC Day on all HF bands using CW, SSB and data modes.
A group of ZL operators start on ANZAC Day at Midday New Zealand time (10am AEST) and will last one month.
The New Zealand Association of Amateur Transmitters (NZART) says each rostered operator determines the time, band and mode to operate - so potentially there can be simultaneous operation in different modes on the same band, or on different bands.
ZL100ANZAC is to have its own page on qrz.com soon after it begins operation.
Page Last Updated: Thursday 23 April 2015 at 14:9 hours
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