ANZAC commemoration in VK and ZL continues

Plenty of on air activity can be heard commemorating the Centenary of Gallipoli landing in 1915 of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corp or ANZAC troops, and subsequent conflicts involving ANZACs. Both the Wireless Institute of Australia (WIA) and the New Zealand Association of Radio Transmitters (NZART) are running complementary programs.

The VK100ANZAC callsign begins operation on Thursday May 14 until Sunday May 18. Wade Milford VK4WM of the Hervey Bay Amateur Radio Club advises that event commemorates Duncan Chapman, born at Maryborough Queensland and the first to land at Gallipoli on April 25, 1915. The VK100ANZAC event involves the RSL and the Maryborough Military and Colonial Museum. Media publicity is being sought to promote Amateur Radio. Lieutenant Duncan Chapman, who later became a Major in the 9th Battalion, was killed in action at Pozieres, France in 1916. Maryborough has erected a statue of Duncan Chapman to mark the 100th anniversary of him stepping ashore at the head of the Allied landing at Gallipoli.

Activity from ZL100ANZAC continues at a high level at weekends and somewhat lower during the week depending on the availability of operators and propagation. So far ZL100ANZAC has made just over 9,000 QSOs and there are 111 DXCC entries in the log, mainly on all bands 40m to 10m, using CW, SSB, RTTY and PSK. The NZART is also on 80m, 2m and 70cm for local contacts, and offers a commemorative award. Meantime all VK stations who used the alternative AX prefix on the ANZAC Day weekend may be eligible for an operating award. Those details and the limited issue ANZAC Centenary Award criteria, are on the WIA website at www.wia.org.au

Also in VK in July we will have three days of VK100ANZAC on RTTY from South Australia, giving this mode plenty of concentrated activity. Looking well ahead to May 2016, consideration is being given to VK9ANZAC being used on Norfolk Island, an Australian Territory 800 kms northwest of New Zealand and 1,600 kms northeast of Sydney. During WWII there was a radar installation on Norfolk Island, an air-sea rescue unit and transport aircraft servicing unit, as well as Coast Watchers in action.

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