Children of the Fallen Visit the Front

The Tour

We are proud to be supporting Legacy and the 76 young Australians they have taken to Pozieres, France for the ongoing Western Front Centenary.

While thousands of Australians have made the pilgrimage to the Western Front for the commemorations, the Legacy Tour is special in that the tour members are "Legacy Kids" - young people who lost a parent serving with the Australian Defence Force.

If you would like to find out more about this great project visit:

www.Legacy.com.au or http://www.legacy.com.au/pozieres/Pozieres

The Launch

Junior Legatees spoke at the launch last year, including Shinae Burke, whose step-father Private Tim Aplin was killed in Afghanistan on 21 June 2010. The young speakers shared an obvious pride in their family’s service and the link that they have to Australia’s military history.

So moving were their personal stories that many in the small audience of supporters, event sponsors and Australian War Memorial staff were seen wiping tears from eyes, including War Memorial Director, Dr Brendan Nelson.

Legacy corporate sponsor, Lindsey Davie, said all were taken by the courage and maturity these young ambassadors have continued to show along the journey. “It was not just sharing their loss, but also their pride that impacted most in the audience. These young people and the journey they are on, brings home the vital work of Legacy,” Ms Davie said. “This visit to battlefields of Pozieres in the Centenary of the Great War will be a life-changing opportunity, and one we are proud to support.” 

The Patron of the tour, Mark Donaldson VC, was a Legacy kid himself and served with a number of the fathers of the young people travelling on the tour marking the battle’s 100th anniversary.  “As a Legacy kid and strong supporter of the organisation I was very proud to accept the role as Patron of this very important and worthwhile project.” Corporal Donaldson said.

“There are a number of youths going whose dad’s served with me which just goes to strengthen my resolve to be involved and lend my support where I can".

“Giving these kids the opportunity to see firsthand the impact the Australians had on the Western Front and the sacrifices endured by the ANZACS will hopefully inspire them to be better citizens as well as carry the Torch of Legacy into the future.

“I truly believe that if it was not for the assistance of Legacy and their wonderful volunteers, things may have been very different for myself and my family.”

Legacy Chairman David Gray said Pozieres was selected as the destination because it was the Australian battle where many believe “Australian soldiers lost their innocence”.

The idea for Legacy itself was created on the battlefields of the Western Front when mates often called on each other to, “look after my family if I don’t make it”. The tour will take these Junior Legatees back to the beginning of the

Legacy movement which has helped countless families facing hardship because of the death or incapacity of men and women who served our country.

Ms Davie, whose company includes Military Shop in Canberra, said; “We are honoured to work with Legacy and our Military Shop design teams have come up with a special tour logo and the very smart uniform for the Legacy Pozieres Tour in 2016

“I know that we, and the major sponsor Thales Australia, are very proud to be part of something so special at such a special time in our national history. To be able to help Australia remember Pozieres and at the same time support Legacy Kids is a true honour.”