Christmas at War

The crew of HMAS Tobruk celebrate Christmas

As we eagerly await Christmas and the presents, sweet treats and a plethora of movie blockbusters due out on Boxing Day, it’s important to remember our troops at home and abroad. Most domestic and international Australian Defence Force bases celebrate Christmas with great enthusiasm every year. This December will be a big one for the Australian Defence Force, with new projects and equipment in the works, major commemorations are also set for late December to mark a century since the famed withdrawal from Gallipoli.

ADF Chiefs usually issue Christmas messages on behalf of their service. Lt General Angus Campbell is set to spend his first Christmas as Chief of Army, we look forward to his first Christmas message. We also look forward to a Christmas message from the new Regimental Sergeant Major of the Army, Donald Spinks OAM.

Star Wars fans celebrate Christmas.

Christmas Eve will bring the promise of presents, sugar and blockbusters galore to follow. At this time of year, it’s important to remember our troops at home and abroad. Many in Australia will watch Stormtroopers return to the screen, in full Imperial battle raiment for the first time since the original Star Wars was released at the height of the Cold War, while the less lucky are assigned to clean up duty. The mass of wrapping paper is always there come Boxing Day.

The Star Wars Christmas re-boot will focus on a rogue band of Sith religious fanatics attempting to establish a proto-state, in order to revive a lost empire no less. This is a case of life imitating art as Episode VII has been in production since before ISIL (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) sacked Mosul and burst into the international headlines in June 2014.

Vietnam War - Santa Claus pays a surprise visit.

ISIL threatened to ruin the ending of Star Wars by releasing script information and its affiliates in Tunisia have threatened the old film sets and ancient ruins that provided the backdrop for Tataouine; Luke Skywalker’s desert home in the original film. The first three Star Wars films, starting with Episode IV released in 1977, were in large part inspired by the Vietnam War. The conflict was still a politically sensitive issue by the late 1970’s.

As the Christmases have rolled by, all but a few of the veteran’s from both World Wars have passed on, and Vietnam Veterans have come to occupy a special place as Australia’s senior Diggers. Custodianship of key institutions like the RSL now falls to them. We hope each and every one of them has someone to spend this Christmas with. Though Australia withdrew from Vietnam early, 2015 marked 40 years since the fall of Saigon to the Viet Cong and the ending of the war.

Weary Australian soldiers with the Christmas
lunch laid out on a makeshift table in 1915.

The past year has seen conflicts in the Middle East morph into the largest conflict since Vietnam. Earlier this year we published a story on the growing danger of a conflict with Russia brought about by the close proximity of the Russian Air Force and allied planes operating in the same skies over Syria. At the time of writing it has been confirmed that Turkey, a NATO country, has shot down a Russian warplane.

The government has sought to reassure the Australian people that special care is being taken to protect RAAF pilots in the aftermath of this event. The horrible fate of a Jordanian Air Force pilot executed by ISIL fighters in January 2015 provides a warning of the danger our pilots will be facing this Christmas. RAAF pilots will continue to carry the fight to ISIL as we celebrate the silly season back home in Australia. Army and Navy personnel deployed thousands of miles from home will also be unable to see their families for Christmas, many will face danger.

New Zealand service men and women serving on the first rotation to Iraq have come home safe in time for Christmas. Their families are extremely relieved and excited to see them. The Kiwi’s were serving alongside their Australian comrades on the joint Task Group Taji, a mission to train the Iraqi Army for the long fight against ISIL. Major General Gall of the New Zealand Army added “Your families carried more than their share of the burden while you have been away. They served alongside you throughout the six months you were deployed. Give them both the time and respect they deserve.”

A Princess Mary gift tin owned by
Private Charles Livingstone, a tram
conductor who enlisted in 1914.

The Kiwi general's words equally apply to Australian Defence Force personnel returning from deployment in time for Christmas. At this time of year our thoughts go out to Australian Army, Navy and Air Force servicemen and women, especially those who won’t be home for Christmas. We’re running “Adopt A Digger” as part of our Christmas celebration to help service people and their families.

The famous evacuation of Australian and New Zealand Diggers from ANZAC Cove, Gallipoli occurred just before Christmas 1915; with the final contingents setting sail on the night of 19-20 December of that year. The evacuation quickly became famous and was perhaps the most successful action of the whole Gallipoli Campaign. By the early morning hours of 20 December 1915 all but a handful of men had left. The "Rear Party" commander, Colonel J Paton, waited ten minutes for any last Anzac straggler and declared the evacuation complete at 4.10 am. The Anzacs had pulled off a Christmas miracle by successfully evacuating Gallipoli without a casualty.

Australian soldier in East Timor

Our concept was partly inspired by the generosity of Princess Mary and all those who responded to her 1914 appeal to send a gift to servicemen. All soldiers and sailors who were serving on Christmas Day 1914 were eligible to receive a gift tin, over 450,000 were sent out. The difficulties of manufacturing and distributing over 2.5 million tins meant they were still being received as late as 1920. 

So this Christmas as you wade through the paper and sample the annual Hollywood onslaught around Boxing Day, spare a thought for our troops fighting in the biggest war since Vietnam and guarding bases across the nation and world. The veterans, their families, current personnel and all those who support them will certainly be in our thoughts here at Military Voice. Someone has to fight the real bad guys, even at Christmas.

Have a safe and Merry Christmas!

 The mateship that developed between Australian and New Zealanders 
serving in Gallipoli during 1915 is reflected in this Christmas card.