Anzac Day France 2014 – visitor information

Dear Attendee,

Anzac Day is now only a few weeks away. Here are a few final things you should consider before attending Anzac Day commemorations in France.

Arrangements at the Australian National Memorial

The Anzac Day Dawn Service site will open to the public at 2.00am on 25 April. A pre-service program will commence at 4.30am, ready for the service to commence at 5.30am.
A large number of those attending the commemorations are elderly and we ask you help ensure that those who require a seat are offered one. Limited assisted seating and mobility support is available, if needed please advise DVA as soon as possible by emailing france@dva.gov.au.
Entrance to the site will be via the cemetery – you will walk 300 metres uphill through the cemetery to the memorial site. The surface is grass and may be slippery if damp. Safety lighting will be installed at the entrance and through the cemetery, we encourage you to bring a torch to assist with visibility.
If you haven’t finalised your transport plans as yet, there is still time to book a Somme Tourism shuttle bus. Bookings close on Thursday, 17 April 2014. Buses will run from nearby town centres to the Dawn Service site. Seats are limited and must be booked and paid for online. More information, including maps of parking locations in Corbie & Fouilloy and Villers-Bretonneux, is available on the DVA website.

What you should bring with you

A small day pack or small bag may be useful containing the following:

•    Wet weather jacket and pants
•    Warm, thermal clothing, jacket, beanie, hat or cap, gloves, socks, scarf
•    Comfortable, sturdy walking shoes
•    Drinking water and snack – neither are available on site
•    Lighter clothing during the day
•    Sunscreen
•    Torch (with batteries) as none are available on site
•    Camera (with batteries).

Following the Dawn Service

You may wish to attend the second Australian Anzac Day commemorative service held at the ‘Digger’ Memorial at Bullecourt at 2.30pm. There will also be town services at Villers-Bretonneux at the Monument aux Morts at 8.45am and at Bullecourt at the Commonwealth and French Monuments at 1:30pm. Details about these services can be found on the DVA website.

You may also like to attend the official opening of the Australian Remembrance Trail along the Western Front site at First Australian Division Memorial in Pozières on Saturday 26 April. More information about the Australian Remembrance Trail is available at www.ww1westernfront.gov.au.

Regards
France Anzac Day team