ANZAC DAY Request - Lest We Forget

[judydawn]

I've made a batch with the grand-children this morning.

[achookwoman]

Think I might make a Boiled fruit cake, as my GM used to make them to send OS during the  First World War.  They would be soldered into a tin.  I think that the Pineapple Fruit cake that I have posted,  which came from her , may have been what she made. She said that because of the rationing,  they didn't have a lot of sugar or butter. 

[cookie1]

I'm always a bit teary on Anzac Day. Dad rarely spoke about WW2 only the mischief they got up to.  When he was died they had the flag on his coffin and the last post was played. It still gets to me 15 years later. I cried all through the Anzac ceremony at school for several years after. Fortunately my friends understood.

We used to have soldier cake tins when I was a kid. Mum often cooked fruit cakes in them. We have our Anzac cookies in the tin too.

[gertbysea]

Indeed. My father in law Bill Fitch landed at ANZAC Cove on 25 April  1915. He survived then went on serve in Egypt and France. Fortunately he lived until 89.

One of his sons, also named Bill Fitch, was a prisoner of war  of the Japanese and was  in Changi as well as worker on the Thai railway for over 4 years. Fortunately he has lived until  90 but is in poor health.

We will be going to a service tomorrow.

Gertbysea

[cecilia]

KL, thank you for the post.  My DF was in the Australian navy in WW2 and saw some terrifying action, but also got to witness the signing of the peace in Tokyo Harbour.  My maternal DGF went to Gallipoli, but fortunately was one of the last to arrive and lived to go on to fight in Egypt and France.  We always went to the Anzac Day parades in our home town and the city centre, as Dad was the bugler and on the committee organising the Anzac Day sports for the kids.  When I was in high school, our choir sang for Anzac Day every year.  Doesn't make me any better at turning out a good batch of ANZACs, but I can sing you all the right songs.

[Deniser]

Anzacs all made.  My Dad was a British POW in Italy and Germany and the reason we are here in Australia is that he was captive with other prisoners from Australia and New Zealand.  Their friendship and their stories made him decide that if he were to get out of the War alive then Australia was where he wanted to be. Dad is gone now but I commemorate Anzac day for him and so many others.

[CreamPuff63]

We used to have soldier cake tins when I was a kid. Mum often cooked fruit cakes in them. We have our Anzac cookies in the tin too.

What do you mean cookie? The same cake tins that were sent to them in the trenches? Have you got a photo you can show us?

[judydawn]

Any of these tins Cookie?

[cookie1]

I can't find a photo of the actual tins CP. They were about 8 inches or 20cm round, had sides on them that were about 10-15cm high and then a lid that went on them. They were made of tin and the edges weren't rolled they were just cut tin. People made fruit cakes in them (lined with brown paper) then put the lid on, put them in calico bags and sent them to the troops. They were ugly looking things as you can imagine tin was. No markings on them or anything. Mum used to make all her fruit cakes in them for years.

Our Anzac cookies are in our cookie barrel, not in a soldiers cake tin. My bad English.

[Lellyj]

I made Anzacs with the grade 1/2s yesterday.  We also made some poppies and read about Simpson and his donkey.  I was surprised that the kids knew a fair bit about what Anzac Day is about.