WIA ANZAC 100 commemoration in the news

The Western Australian Amateur Radio News team commemorated the August Offensive at Gallipoli 1915, by activating the VK100ANZAC callsign over six days from different significant locations, and scored some media publicity along the way. It was preceded by a special news broadcast on Wednesday August 5. The Mount Hawthorn Progress Association eagerly supported the event that included the ANZAC Cottage. That cottage built in February 1916 by the community was home for a returned wounded soldier and his family, and a memorial for those who lost their lives in the Gallipoli landing. Among the other locations used were Blackboy Hill, a training camp set up a short time after the outbreak of WWI. There news photographers and reporters showed up resulting in stories in two papers.

Glynn Davies VK6FVGD of the West Australian Repeater Group told the journalists that this VK100ANZAC event on behalf of the Wireless Institute of Australia, commemorated all ANZAC battles, especially those of August 6-10, 1915. The August Offensive held then was the last major attempt made by the Allied forces at Gallipoli to break the stalemate that had persisted since the landings on April 25, 1915.

West Australia Amateur Radio News Treasurer, Onno Benschop VK6FLAB, was then interviewed by ABC South West Radio, giving the event activities and Amateur Radio publicity. VK100ANZAC was also at the Mandurah War Memorial and King’s Park, with a team of 15 volunteers setting up, operating and pulling down the station. Onno VK6FLAB said visitors to the station were put behind a microphone. VK100ANZAC made contacts throughout Australia, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the USA.

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