A LONE bugle sounding the Last Post through a narrow valley at Gallipoli brought a shiver down the spine of Orange students as they followed in the footsteps of Anzacs who were killed in the same spot 100 years earlier.
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In a candid moment, the students stood to attention as a student from another school played the haunting melody.
They then sang the national anthem in their own private service to the Anzacs who died at Gallipoli, many of whom were not much older than themselves.
The spontaneous memorial at Shrapnel Valley was one of many emotional and memorable experiences Canobolas Rural Technology High School students Alissa Meagher, Jacinta Percival, Rebecca Steedman and Andrew Gray and HSIE head teacher Kirsten Hutchinson experienced as they visited war cemeteries, battlefields and services to commemorate the Anzac centenary at Gallipoli.
For year 12 student Andrew Gray standing on Anzac Cove was the first of many moving moments on the trip.
“We all just stood there looking up at the ridges above and couldn’t quite comprehend how our Anzac soldiers had even made it across the beach,” he said.
“Then as we wandered further along the beach, many of us began to slip on the rocks that it was lined with and it got a few of the boys thinking some more. How did so many of our soldiers manage to run across the slippery stones and make it to cover while wearing saturated boots, nowhere near the standard of today, with gunfire raining down on them?”
The dawn service was also chilling, haunting and emotionally moving as they stood in the dark commemorating those who died in battle.
Jacinta was also brought to tears when she found the inscription of Private James Ryan whose life she researched in her entry for the trip.
However, the students also enjoyed the trip and described the scenery as beautiful. They said the Turkish people were welcoming and friendly, especially when the students spoke in Turkish.
The Canobolas contingent arrived back in Australia on Monday, April 28 and returned to school yesterday.
“I think the most important part of the trip is it’s not really ending for us because now we get the honour and privilege to pass it on to everyone and make sure not only 100 years is important but 101 years and 102 years is important too,” Rebecca said.
