Centenary Quilt Photos

Today, being the Centenary of ANZAC Day seems the perfect day for a pictorial post on the Centenary of ANZAC Quilt that I have promised you.  The following is a collection of photos taken by Defence photographers of the ANZAC Centenary Quilt as it toured around the Middle East.

For me, the greatest satisfaction in being involved with this quilt, comes from seeing how well it was received by the troops on deployment.  I didn't agree to do it to get a piece of Aussie Heroes in the Australian War Memorial.  I felts its value was in the fact that, as well as commemorating the Centenary of ANZAC Day, it also honoured and involved our present day heroes.  The photos you will see and the snippets of feedback that I have received from those in the Middle East as the quilt traveled around have made it all worthwhile.

I was told "I can tell you from being with the troops that your effort (that is the efforts of AHQ)  is greatly appreciated. Everywhere we've taken it people just want to see it, have their picture taken with it and can't stop talking about how beautiful it is. Quite a few have become emotional after seeing the quilt as well."

I don't name the troops on this page so haven't named the individuals in the pics but their nearest and dearest will know who they are.

Members of the 205 Coalition Advisory Team in Kandahar, Afghanistan

A QUILT covered in pineapple designs that arrived in the Middle East for XXXX represented an unexpected tribute to his Queensland heritage during his deployment.

A friend of XXXX took the liberty of placing one of the strangest requests the ladies at Aussie Hero Quilts had received.

“My mate thought I should get a quilt since he was getting one for himself,” XXXX said. “Since I’m from Queensland I said I’d like something in Queensland colours, somehow that got turned into pineapples.”

As part of the contract management team at Australia’s main base, XXXX used the quilt to make his workspace more comfortable.

“I put it on my chair for the last few months,”  he said. “Its the cushion between me and the chair so I don’t stick to the leather.”

His quilt, made by Irene from Queensland, was one of the most well-received in the Middle East.

‘Everybody shows them around; they love them,” he said.  “I don’t know exactly why that is but they seem to be a memento of the time spent on this deployment.  A lot of people are tapping into it now but I didn’t know they did them before I got here.  They also put a little insignia on them to say they’re made by Aussie Hero Quilts.”

XXXX has already made plans for his quilt when he returns home.

“I reckon I’ll lay it on one of my chairs that I sit on at home all the time. It might be good for the rocking chair, he said. I’ll definitely show it around to my friends when they’re up visiting.”

A Royal Australian Navy Lieutenant shows the cross-stitch patch her mother Liz made for the Anzac Centenary Quilt.

An Australian Army Captain with a photo of his great-granduncle William John Palmer who was killed during the battle of Fromelles in 1916.

Force Support Unit - 2 with the Anzac Centenary Quilt in the Middle East.

Commander JTF 633, Major-General Mulhall and Commander JTF 633, Rear Admiral Trevor Jones AO, CSC, RAN with the Anzac Centenary Quilt in the Middle East.

Members of HMAS Success boarding party with the ANZAC Centenary Quilt while in the Middle East Region as part of Operation MANITOU.

Boatswains Mate's onboard HMAS Success conduct 'Quickdraw' training next to the Anzac Centenary Quilt while in the Middle East Region as part of Operation MANITOU.

HMAS Success Marine Engineering Department gather with the Anzac Centenary Quilt while in the Middle East Region as part of Operation MANITOU.

HMAS Success is en-route to the Middle East Region to begin a six-month deployment as part of Operation MANITOU. Ships Company HMAS Success are the first unit in the Area of Operations in the Middle East Region to be in possession of the Anzac Centenary Quilt, while serving in the region as part of Operation

World War One medals and Dog-tags of Colour Quarter Master Sergeant Henry Johnson, Grandfather of the Senior Marine Technician HMAS Success, with the Centenary of ANZAC quilt during Operation MANITOU.

The ANZAC Centenary Quilt flies on a mission with the crew of an E-7A Wedgtail airborne early warning and control aircraft.

With the aircrew of a KC-30A tanker prior to take off for a mission of the Middle East

Flying on a mission with two strike aircraft from the Air Task Group - look closely in the back window of the aircraft in the foreground.

At Camp Qargha in Afghanistan

Members of JTF636 in Camp Qargha in Afghanistan

If you want to read the captions for each photo you can go to the Defence Website here and search on "Centenary Quilt".

Till next time... keep spreading the word and happy stitching!

Jan-Maree xxx