'Such a Great Space of Water between Us': Anzac Day in Britain, 1916-39

Abstract

The historiography of early Anzac Day in Britain has focused on the spectacular marches of troops through London streets while neglecting the more personal forms of Anzac observance. This article explores the early history of Anzac Day graveside pilgrimage in Britain as an example of how the Empire's bereaved sought to cope with their grief in the immediate postwar years. The later decline of the pilgrimage movement was the result of the growing role of the state in caring for war graves and the shifting character of Anzac Day in Britain, which increasingly centred on London. Show more