Charles and Mary Christiansen could be forgiven for feeling they lost their son Charles twice during World War I.
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Sergeant Charles Walter Christiansen was killed in action in Northern France in 1918, gunned down by the Germans and later buried in the Australian War Memorial at Villers-Bretonneux.
No doubt the family was still in shock at the news, but their sadness could have only been magnified when they learned that all of Charles' personal effects, including photos and note book, were lost at sea when HMAT Barunga was torpedoed and sunk by a submarine in July 1918.
The surveyor's assistant embarked from Sydney on March 8, 1916, aboard the HMAT Star of England.
A little more than 12 months later, Charles was reported as "suffering from gunshot wounds - multiple (severe)", but recovered and rejoined the 18th Battalion in France on September 1, 1917.
Charles was killed in action at Hangard Wood, south of Villers-Bretonneux, on April 15, 1918. He was only 23.
A witness to his death stated: "... We found ourselves nearer to the German line that we intended, we were only about 15 yards distant from it and the Germans heard us and turned a machine gun onto us. I was just beside Christiansen and we both fell prone, but not before he got three machine gun bursts in his side and he died in a couple of minutes...[sic]"
Charles' story and others will feature in Fairfax Media's The Faces of Anzacs centenary tribute in April, marking 100 years since the Gallipoli landing in World War I.
We want to include your stories in this tribute, which will pay homage to Anzacs from every community across Australia.
Submissions will be accepted until Friday, March 27.
Damien Thomlinson has no memory of the April 2009 night when he lost both legs when his vehicle hit a roadside bomb in Afghanistan.
His colleagues thought he was a pile of rubble and only realised it was him when they heard a choking sound under the dust.
Mr Thomlinson's battle to reclaim his life embodies the Anzac spirit and has served as an inspiration for people around the world.
The former commando will share his incredible story of triumph over adversity at the Centenary of Anzac lunch at WIN Entertainment Centre on April 23. Mr Thomlinson has pieced the night's events together from comrades.
"I got nothing. I don't remember the day before," he told the Mercury in a 2010 interview. "I don't remember getting our orders."
The damage to his body was so severe his medical team claim it was a miracle he didn't die.
But rather than dwelling on his misfortune, he considered the loss of his legs as another challenge to overcome and threw himself into rehabilitation.
Mr Thomlinson taught himself to walk again with state-of-the-art prosthetic legs and has walked the demanding Kokoda Track.
He has written a book, Without Warning: A Soldier's Extraordinary Journey, and is a highly sought-after speaker.
The Anzac Day lunch will include a panel discussion on the meaning of Anzac today, featuring former defence personnel.
The event aims to raise funds for two scholarships for descendants of Australian and New Zealand service personnel to study at the University of Wollongong.