FOR Tanja resident Evelyn Chrystal this year's Anzac Day was an especially proud and emotional family occasion.
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It not only marked 100 years since the Gallipoli landing but for the first time, her grandson took part in an Anzac Day march wearing the medals of her grandfather Albert Annison.
Last year Ms Chrystal had uncovered her grandfather's detailed heroic past and his courageous journey to fight at Gallipoli through genealogy site, Findmypast.com.au.
"I began researching the story of my grandfather Albert Thomas Stone Miller Annison knowing nothing," she said.
"Findmypast.com.au helped with much of the information as did the Bega Valley Genealogy Society.
"Without this help I wouldn't have known where to start," Ms Chrystal said.
The surprises began early on in her investigations.
One of the biggest ones being her grandfather was born in England in 1884 and not Canada.
Albert Annison joined the Royal Navy in Britain at the age of 16 in 1902.
Through the website Ms Chrystal found marriage and birth records of his first wife, who had died in 1910 giving birth to their first son, while he was on board the HMS Europa. Their son also died at birth.
After this tragedy he then boarded another vessel, HMAS Promethus, which arrived in Sydney in 1911.
"He jumped ship in Sydney and there was a warrant for his arrest for this," Ms Chrystal said.
Research through Findmypast showed police gazette records from 1911 saying he had deserted his position in the Navy and was not recovered.
Her grandfather had travelled to Melbourne and found work at the Federal Coffee Palace in Brunswick.
This is where he met Ms Chrystal's grandmother, Amy Fisher, and they married in 1912.
Their marriage certificate gave correct information, except for his place of birth and profession, so as to continue to allude the authorities.
"In November last year I found records of him enlisting in the Australian Army in 1914 under an assumed name," Ms Chrystal said.
"Jack Saunders was the name on his enlistment form, which stated he was born at St John's Newfoundland, Canada, not England."
He enlisted in the 6th Infantry Battalion in 1915, embarking to the Gallipoli Peninsular on February 2, 1915.
According to medical records he was severely injured via bullet wounds to the head and right arm on August 28, 1915.
He was shipped to Britain for further treatment and over time underwent a total of 18 operations.
When he returned to Australia he recouperated at the Caulfield Military Hospital.
Eventually in 1922 his damaged arm was amputated and replaced with a bowler hook.
Ms Chrystal said her grandfather wrote to the army in 1916 confessing of his enlistment under an assumed name.
"He was discharged in 1917, but had to sign a statutory declaration to have his records changed," she said.
Albert Annison died the day after Ms Chrystal was born.
On January 22, 1943 he was buried in Fawkner Cemetary in Melbourne.
"Nobody had ever been to his grave," Ms Chrystal said.
"In 2008 I contacted the Department of Veteran Affairs which agreed to commemorate his grave with a Military Cross."
Ms Chrystal said researching her grandfather's history was "like an obsession".
"It became a very emotional journey for me," she said.