ANZAC Day 2020 will be like no other in our living memory. Gone are the crowds, the street parades and the sense of a community coming together to commemorate a special day in our annual calendars.

To keep this tradition alive, the Lismore App wants everyone to still rise early and take their mobile phones down to the end of their driveways or on their patios or verandahs. You are encouraged to light a candle or turn on your mobile phone torch on as you would at a dawn service. Then at 6am play the Ode and Last Post link on your ANZAC Day button and have the one minute silence to remember those that have given so much for our community and country.

To motivate you and your family to continue the ANZAC tradition, I would like you to read a story about another ANZAC legend. Norman Alex Melville.

The name Norman Melville may sound familiar to some of you. Think Melville Silk Shoppe and now the iconic Melville House on Ballina Road.

Norman was born in Lake Cargelligo, NSW in 1892 and was the eldest boy of five children.

Norman and his best mate Roy decided to join Australia's war effort together in 1915 at the age of 23. They were in the 20th battalion AIF.

Not many soldiers wrote in a diary during their time at war but Norman did. What follows are excerpts from his dairy. While not full of detail they piece together a picture of Norman's experience at Gallipoli.

(Norman's diary, medals, dog tags and emblems)

1915 June 26 "left for Egypt from Sydney on the steamer Berrima."

• July 26 "disembarked the boat and took the train to Cairo. The sand is awful".

• August 3 "I am transferring from the infantry to machine gun section."

• August 15 "boarded a ship for the Dardanelles."

• August 23 landed at Gallipoli, "bullets and shrapnel flying everywhere"

• September 10 "watched beachy Bill (Turkish artillery gun that fired down on Australian troops).

• September 18 "nearly got hit by a sniper, too damn close to be healthy"

• October 10 "15 weeks away from Australia, doesn't seem that long."

• October 22 "cold and raining a treat. Bomb (hand grenade) landed 15 metres away."

• October 31 "new bomb issued" (diagram in diary)

• November 27 "snowing and muddy"

• December 5 "expecting Turkish attacks at any time"

• December 6 "rumours about being relieved. Hope so because we are nearly finished."

• December "evacuated from Gallipoli"

Norman suffered shrapnel wounds in December 1915 (date unclear).

1916 January 3 "on a ship home to Sydney"

• January 8 "being chased by two submarines"

Norman arrived at Sydney heads at 5am on Wednesday May 16, 1916. Sailing into the harbour at 7:40am.

For soldiers like Norman who risked so much, remember them this Saturday at 6am (ANZAC Day).

Lest we forget.