Gallipoli: Birthplace of the ANZAC legend

The year is 1915, the First World War has entered it’s second year and as conflicts play out around the world, on land and sea, Australia is about to enter the war in one of the most ill-planned and ineffective campaigns of the war. The nation of Australia, only 13 years federated, has been gathering its forces, men from the cities and remote country areas flocked to the call to war and the chance for adventure. It all sounded exciting, the adventure of a lifetime and whilst they new it could be dangerous most felt the worst would never happen to them. Many were wrong about that.

The Australian forces shipped out headed for Gallipoli to execute Winston Churchill’s strategy to land on the beaches in force and make their way towards Constantinople (now Istanbul) and strike at the heart of the Ottoman Empire which had sided with the Germans. Winston Churchill was First Lord of the Admiralty at the time and would later become the prime Minister of Britain after the war. At the time the Australian’s were under direct command of the British, which would later change, but for now they had no say in what theatre of war they were to serve. The Australian High Command had their hands tied and as for the average soldier? Well, they went ”where they were bloody told!” image source

The plan to take Constantinople was to assault it from sea however to get there the fleet would need navigate the Dardanelle’s, the narrow strait which linked the Aegean and Sea of Mamara which was protected by forts with German and Turkish artillery emplacements. The naval attack began in March however was thwarted by accurate artillery fire from the forts and a complex web of sea mines which sank three ships and severely damaged three more. The naval assault was abandoned and the British Command re-routed troops destined for the Western Front in France to support a combined military and naval campaign. Enter the Australians.

The British botched the plan from the outset with poor reconnaissance and a gross underestimation of the enemy forces. The Australian troops began loading into landing craft around 0130 on the morning of April 25 and by 0400 were under fire. Through command-ineptitude they were landed at the wrong location and were confronted by looming cliffs and almost sheer walls. They poured onto the thin strip of beach and under heavy machine gun and artillery fire they died. Some started doggedly up the cliffs and through sheer determination and bravery managed to carve small depressions into the cliff and inch their way forward. There were over 2,000 Australian casualties on the beach that day and 747 Aussie blokes would never see home again, killed outright. Telegrams from the war department started reaching relatives days latter however news of the true extent of the losses, and overall failure, would not become widespread for some time to come. The soldiers from both sides dug in and a complex series of trenches snaked their way across the entire area. So much for a swift British victory the Aussies thought. image source

The campaign was brutal, conditions were baking hot and then with the onset of winter freezing cold. Later in November that year a three day storm hit flooding trenches and drowning many men. That was followed in early December by blizzards killing many more. One was never safe with trenches sometimes only a few meters apart. A thrown bomb could land in your lap at anytime and of course sharpshooters would send a bullet your way every chance they got.

The Gallipoli campaign was fought by fierce and desperate men and many legends were made; Names like John Simpson Kirkpatrick and his donkey who ignored enemy fire to collect wounded Aussies as part of the 3rd Field Ambulance. Men like Billy Sing, Australian’s most deadly sniper with over 150 confirmed kills and many more unconfirmed. Hugo Throssell, the only Light Horseman to be awarded the Victoria Cross on Gallipoli. Captain Alfred Shout, Lieutenant Frederick Tubb and Albert Jacka, also VC recipients plus many unsung hero’s who fought for country, family and most importantly their mates, heir "cobbers" standing beside them in the trenches.

Australian’s back home started to hear names that sounded unfamiliar on their lips but intimately familiar to their sons, brothers and fathers fighting in Gallipoli. Suvla Bay, The Nek, Lone Pine, Kum Kale, Cape Helles and Chunuk Bair. They heard them in letters home from their loved ones and in the papers, the death notices. These battlefields were stained red with Australian blood, Turkish, British, French, new Zealand blood too. These unfamiliar names soon became all too familiar.

The campaign was abandoned in December (19th) and ironically the only real success was the evacuation. It was expected to cost some 50% of the sum of Allied troops however it cost around 10-12 casualties for the 80,000 troops evacuated. Of course the Aussies who had just been through the hell of Gallipoli were now to be sent to the Western Front *”meat grinder” where many would lose their lives, but for now at least they were alive.

The Gallipoli campaign cost 8,709 Australian lives and over 26,000 casualties all told. It was a devastating loss for a new country with such a small population to comprehend and still, there was more to come in the Western Front battles until the end of the war in 1918. I have not been to Gallipoli yet however have visited many other Australian battlefields including a week-long pilgrimage to the Western Front in France/Belgium and the Kokoda Trail in Papua New Guinea. They are always emotional places to me and, even now, just writing about it I get emotional thinking about the sacrifices those men made, the hardships and suffering they endured.

Tomorrow is ANZAC DAY, Australia’s national day of commemoration for those Aussies who served in all wars we have been involved in. I plan to post some more about Gallipoli in the future and to tell the stories of some of the battles and hero’s that fought them. Many are full of death and sorrow but there are tales of great triumph and human spirit. I know many people don’t value history, or see any point in looking backwards like I do however if we don’t look back and understand our mistakes how can we learn from them. I don’t glorify war, but I never want to forget. In the crucible of war the ANZAC legend was born and as a fiercely proud Australian I celebrate each and every one of them. I hope my writing is of a good enough standard to do them justice.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

Lest we forget

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