Blog category - Battlefield Tours
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05 May 2008 by Andrew Gray.
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Battlefield Tours, Simpson Prize Winners
This is the final post for our 2008 Simpson Prize blog, with some reflections on the trip, as we all try and settle back into ‘normal’ life. The trip is without a doubt a once-in-a-lifetime expereince and we were lucky to share it with such a special group of people. Like all travel, it’s often the connections that you make with people that are the highlights, more than where you go. However, going to Turkey and being at Gallipoli for Anzac Day certainly combines the place and the people in a great way.
Plugge’s Plateau
01 May 2008 by Robyn Van Dyk.
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Battlefield Tours, Gallipoli
Pearl McGill’s great uncle died of wounds on Anzac Day and is buried at Plugge’s Plateau. Private George Bell of the 11th Battalion was killed in action on 25th April, 1915. He was 28 years old and the son of Jane McFadyen Bell. Pearl is the first person from the family to come back and visit his grave. We were moved when Pearl shared his story with us and read some prayers.
Pearl McGill at the grave of her great uncle George BellShrapnel Valley Cemetery
01 May 2008 by Robyn Van Dyk.
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Battlefield Tours,News, Gallipoli
The tour visited Shrapnel Valley Cemetery in the late afternoon and were touched by the sad expression of loss on the grave of Private John Edward Barclay of the 8th Battalion. He was killed in action on the 21 June 1915 and was the husband of Louisa Mary Barclay. He is buried at Shrapnel Valley Cemetery Anzac.
Walking the battlefields
01 May 2008 by Robyn Van Dyk.
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Battlefield Tours, Gallipoli
The Walk from Chunuk Bair down Rhododendron Ridge to the northern outposts gave the tour an appreciation of the difficulty of the terrain around this area of the peninsula.
A bush fire several years ago reduced the vegetation, opened up the view and exposed parts of the landscape including old trenches. The vegetation has now grown back to about chest height which would have been its height at the time of the Anzac landing. Unlike the Anzacs most of us reaped the benefit of modern bush walking gear, fabrics that don’t snag and tear when walking through this spiny shrubbery. The scenic walk included the sounds of a rich bird life, breath taking views and the smell of wild thyme which was all over the path and released its scent when it became crushed under foot.
The photograph on the right was taken by Peter Rubinstein who managed to walk this path and take photographs even though he confessed to a fear of heights. Rhododendron ridge was given its name from the plant Arbutis (top left). Arbutis is a common plant on the peninsula and was often mistakenly called rhododendron by the Anzacs. We also found this exposed tunnel from the campaign.
Farewell Turkey
28 April 2008 by Andrew Gray.
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Battlefield Tours,News, Simpson Prize Winners
Our last morning in Turkey has finally arrived as we work out how to stuff everything into already bulging bags and spend our remaining lira. The final day yesterday included a visit to the beautiful Chora Church which features mosaics depicting the life of the Virgin Mary. Being a Sunday it was a little easier to get around Istanbul without the usual crazy traffic.
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ANZAC Day at Gallipoli
27 April 2008 by Robyn Van Dyk.
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Battlefield Tours,News, Gallipoli
A couple of days after the landing on the 25th April 1915 the weather turned bitterly cold for the ANZACs dug in at Gallipoli. Having been blessed with the weather so far, the battlefield tour received a good dose of what it would have been like for the diggers in 1915.
Most of us on the tour agree that we have just spent the coldest night of our lives camped out for the Dawn Service! We left the hotel at 12 am in order to arrive at ANZAC Cove ahead of the pack and reserve some seats for the service which was to start at 4:30 am. As the temperature at ANZAC Cove was forecast to fall to -3 degrees we dressed like “Michelin men”. When we arrived we realised that the pack were already there ahead of us and it was a struggle to get seats. Although in the end we all managed to find seating amongst the 12,000 strong crowd. Several of us managed to squeeze in with the large contingent who had been camping out on the grounds for several hours ahead of us. Those who did this all agreed that they had made the right choice as there is warmth in numbers. read on
The Landing, 25 April 1915
27 April 2008 by Robyn Van Dyk.
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Battlefield Tours,News, Gallipoli
ANZAC Cove is the name given to this stretch of the west coast of the Turkish Peninsula where the Australians and New Zealanders made their landing on the 25 April 1915. The landing marked the start of an eight month campaign on the Gallipoli Peninsula. The ANZACs under General Birdwood were to make the northern landing. Once ashore they were to press inland.The Battlefield tour took a boat trip yesterday to the coast where the ANZACs made their famous landing on the morning of Sunday 25 April.
Another three days on the peninsula
27 April 2008 by Andrew Gray.
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Battlefield Tours, Simpson Prize Winners
Wednesday – To Helles and back
Following our exploration of the ANZAC part of the Gallipoli campaign, we moved to Cape Helles to look at the battles that took place at the south of peninsula. A visit to the British Memorial reminded us of the significant naval presence and the huge number of British troops involved in the battles for Krithia. At the top of the cliff we looked down onto V Beach where the River Clyde beached and the British troops were cut down as they tried to establish a beachhead.
The Canakkale Sehitler Abidesi (Monument of Canakkale Martyrs) is a huge memorial on the tip of the peninsula and gives an impression of strength and power. A stone relief at the base of the memorial showed Turks and ANZACs developing mutual respect during the May armistice. There were many bus loads of Turkish visitors at this memorial and we had our picture taken with some soldiers. An impressive part of the memorial was the etched glass headstones that names thousands of Turkish soldiers killed in the campaign. read on
The Ancient City
24 April 2008 by Robyn Van Dyk.
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Battlefield Tours,News, Gallipoli
Homer described the location of the city of Troy as situated at the entrance of the Dardanelles. The Gallipoli campaign was fought a few kilometres from the site of the ancient city. The historical connections between the ancient and modern battlefields were not lost on the Australians fighting in this region. Many ANZACs found pieces of ancient pottery when tunnelling into the hills.The battlefield tour took the opportunity to walk through the ruins of this ancient city and to take some group photographs. We are divided into two groups Green (top) and Gold (bottom).
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Aboriginal ANZACs
24 April 2008 by Robyn Van Dyk.
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Battlefield Tours,News, Gallipoli
There are only five known Aboriginal servicemen buried at Gallipoli, however, it is estimated that 500-800 Aboriginal diggers served in the First World War. Ethnicity was not recorded in the enlistment process and research into indigenous service can involve trawling across many different sources, sometimes we may never know who these servicemen were.
