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Reflections on first visit to Anzac Cove

24 April 2009 by Andrew Gray. 12 Comments
Battlefield Tours, Gallipoli, Simpson Prize

By Eleanor Lourey (Simpson Prize winner):

Being here for Anzac Day seems so much more important now that I have learnt so much about WWI and the Gallipoli campaign.  Seeing so many Australian graves makes the whole day more purposeful to remember and commemorate their lives.  Seeing what some of the relatives had written on the gravestones made it seem so much more real and made me think about their families they had left behind at home.

When I saw how large the set-up is for the Dawn Service made me realize how important the day is, not only for Australians but also for New Zealanders and Turks.  I am now looking forward to the Anzac Day services more than I was before, all because now I am here on the Gallipoli Peninsula.

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Australia’s Gallipoli Victoria Crosses

23 April 2009 by Craig Blanch. 2 Comments
Collection,Collection Highlights,From the collection,News,Personal Stories, ANZAC, Courtney's Post, Gallipoli, Hill 60, Lone Pine, Victoria Cross

For ninety four years the story of Gallipoli has galvanised Australians to remember, on ANZAC Day, those that have served, and continue to serve, in conflicts around the globe. The description by poet John Masefield in 1917 of the landing on Gallipoli creates an indelible backdrop to the fighting:

Those who wish to imagine the scene must think of any rough and steep coast known to them, picturing it as roadless, waterless, much broken with gullies, covered with scrub, sandy, loose, difficult to walk upon, and without more than two miles of accessible landing throughout its length…Then let them imagine the hills entrenched, the landing mined, the beaches tangled with barbed wire, ranged by Howitzers, and swept by machine guns…

(See rare movie footage of Anzac and Suvla here) 

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The Gallipoli Landing and the first ANZAC Day

23 April 2009 by Annette Gaykema. 3 Comments
From the collection,News,Personal Stories, ANZAC Cove, ANZAC Day, Commemoration, Gallipoli

As we ready ourselves to commemorate ANZAC Day at the Australian War Memorial, we can gain a small insight what it was like at the Gallipoli landing. Personal diaries held by the Memorial describe what it was like landing at Gallipoli on Sunday, 25 April 1915 under the heavy fire of Turkish machine guns. Although the photos accompanying this blog post do not relate directly to the diary entries, they are able to illustrate the stories in a different way.

Sergeant Apcar de Vine of the 4th Battalion writes: “landed myself at … midday under a hot shrapnell [sic] fire, all landed safely…

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First day at Gallipoli

23 April 2009 by Andrew Gray. 1 Comment
Battlefield Tours, Gallipoli, Simpson Prize

A very pleasant drive down to the Gallipoli Peninsula through fields of bright yellow canola crops and pine forested mountains had us arriving at the Kum Hotel in time for lunch.  It was the first taste of the fabulous food and hospitality of this hotel, which is only 10 minutes drive from the Anzac area.  Our rooms are small, but comfortable, and once we had mastered the mysteries of plumbing, wrestled with our door locks and understood the purpose of the hole in the bathroom (ventilation) we all felt at home. read on

The Simpson Prize trip 2009

21 April 2009 by Andrew Gray. 7 Comments
Battlefield Tours, Gallipoli, Simpson Prize

The Simpson Prize is a competition for high school students from around Australia, with a winner from every state and territory getting the opportunity to travel to Turkey and attend the services on ANZAC Day at Gallipoli. The students this year are Varun Sundar (ACT), Lauren Tang (NSW), Madeleine Foote (TAS), Johanna Stott-Williams (SA), Megan Proutt (QLD), Nicholas Dyer (WA), Eleanor Lourey (VIC) and Erin Moriarty (NT).  The accompanying teachers are Sharon Mann and Peter Sharrett with myself, Andrew Gray, as tour guide and we have the wonderful Turkish guide Ozgur (or Fred) looking after our group.

We have just finished our first two days in Istanbul which has been a great introduction to Turkish history and culture.  The amazing Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace and Basilica Cistern, as well as a very relaxing cruise on the Bosphorus.  We also ran the gauntlet of the shop-keepers in the Spice Market and haggled with the best of them.  The weather has been brilliant with warm sunny days, though the forecast is for a wet change.  We’ve got to know each other over the last few days and are having a great time together.

Tomorrow we head down to Gallipoli and will have our first visit to the battlefield areas. Each day we’ll try and get an entry in with some pics to relate our experiences.

The History Teachers’ Association of Australia (HTAA), together with HTAA State affiliates, conduct this competition for year 9 and 10 students on behalf of the Australian Government. Read more about the Simpson Prize and this years winners.

Plugge’s Plateau

01 May 2008 by Robyn Van Dyk. 2 Comments
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.

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More than just a lifeboat

25 February 2008 by Emma Jones. 2 Comments
Family history,From the collection,News,Personal Stories, Australian War Memorial, Collection, Devanha, Gallipoli

Recent visitors to the AWM Treloar Conservation Annex at Mitchell, ACT, introduced through Richard Cruise, Acting Visitor Services Manager, reinforced the sometimes incredible connections that descendants of service personnel have with the relics in the collection.

Arthur Cecil Claude James embarked for Australia in 1914 to visit his elder married sister in Melbourne. He decided to enlist in the Australian Army in January 1915, was posted to Gallipoli, and sailed on HMAT Wiltshire in April of that year.
Arthur suffered various health problems while serving on Gallipoli and his ‘death’ was reported in the Melbourne Age, the article saying ‘he died with a smile on his face’. The family still has the original newspaper cutting. read on

Day 12 – ANZAC Day

29 April 2007 by John Lafferty. 2 Comments
Battlefield Tours, Gallipoli, Week 2

The big day. We start at 1:30am from the Kum Hotel by bus and drive to ANZAC Cove. From there we have the short walk to the dawn service area. This is done early so that we miss the crowds and get some seating. While waiting for the service to begin we see some documentaries and information about some of the ANZACs that died in the campaign.

After the service we have a long walk up Artillery Road to Lone Pine. Some who require it are shuttled there by bus. This is the site of the Australian service. The wait from 7:30am, when most of us arrive, until the services start at 10:30am is made to feel shorter by a commentator who keeps the information about what is going to happen light hearted.

At the end of the formal proceedings there is time for the public to lay wreaths and a number of people in the group take the time to do this.

At the end of the Lone Pine service we head back down the Artillery Road where our bus is waiting to take us back to the Hotel. All this is over by about 12:30. The afternoon has a walk with Kenan for those with some energy left over – most have a sleep.

Day 11

29 April 2007 by John Lafferty. No comments
Battlefield Tours, Gallipoli, Week 2

The day before ANZAC day and there is only a half day of activities planned as tommorrow is a 1am start. We use this time to visit some area of interest to the group. Some we have seen before, like Quin’s Post, and other areas like a walk along ANZAC Cove are done by some of the group for the first time. This is basically a catchup day.

In the afternoon a lot us get a bit of extra sleep but there are a group who go on an other walk.

Additonal images from day 11

Day 10

29 April 2007 by John Lafferty. 1 Comment
Battlefield Tours, Gallipoli, Week 2

The morning of our 10^th day on tour has the option of long walk along the ridge above the northern end of Sulva Bay or a shorter walk along the beach of ANZAC cove. For about half of the group (including myself) the long walk ridge walk was the choice. This gave us some great views of Suvla Bay from an area not visited by most visitors to Gallipoli due to its remoteness. The start of this walk also has the only remaining original Turkish Memorial.

The afternoon was a special treat with a ferry tip from the Kabatepe port, which is just south of ANZAC Cove, to the top of Suvla Bay and return. With a flat bottom car ferry is used for this trip the captain was able to bring as in quite close to the shore line giving not only a great view of the coast line and hills but also a view of the wreck of the sunken remains of the Milo.

Additional images from day 10