| Place | Middle East: Ottoman Empire, Turkey, Dardanelles, Gallipoli, Anzac Area (Gallipoli), Shrapnel Gully Area, Rest Gully |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | RELAWM00433 |
| Collection type | Heraldry |
| Object type | Heraldry |
| Physical description | Canvas, Rope |
| Maker |
Unknown |
| Date made | Unknown |
| Conflict |
First World War, 1914-1918 |
Rope and canvas from hospital marquee : Rest Gully, Gallipoli
Description
Damaged length of thick rope sewn to a torn and muddied piece of canvas. A large zinc plated eyelet measuring 40 mm in diameter is attached to the centre of the rope. Parts of the object have splashes of a light grey / off white paint.
History / Summary
In July 1915, a temporary hospital was established in Rest Gully in response to a outbreak of cholera at Cape Helles. No outbreaks of the disease were reported at Anzac but the hospital remained to accommodate soldiers with other ailments and conditions like dysentery. Initially it was not safe for marquees to be erected in Rest Gully and it was not till much later in the Gallipoli campaign that they were used there.
The marquees were left behind when the 5th Field Ambulance evacuated Gallipoli in December 1915. They took their 'more valuable equipment' with them to Lemnos, but left the marquees behind to maintain the illusion that the allies were staying in the Anzac area.
This piece from one of the hospital marquees at Rest Gully was all that could be found by members of the Australian Historical Mission to Gallipoli on 17 February 1919.