Gallipoli-A day with the Anzacs

An early start took me across on the first ferry out of Canakkle to Eceabat on the European shore.The road to kabatepe( where the original plan was for the Anzacs to land)was empty of traffic apart from farm machinery on the way to the fields.
Take those heights and the war will be won-26 April 1915. The Anzac landings.

Much has been said and written about the Anzacs and their deeds. There is truth to be found and also a tangle of myths and politically motivated deceit, perpetrated by even the journalists Bean and Murdoch and such as the Peter Weir inspired antics of Mel Gibson ( who did a similar disservice to the scots in Braveheart)
Many did not make it-Shrapnel Gully Cemetery graveyard of hundred's of support troops.


The task that faced them-gain those heights under fire.

Rather than add to myth making I chose to walk the ground whilst consulting the overall British commander's(Sir Ian Hamilton)gazetted despatches, covering the overall batttle plans, individual unit actions, outcomes, both good and bad, casualties and ground won and lost.The plans and intentions were good but the execution fell foul of human error,bad luck, 'the fog of war' and the inadequacy of technology and logistics of the day to undertake what would stretch a modern fighting force seeking to land on such a shore and cross impossible terrain confronted by a committed and dug in opposition.

The beaches on which they first landed

So having said that, I'll confine myself to what struck me on this special day when I had the sites all to my self on a muggy mysty morning.
Ataturk's famous pledge to the mothers of the allied fallen that their sons were now honorary Turkish sons and heroes as well."There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets now"


Ari Burnu Cemetery-Beach side burial.
Separate graves of Muslim soldiers who faught with the Indian army detachments

ANZAC LANDING-THE OFFICIAL COMMEMORATION SIGHT.
The terrain that confronted the ANZAC troops from the landing point. The Sphinx rises up out of the mist. It was as if they had chosen to fight across the Warrumbungles or Blue mountains ridges

First the place. It could easily pass as Australian bush-the dense thickets, like tea tree of the sort encountered in SW Tasmania.Australians should imagine fighting across the Warrumbungles or Glass House Mountains. A very cruel place to fight a war, especially using 19th century tactics against 20th century weaponry.