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ANZAC DAY TOURS TURKEY

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We invite you to join Anzac Day Dawn Service 2005 in Gallipoli, Turkey. All our hotels are centrally located in Canakkale. All rooms supplied will have A/C, ensuite bathrooms and telephone. The accommodation will be offered in double and single rooms. The tours will be led by professional and licensed English speaking guides. The tour transportation will be done by A/C vehicles.

The Beach at Anzac, Oil Painting by Frank Crozier 1919
The Beach at Anzac, Oil Painting by
Frank Crozier 1919

A good army of 50 000 men and sea power, that is the end of the Turkish menace. Winston Churchil British cabinet ministir, 1915 On 19 February 1915 British ships began a bombardmaent of the Turkish defences at the strais of the Dardanelles (Canakkale Bogazi) The British wanted to break trough to Constantinople (Istanbul), the Turkish capital, and force Turkey Germany's ally, aut of the war.

This strategy was designed to enable Britain and France to supply their ally Russia trough Turkish waters and to open a southern front against Austria Hungary. The naval attack failed. A plan was then devepoled to invade the Gallipoli (Gelibolu) peninsula to overcome the Turkish defences and allow the navy through the Dardanelles.

An army, the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force, composed mainly of British Australian, New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAK), was to land further north near Gaba Tepe (Kabatepe). You have got through the difficult business, now you dig, dig until you are safe. General Sir lan Hamilton British commander in cheif, Galipoli at dawn on 25 April 1915 soldirs of the

Austrailan Imperial Force (AIF) began landing on Galipoli here at North Beach and around Anzac Cove (Anzak Koyu) to the south of nearby heandland, Ari Burnu. They were followed by the New Zealand Infantry Brigade. The aim that day was to capture the hights of the Sari Bair range and then press inland to Male Tepe to cut off Turkish reinforcements to Cape Helles From the beach, groups of men rushed up streep, scrub covered slopes towards the high ground.

At first the few Turkish defenders were pushed back. Isolated groups of Australians and New Zealanders fought their way to where they could see the Dardanelles. As the day progressed Turkish resistance strenghened.

By nightfall none of the objectives had been reached. The commanders on the spot recommended withdrawal but were ordered instead to dig in and hold on. This area of Gallipoli captured on 25 April became known for the campaign as Anzac. Anzac, the landing, 1915 (detail) by George Lambert.
(Australian War Memorial) Sir, this is a sheeb waste of good men. Joseph Gasparich, New Zealand soldier Krithia , 8 May 1915 Also on 25 April the

Walking wounded in Shrapnel Gully, April 26, 1915
Walking wounded in Shrapnel Gully,
April 26, 1915

British landed at Cape Helles, the southern point of the Gallipoli peninsula. This force was to push north to the Kilitbahir plateau. However, determined Turkish opposisition held the British to a small area at the tip of the peninsula. In an attempt to break out of to position at Helles, sezie the village of Krithia and the commanding hill, Achi Baba, a combined assault by British Australian, New Zealand and French troops was planned to begin on 6 May. Little initial progres was made and on 8 May the Australians and New Zealanders were ordered forward.Moving over open and exposed ground towards Krithia (Alçitepe), the troops found the enemy fire so accurate and intense that same men raised their shovels in front of their faces to protect themselves.

However, the Turkish lines were not reached and over 1,000 Australian and 800 New Zealand soldiers were killed or wounded. The Charce of the 2nd Infantry Brigade (Australian) at Kritbia (dtail) by Charles Wheeler.(Australian War Memorial) Countless dead, countless! It was inpossible to count. Memish Bayraktir, Turkish soldier By mid May the initial attempt to size the Dardanelles had failed. The British clung to small gains they had made.

The Turkish army now mounted a major attack to drive the Australians and New Zealanders from Anzac. In the darknes of the arly hours of the early hours of 19 May, Turkish soldiers advanced in waves on their enemies. The Turks were met with a concentrated fire that kept them from entering the Anzac trenches, except in one or two places. For about six hours the Turks pressed their attack only to be driven back.

Over 10,000 Turkish soldiers were hit and an estimated 3,000 lay dead between the lines. In this battle the  Australians and New Zealand lost 160 dead and 468 wounded. The Turkish bodies lay out in the open sun until 24 May when a truce was arranged to permit burial of the dead.

A Turkish officer is led bilindfolded through the Anzac lines to discuss a truce to bury the Turkish dead after the attack of 19 May 1915. (Australian War Memorial H03952) They lived with death ,dined with disease. From an anonymous poem about Gallipoli. When the Gallipoli campaign began no one expecdet that it would last so long or cause so many casualties.

The number of wounded from the initial invasion overwhelmed the poorly organised medical facilities. During major attacks many hours passed before a wounded man received adequate care. Eventualliy, proper lines of evacuation were established to hospital ship and back to base hospitals at Lemnos island, Egypt and Malta.

As the summer heat intensified, conditions on Gallipoli deteriorated. Primitive sanitation led to a plague of flies and the outbreak of disease. Thousands of men were evacuated suffering from dysentery, diarrhoea and enteric fever.

The poor and monotonous diet of bully beef, hard biscuits, jam and tea made the situation worse. Men suffered particularly from lice in their clothing. Morale sank as the prospect of victory receded. Many came to feel they would never leave Gallipoli alive Strecher bearers carrying wounded at Anzac. The soldier on the left is carrying filled water bottles up to the front line. (Australian War Memorial C01761)

There is bell waiting here. C.A. McAnulty, Australian soldier killed in action at Lone Pine, 7-12 August 1915 Aware of the need to seize the initiative, the British planned a new offensive for early August.

There would be a British landing at Suvla Bay(Suvla Koyu) and a major asault to the north of the Anzac position to capture the high ground leading to Chunuk Bair and Hill 971. Supporting attack were plannned at Lone Pine and along a narrow ridge known as the Nek.

On the afternoon of 6 August at Lone Pine the Australians attacked and occupied Turkish frontline positions against determined Turkish counter attacks. Most of this desperate fighting took place quarters in the Turkish trenches. On the morning of 7 August at the Nek, four waves of Australians were cut down before they reached the enemy line.

The Australian official historian, referring to these light horsemen, later wrote : "The flower of the youth of Victoria and Western Australia fell in that attempt" I am prepared for death and hope that God will have forgiven me all my sins. Lietenant Colonel Willam Malone, New Zealand soldier, in letter to his wife before he was killed defending the position his battalon had seized on the summit of Chunuk Bair.

The main attack of the Agust offensive was made by a mixed New Zealand, Australian, British and Indian force against the heights of Chunuk Bair and nearby peaks. It was believel that if these positions could be captured and held, then the Turkish line at Anzac would be in danger and a breakout towards the Dardanelles possible.

Between 7 and 9 August the attacking troops made their way up the steep slopes and through the deep gullies on the approaches to the heights. Some units became lost in this wild country and planned assaults were often carried out too late and with inadequate support. The New Zealand fighting desperately and sustaining great losses reached the Chunuk Bair summit and gazed upon the Dardanelles.

By 10 August New Zealand troops had been replaced by British units when the Turks determinedly counter attacked and regained the summit. The August offensive thusended in failure. New Zealand soldiers rest in a trech during their assault towards Chunuk Bair on the niht of 6 August 1915. (National Libary of New Zealand, F58131)

I hope our poor pals who lie all around us sleep soundly, and do not stir in discontent as we go filimg away from them forever : New Zealand soldier at the evacuation of Gallipoli After August, the British mounted no further major attacks at Gallipoli, The British Government grew alarmed at the failure to break through to the Dardanelles and there was mounting criticims of the whole venture.

In November, when winter arrived, there were men who froze at their posts and over 16,000 troops suffering from frostbite and exposure had to be evacuated. Eventually it was cided that the campaign could not meet its objectives and the British and Dominion force on Gallipoli sholuld withdraw.

Many thought a withdrawal would result in heavy casualties. However, laborate precautions were taken to deceive the Turks into thinking nothing unusual was ppening. Between 8 and 20 December 1915, 90,000 men were secretly embarked from Suvla and Anzac. On 8 and 9 January 1916 a similar evacuation was conducted at Helles. Only a handful of casualties were suffered in these well-executed operations.

Their duty was come here and imnvade, ours was to defend. Adil Shahin, Turkish veteran of Gallipoli, The British had expected the Gallipoli operation to conclude quickly and that the Turkish army would be no match for their soldiers.

Instead they met a determined and resourceful opponent. At critical moments Turkish and German commanders took quick and decisive action and at no time did the British Empire forces manage the breakthrough which they so desperately sought. On Gallipoli men of both sides showed bravery and endurace. After the Turkish counter attack of 19 May, in which the Turks suffered so severely, the Australian and New soldiers began to regard the Turkish soldier with great respect.

Something of spirit of the Turks on Gallipoli can be seen in the response to an Austuralian note thrown into a Turkish trench unging its occupants to surrender : the response read!! You think there are no true Turks left. But there are Turks, asnd Turks'sons!'' In this defence of the homeland, in the conflict known here as the Battle of Çanakkale, Turkish authorities have put their casualties at between 250,000 and 300,000, of whom at least 87,000 died.

Turkish artillery on Gallipoli. (Austuralian War Memorial A05287) Insed : Coloned Mustafa Kemal, one of the principal Turkish commanders at Gallipoli later known as Ataturk - ''Fatber of the Turks''. He was to become the first President of the Republic of Turkey. (Austuralian WAr Memorial A05319)

Anzac stool, and still stands, for reckless valour in a good cause, for enterprise resource fulness, fidelity, comradeship, and endurance that will never own defeat. C.E.W Bean, Australian official historian The British>Empire, Dominion and French forces suffered severely on Gallipoli.

More than 21,200 British, 10,000 French, 8,700 Australians, 2,700 New Zealanders, 1,350 Indians and 49 Newfoundlanders were killed. The Allied wounded totalled over 97,000. In Australian and New Zealand people looked in disbelief at the mounting casualty lists. Gallipoli was the beginning of a long road for the Australian and New Zealand soldiers that took them to the even more costly battlefields of France and Belgium.

On 25 April 1916, people gathered througt Australian and New Zealand to commemorate Gallipoli. Today Anzac Day has become a time to remember those who served and died for Australian and New Zeraland in war. However, it remains a day that recalls particularly 25 April 1915 when Australians and New Zealanders landed on the shores of Gallipoli, where they founded a lasting tradition of courage, endurance and sacrifice. An Australian officer visiths a comrade's grave on Gallipoli. (Australian War Memorial G00149)