Some days in history have a particular resonance with an entire nation. The first day of the Battle of the Somme for the British, the opening day at Vimy Ridge for the Canadians or perhaps 6th June 1944 for the Americans.
None is more true than the events on this day in 1915, when the troops of Australia and New Zealand – with its relatively tiny population at the time – landed at Gallipoli to assault Turkish positions.
The campaign itself was a disaster for the allies with what was supposed to be a knockout blow at the heart of the Ottoman empire soon turning into a tactical nightmare, with the allies stuck for months on tiny beachheads strafed by artillery and small arms fire.
Add to this the thirst, the heat, the flies and inevitable disease, the Gallipoli campaign is still seen as a strategic folly by many.
The allies landing on 25th April were dogged with bad luck and poor execution from the start. The Royal Navy landed the Anzacs more than a mile north of their objective on a beach that although relatively lightly defended, still afforded the Turks commanding views. As a result, the Anzacs, suffered many casualties and made very slow progress.
Reinforcing and re-supplying the troops was also incredibly difficult due to the fact the Anzacs weren’t where they were supposed to be and the cliff faces were almost sheer.
Ottoman counter attacks made commanders on the ground recommended immediate re-embarkation. This was vetoed by the Royal Navy and the British commander Ian Hamilton ordered the allied troops to dig in instead. What ensued was nearly nine months of hellish fighting and tactical stalemate. By the time the allies undertook a quite extraordinary withdrawal – at night and what the survivors testified as almost total silence – in January 1916, the British and French had suffered nearly 50,000 killed and missing while the Anzacs over 12,000 killed. A horrific death toll for such fledgling nations to endure.
The Gallipoli campaign is often seen as the crucible which helped forge a sense of true independent nationhood in both Australia and New Zealand. The Anzac Day commemorations on this date every year is a time of reflection as well as dedication to those who gave everything. It’s this legacy which means the beaches of Gallipoli are a place of pilgrimage for many.
Sophie’s Great War Tours has escorted many guests from Australia and New Zealand across the Western Front and will shortly be offering Gallipoli trips also.