Gallipoli, Turkey

Late April 2002

Today the Gallipoli battlefields are peaceful places covered in scrubby brush, pine forests and farmers' fields, but this strategic peninsula has held the key to Istanbul for a millenium. Momentous battles were fought here, including the 9 months of ferocious combat between Atatürk's troops and the Allies in WWI. 

Gallipoli has a special place in the hearts of Australians and New Zealanders (the ANZACs) as the out of the slaughter came the values that are the foundations of the countries - mateship, sacrifice and errr .... don't know what the rest are ... but given that they landed on the wrong beach and got slaughtered ... I am guessing the importance of good map reading is probably one (albeit lesser known).

On The Truck

Our first driver.  He later jumped off at a cross roads never to be seen again.

Sunset before ANZAC day.

mmm...Efes!

Dawn Service

Vicki trying to tell me something.  Given the temperature, I was wearing every piece of clothing I owned - thermal top, two t-shirts, light jumper, light fleece and heavy fleece.

Happy looking Turkish army guard ... looking like he's ready to repel another invasion of ANZACs.  All the Turks were really friendly and up for a laugh.

Three chicks.

The place for the dawn service was like a rock concert.  Loud rock, bright lights and heaps of people lying around in sleeping bags drinking, talking and sleeping.

Standing up prior to dawn as the flags go up.  Sleeping bags were kind of mandatory dress.

Start of the dawn service.  The air force bugler is playing the last post.

Why dawn?  That's when the soldiers came ashore on the 25th of April 1915.  Instead of landing on a gently sloping beach, they landed at the wrong spot and faced cliffs instead.  After taking may casualties, they captured the heights.     

The Sphinx just after dawn.

Lone Pine

Lone Pine the day before ANZAC day.  Grandstands for the crowds.

Tigger at Lone Pine.

The memorial.

Lone Pine on ANZAC day.  Note lone pine on left.  Not the original of course.  It got blasted into match sticks.

Turkish War Memorial

Turkish war memorial complete with honour guard wearing the turkish military dress of the time.

If you look closely, you can see the bodies of a Turkish and Australian soldier draped over the front of the memorial.  They're not really dead of course - just playing possum.

Turkish soldier.

Laima from Lithuania at the Turkish War Memorial.  What a Lithuanian is doing at ANZAC day is beyond me. 

The story of the Turkish 57th Regiment and Ataturks famous speech - "I am not asking you to attack, I am ordering you to die.  In the time which passes until we die, other troops and commanders can take our place". 

Mustafa Kemal 'Ataturk'.  The man is a god in Turkey and is the father of Modern Turkey.  His poster and face is everywhere on building all over Turkey.  He led the Turks to Independence in 1923 founding a secular state free of the Allies, Greeks and Ottomans.  Also completely free of Armenians too but that's another story.

Another plaque

Turkish flag

Battlefields Tour

Turkish soldier carrying an ANZAC soldier.

Me in one of the partially restored trenches.

Stop sign.

Battlefield.

Trench line

Gallipoli memorial and museum

Trenches up close. 

Ditto.

Me at the entrance to a tunnel used to put explosive mines under enemy trenches in order to blow them up.  Not much different from the medieval practice of tunnelling under castle walls and blowing them up or setting fire to the timber supports.

ANZAC Cove

Anzac cove

Another famous speech of Ataturks.  Reading this moves me to tears every time.  It's truly beautiful.

No 2 Outpost War Cemetery

Australian Light Horse fought here after leaving their horses in Egypt.

Cemetery marker

Simpson of Simpson and his Donkey fame

Turkish soldier memorial.

Getting a Razor Shave

Me getting my first razor shave.  Wasn't hugely impressed as I reckoned my Mach 3 delivers a closer shave ... and it should shouldn't it? The Gillette Mach 3 has three blades and a special lubricating strip..  The first blade cuts most of the whisker off, the second cuts the remainder off and the third blade slices through some pimple or bump and causes your face to bleed profusely.

Next:

Turkey, 1. Istanbul, 2. Gallipoli, 3. Troy, 4. Selcuk, 5. Ephesus, 6. Pamukkale, 7. Cappadocia,

8. Somewhere Photos