You might be wondering why this post is dated 24/4/2020! I opened up my post from the day we went to Gallipoli, and it was very short. I was confused for a moment, because I remember writing a lot that day. But then I remembered that I wrote so much in my diary that night, that I was too exhausted to rewrite it all for my blog!!
Anzac Day is very different this year. We can't see our families, we can't attend a dawn service, and we can't stand in silence surrounded by 90,000+ people at the MCG to pay our respects either (that part always gives me goosebumps!). So I decided a short post wasn't good enough. I found my diary and have typed up what I wrote for that day below. It's been nice to write a "new" blog. I miss it, and miss travelling, very much.
Whatever you decide to do to commemorate this strangest of Anzac Days, I hope you have a good day and that you find my blog interesting.
January 1st, 2013 - Canakkale, Turkey
"Hello all,
We caught the 2.30am - 8.30am bus to Canakkale from Istanbul. The bus station was really creepy, so we were glad when the bus finally came. It was comfy and had wifi! Slept a little bit.
We went to our hotel and asked about the Gallipolli tour they told us about when we called. I had asked in advance if it would go today and they said yes, but it wasn't going. So we walked to a travel agent called 'Wilusa Travel' and booked a tour.
We walked around the town of Canakkale to kill time before the tour. We saw the horse from the movie 'Troy' and walked the waterfront. Then we went to the travel agent and were taken to the ferry that went to Eceabat. Here we met our guide, Bill, for our tour of Gallipoli. We had lentil soup and chicken with rice at the restaurant near the water with him. Was yum, but my stomach is still being annoying!
Bill took us to his van. He said in Summer he has 30 people a day on the tour. We were the only ones today! It was great, we could ask whatever we wanted to.
Bill started off by telling us why the Ottoman Empire joined the German's side in World War I. Long story short, Turkey had paid Britain to make them two battleships. Then, when the war started, Britain decided they wanted the ships themselves. Germany offered the Ottomans free battleships, soldiers and weapons. As a result, the Allies wanted to take Gallipoli and the Dardanelles from the Germans/Turks so they could subsequently take Istanbul and access Russia from the Black Sea.
We started our tour at Brighton Beach. Here, Bill explained where the Brits, French and Anzacs landed, and why, and where they all aimed to take. The Anzacs were meant to land here. Brighton Beach is very flat and fairly easy to access, however, the Turks were waiting there. But the 15,000 Anzacs overshot this beach, and landed instead at our next stop - Anzac Cove. Here there were steep, tough cliffs that made them sitting ducks for the Turks waiting at the top. John Thompson (my great great uncle) landed here and probably died here. At Anzac Cove is Ariburnu, a cemetery where the dawn service used to be held, and the new dawn service area (because of crowd sizes). There was also a plaque with a lovely quote by Ataturk on it.
Next, we saw a memorial of an unknown Turkish soldier, who risked his life to save an allied soldier from no man's land.
Then, we went to Lone Pine, which was the area I most wanted to go to. Here, in the Battle of Lone Pine, 3000 Anzac and 4000 Ottomans died. We found my great great uncles' names on the memorial plaques. Corporal John Thompson died 25th April 1915, and was in the 7th Infantry Battalion (Pa's uncle). Reginald Desmond Harris died 7th August 1915 (approximately), and was in the B Squadron of the 8th Light Horse Regiment (Nan's uncle). The view from here was beautiful. The light danced around the clouds in the distant cliffs. We were the only ones in the cemetery for quite some time, and stood there taking it all in. It was eerily peaceful. I left my mini Aussie flag at Lone Pine.
Next, we stopped at Johnston's Jolly Cemetery. Here we saw Allied and Ottoman trenches, separated by no man's land which is now the road. We saw tunnels too.
Then was the 57th battalion Turkish monument. Ataturk was in charge of this one. It was really interesting learning about his role in World War I. In Australia at school, we only really learned about what concerns us. Ataturk is the true reason we got 'owned' at Anzac Cove. In charge of the 19th battalion, he set up a bluff of only 100 soldiers, making the Anzacs that were left think that there were heaps more waiting for them, so they didn't try and advance.
We stopped at the Nek, where R.D. Harris may have died. The 8th and 10th Light Horses suffered severe casualties here.
Our final stop was at Chunuk Bair, the highest point of Gallipoli. The Allies wanted to take this so they could view and control the entire peninsula. But, out of the nine month campaign, they only controlled it when the New Zealand soldiers took it from around the 8th-10th of August, 1915. There was no support though, so the Ottomans claimed it back. Ataturk helped with this effort. Some shrapnel hit his heart during this battle, but a pocket watch was in the way. It shattered and saved him.The future of Turkey would have been very different had this pocket watch not been there.
Overall, the tour was fantastic, especially having it completely directed to just us. It was interesting to consider the losses the Ottomans suffered as well as the Allies. It was sad to think that the Anzacs and Ottomans were the ones fighting even though it was really Britain and Germany's war. As well, after nine months, the Allies evacuated after having achieved virtually nothing.
We had a gross kebab for dinner. So tired! But a great day. Having the whole place pretty much to ourselves was really special.
Love to all
Claire
Xoxox"
