Monday 20 May 2013
 |
| Poppies, sunset and warship on the horizon |
As we drove down the
road approaching the Gallipoli Peninsula we noticed a large number of naval
vessels in the bay to the west. This area of North Western Turkey lies very
close to Greece so we thought little of it. We carried on our way and parked up
in a peaceful spot just north of Kabatepe and close to the ANZAC landing
beaches we wanted to visit. In the bay a Turkish naval patrol ship zig-zagged
up and down and we watched curiously as it saw off a little fishing boat in the
evening.
In bed some time
later we were awoken by a very loud dull thud followed by an almighty boom, the
van shook and everything inside rattled. Dave jumped up quickly and peered
through the curtains but could see nothing as the whole thing repeated again
and again. After half an hour it stopped and peace resumed. At about 2.30am it
started again for another half hour. Dave’s thoughts were that it was naval
warships some way in the distance firing live artillery possibly towards a
firing range. As we lay there in the
dead of night listening to the sounds of artillery all around us it really brought home the bitter battles fought in
this area in 1915. Checking the internet later we found out it was the first day of the
largest annual exercise of the Turkish Navy.
 |
| ANZAC Cove |
The Allied objectives
in the Gallipoli campaign were, to capture Istanbul, forcing Turkey out of the
war and securing an ice-free supply route to Russia. This would open another
front against Germany and Austria-Hungary. There were 4 phases to the attack in
1915 and after 9 months of bitter fighting the Commonwealth nations had lost
more than 36,000 soldiers.
The peninsula has 31
war cemeteries. 9000 soldiers remains
were identified, 13000 were unidentified and the remains of 14000 were never
found. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission, with an overall annual budget of £43
million, has provided fitting resting places for these brave men and ensured
that families, friends and visitors can pay their respects as well as learn
about the history of the area and the battles. It is quite sobering walking
around the cemeteries and reading the inscriptions. When we visited there was
an abundance of beautiful wild red poppies by many of the gravestones, on the
foreshores and in the fields. Many of the British lie in the beautifully
located but unromantically named Hill 10.
The Turkish Army. led
by a gifted young officer called Mustafa Kemal (Ataturk), also lost many
soldiers, estimated at 87,000, and a large memorial to their dead stands high
on Bomba Sirti (Bomb Hill). In this area, which the ANZAC troops called Quinns
Point, the two sides fought bitterly at very close quarters – so close instead of
exchanging fire at times they exchanged drinks, cigarettes and gifts.
 |
| Turkish War Memorial at Gallipoli |
John
McCrae’s famous WW1 poem -
In
Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between
the crosses row on row
That
mark our place and in the sky
The
larks still bravely singing fly
Scarce
heard amid the guns below
We
are the dead. Short days ago
We
lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow
Loved
and were loved, and now we lie
In
Flanders fields....
 |
| Inscription on a young British soldiers grave |
