Gallipoli

There are no adequate words to describe a visit to Gallipoli.


The area is designated a National Park and is incredibly well looked after by the Turkish authorities. This is not just because they consider this to be their victory. The Turks, quite rightly, have responsibility for the area. After all, we must never forget that this is their country, not ours, and their battle as well as ours. They are warm and welcoming towards all visitors and while the majority of tour groups are Turkish, we did bump into other nationalities.

We were not there just to look at the Anzac areas, but to get an overall impression of the campaign. Thanks to Major and Mrs Holt's map and also to a battlefield tour guide given to us a by a friend who has guided here, we were able to walk the battles and immerse ourselves in the human as well as military atmosphere.

Some 'purists' might complain that we should have been there on Anzac Day itself - I beg to differ. Anzac Day has become a circus and there is no doubt in my mind that in order to get a feel for the ground and the hardships endured by all combatants, you can visit at any time. And what better time than a boiling hot July day? With far fewer visitors their is time to stand and stare, to feel the atmosphere, to try to understand what it must have been like for the soldiers at Gallipoli.

Experience the 30C+ heat. Just walking along the flat in the blazing sun was hard enough. Try to imagine struggling up a steep slope loaded with your pack, weapon, ammunition and rations.

Struggle through the brushwood in Shrapnel Valley whilst looking up at the Turkish positions; gaze across from Chunuk Bair to the sea, remembering that this was the only glimpse of possible victory the Kiwis saw for, oh, such a brief time; stand on the beach at Anzac Cove and look up at the Sphinx towards more Turkish positions; walk through the remains of trenches trying to understand how on earth sanity prevailed when your enemy was a stone's throw away; stand in The Nek and say you don't feel the ghosts.

Perhaps the most heart rending part is that there are so few gravestones. In each cemetery there are only a token number of stones, as most bodies were either never found or never identified. This is particularly true of The Nek. This hopeless assault on the Turkish position took place in a tennis court sized area - and it is not until you stand in it you realise that the literature was accurate on this fact.

In order to do the peninsula justice you should allow three days. We hired a car and drove to each position. The Turks have built a one-way system which is very efficient and means you follow the battles. All positions are well signed, with the exception of Beach CWGC Cemetery. We finally found it after some deductions. The CWGC sign was hidden by bushes. This is where John Simpson Kirkpatrick "The man with the donkey', is buried.

If you think that places like this must be depressing, you couldn't be more wrong. There is a wonderful feeling of peace, for despite the thousands of names on memorials, and the graves with "Believed to be buried here' or 'Known only unto God' you come away immensely humbled and grateful.

Thanks to the efforts of the CWGC and the local Turkish gardeners, every cemetery is beautifully kept - and this is very difficult in the Turkish terrain. Plants suitable for the area have been planted and whilst the rain drains away quickly, leaving the earth rock hard and in many places devoid of grass, the grounds are still manicured and lovingly cared for.

To reiterate - this is the one blog where words are inadequate. All I can say, is that if you ever have the opportunity, then go! Don't wait for April - go in July, walk the area, visit the cemeteries without the flag-waving crowds. I believe you'll have a far better understanding.