ISSUE 81 : Mar/Apr - 1990 - Australian Defence Force Journal

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Defence Force JournalContributions of any length will be consideredbut, as a guide, 3000 words is the ideal length.Articles should be typed double spaced, on oneside of the paper, and submitted in duplicate.All contributions and correspondence should beaddressed to:The Managing EditorDefence Force JournalBuilding B — 4-26Russell OfficesCANBERRA ACT 2600(06) 265 2682 or 265 2999Board of ManagementAir Commodore K.F.J. Tipping, RAAF, (Chairman)Captain G.P. Kable, RAN RANColonel P.D. Gibbons, AMGroup Captain J.T. Huet, RAAFBrigadier S.N. GowerMr A.J. Corcoran

DEFENCEFORCEJOURNALNo.81 March/April 1990Journal of the Australian Profession of ArmsGallipoli 75th Anniversary1915-1990(fry*1 mr / 1(AWM V726)* /Contents3 ForewordThe Prime Minister of AustraliaThe Honourable R.J.L. Hawke. A.C.4. IntroductionMichael Tracey, Managing EditorDefence Force Journal5. Wings Over GallipoliGroup Captain Keith Isaacs, RAAF, (Ret)19 The White Gurkhas of GallipoliCaptain R.J. Austin, RFD, ED, (RL)24 Forbidden to DanceAnnabel Frost, Department of Defence30 Father and Son on GallipoliColonel John Buckley, OBE, ED. (RL)54 The Gallipoli Campaign: A Broader PerspectiveMajor Warwick Graco, AA Psych.61. The Royal Australian Navy at GallipoliLieutenant T.R. Frame, RAN70. The Riddles of ANZACPeter Stanley, Australian War Memorial74 Malone of Chunuk BairLieutenant Colonel Christopher Pugsley. RNZIR.(Ret)79. Serving God and ManDr Michael McKernan. Australian War Memorial85 Extracts from the Diary of a Turkish OfficerAhmet Arda. Turkish Embassy. Canberra99 Task Force GallipoliManaging EditorMichael P. TraceyAssistant EditorIrene M. CoombesCover- Images of Gallipoliand Illustrations byDefence Artist, Jeff IsaacsContributors are urged to ensure the accuracy of informationcontained in their articles: the Board of Management accepts noresponsibility for errors of fact.Permission to reprint articles in the Journal will general'y be readilygiven by the Managing Editor after consultation with the author.Any reproduced articles should bear an acknowledgement ofsource.The views expressed in the articles are the author's own and shouldnot be construed as official opinion or policy.Printed in Australia by Better Printing Service1 Foster Street, Queanbeyan, NSW

pThe Lone Pine Memorial-Gallipoli

ForewordBy The Prime Minister of AustraliaThe Honourable R.J.L. Hawke, A.C.The decision of the Australian Governmentin August 1914 to send 'an expeditionaryforce of 20,000 men of any suggested compositionto any destination desired by the HomeGovernment' says a great deal about the wayour young nation viewed itself at that time.As a people we tended to seek guidancefrom our 'mother country'. We looked outwardsfor a focus for our identity, which weseemed to find in terms of our place in theBritish Empire.While the structures of nationhood were inplace we were, in a very real sense, still a groupof colonies.The expeditionary force, made up entirelyof volunteers from cities, towns and ruralcommunities in every State was truly Australianin character. But who could have predictedthat the Australian Imperial Force, with theirNew Zealand comrades, were soon to create atradition which would bind us together as apeople?The original ANZACS left our shores young and confident in their abilities; seekingadventure.Locked in a dreadful stalemate, the cost of which continues to appal us today, they enduredfrightful hardships. Although their objective was not achieved they established a reputation forcourage and endurance.They returned to a different Australia, matured by the experience, and with a profoundappreciation that only in facing the fact of our failures can we gain the maturity to know theextent of our achievements.75 years after the landing at Gallipoli we recall, with gratitude, that the original ANZACSbequeathed to Australians a new. self-confident, image of ourselves.WLMR.J.L. Hawke

IntroductionBy Michael P. Trace}', ManagingEditorEarly in 1915. a naval force tried to push through theDardanelles to Constantinople to ease Turkish pressure on theRussians in the Caucasus. The attempt failed and four large shipswere lost or crippled by mines. It was then decided to land troopson the Gallipoli Peninsula to silence theTurkish forts commandingthe narrow Straits.An Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZ AC) landedwith French Colonial and British troops on 25 April. 1915 againststiff opposition from the Turks.There were eight months of bitter and bloody fighting on thesteep hillsides and narrow gullies of the peninsula. The GallipoliExpedition twice failed to reach the objective. When it seemedlikely that German troops would reinforce the Turks, it wasdecided to abandon the attempt. Without the Turks knowing it92.000 men were evacuated during the first half of December. Theremaining 50.000 were withdrawn on two consecutive nights. Lessthan half a dozen men were lost, and all guns were withdrawn ordestroyed. The expedition had been costly. The Australians lost7,818 killed and 19.182 wounded of the total allied casualties of146.700. The Turks were also badly mauled, and seldom fought sowell again.By this time Gallipoli was a household word in Australia.The ANZAC tradition had been created.The collection of Australian states, bound by a common tieforged in adversity, had become a nation which continues tocommemorate 25 April as ANZAC Day when the sacrifice of allAustralian and New Zealand servicemen and women in allconflicts are remembered.After the war a memorial was found in Athens to soldiers whofell in the Dardanelles in 440 B.C. Christopher Brennan translatedthe inscription:These by the Dardanelles laid down their shining youthIn battle won fair renown for their native land,so that their enemy groaned earning war's harvest from thefield-But for themselves they founded a deathless monument ofvalour.This issue of the Defence Force JournalANZACs.is dedicated to the

Wings Over Gallipoli1By Group Captain Keith Isaacs, RA A F, (Ret)"The Gallipoli adventure has a uniqueplace in the history of the war. For the firsttime a campaign was conducted by combinedforces on. under, and over the sea,and on and over the land. Never again inthe war were seaplanes compelled to workso much over the land, nor aeroplanes somuch over the sea... "H.A. JonesThe War In The Air - Vol IIGenesis of Combined OperationsThe vicissitudes of the land and seaoperations during the Australian and NewZealand Army Corps (ANZAC) participationin the Dardanelles Campaign. 25 April - 19December 1915, have been recorded, analysed,praised and/or criticised in great detail overthe past 75 years. In contrast, the air actions insupport of the Australians, New Zealanders,and other forces are rarely mentioned, and yetthey laid the foundations for future land, seaand air joint operations. In fact, they establisheda watershed in the history of aerialwarfare.In addition to the ANZAC and RoyalAustralian Navy achievements at Gallipoli, itis not generally known that Australia alsotook part in the air war over the peninsula withthe Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) - albeitthe sole representative was Captain A.H.Keith-Jopp. an Australian army gunner-cumairobserver. More importantly, but almostequally ignored, is the fact that Gallipoli wasthe first military campaign in which the Australianarmy co-operated with an air componentto successfully enhance its operations.Admittedly. Australian soldiers had goneinto action, on occasions, during the SudanWar, March-Mav 1885, and the Boer War,1899-1901, supported by observation balloonsof the Royal Engineers, and elements of theRoyal Navy. These rare engagements, however,were far from the combined land, sea and airoperations that developed during the 1914-18War.Then again, in December 1914 a RoyalAircraft Factory BE2a landplane, and a MauriceFarman Sll seaplane, of the CentralFlying School. Point Cook, were shipped toGerman New Guinea aboard HM AS Una, aspart of the Australian Naval and MilitaryExpeditionary Force sent to capture the enemyterritory. In the event, the task was completedso expeditiously, and decisively, that the aircraftwere not required. They were returnedfrom Rabaul to Point Cook in February 1915still in their packing cases.Prelude to ANZACMeanwhile, the British Government wasdeeply concerned about the part Turkey wastaking in the war in support of Germany, withwhich it had signed a treaty on 2 August 1914.On 13 January 1915 the Admiralty was directedto "prepare for a naval expedition in Februaryto bombard and take Gallipoli Peninsula, withConstantinople as its objective".The Royal Navy bombardment began on 19February with some 12 battleships, augmentedby four French battleships. The British fleetalso included the world's first true aircraftcarrier.HMS Ark Royal, named after theflagship of the British warships that sailed outon 20 July 1588 to challenge, and eventuallydefeat, the great Spanish Armada of 130 ships.Ark Royal had been commissioned forservice as a seaplane-carrier by CommanderR.H. Clark-Hall on 9 December 1914, andarrived at the Greek island of Tenedos, in theAegean Sea, on 17 February 1915. The aircraftaboard included three Sopwith 807 FolderSeaplanes, Nos 807, 808 and 922. two WightPusher Seaplanes. Nos 172-173. the ShortFolder Seaplane. No 136. and four cratedSopwith Schneider seaplanes.

DEFENCE FORCE JOURNAL No. 81 March April 1990HMS Ark Royal, the world's first aircraft'carrier, with a Sopwith Folder Seaplane on the forward flying-off deckwhich was never used for take of fs. The ship's seaplanes were hoisted in and out of the hangar in the hull, betweenthe two steam winches and the bridge.When it became obvious that the navy alonecould not force the straits, plans were madetodespatch a large army force from the EasternMediterranean, and Major-General Sir WilliamBirdwood was sent to the Dardanelles toreview the situation. In addition to his recommendations,Birdwood also wired Lord Kitcheneron 4 March urgently requesting that a shipborne,man-lifting kite (as based on LawrenceHargrave's early experiments), or a captiveballoon, for spotting naval fire and detectingconcealed enemy shore batteries, be sent to theDardanelles.Action was taken immediately, and thetramp steamer Manica was hurriedly convertedto accommodate a Drachen-type balloon forservice afloat and. if required, ashore. HMSManica arrived on station at Mudros Harbour,on the Greek island of Lemnos, on 9 April.In the interim, land-based aircraft of No 3Squadron. RN AS, commanded by the indefatigableWing Commander C.R. Samson, hadarrived at Imbros Island, about 32.2 kilometres(20 miles) from the Dardanelles, on 23 March.The squadron's aircraft included Samson'sfavourites, the BE2a No 50, and the MauriceFarman F27 No 1241. plus two SopwithTabloids, two BE2cs, and a French Breguet.In addition, two Maurice Farmans and eightHenry Farmans were shipped from Marseilles,but the latter aircraft were deemed unsuitablefor operations.Thus, with seaplanes, landplanes, a seaplanecarrierand a balloon ship on-station at theDardanelles, the stage was set for the debut ofair support on a scale never before achieved.History was about to be made.For three weeks Samson and his dedicatedfliers carried out many successful spotting,reconnaissance, photographic and bombingflights over the southern half of the peninsula.At the same time. Ark Royal and her brood ofseaplanes covered the northern sector, mainlyas a diversionary tactic to confuse the enemy.Vice-Admiral J.M. de Robeck. in charge ofoperations, declared "the RNAS has doneexcellent work of great value to our futureoperations". These future operations were, ofcourse, the military assaults on the GallipoliPeninsula on 25 April 1915.

WINGS OVER GAI.I.IPOI.I 7Air Support At ANZACThe dawn of that historic day - a day ofannual remembrance in Australian history-saw General Birdwood's ANZAC force goashore about 2.4 kilometres (1.5 miles) northof its intended landing area; this small beachwas subsequently named Anzac Cove. TheANZAC landings were supported by Manica 'sballoon and the seaplanes from Ark Royal.while No 3 Squadron's landplanes assisted theBritish landings at Helles.Ironically, the RN AS inadvertently imposedan element of bad luck upon the ANZACassault. Two days before the landing, fiveaircraft had bombed Maidos so effectivelythat two Turkish reserve battalions, positionedin the town, were forced to transfer to a camp,much closer to the ANZAC landing area.Consequently, these battalions were, fortuitously,in a position to attack the Australian evenas they began to entrench. Casualties werehigh on both sides, but the ANZAC force heldits position.Meanwhile, the crew members of Monica'sballoon and Ark Royal's seaplanes were findingit difficult to locate, and report, the Turkishpositions among the forbidding and denselyscrub-covered ravines, gullies and mountainsfacing the ANZAC advance.The balloon, with its two observers, was inthe air from 0521 to 1405 hours on 25 April.constantly reporting on the activities associatedwith Anzac Cove for almost nine hours. Asearly as 0535 hours, while the ANZAC troopswere scrambling up the cliffs, one of theobservers sighted the Turkish battleship TurgudReis (ex-German SMS Weissenburg) in theNarrows. HMS Triumph was contacted bywireless, and its balloon-directed fire forcedthe Turkish warship to withdraw.Soon after 0900 hours a similar engagementoccurred, but this time the Turgud Reis gotunder way and began to fire on the ANZACtransport ships, while the troops were stilltaking to the boats. Disembarkation wasdisrupted until the balloon - Triumph combinationagain went into action. The Turgud Reisthen steamed out of range of Triumph's four254 millimetre (10 inch) guns, but returned inthe afternoon to be chased away for the thirdtime.A spirited painting portraying a seaplane spotting andreporting the gunfire results of British battleshipsagainst Turkish warships at the Dardanelles. The aircraftwould appear to be an artistic impression of one of theWight A.I. Improved Folder Seaplanes (No 172 or 173)from Ark Royal..

8 DEFENCE FORCE JOl'RNAl. No. 81 March April 1990During the same period. Ark Royal's seaplanecrews also had trouble locating thescrub-concealed Turkish batteries. Furthermore,the battery commanders added to theproblem by holding back their fire wheneverthe seaplanes approached. The ever astuteGeneral Birdwood. however, subsequently turnedthis disadvantage to an advantage. Hecalled for the seaplanes to patrol the lineswhen ANZAC troop movements were underway. The aircraft crews obliged, the quasicunningTurkish gunners kept their fire to amininum, and the ANZAC troops breathedsighs of relief.Early on 27 April TurgudReis began shellingArk Royal off GabaTepe. forcing the seaplanecarrierto leave the ANZAC area, and steamout of range. The Short Folder Seaplane, No136, was then launched from the carrier, andthe crew directed Triumph's fire onto theenemy battleship which, in turn, had to retreat.On the same day one of Ark Royal's Sopwith807 Folder Seaplanes, operating from the lightcruiser. HMS Doris, searched for an enemysubmarine off Gaba Tepe. It was an ominoussign.In the interim. Manila's balloon madeseven ascents on 26 April in support of theANZAC operations. The observers also spottedfor Triumph and HMS Queen Elizabeth theRoyal Navy's newest and most powerful battleship,and the first in the world to mount 381millimetre (15 inch) guns - during the afternoonQueen Elizabeth blew up an armament storeat Kojadere.On the 27th the balloon crew sighted Turkishtransport ships near Najara. apparently headingfor Maidos or Kilia Liman. Queen Elizabethwas put on to the largest ship, the Scutari,which was hit and sunk after three shots, at arange of 11.3 kilometres (7 miles).Insatiable Demand for AirCo-operationAdmiral de Robeck was so impressed withthe achievements of Manica 's balloon that hetelegraphed for two more Drachen-type balloons.As an interim measure, an old militaryspherical balloon, previously used in SouthAfrica, was fitted to the tug HMS Rescue, butthe experiment was not a success.Evidence of the high regard the Britishwarships held for Manica occurred whenTriumph reported that the balloon ship wasbeing attacked by a submarine. Every ship inthe area revealed its fierce protective spirit byimmediately setting up a terrific barrage againstthe suspect - suffice it to say, the "submarine",drifting innocently with the tide, was found tobe an inverted tin bath.The demand for Monica's services was outof all proportion to that which a single shipcould provide. Consequently, a second balloonship, HMS Hector, was hurriedly fitted out ina similar manner to Manica, and arrived at theDardanelles on 9 July. A third balloon ship,HMS Canning reached Gallipoli on 2 Octoberto replace Manica which had sailed for Englandin mid-September to be refitted. Canning wasequipped with many improvements, includinga large hold space enabling the balloon to bestored in the inflated condition.The aircraft from Ark Royal were alsocontinually in demand, while operating fromtheir parent ship lying off Gaba Tepe in theANZAC area. On 10 May however, the threatof submarine attacks forced the carrier intothe shelter of Kephalo Bay at Imbros - theship's top speed of only 10 knots made herparticularly vulnerable to submarine attacks.Ark Royal became a depot ship for all aircraftoperating from Imbros. including her ownseaplanes at nearby Aliki Bay: as time progressedthese aircraft included the Short FolderSeaplanes, Nos 161 - 163 and 165 - 166. ArkRoyal remained at Imbros until 1 Novemberwhen she moved to Iero Bay, Mitylene. viaMudros, and finally left the Dardanelles forSalonika on 7 - 8 November 1915.Meanwhile, the first German submarine,U2I, under Lieutenant-Commander Hersing,arrived in the Dardanelles in mid-May anddisaster followed in its wake. Almost immediatelyU21 torpedoed the battleships Triumphon the 25th. and HMS Majestic two days later.Like its flying counterpart above the sea, thesubmarine under the sea was establishing anew set of rules for the conduct of future waroperations.In the interim, an aircraft of No 3 Squadron,RNAS, making a reconnaissance on 17 May,reported unusual activity in the port of AkBashi Liman, across the peninsula from AnzacCove. Four Turkish transports, and othersmaller craft, were observed unloading storesand troops near a large new camp, which was

WINGS OVER GAl.I IPOI 1 9The RNAS aerodrome at Tenedos Island 49.88 kilometres (31 miles) from Anzac Cove in March 1915 with WgCdrC.R. Samson in BE2a. No 50, in the foreground. A French flying unit, No 98T Squadron. Aviation Militaire,commanded by Capt Cesari, shared Tenedos as from 1 May, providing support for the French army and navy.already occupied by many soldiers. These mencomprised the Turkish Army's 2nd Division,which had moved forward from Constantinople.Flight Lieutenant R.L.G. Marix. accompaniedby Wing Commander Samson, flew hisBreguet biplane back to the port in the afternoonand bombed the camp with one 45.36kg(1001b) bomb, and 14 9.07 kg (201b) bombs.The dock hands fled in panic, and 57 soldierswere killed or wounded. As a result of theenemy build-up, it was concluded that an earlyattack on the ANZAC position was imminent,and General Birdwood was informed accordingly.The Turks attacked on the night 18-19 May,intent on driving out the ANZAC defenders.The RNAS reports, however, had robbed theassault of surprise, and the ANZAC troopsheld their ground. By 24 May so many Turkishsoldiers had been killed during the five days offierce fighting, that an armistice was grantedto the enemy to bury the dead. The officialhistorian of The War In The Air recorded that"there is, perhaps, no better example than isoffered by the story of this action, of the farreachingeffect of a simple and timely piece ofobservation from the air".Australia Takes To The AirIt was during May that the Australian armygunner. Captain A.H. Keith-Jopp. was attachedto No 3 Squadron, RNAS, as an airobserver. In The War In The Air Volume II,H.A. Jones records his surname in a hyphenatedformat, and Jones' predecessor. Sir WalterRaleigh, also refers to his brother, W.L.S.Keith-Jopp. in similar manner in Volume I. Incontrast, the autobiographies of Air CommodoreC.R. Samson and Vice-Admiral RichardBell Davies name the Australian as CaptainJopp - although, three of the four references inDavies book inadvertently refer to "Jupp",and the caption of a photograph in Samson'sbook bears the name "Topp"!To add to the confusion, articles appearedin Popular Flying (edited by Captain W.E.Johns of Biggies fame), 1933-34, written byStewart Keith Jopp, "who has been flyingsince 1916...in spite of the fact that he lost ahand in 1917. and an eye in 1918..." Apparently,Keith-Jopp was the brother's surname onenlistment, but it would appear the use of thehyphen was subsequently deleted.

10 DEFENCE FORCE JOURNAL No. 81 March April 1990In the event, Samson first refers to his newobserver in his book. Fights and Flights, as"Captain Jopp an Australian who was agreat fellow, and usually came with me". ByJune Samson revealed that "as well as Hellesand the Fleet, we now had Anzac to look after;and we did a lot of artillery co-operation forthe Australians, registering their heavy batterieson the Turks' guns...Jopp was the observerwhom I detailed to specialise on Anzac; he hadan eye like a hawk, and it wasn't long before hediscovered most of the guns that were causingtrouble".While Samson was commenting upon hisAustralian observer, an Australian soldier wasdoing likewise about Samson. On 19 May hewrote overseas to a friend that "we have thebest English and French flyers here. Onenamed Samson, the Germans have offered6.000 pounds (for) dead or alive".Davies' book, Sailor In The Air, also introducesKeith-Joppabout May 1915-"Afterthelanding we were joined by more militaryobservers for pin-pointing batteries and forspotting. These were Captain Jopp, an Australian,Walser, Edwards and Knatchbull-Hugessen,all gunners. The latter was very young.He afterwards became Lord Brabourne anddied as Governor of Bengal". Captain Keith-Jopp was in distinguished company.In August, while operating from Imbros tocover the new landings at Suvla Bay. north ofAnzac Cove. Squadron Commander Davieswrote "on the 6th a reconnaissance of theAnzac objectives was ordered. I took Jupp(sic) the Australian gunner..." The Suvla Bayassault occurred on 6-7 August and, althoughRNAS reconnaissance revealed that there wasno serious enemy opposition for the next twodays, no advance was initiated. The goldenopportunity of surprise was lost, and anothertragic stalemate developed on the peninsula.On 10 August Davies and Keith-Jopp wereairborne in one of the newly arrived HenryFarman F27 biplanes when, as Davies records,"we met a German Ettrich (sic) Taube overAnzac. The pilot did not see us. and I was ableto come close behind him. Jupp (sic), who hada rifle, started shooting and must have madegood practice, for at about the fifth shot I sawthe pilot's face as he turned to look behindbefore going into a vertical dive. We heardafterwards that the Australians had full viewof the encounter from their trenches. Convincedthat we had shot down the German, they allstarted cheering".The Taube(Doxe) monoplane was designedby Austrian engineer Igo Etrich in 1910. Asfrom 1911 some 500 single and two-seatimproved versions of the Taube were producedThe balloon ship, HMS Manica, with its inflated Drachen'-type balloon about to ascend from the hangar in theforward hold. The balloon crew provided invaluable support for the ANZAC forces as from 25 April 1915.

WINGS OYER GALLIPOLIA panoramic sketch in pen and watercolour by Sapper Horace Moore-Jones, New Zealand Engineers, off AnzacCove showing, L-R, Walker's Ridge. Russell's Top, The Sphinx, and north-western face of Plugge's Plateau. Thisunique painting was completed while Moore-Jones was aloft in Manica's balloon.The only known photograph of the Australian aerial observer, Capt AH, Keith-Jopp, AIF while serving with No 3Squadron, RNAS, atTenedos. 1915. L-R, Capt I.A.E. Edwards, British Army, Keith-Jopp (in background), Lt R. BellDavies, RN, Lt W.L. Samson (brother of C.R.), RNVR. and Fit Lt G.L.T. Thomson, RNAS.

12 DEFENCE FORCE JOURNAL No. 81 March April 1990under licence by various German aircraftmanufacturers, but mainly by Rumpler. TheTauben used for reconnaissance at the Dardanelleswere manned by German pilots andTurkish observers and. like their RN AS counterparts,were not initially equipped with machineguns.In fact. Wing Commander Samson'sStanding Orders for No 3 Squadron includedthe following extracts:"Pilots always to be armed with a revolveror pistol; to carry binoculars; some safetydevice, either waistcoat, patent life-belt,or petrol can.Observers always to carry rifle; propercharts for journey (in addition small scalechart of whole Peninsula); binoculars;life-saving device or petrol can; watch ifnot fitted to the aeroplane".In the interim, persistent demands for increasedair support led to Colonel F.H. Sykesarriving in the Dardanelles on 24 June toconfer with General Sir Ian Hamilton andAdmiral de Robeck. Sykes submitted hisreport on 9 July, and on 24th he was appointedto command the RNAS units in the EasternMediterranean with the rank of wing commander.On 12 June the fast 24 knot seaplane carrier,HMS Ben-my-Chree ("Woman of my heart"to the Manx people), a converted Isle of Mancross-channel packet-steamer, arrived at IeroBay on the island of Lesbos. Although morethan twice as fast as Ark Royal, Ben-my-C/zreecarried only half the number of aircraft.Her complement on arrival in the Aegean Seacomprised three Short Folder Seaplanes, Tvpe184, No 841, Type 830s Nos 820 and 821, andtwo Sopwith Schneider seaplanes, Nos 1445and 1560. Successive replacement aircraft untilDecember 1915 included the Short FolderSeaplanes, Type 184/Nos 184, 842, 846, 849and 850. and the Schneider seaplanes, Nos1561,3721 and 3722.By 11 August Turkish transport ships werepouring reinforcements into Ak Bashi andKilia Liman from Chanak on the Asiaticshore, for new assaults against the Suvla andANZAC fronts. In a counteraction to impedethe transference of enemy troops across thestraits, and to harass their movements downthe peninsula, Ben-my-Chree's aircraft spottedfor the monitor. HMS M16, while both shipswere in the Gulf of Xeros - where a newtechnique of war was about to be introduced.On 12 August. Flight Commander C.H.K.Edmonds, flying Ben-my-Chree's Short FolderSeaplane, No 842, equipped with a 254 millimetre(10 inch) Mark 14 torpedo, flew acrossthe isthmus north of Gallipoli. Sighting a5080 tonnes (5000 tons) steamer off InjehBurnu he glided down, launched his torpedo,and hit the ship which settled down by thestern. This was the first successful aerialtorpedo attack in history, notwithstandingthat the target had been immobilised four daysearlier by the British submarine. HMS E14.Clinching his claim to fame, however, Edmondstorpedoed another supply ship on 17 August,while again flying No 842.During this second history making flight,Edmonds was accompanied by Flight LieutenantG.B. Dacre in the torpedo-equipped ShortFolder Seaplane No 184. This aircraft experiencedengine trouble, and Dacre had to alightin the Narrows near a Turkish hospital ship,which he gallantly waved on to a safe passage.He then sighted a large tug, taxied towards it,and fired his torpedo which sank the boat inFalse Bay. Dacre then became airborne after atake off run of 3.2 kilometres (2 miles), andflew back to Ben-my-Chree. These three episodeswere the only aircraft torpedo attacks ofthe 1914-18 War, and they were the precursorsof the Allied and Axis great torpedo-bombervictories of the 1939-45 War.It is of interest to recall that AustralianbornSquadron Commander A.M. Longmore(later Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Longmore,RAF, who died on 11 December 1970) madethe world's first successful torpedo drop atCalshot on 28 July 1914 in the Short S.84Folder Seaplane. No 121.HMS Ben-my-Chree remained on station atthe Dardanelles, supporting the ANZAC andBritish forces, until 20 December 1915 and 7January 1916. respectively. On 2 September1915 the seaplane-carrier played an importantrole in the ANZAC campaign, when it rescued694 Australian and New Zealand troops of the6th Brigade, AlF, after the troopship SSSouthland was torpedoed by a submarinesome 48.3 kilometres (30 miles) of Mudros;121 crew members were also rescued.Back in August 1915, the tempo of work

WINGS OVFR GAI I IPOI I 13*•>*.HMS Ben-my-Chree at Mudros, November 1915, with two Short 184 Folder Seaplanes, Nos841 and 842, visible inthe hangar entrance, underneath the seaplane handling derricks. This seaplane carrier replaced Ark Royal asRNAS support ship for Anzac. Helles and Suvla areas, June-December 1915.became intense for Samson's No 3 Wing; inJune the Admiralty had decreed that wingswould replace squadrons, and the latter designationwould be reserved for groups of sixlandplanes, or seaplanes. The aircraft crewswere fully occupied spotting for ships firing atshore targets, co-operating with the troops atAnzac, Helles and Suvla. searching for submarines,and flying frequent anti-aircraft patrolsto restrict the enemy's reconnaissance flights."August 19th was a black day", recalledSamson. He and Keith-Jopp were on patrolover the Suvla area in one of the two newHenry Farmans, when shrapnel put theengineout of service, and a forced landing washurriedly carried out within the British lines.The enemy then relentlessly bombarded theaircraft and crew for about 10 minutes, althoughlittle damage was done. Leaving theiraircraft to be repaired, Samson and Keith-Jopp returned to Imbros by the mail trawler,which had to battle heavy seas - "Jopp gotsicker and sicker", related Samson, "until heturned from a six-foot Australian into a merehelpless invalid".Air Arm ReinforcementTowards the end of August a second RNASland based flying unit arrived at Imbros underthe command of Wing Commander E.L. Gerrad.This was No 2 Wing, which augmentedSamson's No 3 Wing also at Imbros. No 2Wing's 22 aircraft comprised six MoraneParasols, six BE2cs. six Caudrons. and fourBristol Scouts. No 3 Wing also received newaircraft between June and August, includingfive Voisons, two improved Maurice Farmans,four Henry Farmans, and six Nieuport singleseatscouts.In addition, three small SS (Sea Scout, orSubmarine Scout) non-rigid airships arrivedin mid-September. Colonel Sykes had originallyproposed a force of eight Blimps, as theywere sometimes known. In the event, only onewas put into service, and the other two werenever inflated. The operational SS survivedseveral bombing attacks against its shed atImbros until 21 October, when theSS Sectionwas transferred to Mudros.

14 DEFENCE FORCE JOURNAL No. XI March April 1990On 30 August Samson and Keith-Joppexcelled themselves. They were spotting forthe monitor M15, which was positioned offAnzac Cove and firing at targets in Ak BashiLiman - a range of some 16459 metres (18.000yards). "In Ak Bashi Liman were lying twosteamers alongside each other, both 200 feetlong, three or four tugs and about twentydhows busily loading", reported Samson. "Igot up to 6000 feet where I could get a goodview both of M15 and Ak Bashi Liman. I tookcare to keep about four miles away from AkBashi in order not to arouse their suspicions.When ready I ordered fire. The first shot fellabout 800 yards short, fortunately behind thehills so that no notice was taken by the Turks.The next shot fell on the beach and killed someTurks. The third shot fell into the sea. We nowhad the range"."A terrible panic occurred", continued Samson."The tugs that had got dhows in tow cutthem off and steamed for the Asiatic shore.The gangs on the beach who were now wellused to aeroplane bombs, dropped everythingand fled to the hills. I was trying to get a hit onthe two steamers which were still at anchor.The eighth shot hit one. Jopp said. "Whatcorrection must I signal?" I said, "ReportO.K." (hit). The ninth shell hit the secondsteamer. When it is remembered that these twoships were lying alongside each other, therange was 18,000 yards, that hills 800 to 1,000feet were intervening, and that M15 was justlying with her bows up against a little markbuoy and rolling in the swell, this shooting isreally wonderful. One steamer sank and theother got on fire..." Asa result of this raid, bigships never came into Ak Bashi again indaylight hours.The 18 September "was rather a red-letterday", recalled Samson. "General Birdwoodcame over to the aerodrome and said he wouldlike a trip in the air. I took him up in aMaurice Farman. intending to do a localflight; but he told me to go over the Turks atAnzac. Off we went, and he made me go as faras Maidos. and fairly low down, so that hecould see well. We got a proper reception from"Archie", and I felt very anxious carrying sucha distinguished passenger. He was the only bignoise that went up. I think it rather a pity thatsome more didn't".As the Anzac Commander, Birdwood wasadmired by one and all. and the Commanderof the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force,General Sir Ian Hamilton accorded him aspecial tribute in the following dispatch -"Lieutenant-General Sir W.R. Birdwood hasbeen the soul of Anzac. Not for one single dayhas he ever quitted his post. Cheery and full ofhuman sympathy, he has spent many hours ofeach 24 hours inspiring the defenders of thefront trenches, and if he does not know everysoldier in his force, at least every soldier in theforce believes he is known to his chief.The Battle IntensifiesSamson also recalled that on 10 November,"I despatched Thomson (Flight LieutenantG.L. Thomson) with Jopp as his observer tosee what they could do to the large camp I hadlocated at Kara Bunar; right thoroughly theystirred things up with two 1 12-lb and four201b bombs. As they approached, the Turksbegan to stream out of the tents; but somewere too late. One 112-lb fell amongst the tentsand demolished three of them, the second onefell amongst a large body of men running toseek shelter in a gulley. Jopp observed that theexplosion killed a great many".Keith-Jopp had a busy day on 1 December.He flew with a new pilot. Flight Sub-LieutenantVernon, to Ferejik junction where SquadronCommander R.B. Davies had won the VictoriaCross for landing his single-seat Nieupertscout and rescuing Flight Sub-Lieutenant G.F.Smylie, whose Henry Farman had been shotdown by rifle fire on 19 November. Vernon'sdebut was most effective, as he hit the railwayline with one of his bombs.Later in the same day Keith-Jopp was flyingwith Flight Commander H.A. Busk and, asSamson recorded, they "had a good scrap witha German aeroplane...They were spotting forone of the monitors doing a bombardmentwhen they sighted the German. They got closeto him and opened fire before the German sawthem. Jopp said that the German observerlooked round and saw them right on his tail.He flung his arms round the pilot's head,shoved the stick forward, and the Germandived nearly vertically. Busk followed down,but the German could dive quicker than theHenri Farman. They got the German right

WINGS OVER GA1.LIPOI.1 15A Turkish town in Gallipoli on the eastern coast of the peninsula, photographed during a reconnaissance flight of aMaurice FarmanS.11, No 3 Squadron, RNAS. The photograph was taken in May 1915, when Capt Keith-Jopp wasflying as an observer.I ' 10ifWg Cdr C.R. Samson, who maintained a particularly energetic, and effective, war in the Dardanelles, culminatedhis outstanding achievements by dropping the first 226.8kg (500lb) bomb on a Turkish barracks between AnzacandKiliaLiman.Heis seen abouttodepartwiththe bomb inaHenryFarman F27 from Imbros on 18 December1915.

16 DEFENCE FORCE JOURNAL No. 81 March April 1990down to 20 feet or so off the ground, andchivvied him at that height, firing all the timeuntil they got to Galata aerodrome. Theyfailed to score a bulls-eye unfortunately..."Some days later one of Samson's pilotsaccidently dropped a 45.36 kilogram (100pound) bomb in a foremost Turkish trenchabout 18.29 metres (20 yards) from the ANZAClines. On return to base he despondentlyreported to Samson that he thought he musthave killed some Australians. That is. until asignal arrived requesting more of the same."One of your aeroplanes bombed Turk's trench;bits of Turk seen in the air, remainder ofoccupants got on to parapet, where we killed alot with machine-guns; please repeat bombing".The pilot was elated. Samson kept mum aboutthe fluke, but quietly admitted that "No 3 livedon this reputation for accuracy for a longtime".On 18 December, Samson took off fromImbros with a 226.8 kilogram (500 pound)bomb fitted to his Henry Farman. "This wasby far the biggest bomb that up to that datehad been dropped by an aeroplane in theWar", wrote Samson. "The Henri took it uplike a bird, much to my delight. I searchedaround for over half an hour between Anzacand Kilia Liman looking fora suitable target..."He eventually dropped the bomb on a largebuilding and scored a direct hit which entirelydemolished the occupied quarters.On 7 December the British Governmentdecided to withdraw from Anzac Cove andSuvla. and by dawn on the 20th the evacuationwas successfully completed. During the precedingweek, the RNAS aircraft of Nos 2 and 3Wings constantly patrolled the two beaches toprevent enemy aircraft flying over the areas; asimilar procedure occurred when the Hellesarea was evacuated by 9 January 1916. On11-12 January the RNAS lost its first twoaircraft, and the four crew members, by enemyair attacks. These attacks coincided with thearrival in the area of three Fokker Eindeckers(monoplanes), the first enemy single-seat fighterswith a synchronised machine-gun firingthrough the propellor arc.In summary, Samson observed that the"aeroplane pilots belonging to No 3 were notoverburdened with decorations for the Campaign,nor were the five observers Edwards,Hogg. Jopp. Knatchbull-Hugessenand Walser,who were unrewarded. I don't know howmany hours they each did...they got all thekicks and none of the plums". In contrast, thethree Royal Navy midshipmen observers. StAubyn. Sissmore and Chappell. were eachawarded a DSC.ANZAC AftermathWhen the ANZAC troops first arrived atthe Dardanelles, theaeroplane was somethingof an oddity. Asearlyas 1910TheChief of theImperial Staff, General Sir William Nicholson,declared in England that the aeroplane was "auseless and expensive fad, advocated by a fewindividuals whose ideas are unworthy of attention".In France. General Foch updated thisstatement during 1914 by adding that "theaircraft is all very well for sport - for the armyit is useless".In the event, campaigns such as Gallipolisoon changed these assessments. For eightmonths after their arrival, the Australians hadfront row seats at the rapidly unfolding dramaof air power development. Before their eyespassed a panorama of landplanes, seaplanes,seaplane-carriers, aircraft-equipped warships,balloon ships, non-rigid airships, and torpedoequippedseaplanes. They were witnessing theforging of a new weapon of war. in which oneof their own officers was participating.Included among the ANZAC soldiers atGallipoli who were inspired by the new airweapon - and. particularly, its potential forpeace time application - were two young mendestined to become world famous aviators;Captain Sir Ross Smith KBE. MC and bar,DFC and two bars, AFC (1892-1922), and AirCommodore Sir Charles Kingsford-Smith,MC. AFC (1897-1935).Private Ross Macpherson Smith joined theAustralian Light Horse in August 1914, andarrived at the Dardanelles from Egypt in May1915 as a non-commissioned officer in theinfantry. When he left Gallipoli on 12 September,as a newly commissioned 2nd-Lieutenant.he had already made up his mind to try andtransfer to the air arm. In October 1916 hejoined No 1 Squadron. Australian FlyingCorps, first as an observer, then as a pilot. Hisflying war record was brilliant, as affirmed bythe array of outstanding decorations he received.Postwar, his first flight from England to

WINGS OVER GAI 1.1POI.IrShort Folder Seaplane No 166, on Ark Royals steam crane, displaying the fuselage Union Jack and the blue, whiteand red rudderstripes (inadvertently shown in this reproduction in reverse order of red, whiteand blue). FiveType166 seaplanes, Nos 161-163 and 165-166, were progressively received by Ark Royal throughout 1915, and the earliermachines provided support for the ANZAC force as from 25 April.Australia with his crew in the Vickers Vimv.G-EAOU, 12 November- 10 December 1919,ensured his fame in aviation history.Charles Edward Kingsford-Smith joined theAustralian Imperial Force in February 1915.and arrived at Gallipoli as a corporal in lateSeptember. "When we were landing about2am", he wrote to his mother on 6 October, "aTaube aeroplane spotted us and droppedsome bombs, but they were wide, thank goodness.I felt mighty uncomfortable while thebrute was overhead. We see so many planesnow they don't matter to us. Anyway, most areBritish". In another letter during November hestated "we have much of the best gunners onour side. The Turks fire do/ens of shells at ourplanes and seldom go near them, whilst ourchaps only put two or three at those Taubes.and everyone of them looked as if it wouldbring them down".Smithy, as he became known, transferred tothe Royal Flying Corps as a lieutenant in 1917,

INWINGS OVER GAI I IPOI.Iand in June was posted to No 23 Squadron,equipped with Spad VII single-seat scouts. Hewas awarded the Military Cross, and finishedthe latter months of the war in 1918 as a flyinginstructor. His postwar flying achievements,particularly from 1928 to 1935, put him at thepinnacle of aviation greats.There were other Gallipoli soldiers whogazed skywards and dreamt of the future-notto mention 15 years old Charles Jackson whojoined the AIF three years below the minimumrecruiting age. He served at Gallipoli,was wounded, repatriated to Australia, anddischarged as a minor. He then re-enlisted andserved with the 45th Battalion, 1916-18. underhis real name. Charles Thomas Phillippe Ulm(1898-1934) -of Smithy and Ulm fame.In addition to the Gallipoli veterans, RossSmith. Charles Kingsford-Smith. and CharlesUlm, it is poignant to recall that Geoffrey LewisHargrave, only son of "Australia's Father ofAviation". Lawrence Hargrave, was killed atGallipoli on 4 May 1915. at the age of 23.Lawrence Hargrave was grief stricken, becameseriously ill, and died in hospital on 6 July1915. It has been said, he was killed by thesame bullet that took his son's life.Geoffrev Hargrave was but one of theestimated 8709 killed, and 19.000 woundedAustralians at Gallipoli. In proportion toAustralia's contemporary population of lessthan five million, this was the most terribleintroduction to war by any country in history.In hindsight, so much could have been done atGallipoli to turn defeat into victory, but thecampaign was a continuing saga of poorleadership and missed opportunities.From such disasters, however, there sometimescomes a ray of hope. In this instance, theAustralians at Gallipoli witnessed the genesisof a new arm of warfare that, within threedecades, became a great weapon of deterrenceagainst world wars. Perhaps, after all. OrvilleWright's prediction might yet come true -"When my brother and I built and flew thefirst man-carrying flying machine, we thoughtwe were introducing into the world an inventionwhich would make future wars practicallyimpossible".BibliographyBarnes, CM.. Shorts Aircraft Since 1900. Putnam. London.1967.Bean.C.E.W.. Official History of Australia in In The War Of1914-18. Volumes I and II. The Story of ANZ AC. Angus andRobertson. Sydney. 1921 and 1924.Blundell. W.G.D.. British Aircraft Carriers. MAPTechnicalPublication. Herts. England. 1969.Bruce, J. M., British Aeroplanes 1914-1918, Putnam, London.1957.Bruce. J.M.. Britain's First Warplanes. Arms and ArmourPress. Dorset. 1987.Burns. Ian M.. Woman of My Heart. The Story of HMSBen-mv-Chree. Cross and Cockade Great Britain Journals.Part I. Vol 6 No 4. 1975. Part 2. Vol 7 No I, 1976.Davies. Vice-Admiral Richard Bell. Sailor In The Air. PeterDavies. London. 1967.Jones, H.A.. The War In The Air. Volume II, OxfordUniversity Press. London 1928.Killen. John. A History of Marine Aviation. FrederickMuller. London. 1969.I.iddle. Peter. Men Of Gallipoli. Allen Lane. London. 1976.Longmore. Air Marshal Sir Arthur. From Sea To Sky.Geoffrey Bles. London. 1946.Munson. Kenneth, Aircraft of World War I. Ian Allen.London. 1967Pedersen. P.A., Images of Gallipoli. Photographs from thecollection of Ross J. Basitaan. Oxford University Press,Melbourne. 1988.Polmar. Norman. Aircraft Carriers Macdonald and Co.,London. 1969.Raleigh. Walter. The War In The Air. Volume I. OxfordUniversity Press. London. 1939 (Corrected version of firstedition 1922).Samson. Air Commodore Charles Rumney. Fights andFlights. Ernest Benn Limited. London. 1930.Sueter. Rear-Admiral Murrey F.. Airmen Or Noahs. SirIsaac Pitman and Sons Ltd.. London. 1928.Thetford. Owen. British Naval Aircraft Since 1912. Putnam.London. 1978.Note: "The spelling. Henri Farman. was used by airmen inthe field, w hereas the aircraft was taken on charge under theofficial title of Henrv Farman".Group Captain Keith Isaacs AFC. A RAeS. RAAF (Ret) served for SO years with the CMF, A IFand RAAF. He also flew on exchange and attachment duties with the RAF and USAF. Onretirement he was commissioned by the A ustralian War Memorial to write a history of A ustralianmilitary aircraft. As an aviation historian he contributes to The Australian Encyclopaedia.Australian Dictionary of Biography. The Macquarie Book of Events. Pacific Aviation Yearbook,and aviation magazines Aircraft. Air International and Air Enthusiast, and the McDonnellDouglas publication Hornet Report.

The White Gurkhas of2By Captain R.J. Austin. RFD, ED, (RL).Introductionhe 25th April 1990, commemorates theT 75th Anniversary of the landing at AnzacCove, Gallipoli. The battle was fought by acitizen army and was to have enormous significanceon Australia's perception of itself as anation.The declaration of war on 5th August 1914,saw Australians caught up in a vast swell ofpatriotic enthusiasm which led to the rapidraising of the Australian Imperial Force(A.I.F.). initially consisting of an infantrydivision and a light horse brigade. Followingso soon after Federation it was necessary forthe new nation to establish and assert itsemerging identity within the British Empireand beyond.National and military traditions are frequentlyfounded upon success in battle. In thecase of Australia and the Australian Army, thebasis of its early tradition was its performanceunder fire during the early weeks of theGallipoli campaign.The early Anzac spirit or legend developedfrom the military performance of the Australiansduring the landing on 25th April, and theconsolidation of that toehold over the followingdays. The other battle that significantly contributedto the early emergence of the Anzaclegend was the Second Battle of Krithia.Move to Cape HellesMost Australians tend to think of Gallipolisolely in terms of Anzac Cove. Few are awarethat the Australians and the New Zealandersplayed a prominent, albeit brief role with theBritish and French forces located at the southernpart of the Gallipoli Peninsula at CapeHelles.The Australian involvement at Cape Hellesarose from the need to assist the battered 29thDivision, a British regular division, which hadlost heavily on 25th April and the subsequentdays.General Sir William Birdwood. as commanderof the Australian and New ZealandCorps at Anzac, was requested by General SirIan Hamilton, commander of the MediterraneanExpeditionary Force, to release partof his force to assist in the big British andFrench offensive due to commence at CapeHelles on 6th May. The original objectives setfor the 29th Division on landing at CapeHelles on 25th April were to capture the smallvillage of Krithia, about five miles north ofCape Helles. and the low but dominant twinhumped feature of Achi Baba about a mile tothe north east of Krithia. With the benefit ofhindsight, it is clear that these objectives wereprobably beyond the capacity of the Alliedforces on 25th April, and the subsequentbattles of M ay and June 1915 merely confirmedthe unattainability of such objectives.One soldier recalled that night:"We didn't know anything about it - wethought we were going for a holiday - for aspell after all our casualties during thelanding. Everything was secret - theywouldn't tell you nothing."At about 3 am. the two brigades weretransferred by lighters to the awaiting ships,and after a two-hour journey, reached VBeach at Cape Helles. On arrival the vesselsberthed alongside the ill-fated River Clyde,which had been the scene of futile slaughterand great bravery on the morning of 25thApril. As the Australians moved ashore, it wasvery obvious that Cape Helles was totallydifferent to the rugged country at Anzac. Thewild, scrubby hills and the gullies of Anzaccontrasted with the flat cultivated fields, innundatedwith colourful wild flowers.Whilst the Australians were digging at theirbivouac site, they were able to observe theartillery bombardment that opened the SecondBattle of Krithia and the British and Frenchtroops as they moved into battle. The objectiveswere still to capture the village of Krithia and

20 DEFENCE FORCE JOURNAL No. 81 March April 1990Achi Baba hill. The 29th Division which hadbeen badly knocked about in late April, was tocarry out the attack, supported by a frugalartillery bombardment. General Sir Ian Hamiltonpreferred a night attack, as did some of thebattalion commanders, however. Hamiltonunwisely bowed to the view held by thecommander of the 29th Division. Major GeneralHunter Weston, that the battalions hadlost too many experienced officers during theprevious days to risk the problems of controlendemic to a night attack.Second Battle of KrithiaThe brief artillery bombardment commencedat 10.30 am on 6th May, and was followed byattacks by the British on the left and theFrench on the right. As the attacks ended infailure, the battle was resumed on the nextday. The artillery opened fire at 10 am for amere 15 minutes, as there was a criticalshortage of high explosive ammunition for theBritish guns. One of the problems facing theBritish Army at Gallipoli was that the 29thDivision did not receive its full complement ofguns, neither did it have sufficient stocks ofhigh explosive shells. Due to this deficiency.the British artillery had to use schrapnelagainst the Turkish defences.C.E.W. Bean, the Official Correspondent,who accompanied the 2nd Brigade to Helles,was concerned at the continued use of frontalattacks in broad daylight. After the failure ofthe British attacks on 7th May, Bean wrote:"The usual order came along today. 'Operationsbegin at 10 o'clock' It was almost likea circus".During the three days of the battle, theAustralians along with their Allies, had theopportunity of observing the battle in thedistance. The Second Battle of Krithia couldbe likened to battles of a century earlier, whencommanders could view the movement oftheir armies on the fields before them.The 8th May saw the usual brief artilleryprelude followed by an assault by the NewZealand Brigade and the British 87th Brigadeat 10.30 am. Attacks were again carried outwith a minimum of information, no reconnaissanceand insufficient artillery support. Thecommander of the New Zealand Canterburybattalion briefed his assembled company commandersthus-"The battalion will attack from the frontline trenches at 10.30 am precisely. 12thCompany will lead -1 am sorry gentlementhat I cannot give any further information".Needless to say, the New Zealanders failedto make any significant progress and sufferedheavy casualties. One of their officers laterwrote:"It was a terrible sight in that clear sunshine.men going down like ninepins everywhere.falling with a crash with the speed theywere going".Later that morning, the 2nd AustralianBrigade moved in artillery formation acrossopen ground to a new bivouac in a dry creekbed, where they waited in anticipation of beingused to support the New Zealand attack.During the afternoon of 8th May, Sir IanHamilton, despairing of the level of progressover the three days, decided to commit hisentire front line and reserves to an advanceforward to capture Krithia and Achi Baba.The attack would see a simultaneous advanceat 5.30 pm, by the British on the left, the NewZealanders. Australians and the French on theright flank.The Advance up Central SpurThe Australians were settling down to preparetheir evening meal, when the order toadvance was received at Brigade HQ at 4.55pm. Colonel J.M. McCay, a long servingmilitia officer and former Federal DefenceMinister, was the brigadier of the Victorianbrigade and quickly drafted out a message tohis four battalion commanders, which gavethe direction of the advance and also urgedthat:"Every opportunity is to be taken to usethe bayonet"Despite the acute shortage of time in which toprepare the brigade for battle, the Australianscommenced their move up Central Spur at5.30 pm, following a brisk 15 minutes preliminarybombardment.Central Spur was a wide gently sloping

UF WHIM (ilKKH \S OI d \l I IPO I IThe 2nd Australian Infantry Brigade landing at the River Clyde on 6th May 1915. (AWM G957)spurline to the left of the Krithia- Helles road,which led to the outskirts of the Krithiavillage. The ground was open wheatfield dottedwith an occasional olive tree. As the Victoriansadvanced, the Turkish artillery, machine gunand rifle fire opened up. One soldier wrote ofthe advance:"We were formed up and went out inartillery formation, that is in scatteredgroups of fifteen in each, and hardly wereout in the open than we were met by a hailof bullets and schrapnel".The Australians with 6th Battalion on theleft and 7th Battalion on the right, advancedacross the open ground until they reached atrench that unknown to them was occupied byBritish and Indian troops. This trench representedthe furthermost advance of the earlierBritish attacks. The Victorians' portly brigadier.Colonel McCay. had moved forwardwith 6th Battalion and on reaching the Britishtrench, later known as Tommies' Trench, heclimbed into the parapet oblivious to theTurkish fire and urged the Australians forward."Now then Australians. Which of you areAustralians? Come on Australians!"As the leading companies moved beyondTommies' Trench toward Krithia, the enemyfire took an even heavier toll. One corporaldescribed the attack as a:"mad rush across the open, pelted by rifleand machine gun fire and schrapnel. Noformation was kept and our- objectiveappeared to be utterly unknown to officersand men alike".As officers and senior NCO's quickly fell,killed or wounded, junior NCO's and privatesoldiers quickly took command, rallied anytroops in their vicinity and moved toward theTurkish positions. Following behind the leadingbattalions came the 5th and 8th Battalions,whose turn it was to brave the deadly firesweeping the open slopes of Central Spur.At the front of this attack. Major GordonBennett, second-in-command of 6th Battalion,was the only unwounded senior officer in thetwo battalions. His own CO, Lieutenant ColonelW. McNichol was wounded and the COof the 7th Battalion. Lieutenant Colonel RobertGartside had been killed while leading hismen. Bennett gathered together the scatteredgroups of men on both flanks and establisheda firing line some 400 yards from the Turkishtrenches. As more troops made their wayforward, Bennett instructed them to dig afiring line that could withstand a Turkishcounter attack. By 6.30 pm, the Australianshad consolidated their position and had advancedthe Allied firing line a futher 400 yards

22 DEFENCE FORCE JOl'RNAL No. XI March April 1990beyond Tommies' Trench. Nonetheless, SirIan Hamilton's grand push had failed, despitethe foolish audacity and bravery of the Australiancharge. Krithia remained securely in Turkishhands.A soldier with an Australian artillery batterydescribed the Australian advance:"It was sheer murder, but it was wonderful.They charged over the open ground, withnot a scrap of cover, and it was likelooking at a spectacle on some greattheatre stage. The whole world was lookingon - French, British, Africans, Indians tosay nothing of Germans and Turks. Theyfell by scores under schrapnel, machinegun fire and rifle fire till they had won 700yards in front of the first line. Then theydug themselves in on open ground andwouldn't budge a yard".The Australians in their charge at Krithiasustained casualties of 1,056 killed, woundedor missing. In the space of little more than anhour, the 2nd Australian Infantry Brigade hadbeen reduced by one third. Over the next fewnights, the Australians consolidated their position.However, there remained the problem ofbringing in the many wounded who lay on theopen ground. The 7th Battalion War Diarynoted that:"On looking back over the table top likeground that our men had advanced over,one could see hundreds of his dead, dyingand wounded comrades lying all over theground. The worst of the whole businesswas that except in a very few instances, wecould not give any relief.The volume of wounded was too much forthe battalion RAPs and the 2nd Field AmbulanceAdvanced Dressing Station to copewith. Stretcher bearers had a carry of 3.000yards to bring wounded back to the ADS anda further 6,000 yards to reach the BritishCasualty Clearing Station. The enemy firethroughout the night made it a hazardousventure to reach the wounded and carry themback for treatment. One soldier wrote in hisdiary:"All this time for two nights and a day thewounded were calling. 'Have you forgottenme cobbers' and 'water' ".In one of the ironies of battle. ColonelMcCay. who had defied the Turkish marksmenduring the attack, was returning from theforward trenches at about 2 am on 9th May,when a stray bullet hit him in the leg.On 12th May. the Australians were relievedand returned to a safer bivouac nearer CapeHelles, in preparation for their return toThe Cape Hellesarea showing the advance of the Allied Army toward Achi Baba in the second battle of Krithia 6th.7th and 8th of May. 1915.Cap -reliesLirteon M

I HE WHITF (il'RKHAS OF GALI.IPOLI 23Gallipoli 1st Brigade A.IF. the River Clyde at Helles, 15th May 1915. (AWM C1078)Anzac Cove, which took place on the night16/17th May.Following these unsuccessful attempts tocapture Krithia, a further attack was made inJune. This attack was planned by Hunter-Weston who had been promoted to LieutenantGeneral and given command of the newlycreated XIII Corps. Although the planningwas superior to the earlier attacks, the endresult was the same. Opportunities were squanderedand the British came to reluctantly acceptthat they were not likely to capture Krithia.One British officer writing of this Third Battleof Krithia concluded:"We are back in reserve trenches. Thewhole attack was more or less of a failure,we lost most frightfully heavily and gainednothing to speak of.The persistence with frontal attacks againstan entrenched enemy in broad daylight wasapparently the only tactic that Hunter-Westoncould devise. The British 29th Division inparticular paid a very heavy price for Hunter-Weston's stubborness.The story of Gallipoli has often been describedas a "saga of lost opportunities". Inretrospect the Australians failed to achievetheir objectives either at the Anzac landing orat Krithia.However the military tradition establishedin those first two weeks set a high standard ofaudacity and courage that was to be confirmedin many subsequent battles both in the GreatWar and in later conflicts. Following theAustralian charge at Krithia, correspondentsand military observers described in glowingterms the Australian exploits of those earlyweeks at Gallipoli. The Anzac legend wasborn! There was a swell of national pride andemotion that followed the news of the earlybattles. The heroic sacrifices stimulated recruitingand the emerging image of a soldier-herobecame fundamental to Australians' view ofthemselves. The Melbourne Argus in its editorialof 15th June 1915 suggested that:Every Australian heart must thrill withpride and satisfaction at the glorious recordwhich our soldiers have so indelibly writtenfor themselves on the pages of history.Perhaps the most welcome recognition forthe Australians of the 2nd Brigade came fromtheir peers in the British divisions, who nicknamedthem the"White Gurkhas" in recognitionof their brave charge at Krithia on 8th Mav1915.jfcCaptain Ron Austin served in the Army Reserve (Infantry) for 21 years. He holds graduate andpost graduate qualifications in sociology and political history. His book The White Gurkhas waspublished in 1989. and he is currently writing the unit history of the 6th Battalion. 1st A IF.

Forbidden to Dance3By Annabel Frost, Department of Defence"I think the world knew Madeline the way wewould like her to he remembered. She waspopular, generous, fun-loving and gregarious."Her clothes hung well on her erect posture.Her direct gaze from blue eyes could decimateanyone who offended her principles which shedefended very jealously."Some might have found her outspoken butshe was actually just an avent-garde rebelwith an exceptionally strong mind... "In an exclusive interview with the DefenceForce Journal, Margery Mackenzie, daughterof Madeline Lawless Pyne who nursed thewounded from a hospital ship close to Gallipoli.remembers her mother's astounding life.These memories come partly from diariesand letters and partly from the stories Madelinetold her family. Extracts from her book are tobe serialised by the ABC and later published.Margery is currently collaborating on ascript with the ABC about her mother's memoriesof the First World War."At the time Madeline was growing up,females who did not marry were relegated tothe kitchen sink or the care of ageing parents."Although she had a compassionate natureall her life and this may have been her reasonfor choosing to be a nurse, another possiblereason was the fact that nursing offered womena rare opportunity to become independent."Madeline Alice Kendall Wilson was bornat Sandgate, a suburb of Brisbane, on 19October 1888."She was brought up on her family's cattlestation. Tarong, Nanango, Queensland andeducated first by governesses and then at MissBurdorfs School for Girls in the centre ofBrisbane."Pupils were expected to 'write a good hand'and know Shakespeare and the English classicsalmost backwards."Madeline adored Ancient History and hada very good knowledge of the Bible. In thosedays people did not make spelling mistakesunlike their descendants."Three of the five girls in the family chose amedical career. Aunt Evelyn joined the AANSas a physiotherapist and Aunt Marjorie followedMadeline overseas in the Army but toFrance as a nurse."Their grandfather, the Rev Benjamin GilmoreWilson, was a medical baptist clergymanspecialising in homeopathy who arrived inBrisbane in the mid-nineteenth century andwas responsible for the building of the BrisbaneCity Baptist Tabernacle which still stands onWickham Terrace."All her male relations were either bushmen.doctors or engineers."After finishing her training at the BrisbaneGeneral Hospital, Madeline nursed privatelyin Brisbane and Sydney."She volunteered for overseas Army Serviceon the day war was declared and was accepted,sailing from Brisbane on 21, November 1914 inthe Kyarra, a hospital ship converted from acoastal steamer of 6953 tons. It sailed withoutescort."She was a member of the 1st AustralianGeneral Hospital at that stage."Queensland was only a small communitythen and everyone knew everyone else. TheKyarra was loaded with friends including heruncle. Roderick Macdonald, who was a majorat the time."There were two other senior medics onboard who were friends — Dr Stanford Jacksonfrom St Helen's Hospital and her old bossfrom the Brisbane General Hospital Dr JohnMcLean."Most of the younger men were her colleaguesfrom the hospital including a ratherspecial friend of Aunt Marjorie's and most ofthe nurses were her friends already.Only the very Best"The Army consisted of volunteers only andMadeline alwavs stressed that the reason whv

FORBIDDEN TO DANCE 25the Australians were the cream of the fightingforces was that only the very best applied."After volunteering to work on the Suezcanal in a Clearing Hospital and working withthe 1st AGH until July at Heliopolis, she wasone of the first four Queenslanders who volunteeredforGallipoli and sailed on 12 July. 1915in the Neuralia."In wartime hospital ships are painted whiteand an international agreement protects themagainst being fired on. They can thereforetravel with their lights on. The Neuralia howeverhad to wait six months to be authorised as a RedCross ship and in the interim they were shelledfrequently. Working with lights on was toodangerous. The nurses had to feel under thebedclothes for haemorrhages."There were eight nurses on board and attimes they had more than 100 patients each."Madeline's assistants were an untrainedorderly aged 16 who was in the habit of fallingasleep with exhaustion and two padresFather Cavendish, a Roman Catholic, andPadre Dobson from the Church of England.These two washed, cut off clothing, deloused.comforted and wrote letters, bandaged, fed,lifted the patients and buried the dead overboard."They never had the bad taste to preach atthe boys as one of their successors did."There were enteric dysenteries, pneumoniaand dreadful abdominal wounds, spinal casesand a few mental cases too."Some of the boys slept all the way from theDardanelles to Lemnos, Malta or Alexandria."Repeatedly in her diary Madeline lamentsnot having more time to spend with thepatients.Last Wish'He just waved me goodbye betore goingwest', she said of one patient. Another pleadedto have his gangrenous leg removed and she inturn pleaded with the surgeon 'Wheel him upto the theatre and let him have an injection sohe can die with a last wish and some hope' butthere was no time for such games and his cotwas soon empty."She herself was never wounded. A piece ofshell went through her skirt once as she wasIn good hands.attending to patients on the crowded deckunder fire."She never spoke of fear only sorrow unlimitedand her intense anger at the waybungling from the War Office made gunfodder of so many lives."1 do not think even the Army ReserveNurses had any special training for war andmy mother certainly had none before. 1 believethere was some attempt at instruction on thevoyage out.."However, the girls were fast learners fromnecessity. After Gallipoli. where more ships,medical staff and orderlies, even some VADs,would have saved thousands of lives, theamenities in the desert Campaign improvedand the loss of life from the lack of them wasnot so apparent.

26 OFFENCE FORCE JOURNAL No. 81 March April 199(1Madeline spending some time with her patients."All the frontliners inspired courage andfortitude especially those who returned sooften wounded."Some would begto be allowed to return tothe Front instead of repatriation and thennever return from the desert."My mother loved Miss Rosie Creal, hermatron at the 14th AGH, and so evidently dideveryone else."When she died in Sydney in 1921. I understandher pall bearers were mostly generals."My mother lamented repeatedly the deprivationof the soldiers both at Gallipoli and inEgypt. She would have liked higher pay to beable to buy more treats for the boys in actionand at the 14th AGH she did extra cooking inthe day room to rehabilitate the theatre casesbefore surgery."This prompted the doctors to wonder whythe patients from her ward never faintedbefore surgery.Mystery Eggs"She had an orderly named Young who wasvery adept at finding eggs for the men and noone was tactless enough to enquire fromwhere."What did enrage the nurses and thenamuse them was an order from England — andAustralians were never fond of orders fromunknown — that the nurses were not to drinkalcohol with their meals."Miss Creal proffered the order to UncleRoderick, acting CO, to sign but he leapt tothe defence of the nurses.it is the correct thing for a woman to drinka glass of wine with her meals and it is oftennecessary after a long day's work. I will sign nosuch thing' he said."The order was rescinded."It seems bizarre today to think that whilstsupplies, and nursing techniques should havebeen foremost in the minds of the adminofficers in the UK. they could waste timebothering about whether nurses should beallowed to drink a glass of wine. However,there was a domestic dimension to everynurse's life and details of what life was likeaway from the operating theatres and thewards are of interest too."1 tremble to think of the starching neededfor the stiff aprons. Madeline's diary at Gallipolitells of picking up laundry at ThomasCook in Alexandria and of washing andironing when the ship was returning empty.The showers in the Heliopolis Palace, thehome of the first AGH, were marble as werethe baths.

FORBIDDEN TO DANCE 27Clairvoyant Movie"I can remember from mother's diary thatthe nurses washed their hair with lashings ofPears soap. Even after the war she continuedto use soap—never shampoo."Bobs and shingles came later so the girls allwore plaits or earphones or buns. In the filmGallipoli they had short hair and danced—ourgirls were forbidden to dance."There was utter chaos on the Neuraliawhen the wounded arrived from the Dardanelles."The enemy frequently fired on the trawlerscarrying the wounded and they would bombardthe decks of the ship with shrapnel. It was allhands on deck, cutting off clothes, bandagingdreadful wounds, eyes gone, brains hangingout. abdominal wounds, wonderful braverywith everyone trying to help each other withnever enough medical or nursing staff or spaceor beds."In December the Neuralia went to Englandfor a refit. She was transporting the terminallyill and the sick early in 1916 and then returnedto Egypt and the 14th AGH."In July 1918 Madeline returned home onanother hospital ship and was transferred toKangaroo Point, Brisbane, nursing many ofher old mates, some on their last legs."Until a few years ago former patientswhom she had nursed in the war were stilltracking her down."In 1919 she married John Lawless Pyne abadly wounded 5th lighthorseman whom shehad met pre-war at the Nanango Picnic Races."He spent quite a bit of time in hospital overthe years so he knew a fair amount aboutnursing. He'd say there's nothing your motherenjoys more than a boil on Barney'."My younger brother Barney wasn't actuallysubject to boils but my mother just adoredpoulticing and bandaging, formenting andmaking beef tea in fact performing every trickin the nursing manual.Old-Fashioned Remedies"She accepted the evolution of better drugsbut like me (and I'm an ex nurse) she believedin giving the old-fashioned methods a try first.For intractable colds she and her sister M arjoriewould fall back on Aconite, a homeopathicremedy."Her sister, Marjorie MacTaggart, was oncethrilled to the core when her son Peter, by thena FBCS, prescribed 'good old-fashioned Eusol'for a patient who had been sent to him with aleg ulcer."Madeline was recommended four times forthe Royal Red Cross but did not get it."She had all the routine medals including abronze Simpson and his Donkey and a brass'A' for Anzac which incidentally at least one ofthe Anzac nurses, a friend of my mother's, wasdenied because no one could find her name inthe Anzac records.Rendezvous at Shepheards"She wore the "A" on most outings and wasforever buying tins of Brasso to keep it spicand span."Madeline always contended that her proudestmoments were walking up the steps ofShepheards Hotel in Cairo with Australiansoldiers."I can see them beside me. in full view ofmembers of almost every nation on earth, mybursting with pride because of their outstandingappearance and everything else about them"."After the war. civilian nursing would havebeen a distinct anti-climax. Her reaction to thewar years was disastrous as her nerves hadgone. Nightmares and headaches were a problemeven to the end of her life and I don't thinkshe ever forgot a moment of her war experiences."The media, of course manipulate the truth,however unintentionally, and historians aretherefore apt to misunderstand the past."The book Madeline wrote about her yearsas a war nurse became the focus of her life andkept her alert. The ABC are negotiating toserialise it and later to publish it."Maybe her greatest wish in later years wasto have the book published. Yet she would notrelinquish it to the publishers. She kept addingmore. In the end they sacked her. She saidnothing but went downhill from then on.

:s OEFENCF FORCF IQFRNAL No. 81 March April 1990« * •A moment of caring.1^8H.M.A.S. Alexandrialanding wounded from Gallipoli in England.

FORBIDDEN TO DANCE 29"With my mother and her sister as inspiration,some of the girls in our family followedher into the profession. I did too but I can't sayI really enjoyed it."By and large. I think nurses today have abetter life than they did 30 years ago. Certainlythey have more time to be compassionate.Another advantage is that married girls cannow come back to the profession havinglearned something of the realities of life."I don't believe that nursing can be taught atuniversity. However, the studies involved takeyou half way to being a doctor and mypreference, if I were starting out today on myworking life, would be go to university andtake up medicine."The youngest Wilson married Lieut CliffAbell RAN. Their daughter Elizabeth Anne(EA) is a girl with all the accolades for nursingand nursing administration.Rebel Niec"She positively galloped up the nursingladder throwing aside ridiculous rules whichhad plagued the profession for generationsand the girls loved the reforms she introduced."She became Matron of the Brisbane Generaland South Coast Hospitals whilst still youngand was sacked by a rather older Board amidstgreat excitement from the media."The federation took the Board to court andEA was reinstated to the jubilation of thenurses. Subsequently she was made Directorof Nursing for the Queensland Governmentand awarded an OBE."When I was a child my mother was certainlydifferent from other mothers but mainly fromthe people who lived near us in the bush."She was cosmopolitan when she came backfrom the war and they were parochial afterfour years of staying home whilst the men wereaway."We were far from rich. My father bought aplace too small to battle out the depressiondroughts and long periods in hospital. Duringthese times my mother carried on alone teachingme my sisters and our brother CorrespondenceSchool and keeping an eye on the place."We lacked every amenity. I suppose mostpeople did compared with today's standards."What our home lacked in modern comfort,however, it gained in charm."We loved visitors. Both my parents werecharming hosts. They were very popular.Nostalgic for Action"But Madeline missed the action of the war.John, on the other hand, was happy to be athome with his horses, his bush and his cattle.He'd had enough."I must tell you about my mother's armoury."We kept bombs, shells, bayonets, swords.303s and pistols from the Turks and Germansand heaven only knows what else."There was a nasty-looking thing whichlooked like a pineapple and which nobodytrusted until one day Dad could stand it nolonger and buried it in the garden."They were all tokens of appreciation fromthe boys at the front."One day alone at home just before she diedshe confronted a couple of strangers on herproperty, brandishing a muzzle loader with asix-foot barrel from the Boer War. They askedwhere she got it. She told them where and to'keep moving'. They did."She died the day after the Bicentenary anda couple of weeks before reaching her hundredthbirthday."She was buried with full military honoursunder a whitewood tree at our home in thebush."Then with champagne, her favourite drink,we gave her a final toast: to Madeline LawlessPyne — goodbye and God bless".Annabel Frost started her journalistic career with the Rand Daily Mail in Johannesburg South Africa. Astheir colour supplement editor and then as correspondent she visited many countries on the Africancontinent. She freelanced for two years in France. Italy and India before coming to A ustralia where she wassuccessively editor of'Choice, feature writer for Australian Consolidated Press and features editor for POEduring the years when it was published by Sungravure Magazines in the Fairfax empire. She came toCanberra to join the Department of Defence in 1984.

Father and Son on GallipoliAlfred Hobart Sturdee and Vernon Ashton Hobart Sturdee. 4By Colonel John Buckley, OBE, ED, (RL).ForewordBy The Right Honourable, Sir Paul Hasluck,KG, GCMG, GCVO.For the 75th anniversary of ANZAC, ColonelBuckley has written about the service of adistinguished father and son who wereboth on Gallipoli. 1 am honoured by hisinvitation to write a foreword to the study buthave no qualification except old age to do so.I can recall vividly the strong emotion thatthe story of ANZAC aroused in 1915. Asschoolboys we were stirred by pride andpatriotism. Hearing that story we found thefirst heroes of our own - Australian men ofvalour who had proved themselves in battleand now stood as heroes alongside all the greatlegendary figures from Ajax to Nelson. Seventyfiveyears later, despite any disparaging reassessmentsby youngsters who prefer to honour theshoddy brutalities of Ned Kelly, the men ofANZAC are still national heroes for me.My personal military experience is limitedto the drill hall and rifle range. When oldsoldiers tell stories of campaigns and comradesin arms I can only give a few anecdotes aboutthe top brass whom I met without danger invarious situations.I met my first Australian General in thewinter of 1923, in drizzling rain shortly afterdawn, at the entrance to the Army camp atKarrakatta (near Perth). He was Sir HarryChauvel. Inspector-General of the AustralianForces. I was a sergeant in the 44th Battalionattending my first annual camp under thecompulsory training scheme known as theCitizen Forces. Having had my stripes in theschool cadets I had passed a few tests and waspromoted to sergeant on the same day as Iattended my first parade as a private.General Chauvel's military career had begunin 1886 and he had fought in two wars. Mymilitary career was two night parades at a drillhall and two days in camp, the first of whichhad been wholly occupied with induction,filling a palliasse with straw, finding myallotted tent and being issued with a .303 Lee-Enfield, bayonet and webbing equipment. Ialso had needle and thread to stitch threestripes on the right sleeve of my tunic. Atnightfall on the second day I marched a smallsquad to mount guard at the front gate. The"old sweats" in the Army Instructional Corpswith the rank of Warrant Officertook trainingseriously. Theguard was mounted ceremoniouslymorning and evening. Sentries were postedand relieved every two hours. A guard tentnear the front gate sheltered those who wereresting.The Inspector-General came with the dawn.He and his party were challenged and recognisedby the sentry. Then the full guard tumbledout of the tent, formed a line and presentedarms. The General inspected us. We had beenawake all night and were rather damp andtousled. We must have looked like a bedraggledclutch of unfledged cockerels. But, we had allmentally rehearsed the drill and made nomistakes. The General complimented us. Wesquared our shoulders and lifted our headslike men who shared a great tradition. TheGeneral asked me about my rank. Because ofthe drizzle we were all in greatcoats. He told anaide to look into the question whether thegreatcoats, as well as our tunics, should havecolour patches and chevrons on them. Thus, ina very humble way, I may have been present atthe inception of improvement in the CitizenForces.Twenty years passed before I met anotherserving officer of high rank. Towards the endof 1942 I made a call on Lieutenant-GeneralSturdee at Victoria Barracks, Melbourne,during his first term as Chief of the GeneralStaff. I was then an officer of the Departmentof External Affairs and needed to establishliaison with the services on a subject I washandling. The Defence Department arrangedfor me to call on the Chief of the General Staff.We had a good talk. I remember that, with theineffable conceit of the civilian, I reported tomy departmental head. Colonel Hodgson (himselfa Duntroon graduate and Gallipoli veteran)that I found Sturdee "both interested andintelligent". Hodgson retorted: "Soldiers oftenare".From that first meeting and subsequent

FATHER AND SON ON GALLIPOl.l 31experience I would endorse unreservedly thejudgement on Sturdee expressed by his successoras C.G.S.. Sir Sidney Rowell. whom I cameto know more closely in peacetime in theAustralian Institute of International Affairs.was another General who. if the use of thefoolish phrase may again be excused, was both"interested and intelligent" about subjectsoutside the drill book. He wrote of Sturdee asfollows:-"A man of high professional qualifications.both as an engineer and as a soldier, hehad been at the centre of affairs for ageneration. He was the chief adviser tosuccessive Chiefs of the General Staff, acommander of troops at home and abroadand in peace and war. Australia's chiefservice representative in Washington andthe Chief of the General Staff for two terms.We had a great deal of service togetherover a period of fifteen years and I foundhim to be a kindly, humble and simpleman who carried out his work with theminimum of fuss and without the aid of anextravagant public relations organisation.His memory should never be forgotten".That passing reference to public relationspointed a notable contrast between Sturdeeand some of his contemporaries.Colonel Buckley has added to many notablecontributions to service history by this articleon Sturdee and his father. While writingprimarily of the events at Gallipoli and theunusual circumstance of both father and sonbeing in operations together, he has alsoreviewed Sturdee's later service in higher postsduring and after World War II. This complementssome of his earlier articles in the samefield of study.As an historian. I believe that there are stillgaps to be filled in the study of Australianmilitary history, the participation of Australianforces in two World Wars and in internationalpeace-keeping, and the interaction of Australianforeign policy and defence. There are alsogaps in the biographical study of the Australianservice chiefs who played a notable part in thathistory. Colonel Buckley has cleared the wayfor a full and comprehensive biography ofSturdee touching on all phases of his longcareer and notable contribution to defence -both in policy and in methods.IntroductionThis is an abbreviated story of ColonelAlfred Hobart Sturdee and his son. CaptainVernon Ashton Hobart Sturdee(laterGeneralSir Vernon Sturdee KBE. CB, DSO.) whoboth served on Gallipoli from the landing on25 April, 1915 and, except for a period whenthey were evacuated due to serious illness,served there, until the final evacuation.Details of the period were taken mostly fromtheir notebooks which are now held in theDefence Academy Library in Canberra. Theywere presented by Mrs Margret Buckley (neeSturdee), the daughter of General Sturdee.The precis of the notebooks prepared byBrigadier K.R. Col will were made available tothe Academv.Alfred Sturdee was the descendant of afamily which has rendered and continues torender, most distinguished service in the RoyalNavy. His great-nephew. Admiral Sir WilliamStaveley, whose father was the principal Beachmasterat the evacuation at Anzac and CapeHelles is the present First Sea Lord.Family BackgroundAlfred Hobart Sturdee, was the youngest offour children of Captain Frederick RaneySturdee RN.. and was born into a family withstrong Royal Navy ties at Southsea nearPortsmouth. Hampshire UK on the 6 May.1863. Alfred's older brother. Frederick CharlesDoveton Sturdee (1859-1925) also entered the

32 DEFENCE FORCE JOl'RNAl. No. 81 March April 1990Navy, and eventually became Admiral of theFleet, Sir Doveton Sturdee Bt (1916), GCB.KCMG. CVO. RN. The father. Captain F.R.Sturdee (1814-1885), known by his middlename, "Raney". was commanding HMS Waterwitchat St. Helena in 1842 when he marriedAnne Frances Hodson in a ceremony onboard his ship. Anna's father was Lt-Col.Charles R.G. Hodson (1779-1858). C O of the53rd Regiment, a British Army Unit of the StHelena Island Garrison whilst Napoleon washeld there in exile 1815-1821. Anna's mother.Maria, was thedaughterof Sir William Doveton,a Commissioner of the East India Company,who served also at St. Helena for manyyears. During his captivity at St. Helena.Napoleon developed a warm personal regardfor Lt. Col. Hodson. Because of Hodson'simposing stature (198 cm. 6'6" tall) Napoleonwas said to have styled him "Hercules". At therequest of the French authorities, "Hercules"was present when Napoleon's body was exhumedon its return to France.As a youngster, Alfred Sturdee enjoyed awarm family background and a close relationshipwith his father and brother. His earlyambition was to follow them into the RoyalNavy, but he was not accepted because of aminor finger disability. Instead, he studiedmedicine and after graduating in the UKserved as a ship's doctor on a voyage toAustralia in the 1880s. After that he settled atWilliamstown, Victoria, where he establisheda successful private medical and surgical practice.In April 1889 he married Laura IsabelMerrett at the Holy Trinity Anglican Church,Williamstown. Laura, known as "Lil", was thesister of Charles Merrett (later Sir Charles)who became a prominent businessman andofficer of the Colonial Victorian Militia, withan especially keen interest in rifle shooting. Hetook several teams to Bislev. UK for internationalcompetition and was honoured forhis rifle club work when the Merrett RifleRange at Williamstown was named after him.A half-brother of Laura's was another wellknownofficer. Colonel Harry Perrin. whosemilitia dress uniform is displayed at the VictorianState Museum.Alfred Sturdee was a most enthusiastic anddedicated Militia Officer. He was first commissionedin the Colony of Victoria on 8 March,1889, and served in the Boer War, wasmentioned in despatches in July, 1901. andawarded the Queen's Medal with three clasps,and the King's Medal with two clasps. Afterbeing on the Reserve of Officers List fromJuly, 1903. he re-enlisted in the AustralianArmy Medical Corps in January. 1905. waspromoted to the rank of major in 2nd FieldAmbulance in August, 1908, and Lieutenant-Colonel in the 16th Field Ambulance in December.1912.On 18 August. 1914. Lieutenant-ColonelSturdee (then aged 51) raised the 2nd FieldAmbulance at Victoria Barracks, Melbourne.Two days later the Unit marched to BroadmeadowsCamp and were inspected five dayslater by the Governor-General, Sir RonaldMunro-Ferguson. General Bridges inspectedthe Unit on 1 September, and Major GeneralW.D.C. Williams the DGAMS presentedX-ray equipment on 9 September. SurgeonGeneral Williams, because of his size, had to belifted onto his horse with a block and tackle.Somehow or other, he got himself to Gallipoli.but was refused permission to go ashore.General Bridges thought that Williamswas now too old and had lost his drive, so hedid not support his appointment to a postingat Gallipoli. He remained offshore for sometime, and was finally appointed to head theAustralian Red Cross Society in London.Certainly he was a trier and a man to beadmired for his patriotism. He had been a verygood officer in his earlier years.On 11 September, the Governor-Generalagain inspected the Unit and took the salute atthe March Past. It was clear that it would notbe long before the 2nd Field Ambulancewould be moving overseas. In fact, two daysnotice was given to embark. It seems incrediblethat in just two months after being raised theUnit embarked on 18 October, 1914. It willbe noted the Governor-General was very interestedin the AIF and visited the AmbulanceUnit twice in three weeks. However, he waskeen always to keep the top AIF commandsunder British Army officers and tried to exertpressure on the Australian Government fromtime to time to accept British commanders.Lieutenant General Legge was one of theAustralian victims. It was, of course, thepolicy of the UK generals in World Wars I andII to keep the "Colonial" generals in minorappointments if they could get away with it.However, there were a few exceptions.

FATHER AND SON ON GA1 1 IPOl I 33Embarkation at Port Melbourne -18 October 1914On Sunday. 18 October, the Prime Minister,Andrew Fisher, attended the Camp ChurchParade at Broadmeadows and addressed theassembled troops. At 1350 hours 2nd FieldAmbulance entrained for Port Melbourne,w here they were met by a band and marched towhat was called the Town Pier. They embarkedon Troopship HMAT Al8 Wiltshire at 1515hours and by 1700 hours their ship wasanchored off Point Gellibrand. The unit'swagons had been pre-loaded on 28 September.The ship was capable of carrying 36officers. 720 other ranks and 505 horses. Shewas 10,390 tons and had a top speed of 14knots. Also aboard was 4th Light HorseRegiment. Anchor was weighed on Monday.19 October, and thelongjourney had commenced.Many aboard were never to see Australiaagain but they were all excited at the beginningof a great adventure. The Wiltshire arrived offAlbany on 24th October, and anchored inKing George Sound where she awaited theformation of the largest convoy ever to leaveAustralia - 38 troopships of which 28 wereAustralian and 10 from New Zealand. Therewere 30.000 troops, 12,000 horses and equipment.The flagship of the convoy was HMATOrvieto with the GOC, 1 Division A.I.F.,Major General William T. Bridges, and hisstaff of HQ. 1st Australian Division A1F.On 1 November the Oriveto steamed outof the Sound and the long journey for theNaval escorts and the 38 troopships to Egyptcommenced. On 3 November, the Japanesewarship Ibuki joined the Naval escort. In hisdiary entries of 9/10 November, 1914,Sturdee records the excitement of the destructionof the German cruiser Emden at CocosIsland. She had sunk or captured nearly100.000 tons of Allied merchant shipping inthe East Indian Ocean. The Emden was a partof the powerful German Fleet operating in thePacific and South Atlantic Oceans under theCommand of aristocratic Admiral, CountGraf Von Spee, who later destroyed a smallRoyal Navy fleet under the command ofAdmiral Cradock at the Battle of CoronelIsland. Von Spee's fleet in turn was destroyedby the Royal Navy under the command ofAlfred Sturdee's brother Doveton. at theFalkland Islands, but more of that later.The victory at Cocos Island gave a terrificboost to the morale of the troops in theconvoy. Also, it gave them greater determinationto come to grips with the Germans infar off theatres of war. Colonel Sturdee andhis Field Ambulance Unit were kept busy withvarious health problems of the troops duringthe voyage. Sturdee was a very experiencedsoldier and kept his unit to a very stricttraining program which was to pay dividendslater. This quiet, good tempered man was akeen soldier.I am now going to quote in detail some ofColonel Sturdee's diary notes because theygive information about the naval escorts andthe countries to which they belonged. I shallalso give some details of his brother's victoryat the Falkland Islands. (At this stage it isappropriate also to quote C.E.W. Bean, theauthor of The Official History of Australia inthe War 1914-1918, who attached this warningof the contents of his war diaries and warhistories: "These writings represent only whatat the moment of making them I believed to betrue...") —I give this same assurance. Diaryentriesfor 11 November 1914referto"routineactivities", but the next day" before Melbourneleft the convoy and the lead was taken byIbuki; the Empress of Asia passed on her wayto Cocos; this evening the convoy crossed theEquator. On 13 November, HMS Hampshirejoined the fleet and went on with the NZtransports to Colombo". (Next year on 5 June.Hampshire hit a mine off the Orkney Islands.Lord Kitchener. Secretary of State for Warwas drowned). On 15 November, Wiltshireapproached Ceylon at daybreak and as the1300 hrs signal gun on Orvieto was heard,anchor was dropped off Colombo. Catamarans,canoes and numerous "coin divers" greetedthe ship giving the troops their first glimpse ofthe Orient. An impressive five-funnelled RussianCruiser Askold arrived to provide addedprotection" and the next day "in companywith Hampshire, the Central and Port Divisionssailed for Aden".The diary relates that the Arabian coastlinecould be seen off the starboard bow early on25 November, and by 1630 hrs Wiltshireanchored off Aden. As at Colombo, no troopswere allowed ashore. The voyage resumed

54 DEFENCE FORCE JOl'RNAL No. 81 March April 1990next day at 0630 hrs and en route. 2nd FieldAmbulance received orders to proceed toCairo to complete unit training. Their shiparrived off Suez on 1 December and at 1900hrs began its passage through the Canal,reaching Port Said by 1800 hrs the followingday. An hour later the ship was mooredopposite the Customs House to take on coal.The troops were very excited and happypassing through the Canal. There were manystrange things for them to look at. On 3December, at Port Said. Sturdee went ashorefor the first time since leaving Australia. Oneof his diary notes refers to "Victorias" (horsedrawn light carriages) and their "beautifullittle Arab ponies". When the ship left theCanal to anchor outside on 4 December,the diary records: "Several of our men broughtup at Orderly Room for breaking ship".Indian transport ships came through the Canalon 6 and 7 December, escorted by a FrenchNavy Cruiser and bound for "the front".British guardships also mentioned were HMSSwiftsure and Doris. Leaving Port Said at2000 hrs on 7 December, Wiltshire anchoredin the Outer Harbour at Alexandria at 1000hrs next day, opposite Khedive's Palace. Whenthe ship was berthed at a wharf at 1730 hrs 10December, Sturdee wrote in his diary: "Gotnews of Doveton's success".Falkland Islands Battle -December 1914The news was of another great feat at sea.this time by the Royal Navy, the first fornearly a century. Vice-Admiral Doveton SturdeeRN.. Commander-in-Chief of the BritishSouth Atlantic and South Pacific Stations,had gained a crushing victory over Vice-Admiral Count Graf Von Spee's GermanSquadron in the Battle of the Falkland Islandson 8 December. 1914.Scharnhorst and Gneisenau. with otherGerman warships of Von Spee's East AsiaSquadron, had been marauding through theSouth Pacific for several months. HMASAustralia, one of the then most modern andpowerful cruisers afloat, was despatched toseek out the enemy raiders and remove thethreat they posed. With Australia in pursuit,the German flotilla headed for Cape Horn andthe Atlantic. After destroying Admiral SirChristopher Cradock's inferior RN fleet atCoronel, Von Spee rounded Cape Horn as heplanned to recoal at Falkland Islands beforemaking a dash to return to European waters,with his powerful squadron. In London, onreceiving the news of the destruction of Cradock'sfleet at Coronel, Winston Churchill. FirstLord of the Admiralty, decided to send astrong RN force to deal with the danger ofVon Spee's powerful ships in the Pacific andSouthern Atlantic oceans.Sturdee, who had been Chief of Staff toPrince Louis of Battenburg, First Sea Lord, wasselected to command the avenging force andproceeded in haste to Falkland Islands, andmaybe beyond. He was refuelling (and refitting)when Von Spee's ships appeared on the horizon.Sturdee. although unprepared, but flying hisflag on the HMS Invincible, led the chargeagainst the Germans and won a most decisivevictory, the only major Royal Naval victory inWWI. In order to get maximum speed of hisships, Sturdee ordered that ships' furnitureand other combustibles be used to get steamup quickly and help fire the boilers of someships. Having given the order to engage,Sturdee retired to his cabin for breakfast - acool customer.Von Spee went down with the Scharnhorst.His son, Sub-Lieutenant Graf Otto Von Spee,inherited his father's title, but did not hold itfor long, as he went down with his ship, theNurnberg, hours later. Von Spee senior wasregarded as a chivalrous opponent by someofficers in the Royal Navy. Although AlfredSturdee's diary rated only a five word note ofthe Falklands victory, it was typical of themodesty of this fine, humble and gentle man.Disembarkation in Egypt2nd Field Ambulance began disembarkingon I I December, entrained at Alexandria nextday and, travelling via Cairo, arrived at MenaHouse Camp near the Pyramids in the earlyhours of 13 December. The next few days werespent collecting unit wagons and stores, pitchingbell tents, erecting hospital marquees andother tasks. On 24 December. Sturdee visitedColonel N. Howse VC. (later Major General

FATHFR AND SON ON GAI.I.IPOI 1 35Neville Howse) at Mena Hospital. These twomen were to be closely associated at Gallipoli.and from time to time Sturdee relieved Howseas ADMS of the 1st Australian Division.Sturdee had the highest possible opinion ofHowse as a doctor and administrator. OnChristmas Day. 1914 the Mena Camp ChurchParade was taken bv Chaplain W. DexterDCM (Boer War), and later DSO MC. whowas the father of David and Barrie Dexter,both outstanding Australian diplomats. (Davidis well known as the author of Vol VI OfficialHistory of the New Guinea Offensives).The first mention of Alfred and VernonSturdee being together overseas is containedin the diary note of 6 January, 1915, when hesent Vernon to Mena House Hospital wherehe remained until 13 January. At this timeVernon was 24 and serving in the RAE asAdjutant 1st Australian Division. The CREColonel G Elliott was a British Royal EngineerOfficer serving in the A.l.F.On 24 January, 2nd Field Ambulance'spatients were evacuated to No 2 GeneralHospital, Mena. Then on 26 January AlfredSturdee: "Visited Heliopolis...with Hearne (MajorHearne), called upon Colonel Maudsley atPalace Hotel which was turned into No 1General Hospital. Major Argyie took us throughand showed us the sights. Met Dunhill.Summons and Turnbull". (Major Argyie lateras Sir Stanley Argyie, was Premier of Victoriain the 1930s. Dunhill became a famous surgeonin London). General Birdwood and some ofhis staff visited Mena Camp for a ChurchParadeand March Past on 31 January. Sturdeenoted in his diary that he "lost a heel" duringthe ceremony; the diary for February andMarch refers to more field days, bivouacs,tactical schemes and other training. On 24February, he noted: "A and B Sections fieldday 3 miles out. Surgeon General Babtie VC.Inspector, visited us at bivouac".Babtie. a Boer War veteran, was presumablyInspector, Army Medical Service. The lastvisit of importance was that of the Commanderin-Chief,General Sir Ian Hamilton, whoinspected the Australian Division on 29 March1915. A Divisional exercise was held on IApril, and there was great excitement throughoutthe Division as rumours were flying aroundthe Camp about the likely destination of theforce. The name "ANZAC" was about to beforged in bloody battle.On 4 April, 2nd Field Ambulance and otherAIF units at Mena struck camp to move out.having completed their training. They werenow on their way to war. Lt-Colonel Sturdeeand his unit, less vehicles, horses and baggagetravelling separately, entrained at Cairo on 5April for Alexandria. By 0230 hrs on 6 April.they embarked on troop-ship A13 HMATMashohra: "Cast off at 7.15 am with nativepilot on board who managed the ship splendidlythrough the maze of shipping. He left usoutside at 8.45. She pitched a bit and made thefellows fearfully sick". On 9 April. Mashobraanchored in Mudros Bay, Lemnos Island at1500 hrs. Also anchored there was HMSQueen Elizabeth, Lord Nelson, Agamemnon,and other warships and transports awaitingorders. It was clear now where the force wasgoing. The troops were expectant, but fewshowed any signs of imminent danger, althoughunderneath they must have been feeling concernand uncertainty which all soldiers feel beforegoing into action. The diary for 12 Aprilrecords: "CO of units were taken on boardHMS Queen Elizabeth at 7 am. General SirIan Hamilton and his staff came also. Vice-Admiral Roebeck incommand. After quarters,inspected turrets, torpedo room, engines andfighting top. Saw dummy warships at entranceto Dardanelles. Went up west side of GallipoliPeninsula. Fired at from the shore". This entryin the diary reveals that the Queen Elizabethwith the Commander-in-Chief, his staff andCommanding Officers of Allied units on board,made a reconnaissance run, in full view of theenemy to the Dardanelles entrance and alongthe Gallipoli Peninsula Coast from Helles toSuvla, in the course of which they drew enemyfire from the shore.Between 13 and 22 April, the diary showsthat Vernon visited his father three times.Vernon was on the Minnewaska, the DivisionalHeadquarters ship. On one visit: "Vernonbrought a message that ADMS wanted to seeme, so went on Minnewaska". It brought greatjoy when they were together. The diary for 24April reads: "Weighed anchor at 5.10 am, leftMudros Harbour preceded by Clan McGillivraywhich we afterwards overtook. At the exitwe were overtaken by Minnewaska. At 10 amwe cast anchor in Purnea Bay. By eveningthere are nine transports anchored. At 7 pmsighted five cruisers".

36 DEFENCE FORCE JOURNAL No. 81 March April 1990Panorama of the fleet in Lemnos Harbour before the landing at Gallipoli. (AWM P196/15/09)At Gallipoli-The Name "ANZAC"Forged in Blood for Posterity25 April: "Got up at 5 am and found we werejust off Gi.llipoli Peninsula, having startedabout 11.30 the previous evening. The bombardingof the shore, especially Gaba Tepe, hadstarted by some of the cruisers Bacchante".(Midshipman Eric Bush aged 15 serving in theBacchante was awarded the D.S.O., the youngestever, for his bravery at a beach landing. Inlater service he was awarded 3 D.S.O.sthe lastfor service at the Normandv landing in WorldWar 2, Bush died, age 85 in June, 1985)."On the north side the covering party, 3rd Bdewere being landed in boats towed by destroyers.Between 6.30 and 7 am the Foxhound camealongside to land our A Echelon including thethree bearer sub-sections of 2 Fd. Amb. On theDestroyer were 6 or 7 seriously woundedmen...removed to Clan McGillivray. Between9.30 and 10 am. we were shelled from shore,one shot going close to our bows and anotherbetween bridge and funnel. We weighed anchorand stood off...". Later the beach became socongested with wounded, that the darknessmade it extremely difficult for anyone to picktheir way through the stretchers holding thewounded which covered the whole width ofthe beach for several hundred yards. It becamean almost impossible task to deal with thewounded and dead. The beach had all thecharacteristics of a slaughterhouse. Sturdeedoes not dwell on the mass destruction of lifeand limb or the deplorable conditions ofterrain, climate, disease and disease carryinginsects, nor does he mention the terrible dietand scarcity of water.For the next two days extremely heavy casualtieswere brought abroad for treatment by 2ndField Ambulance doctors and staff while theship shuttled between Anzac Beach area andMudros Bay evacuating patients. On 29 April.when Sturdee was informed by Fleet SurgeonMcMillan that Mashohra would be used as ahospital ship, he wrote: "Turned to and madeall troop and promenade decks available forthe reception and fitted up operating theatres.Fleet Surgeon Folliot and Surgeon Vineycame to assist us. The casualties started tocome in about 3 hours after in boat loads.Kept busy till after midnight". This became anightly experience. The tempo of the battlewas in sharp contrast to the more leisurelyexperiences in the Boer War.In this initial period of great activity, a fewbrief side notes on casualties were jotted in the

I \ I III l< \N[> SON ON GA1 I ll'ol I 37diary. These refer to some soldiers by nameand the nature of their injuries, or death insome cases, such as bullet or shrapnel wounds,amputations, ruptured kidney, a couple ofscalp wounds and one. perhaps a member ofhis unit, about whom wrote: "28 April PteWebster shot dead in back bending overattending to a wounded man in shallow trench-...Major surgery and wound dressing continuedseemingly at a frantic pace and for verylong hours until 1 May when the Mashobrasailed from Anzac with a load of wounded, 10officers. 395 other ranks "Australians, NZ.RMLI and Indians", bound for Alexandria.There the patients were sent to hospitals inAlexandria or Cairo by motor ambulances ortrain".For 5 May, the diary noted: "ASC disembarkedwagons", and next day, "Disembarkedthe balance of Transport Division and 50horses to camp at Alexandria. Only Tent Sub-Division of 2 Fd Amb remaining on board".Then it was back to Anzac where he transferredto HS Seang Choon. On 15 May hewrote "General Bridges wounded in thigh.taken on HS Gascon". Bridges died 3 dayslater en route to Alexandria. His KCMG wasawarded the day before his death. Whilst hewas dying. Bridges told Colonel Howse, hisADMS, to make sure that the Minister forDefence. George Pearce, (later Sir George)was informed that he (Bridges) was sorry thathis despatches concerning the landing at AnzacCove were not complete, as he was too tired tocomplete them now. At this time he was nearlydead. Sturdee was upset at Bridges death as heknew him well and regarded him as an outstandingsoldier.Part of Sturdee's 2nd Field Ambulancetook part in the dreadful disaster at Krithiawhen the 2 Australian Brigade, consisting ofthe 5,6. 7 and 8 Battalions were sent in to assistthe British and French troops who had sufferedfrightful casualties.The British Commander. MajorGeneral SirAylmer H unter-Weston. flung the unfortunateAIF troops into mass attacks on three successivedays. On the first occasion, with only a fewminutes warning.General Hamilton described how the AIFwent into action - "Men rose. fell. ran. rushedin waves, broke, recoiled, crumbled away anddisappeared".Sturdee's troops established an AdvancedDressing Station in a forward position, whichwas often under fire and his stretcher bearershad to evacuate the most dangerous casesback to a British Casualty Clearing Station onthe beach. The two man stretcher teamsworked for 24 hours at times without reliefunder enemy fire. Often they carried thewounded two miles to the beachhead.Fortunately, the dedicated work of a fewbearers earned them the Distinguished ConductMedal for their conspicuous bravery. Therewere many "Simpsons" at Gallipoli and theydid not all have a donkey. "The Charge of theLight Brigade" was like a "bush picnic" comparedwith what went on at Krithia. The WhiteGurkhas, by Ron Austin, gives a devastatingdescription of the battle.On 30 May, Sturdee was shot at in hisboat on his way to the ADMS at DivisionalHQ. There he was delighted to meet Vernon.They had much to talk about, including newsfrom home. There were few opportunities forthem to get together as they were both extremelybusy attending to their own arduous anddangerous activities. However, there was avery close relationship between them, not onlyon Gallipoli but also on the Western Front inlater years. Vernon worried about his ageingfather's safety under the extremely dangerousconditions. Likewise, the father had similarworries about his son, who had a young wifeand young son back in Australia. The worryabout loved ones thousands of miles back inAustralia was a thought ever-present with allservicemen. The greater the danger and thegreater the distance, the greater the worry.Most soldiers wondered whether they wouldever see their loved ones again.Some babies were born after the soldiers leftAustralia and were never seen by their fatherskilled in action. Others who did survive wonderedif they would ever see the baby 10.000 ormore miles back in Australia. (1 can understandand appreciate the unnerving feeling because Idid not see my son until I had returned fromNorth West Europe in October 1945. He wasthen in his second year). On 10th June.Alfred wrote that he and Vernon were undershrapnel fire. Vernon was hit twice withoutany bad wound resulting. By the end of May.conditions on Gallipoli were dreadful. Plaguesof flies bred on the rotting corpses of enemydead which had been left behind the Turkishlines when the Anzacs fell back to their new

38 DEFENCE FORCE JOl'RNAl. No 81 March April 1990positions. Besides faeces, rotting foodscrapsand dung from donkeys and mules all providedbreeding grounds for the myriads of flies. Itwas not surprising that epidemics of diarrhoea,dysentery, hepatitis, enteric fever and otherserious health problems caused concern. Whilstit was possible to improve the AIF hygiene, itbecame almost impossible to control the fliesand the never ending plagues of fleas and lice.There was little sleep for the soldiers whospent most of their leisure time scratching orsearching for lice eggs in the seams of theirclothes.Troops were allowed only one pint of waterper day for shaving and washing, so skincomplaints were also epidemic. All told it wasa dreadful health problem for the medicalauthorities. It was fortunate that ColonelHowse was there to provide a driving force totry to improve conditions - it was like a hell onearth. Medical evacuations were more numerousthan battle casualties. Howse was on thebeach shortly after the landing organising anarea for a Casualty Clearing Station and for1st. 2nd and 3rd Field Ambulances.It is hard to understand that dentists were notprovided for the Army. Before long thisbecame a great problem - anyone with atoothache had it pulled out by other soldiers.or if lucky, by a doctor. After an extraction, itwas extremely painful to eat the hard armybiscuits, with or without dental plates. The foodwas dreadful, which added to the healthproblems; however, the empty tins made excellentcases for making bombs. Sturdee sentsome very critical reports about the oversightof the authorities, but it took some time beforethe first dentists were sent from Australia. Bythe end of 1915, there were only 15 dentists forthe whole of the AIF abroad. Sturdee got onwell with Howse. and it is a measure of hisability that the ADMS always used him forrelief purposes. There is frequent mention ofSturdee visiting forward trenches to see conditionsfor himself and details of his talks withsenior officers and the troops. Vernon tried todissuade his father from visiting the front linestoo often.Alfred Sturdee Evacuated SickAlfred Sturdee continued his health-breaking,stressful work with complete dedication-he gave it his all - but at age 52, he could notkeep up the pace because of chest problemsand sheer overwork. By August, his health hadseriously declined, and on August 22 he wrote:"Taken over ill to HS Gloucester Castle.The next day he was transferred to the troopshipand ambulance carrier Franconia, whichsailed from Mudros on 25 August, calledat Malta on the 28 29th and Gibraltar from 31August to 5 September, arriving in England atPlymouth on 8 September. He went byambulance train to London and on 9September: "Arrived at Paddington 3 am,being delayed on account of air raid onLondon. Motored to 3rd London GeneralHospital, Paddington". His diary notes do notreveal the nature of his illness or treatment,but on 13 September he was medicallyboarded and granted 3 weeks leave. In thattime he spent a week at Tunbridge Wells andvisited Droxford and Portsmouth. His notefor the Portsmouth visit shows: "Visited Portsmouthwith Margaret". (Margaret was hisbrother Doveton's daughter, and she marriedCaptain Staveley R.N, who was the seniorNavy Officer, and later principal beachmasterat the evacuation of Gallipoli).On 29 September he wrote: "Went toChatham for medical board. Returned toLondon and then to Kensington". The nextnote is on 19 October "Left for Southhamptonto board HS Karoola. "Steamed outsame afternoon". After a brief stop at Malta aweek later, he arrived at Port Said on 29October and the next day "left by train forCairo and reported". On 10 November heboarded HS "Seang Choon at Alexandria,arrived at Mudros on the 13th and returned toAnzac Cove on the El Kaluma. on 17November.His diary note of 29 November simply states:"Appointed ADMS (temporarily) vice Col.Howse VC CB transferred". (Neville ReginaldHowse - 1864 1930 - won his VC for conspicuousbravery at Vredefort, South Africa inJuly, 1900, while serving with military forcesfrom the Colony of New South Wales, rose tothe rank of Major-General AAMC AIF inWorld War I. He became DGMS of the AMF1921 22. and later, Australian Minister forDefence 1925,27, and Minister for Health1928 ' 29. He died in England in 1930. He was avery great Australian and he was the father of

FATHFR AND SON ON GAI I IPOl I 59Asceneof thedeckof the Minnewaska, on 25th April 1915, whilstthe Australians were waiting to disembark for thelanding on Gallipoli. (AWM G902)The divisional headquarters staff wading ashore at Gallipoli. on 25th April 1915. The officer with the spade isthough to be Colonel Foote. (AWM G903)

411 DEFENCE FORCE JOURNAL No. 81 March April 1990John Howse, a past member of the House ofRepresentatives).The next diary note is "8 Dec Col Howsearrived from Egypt". On 10 December:"Consultation with Howse re evacuation ofAnzac". Sturdee was very heavily involvedwith the planning for the expected heavycasualties during the evacuation and it wasanticipated that medical units would be leftbehind to look after the wounded who couldnot be embarked. A letter was written inFrench and addressed to the enemy Commanderin-Chiefrequesting that a British Hospitalship be allowed to embark the wounded on thefollowing day. This ship was to be handed overto the Turks, if necessary. The entries thatfollow are: " 15 Dec HQ (Anzac Gully) left byboat from Hospital Pier8.50and got on boardHeroic'."16 Dec. Landed at Sarpi, Lemnos", andfinally "19 Dec. Final evacuation of Anzacand Suvla." All the wounded had been evacuatedso there was no need for any medicalstaff to stay. As mentioned earlier. CaptainCM. Staveley RN (later Rear Admiral StavelevCB CMG DSO) was the senior Royal NavyTransport Officer and Principal Beachmasterfor the evacuation. It should never be forgottenthat it was the Royal Navy which had to getthe AIF safely off the beaches and away.Sometimes, one would be excused for thinkingthat the AIF got themselves away from Gallipoli;at least some historians would have usbelieve that, by their writings and their neglectof the Navy's role.Staveley and Captain A D E H Bovle of theBacchante worked closely with the brilliantBrudenall White (later General Sir BrudenallWhite), chief AIF Planner. Together theyworked out the remarkable evacuation plan.Covering the actual evacuation. Bean wrote-"Colonel Paton, (7th Brigade) with his staffofficer Wisdom. Captain Staveley RN, Littlerand one or two others embarked on CaptainStaveley's small steam boat". (Vol II page896). At ten past four, a sailor (presumablyStaveley) gave the order "Let go all over - rightaway" (Mo ore head's Gallipoli, page 289).Geoffrey Searle, in his book "Monash" quotesthe same order "Let go all over-right away",which Monash had written in his diary letterto cover the last party remaining on shore(page 249).Colonel Paton was the last Army man toleave the shore, no doubt Staveley was the lastman to step aboard his steamboat and give thefinal order. It is of interest to note that in 1986when the present First Sea Lord of the Admirality.Admiral Sir William Staveley, was addressingthe Defence Academy in Canberra, hementioned that his father had been the PrincipalBeachmaster at Anzac and Cape Helles. Unfortunatelythere is nothing to show whetherColonel Sturdee knew then that the man whowould marry his niece, Margaret, was to be inthe last steam boat to leave the shore. Sturdeereturned to Egypt from Lemnos on 15 February,1916, where he received a wire fromGeneral Birdwood congratulating him on hisaward of the Commander of the Order of St.Michael and St. George (CMG).Note 1 - Captain Staveley had a veryunusual service career. He was in command ofa gunboat on the Nile during operations in theSudan including battles at Atbara and Khartoum.With Major J.K. Watson KRR heraised the British Flag over Gordon's Palace atthe relief of Khartoum on 4 September.1898, in the presence of General Kitchener. Hewas attached to the Egyptian Army in 1898 99and accompanied the Spanish Army operatingin Morocco in 1909. He joined the AdmiraltyWar Staff in 1914, serving under DovetonSturdee, specialising in Signals. After theGallipoli evacuation he was Senior Officer of adetached Squadron in the Northern Aegean,attached to staff of GOC-in-C British SalonicaForce for occupation of the Dardanelles andBosphorus, then Naval Attache at Constantinopleduring the Armistice 1918-1920. Later,he flew his flag in Valiant as Rear Admiraland ADC to King George V. In addition to hisBritish decorations, he was appointed anOfficer of the Legion d'Honneur and Officer.Order of the Redeemer. As mentioned previously,he married Margaret Sturdee, and theyhad 2 daughters and one son.The General's HorseThere has been very little humour in thestory so perhaps I can be excused for telling astory about Captain Staveley and his dealings

FATHER AND SON ON GAI.l ll'OI I 41Major E.M Williams. Brigadier-General Chauvel and Captain W.P. Farr at the 3rd Section. Courtney's Post isshown in the distance. (AWM G1328)with the French Army landing at V beach, on26 April 1915, where he was beach master.One of the French officers approachedStaveley on the beach and told him that theFrench General's valuable horse would bearriving at night. It would be easily recognisedbecause it was a well-bred Arab with a very,very long tail. Staveley arranged for a numberof French soldiers who had been fishermanbefore the war to look out for the long-tailedhorse which could be difficult to recognise atnight.Next morning, whilst Staveley was resting.in his dugout, after working all night, he waswoken by the ear-shattering noise of theFrench General, who threatened to "clamphim in irons". Apparently the General had hishorse delivered without some of its tail andwas bent on revenge. After some time Staveleysuggested that they go down to the beach andmake enquiries from the beach head staff. Onapproaching the beach, the General suddenlymade a sudden ear-splitting roar and rushed tothe gun wale of a grounded ship, where fishingquietly among all the action were a couple ofold French fishermen turned soldiers. '*****-***** *******^ snouted the General, literallybanging their heads together and holding uptheir fishing lines. 'Look at the tail of mybeautiful horse'.We do not know what happened to thefishermen!Note 2 - Captain Boyle (later Admiral SirAlgernon Boyle) had been Lieutenant in chargeof the Naval guard of Honour at the funeralservice for Queen Victoria in 1901. When thehorses pulling the gun carriage carrying thecoffin became almost uncontrollable the quickthinking Boyle drew his sword and cut the

4: DEFENCE FORCE JOURNAL No. 81 March April 1990Lord Kitchener shaking hands with the French Commander-in-Chief. The officer behind Lord KitchenerLieutenant-General Sir W.R. Birdwood, commanding Anzac Corps. (AWM G561)traces. He then ordered the sailors to pull thedrag ropes. Since that time the R.N. has hadthe honourof pulling the drag ropes of the guncarriage carrying a deceased monarch. Thusare service traditions created and observed.Vernon Sturdee's ServiceBorn 16 April. 1890 at Frankston, Victoria,died 25 May, 1966 at RGH Heidelberg, Victoria,Vernon has been mentioned many timesin the above narrative. It is now intended togive an abbreviated summary of his activitieson Gallipoli. In fact, his service during hisArmy career would make a first-class biography,which could be sponsored either bythe Australian Defence Academy or the ArmySchool of Engineering. He was appointed asAdjutant to the CRE. 1 Australian Division,and embarked on 21 October, 1914 for theMiddle East. He sailed in the same convoy ashis father, but not in the same ship, and asmentioned earlier, his first meeting overseaswith his father was on 6 January, 1915, inEgypt. At that time he was sick and he wasdespatched to Mena House Hospital. Therewas little time for visits to his father in Egyptbecause both were extremely busy preparingand training their units for operations. On thetrip to Lemnos, Vernon was on the 5.5.Minnewaska, which was used as a HQ ship forthe detailed planning for the attack on Gallipoli.The Minnewaska was a converted CanadianPacific Liner. Between 13 and 22 April,father and son saw each other 3 times whenVernon was able to visit his father's ship atMudros on the island of Lemnos.On the night of 23 April, Birdwood and hisservice staff moved to the Queen. Bridges andhis staff moved to the Prince of Wales. Sturdeementions that General Birdwood gave a "verygood and heartening talk in the main lounge".Sturdee regarded Birdwood as a very friendlyman who always took an interest in juniorofficers and made a point of talking to themfreely. Later he was to be idolised by the AIFand affectionately known by the troops as"Birdie". Birdwood was aware that the Stur-

FA I MFR AM) SON ON GAFFIPOFI 43Lieutenant Watson supervising the building of the Pier at Anzac in June 1915. (AWM G1046)

44 DEFENCE FORCE JOL'RNAL \o. 81 March April 1990dees, father and son. would be on Gallipolitogether. He knew also that Alfred Sturdee'sbrother was the hero of the Falkland Islands.At 9pm on 24 April the Minnewaska sailedfrom Lemnos. There was no time for sleep thatnight. On Sunday 25 April, 1915, the 3rd Brigadelanded on the beach between Fisherman'sHut and GabaTepe. and after a bayonet charge.won the sea side ridges. 2nd Brigade followedand then 1st Brigade. Sturdee accompaniedthe CRE., Lt. Col. G. Elliott, leaving the shipbefore 9 am. By this time. 1st, 2nd and 3rdField Companies (Engineers) were ashore andthere was plenty of lead and high explosiveflying everywhere on the beaches. A prioritytask for the sappers was to find water; even theCRE and Sturdee walked south along thebeach looking for it and they found some."Williams was getting the supply ready". (LieutenantT.R. Williams, affectionately known as"Toe", later became Director of Signals fordifferent periods after WWI. In WW2 MajorGeneral Williams was MGO, and later ChiefMilitary Adviser to the Ministry of Munitions.I served as his Director of Army Research,Design and Development for a period in1942 43. "Toe" Williams was a most colourful,knowledgable officer. He was an excellent"boss" and there are many stories told abouthim. He certainly had charisma).Sturdee was kept very busy keeping checkon the situation involving the 3 Field companiesof the Division. There was a multiplicity oftasks and some which were never envisaged inpre-battle planning, e.g. "making bombs",digging tunnels to mention only two. By 2May. he had his own Company, two sectionsof which were "flat out" preparing home madebombs to throw into the adjacent Turkishtrenches. The bombs were made from discardedjam and condensed milk tins which were filledwith small pieces of barbed wire and smallpieces of metal packed with explosive. Theywere highly lethal. Soldiers of both sides kepta sharp lookout for the missiles which wereconspicuous by the hissing fuze.Some troops became skilled in catching thebomb in mid-air and hurling it back to itssource. Sturdee's sappers did not mind makingthe bombs because they could sit down on thejob. They soon learned not to smoke whilstworking because of the explosive; however, ittook several explosions to convince them. On18 May. the big attack by the Turks tookplace at night with "7000 enemy casualties,ours about 500". The dead and many of thewounded remained between the enemy andAustralian trenches. The conditions becamedeplorable with the stench of the fly-blownLietuenant-General, Sir William Birdwood, GeneralOfficer Commanding ANZAC. (AWM G1222)

FATHER AND SON ON GALL1POU 45and decaying bodies. Sturdee tells that anArmistice was agreed on 24 May from 7.30am to 4.30 pm. The nine hours cessation ofhostilities gave both sides the opportunity tobury their dead and recover the wounded. Inthis period there were some examples offraternisation, and in a few isolated cases, giftsof cigarettes were exchanged. At 4.30 pm theghastly battle resumed. During the truce bothsides took the opportunity to study the other'sterritory, but tried to hide their interest. Nocameras were allowed by either side.On 25 May, Sturdee watched the HMSTriumph sinking after it had been torpedoed.Triumph had been one of the escorts whichhad been used from Lemnos to Gallipoli. Atthe landing it had a vital role to play - itsseaward light was used as a marker for theboats taking the troops to the shore.It was now clear that a stalemate had beenreached in the offensive. At all vital points theenemy's defences were being strengthened andto attack from the front was suicidal. This leftonly one means of overcoming the strongdefences - undermining them and blowingthem up. General Birdwood decided the bestchance of successful assaults was by tunnellingbeneath the enemy at the Nek, Popes, RussellsCourtneys, Ryries, Lone Pine. Quinns. theApex and other defences.It is not generally known that tunnel warfarebecame the dominating means of attack byboth sides. The Turks, under German guidanceand Australian example, also became formidableat tunnelling. The magnitude of theunderground warfare is well covered in Bean'sThe Story of Anzac Vol II. Sturdee had fourSections of his 5th Field Company workingunderground at the Nek, Pope's. Quinn's andCourtney's. Sturdee's notes give a vivid descriptionof the underground work and its dangers.He became absorbed in developing workpractices and procedures and the problems forwhich few had any experience, He had a mostinventive mind. He describes the problems ofillumination for the digging parties and thehazards of explosive or foul gas in the confinedtunnels. The bravery of his own troops inrescuing their mates from fire, explosions andpoisonous gas in the tunnels is well documentedby recommendations for gallantry awards.Sturdee describes some of the hand to handbattles underground when one or the othersuddenly broke through into enemy galleriesor were trying to undermine the other's position.At one stage he was trying to develop agas mask for his troops, and to developsuitable equipment for use in the tunnels forlistening posts to detect enemy working underground.Sturdee had his fair share of shrapnelhits and sickness. He was evacuated twice forhospital treatment for enteric fever and forserious damage to his stomach lining frominternal burns due to too much"Condy's Crystals"being put into drinking water by thehygiene section. He was to suffer stomachproblems from this incident for the rest of hislife. The visits to his father were limited, butthis did not decrease his worry, because heknew his father never hesitated to get as farforward as he could. Sturdee senior was afearless soldier, and this had been inherited byhis son.On 26 November. 1915, Vernon Sturdeedescribes a "silence stunt", which had beenordered the previous day and was then in fulloperation. Originally the stunt was to last 48hours, but this was extended for a further 24hours. During the exercise the troops had beenordered to fire no rifles or grenades, unlessthey were attacked by enemy. The object wasto make the Turks think that our force wasbeing evacuated and to provoke them intolaunching an attack. In hindsight we knowthat this exercise was part of the plan todeceive the enemy when the evacuation waseventually in operation.The notes give little personal detail - everythingseemed to revolve around work. Forexample, there is no mention of the famous"Waterloo Dinner" which has great historicsignificance to the RAE and RA Signals. TheDinner was held on 18 June, 1915, in a dugoutat Gallipoli. It was organised bv that excellent"Sapper" Officer. Lt Col C.H" Goott, AA &QMG, of 1st Australian Division (later BrigadierGeneral) to commemorate the Battle ofWaterloo Centenary; thirteen officers attendedincluding Vernon Sturdee. It happened also tobe the day when Captain Watson's pier wascompleted. Copies of the menu of the Dinnerhave received a fairly wide distribution withinthe "Sappers" and "Signals" Officers circles.The Waterloo Dinner is now commemoratedevery year on 18 June with due respect andceremony. Sturdee always attended and wastreated with great respect. The younger officersnever tired of hearing his description of the

46 DEFENCE FORCE JOURNAL No. 81 March April 1990The dug-outs of the 2nd and 3rd Australian Field Ambulance at Anzac Cove. (AWM C1734)actual dinner at Gallipoli and he was alwaysglad to tell them.On 16 December, 1915, Sturdee met Bean,who was looking at the plans for the evacuationand the magnitude of the tunnelling, also, theproposals for blowing the mines under someof the Turkish defences at the completion oftheevacuation. The quantities of high explosiveused was most impressive, several tons in someplaces, which explains the terrific "bang"when they were detonated.On the same day, Sturdee was directed tostart getting rid of surplus weapons, stores andequipment and be ready to move his unit outat 4.30 pm. Bean recorded in his Diary of 17December. 1915. that he watched "Sturdee'sSappers burning their rifles, picks, shovels,tubing, and breaking the pumps, then hewent "home" and destroyed his own possessions"including his home made furniture andput a knife through the waterproof sheetswhich I left in my dug out. Somehow I don'tlike to think of that furniture as a curiosity insome Turkish officers home". (Note - Beanwrote up his Diary the day after he visitedSturdee, which explains the difference in dates,i.e. 16 17 December).They arrived at the beach at 6 pm and

FATHER AND SON ON GAl l.IPOLl•TLieutenant Colonel C.B. White and Colonel N.R. Howse outside the 1st Division Headquarters, White Gully inAugust, 1915. (AWM G1329)embarked on the Prince A bbas at 8 pm. Nextday at 1 am they sailed for Mudros, reachingthere on 17 December, on the day after hisfather had arrived. Sturdee does not give anydetail of his thoughts on leaving Gallipoli.Colonel Alfred Sturdee and his son. MajorVernon Sturdee had both arrived on Lemnossafe and well, after distinguished service onGallipoli, but in a short time, both would bewith the A1F fighting in the blood baths of theSomme and other "killing" grounds in Franceand Belgium. 1 intend to give a short summaryof their impressive service after Gallipoli whichfollows as an epilogue.One can readily imagine the feeling of reliefby father and son that they had survivedGallipoli. Each had not only to think andponder over his own safety, but equally forthat of the other. As we will see this was to berepeated in France.Colonel Alfred Sturdee CMG VDColonel Alfred Sturdee commenced serviceon the Western Front on 30 March, 1916 asADMS of 1 Australian Division. The notesmention service at many places well known toAustralians: Sailly-Sur-La-Lys. Merris. Hoograaf,St Omer. Menin Gate, Vignacourt,Passchendale. Ypres, Baillieul, Bullecourt etc.He was horrified and distressed at the terriblecasualties, dead and wounded, on the WesternFront. Following on his service at Gallipoli, itwas amazing that a man of this age was able to

4S DEFFNCE FORCE JOl'RNAL No. XI March April 1990serve so long and so well. On 21 November,1916. Sturdee was evacuated from the Frontwith chronic bronchial disability. On 3 December,he visited his brother. Admiral Sir DovetonSturdee. then with the Grand Fleet at ScapaFlow. (This was the last time the brothers wereto meet. Alfred Sturdee had great pride andadmiration for Doveton's service and that ofhis son, later Admiral Sir Lionel Sturdee Bt,whose daughter. Elizabeth, is the wife ofAdmiral of the Fleet. Sir Edward Ashmore, exChief of the UK Defence Staff. As mentionedelsewhere, Doveton Sturdee's grandson is thepresent First Sea Lord). On returning toLondon, he was met by his son. Lt. ColonelVernon Sturdee, who had been promoted aBattalion Commander at age 26, and he wason leave.On 10 February, 1917, Sturdee Senior embarkedfor return to Australia and arrived inMelbourne on 12 April, where he took upduty as DDMS 3rd Military District and laterDirector of Medical Services, RepatriationDepartment, until he retired.(Note by Brigadier K.R. Co I will — It was aneminently sensible arrangement for an officerof Colonel Sturdee's calibreand experienceofwar, to be appointed to a senior post in thenewly formed Australian Repatriation Department.As the conscientious, caring and skilledphysician that he was. he continued in thiscapacity to serve his country for the remainderof World War I and some years later.Mrs. Margret Buckley, daughter of the lateLieutenant-General Sir Vernon Sturdee. remembersher grandfather clearly as being a meticulousman, warmly regarded by his patients andheld in high esteem by men, women andchildren alike. His exceptionally strong idealsof patriotism and duty were well balanced byhis likeable nature and his loveable and calmdisposition. He had an unhurried manner,which in situations of stress earned the admirationof many, and as a genuinely nice person tobe with, his company was eagerly sought byothers. He died in Melbourne, aged 76. on19 June, 1939).Lt. Colonel V.A.H. Sturdee D.S.O.Following his service on Gallipoli, VernonSturdee made rapid progress up the militaryladder on the Western Front. He was ActingCRE. 4th Division, by 4 January, 1917. Thefollowing month he was CO. of the 4thPioneer Battalion, at age 26. Later he wasCRE 5th Division and in March. 1918. wasappointed to the General Staff of GeneralHaig's GHQ. Until Sturdee was appointed.Haig had refused to accept AIF officers(Colonials) forstaff appointments on GHQ inspite of protracted argument between theAustralian Prime Minister. Mr. W.M. Hughesand the British Government. However, somebright person decided to put up "the nephewof Admiral of the Fleet, Sir Doveton Sturdeefor an appointment". Haig could hardly refusewithout giving offence. Thus, Sturdee wasaccepted and served out the War at GHQ.Several other AIF officers were appointed.Sturdee finished the war DSO and OBE. Hereturned to Melbourne in November. 1918, nodoubt lucky to return after four years of highrisk active service. He was badly wounded inFrance and had several minor wounds andnear misses both at Gallipoli and in Europe.In between the two World Wars he heldvarious Staff appointments and attended theStaff College at Quetta and the ImperialDefence College in London. Also, he served atthe War Office. In October, 1939. Sturdee wasappointed GOC Eastern Command and waspromoted from Colonel to Lieutenant-Generalin one promotion to the top appointmentoutside of Army HQ's. Later he was appointedGOC 8 Division. He voluntarily accepted adrop in rank to Major General to get thisactive command. Following the death of SirBrudenall White, Sturdee was appointed CGSon 30 August, 1940. on the strong recommendationof General Sir Harry Chauvel. After thefall of Singapore in February, 1942 an exchangeof terse cablegrams took place between Curtinand Churchill about the return of the AIF toAustralia. Churchill wanted to send the forceto Burma.At this time the troops were all in convertedpassenger ships and their fighting equipmentwas, in some instances, a thousand milesbehind them. If they had landed in Burma,they would have had nothing to fight with - Iknow because I was in the convoy. Sturdeewas determined that 7 Division and Corpstroops should be returned to defend an almostdefenceless Australia. At that time, over 120,000

FATHER AND SON ON GALLIPOL1 44A1F were overseas, the RAN was scattered allover the oceans and the RAAF was fightingmainly over Europe. The equipment situationwas deplorable.Sturdee told the War Cabinet that he wouldresign if his recommendation was not approvedand he meant every word that he said. PrimeMinister, John Curtin. accepted the adviceand informed Churchill accordingly. Churchillhad turned the AIF convoy towards Burmawithout awaiting the approval of the AustralianGovernment. This incident is covered in theOfficial History by Lionel Wigmore. TheJapanese Thrust, page 465: "It is now evidentthat the 7th Division would have arrived onlyin time to...take part in the long retreat toIndia. In that event it could not have beenreturned to Australia, rested and sent to NewGuinea in time to perform the crucial role itwas to carry out in the defeat of the Japaneseoffensive which would open there in July,1942. The Allied cause therefore was wellserved in sound judgement and solid persistenceof General Sturdee who maintained his adviceagainst that of the Chiefs of Staff in Londonand Washington". Sturdee won this importantdecision.It will be remembered that 21 Brigade andothers under Brigadier Potts fought the Japsto a standstill in the Kokoda Trail Battle. The18 Brigade performed with distinction atMilne Bay, and the 25 Brigade chased theenemy from Kokoda back to the beach head atBuna. 7 Australian Division performed withgreat distinction throughout the New GuineaCampaign and after.In retrospect. Sturdee's decision to bring 7Division back was crucial to the defence ofAustralia. In his book The Commanders,published in 1984. David Horner wrote ofSturdee: "He was the rock on which the Army.and indeed the Government rested during theweeks of panic in early 1942".On the return of General Blarney in March,1942, Sturdee remained CGS until he wasappointed Head of the Australian Staff inWashington, to put aggressively Australia'scase for manpower and war material, in thehighest military circles in the United States. Itwill be recalled that at this time Churchill andRoosevelt had decided on a "beat Hitler first"policy, and although Australia was to beregarded as the major base for operationsagainst Japan in the SW Pacific Area, it wasgetting precious little help. More equipmentand manpower had to be provided to the Areaif Australia was to be held. General MacArthur.John Curtin and Dr. Evatt fought for thePacific theatre, to at least get some help.Sturdee argued strongly in Washington puttingAustralia's case, and eventually Churchill andRoosevelt released the men and equipmentwhich turned the tide against the enemy. Onreturning to Australia in 1944. Sturdee wasappointed GOC HQ 1 Australian Army, whichwas the highest field command, with HQ inLae. He served there until the end of the war.After General Blarney had accepted thesurrender of the Japanese Forces on behalf ofthe Australian Government, Sturdee took thesurrender of the Japanese Army and NavyForces in 1 Army Area of responsibility. Thistook place on board HMS Glory the R.N.aircraft carrier, of Rabaul on 6 September.1945. The swords used by General Imamuraand Admiral Kusaka in the ceremony, togetherwith Sturdee's sword were presented to theNational War Memorial by Lady Sturdee inFebruary. 1982. The Instrument of Surrenderwas donated also to the War Memorial, and aduplicate to the Naval and Military Club,Melbourne. On the retirement of GeneralBlarney in December. 1945, General Sturdeewas appointed Acting Commander-in-Chiefand directed by the Government to re-introducethe Military Board system.Sturdee again became Chief of the GeneralStaff in March. 1946. He did much to set thepost-war Army on a sound footing, and had thesupport of the Chifley Government. It isinteresting to note that he had been firstappointed CGS by the Menzies Governmentin 1940. and re-appointed by the ChifleyGovernment in 1946. He regarded the appointmentalways as a-political. He was equallycomfortable in the presence of Chifley. Curtin.Fadden or Menzies. He was determined tokeep the wartime association with the US andthe UK Armies in peace, as it had been in war.He made frequent visits to see Field MarshalLord Montgomery in London, and General ofthe Army Eisenhower in Washington. Montgomeryreturned the visit. Sturdee also visitedthe British Commonwealth Occupation Forcein Japan, and as Chairman of the Joint Chiefsof Staff in Melbourne, he had the overall

50 DEFENCE FORCE JOl'RNAL No. 8! March April 1990responsibility for the British component inJapan.In 1965, Sturdee was invited by BrigadierSir William Hall to lead the 50th Anzac DayMarch in Melbourne, but due to illness, hewas unable to do so. Later he was admitted toSt Andrew's Hospital, Melbourne, but when itbecame clear that he had a terminal illness, hedirected his daughter and myself to advise theRepatriation Department that he wished todie amongst the "old Diggers" at Heidelberg.To him, Heidelberg was "hallowed ground",as it was also to Field Marshal Sir ThomasBlarney. (Sturdee had great respect and loyaltyto Blarney, who he regarded as the bestGeneral to lead Australian forces during thegrim years 1942-1945. He advised Curtin ofthis in 1942).Lieutenant General Sir Vernon Sturdeedied at RGH. Heidelberg on 25 May. 1966. Ihope that the Government realise the importancethat these two famous soldiers gave toHeidelberg Repatriation General Hospital, asBlarney also died there, on 27 March, 1951.Sturdee was given a Military Funeral atwhich the Anglican Chaplain from Heidelbergtook the Service. His boyhood friend at MelbourneGrammar School, Sir Edmund Herring,was the Principal Pall Bearer. Sturdee hadalways admired the gifted Herring.In conclusion, Alfred and Vernon Sturdeewere both very modest men, who never soughtthe limelight - in fact, it could be said that theyboth shunned it. It would surprise both toknow that their record of service to theAustralian nation in peace and war wassufficiently important to be a subject for the75th Anniversary of their landing with theANZACS at Anzac Cove, and their evacuationfrom Gallipoli the same year by theRoyal Navy.Vernon Sturdee was often heard to remarkon the magnificent achievement of the RN ingetting the AIF away from the beaches. The75th Anniversary of ANZAC is a time toremember the part played, not only by ourcourageous soldiers, but also the gallantry ofthe Royal Naval officers and men.This old soldier salutes and remembers theRoyal Navy and the ANZACS with devotion,for their magnificent performance and sacrificeat Gallipoli. May their tradition forged inblood and fire on the beaches and cliffs atAnzac Cove never be forgotten by all Austra-Admiral Sir Doveton Sturdeeand Colonel Alfred Sturdeeon board HMSHercu/esatScapa Flow on 3rd December1916.Hans, irrespective of their origins, but inparticular may they ever be remembered by ourCommonwealth and State Governments andParliaments.It was Australia's proudest moment andthat is why the landing on Gallipoli broughtnationhood to our Country. As a small boy,70 years ago, I remember our Victorian StateSchool newspaper always included a poem onthe ANZACS in its April edition — to this dayI can remember and quote the verse:"On the 25th April far across the seaOur brave Australian soldiers stormedGallipoliAnd its to their death and gloryHow they scaled the heights... ""I wonder what they are taught now???

FATHER AND SON ON GALL1POL1 51Anzac Day is a day when old ex-servicemenget together to honour and remember fallencomrades who made the supreme sacrifice andto renew friendships with others who sharedand survived the ghastly destruction of murderousbattles. Some of the marchers were wounded,maimed or blinded and suffered pain andmisery ever since. Some proudly sit in specialbuses. Some are too handicapped to leavehospital.Anzac Day marches do not "glorify war",nor are the men who fought for the freedom ofAustralia "war mongers". That wonderfulAustralian, the late Sir Edmund Herring, hadthis to say at a Shrine of RemembranceService in Melbourne."The greatest peace-lovers are those whosuffered the horrors and barbarity of warat first hand".The Duke of Wellington and General SirJohn Monash said much the same.Lest We Forget Their Sacrifice.BibliographyIn my own research I have been assisted by the following:St. Helena's Who's Who by Arnold ChapmanJohn Monash by G. SearleMonash by Peter PedersenThe Japanese Thrust by Lionel WigmoreGallipoli by Alan MooreheadFull Circle by Sir Sydney RowellThe Anzacs by Patsy Adam SmithCoronet and Falkland by Barrie PittCoronet and Falkland bv Geoffrey BennettUK Who's Who 1928Nightingales in the Mud by Marianne BarkerThe Commanders (and other books) by David HornerGallipoli by Tim SwifleThe Story of Anzac Vols I and II by Dr C.F.. W. BeanGallipoli Correspondent by Kevin FewsterNapoleon's St. Helena by Gilbert MartineauDefence Force Journal No 41 July August 1983Defence Force Journal No 53 July August 19X5Defence Force Journal No 72 September October 19X8Butlers Official History Medical Services 1914-1918 Vol IThe White Gurkhas by Ron AustinGallipoli by Captain Eric BushImages of Gallipoli by Peter Pedersen and Ross BastiaanI am very grateful to the undermentionedfor their assistance:M r Michael Tracey. Managing Editor of theDefence Force Journal, who has helped me inpreparing and efficiently editing both this andmy previous stories. Mike has been assisted bythat gifted artist Jeff Isaacs, and also by IreneCoombes, who has been able to gather historicphotographs and give much general assistance.Rosemary Kennedy of the RSL and JanTruscottof Department of Defence, Melbournehave also given valuable assistance.Peter Ryan, Stuart Sayers, Alf Argent, FrankHanily and especially Keith Colwill have givenassistance in my previous writings. It wasHanily and Tracey who first published myearlier stories and have continued to do so.Professor Geoffrey Blainey has always beenready to read my stories and to providewelcome advice and criticism. A great historian.Harry Powell, who helps everyone, but foundtime to type, edit and proofread the narrative.Without Harry's help, the story may not havebeen written. He also types all of my bookreviews in a honorary capacity.My wife Margret, has provided nearly all ofthe Sturdee history and has encouraged me towrite the story. Margret worked for General"Toe" Williams in WWII.Commodore Dacre Smyth was always availableto discuss matters concerning the history ofthe RN and RAN. So has Ken York Syme.Finally, I am most grateful to Rt. Hon SirPaul Hasluck KG, GCMG, GCVO, for hiskindness in writing the Foreword and also forhis past encouragement and helpful criticismon my stories of John Curtin and Sir FrederickShedden. I regard Sir Paul as the outstandingcontributor to the Official History of WorldWar 2. His The Government and The People,Volumes I & II are excellent.The author has written many stories published in the Defence Force Journal, including "Australia'sPerilous Year". John Curt in". "Archbishop Sir Frank Woods". "Sir Frederick Shedden". "Sir VernonSturdee". and"SW Edmund Herring". In World War II Buckley served in the AIF in the Middle East.New Guinea. France, Holland, Belgium and Germany. On leaving the Regular Army in 1949. he wasappointed Assistant Secretary. Department of Defence, and in 1958 First Assistant Secretary andSenior Officer of the Department in Melbourne for IS years. In retirement Buckley writes militaryhistory. This story was completed during his 77th year.

52 DEFENCE FORCE JOURNAL No. 81 March April 1990Queenslanders Your Country Calls! (AWM V33)

DEFENCE FORCE JOl'RNAL No. 8! March April 1990 53jUMQjjjpHaaPUBLIC SERVICEPATRIOTICCARNIVAL&COriCERT.3I* T JULYAssisting Queensland's Patriotic Day. (AWM V150)ENLIST NOWAA Call from the Dardanelles. (AWM V5167)1ALBANY HOTEL| HALBANY STE,«M LAONOI?New South Wales Troops of the Australian-Imperial Expeditionary Force marching through the streets of Albanyprior to their departure.

The Gallipoli Campaign: ABroader PerspectiveBy Major Warwick Graco, A A PsychIntroductionThe Gallipoli Campaign was the firstexpedition where Australian forces foughtas a national body after Federation in 1901 andit laid the foundation of what was to becomethe ANZAC tradition. This tradition wasbased on the image of the ANZAC as a tough,determined soldier who possessed a readysense of humour and was nonchalant, whowas loyal to his mates, who had an outwarddisrespect for formal authority and who wasinclined to be spirited and mischievous 1 .The aims of this article are firstly, to outlinebriefly the background to the Great War andhow the Allies became involved in the GallipoliCampaign; secondly, to explain some of theconsequences of the campaign for the Alliesand the ANZACs; and thirdly, to list a numberof reasons why Australian soldiers were resolutefighters.OriainsThe origins of the Great War lay in theIndustrial Revolution. As the nations of Europeindustrialised they sought new markets to selltheir products, they sought new sources of rawmaterials for their factories and they soughtnew territories to settle surplus population.These developments 2 set in train a new bout ofimperialism in the second half of the NineteenthCentury where many European countries scrambledfor colonies in Africa, the Middle Eastand the Pacific. This scramble was assisted bythe decline of the Ottoman Empire and itswithdrawal from North Africa.The eruption of nationalism was to fan thefire of change in Europe. The unification ofthe German states and the Italian states intoseparate nations and the opening of Japan towestern culture were portentous. Prussia, whowas the dominant state in the German Confederation,flexed her muscles in three sharp warsafter 1860. The first was against Denmark in1864, the second against Austria in 1866 andthe third against France in 1870. The waragainst Denmark added the states of Schleswigand later Holstein 3 to German territory, thewar against Austria ended Austria's hegemonyover the German states, while the war againstFrance united the German states as one nationand made Germany the dominant land powerin Europe, just as France had gained ascendancyover Spain in the Seventeenth Century.The unification of Italy in 1871 also weakenedAustria's influence and set Italy on a pathto territorial expansion in Southern Europeand Africa and ultimately to war against theAllies in World War II.The same happened to Japan, who endingher isolation from the West in the 1860s, soonbecame aggressive territorially as she soughtaccess to markets and raw materials in Asia.As is known, her aggression in Asia broughther into conflict with Britain and the USA andin turn war when aircraft from the Japanesefleet attacked US forces at Pearl Harbor onthe 7th December 1941.The emergence of Germany as the dominantland power in Europe in the late NineteenthCentury posed a threat to Britain. In theprevious centuries. Britain had fought andtriumphed over Holland, Spain and thenFrance for control of the world economy andfor security of her island base 4 . When Germanychallenged British naval supremacy by embarkingon an arms race with her at the turn of theTwentieth Century and sought to establish acontinental market stretching from Germanyto the Middle East, these events helped to sowthe seeds of the Great War. The other threat toBritain and her empire at that time was thegrowing strength of the USA.When the war came in 1914 Britain laced adilemma: she could not fight simultaneously awar against Germany and a war against theUSA. The USA, being economically strongerand having a more powerful navy than Britain,meant that the USA either had to be defeated

THF GALl IPOLI CAMPAIGN: A BOARDER PERSPECTIVE 55AEGEAN SEAFortsMine beltsFigure 1 - The Gallipoli Peninsula and the Dardanellesmilitarily or she had to be made an ally.Britain's dependence on the world economyfor survival of its metropolitan base requiredas a minimum USA neutrality. Britain ofcourse chose to defeat Germany in both Worldwars and to make an ally of the USA, but indoing so surrendered economic and militarypower to the USA 5 .When Britain declared war on Germany in1914, Australia, along with other former BritishDominions such as Canada, rallied to thesupport of the Mother Country. After thefailure of the Schlieffen Plan in late 1914,where Germany tried to knock France out ofthe war by sweeping through Belgium andcrushing Allied forces against the Swiss Alps,and after both sides became locked in astalemate on the Western Front, Britain lookedfor an alternative solution to bring Germanyto heel.The Gallipoli CampaignTurkish attacks in the Caucasus and Russianlosses on the Eastern Front led Britain torespond to a Russian request in January 1915

56 DEFENCE FORCE JOl'RNAl. No. 81 March April 1990.w *>^' «*•M**TBA scene at General Bridges' first Headquarters at Gallipoli, during lunch on May 3rd, 1915. The officers in thephotograph, reading from left to right, are: General Bridges, (in dugout); Lieut. Riches; Pte. Wicks (batman toGeneral Bridges); Captain Foster (ADC); Major Gellibrand; Colonel Howse; Major Blarney; Colonel White; MajorWagstaff. The position was exposed to shrapnel fire and Major Gellibrand was wounded there. (AWM G933)to mount a diversion to draw off Turkishreserves in the east. British fears were heightenedby a Turkish assault on the Suez Canal inFebruary 1915, by political unrest in theSudan and in Egypt and by the British public'srestlessness with inaction by the powerfulBritish Fleet against its German opponent.The British War Council was attracted to anoperation against Turkey for three reasons 6 .Firstly, it would knock out one of Germany'simportant allies; secondly, it would open avital sea-route to Russia through the Dardanelles,a narrow passageway separating ContinentalEurope from Asiatic Turkey (see Figure 1);and thirdly, it would help persuade waveringneutral Balkan states of Greece, Rumania andBulgaria to enter the war against Germanyand Austria.The operation mounted against Turkey atthe Dardanelles was initially a naval onebecause Kitchener, the Secretary of State forWar, refused to release troops for the attack.The operation was to be carried out in stageswith direct and indirect bombardments of theforts guarding the sides of the Dardanelles, theclearing of mines in the strait and the eventualadvance into the Sea of Marmora followed bythe taking of the prize of Constantinople.The Staff at the Admirality were apprehensiveabout the operation from the start judgingit to be a risky undertaking and they consideredthat military assistance was essential if theoperation was to succeed. Because of Navyapprehensions. Kitchener agreed to despatchground forces to Lemnos Island in the AegeanSea but he refused to allow those forces to landon the Gallipoli Peninsula until the forts hadbeen reduced by the Navy.The lack of progress by the Navy in forcinga breakthrough led Kitchenerto appoint GeneralSir Ian Hamilton as the C in C of theMediterranean Expeditionary Force (MEF)-the new title of the force allocated to supportthe Navy at the Dardanelles. However, Kitchenerremained adamant that the MEF wasnot to undertake military operations unlessthe Navy failed to get through. After the lossof three battleships and serious damage toothers in an attempt by the Fleet, underAdmiral de Robeck, to force the Dardanelles,the decision was taken by Hamilton and deRobeck to mount a military operation atGallipoli. This decision was supported byKitchener.The subsequent military campaign, launchedon the 25th April 1915. was a failure and it isnot intended here to give an account of theinvasion and to list in detail the reasons why itdid not succeed. These tasks have been donebv others 7 , 8 .

THE OAl.I.lPOl.l CAMPAIGN: A BROADER PERSPECTIVE 57The landing was a hastily prepared one. Itwas initiated with the vague intention that thetroops would take the peninsula and thereforewould assist the Navy to breakthrough thestrait. The military operation was not coordinatedwith the movements of the Fleet andthere was no overall C in C to command bothland and naval forces. Security was lax beforethe invasion commenced with the Britishtelegraphing their punches from their base inEgypt, thus giving Turkish defenders at thepeninsula ample warning of MEFs destination.Vital intelligence on the peninsula went missingand logistic preparations, such as for watersupply and medical support, were marred byoversights basically because Hamilton and hisStaff thought the operation would be a briefone. Too much was left to chance and themajor failing of the operation was the arrogantassumption that all the Allies had to do wasstorm the peninsula and Turkish resistancewould fade away. The Turks, with Germanassistance, proved to be determined and resilientdefenders who stopped repeatedly Alliedattempts to take the key terrain on Gallipoli.Overall, the Gallipoli Campaign promisedmuch but delivered nothing with the Alliesbeing forced to withdraw after 8 months offighting. The campaign had been championedby Churchill 9 , as First Lord of the Admiralty,having to overcome the doubts of his cabinetcolleagues and his Naval Staff. The penaltiespaid for failure were heavy. Churchill spentthe next 24 years in the political wildernessuntil he was recallled as Prime Minister ofBritain in the dark days of World War II. As isknown, Churchill with his bulldog determinationand tenacity rallied his nation to the callto defeat Germany.Hamilton was another casualty being removedfrom command before evacuation ofAllied forces from the peninsula. He hadproved to be a competent commander and aprogressive thinker prior to the Great War butthe results of the Gallipoli Campaign were totaint his reputation and raise questions abouthis ability as a commander. He lived to the ripeage of 94 and defended stoutly his conduct ofthe campaign until the end 10 .The campaign revealed serious shortcomingswith the British higher direction of war. Forthe remainder of the hostilities there was aconflict between the "frocks" (ie the frockcoats of politicians) and the "brass hats" (ie thegold-braided hats of generals and admirals)over strategy. A number of the "frocks",especially Lloyd George 1 ' and Churchill, questionedthe need for operations on the WesternFront and were appalled by the lack ofprogress on the battlefields and the highcasualty statistics. They believed that a betterand less costly strategy was to knock out theprops of the opposition, such as Austria andTurkey, rather than to attack the GermanArmy in France and Flanders. Most of the"brass hats" were westerners who remainedcommitted to defeating Germany in the westrather than fritter away precious resourcesand manpower in campaigns in the east 12 .These differences between the two camps wereto mar the British prosecution of the war untilthe end in 1918.These problems were compounded by thefailure to coordinate the operations of Frenchand British armies on the Western Front. Thelack of coordination was brought home whena German offensive in March 1918 nearly splitBritish and French forces. This attack impelledthe Allies to appoint Marshal Foch fromFranceas Supreme Commander to coordinatestrategy and operations on the Western Front.The appointment of Marshal Foch coincidedwith the arrival of US forces in France and thisswung the balance of numbers in the Alliesfavour.ANZACsFor the ANZACs. the Gallipoli Campaignhad been their baptism under fire and despitebeing on the losing side, they had performedcreditably under very trying conditions. TheANZACs had to endure the extremes ofclimate and terrain such as the heat of summerand later the cold of winter. They also had toput up with discomforts such as flies, dust,thirst, poor food, disease, and lack of sleep andthey coped with these without allowing theTurks to drive them back into the sea. TheANZACs patrollingand trench work were of ahigh standard and their battle discipline wasgood 11 but they had to learn these skills thehard way, suffering needless casualties untilthey profited from operational experiencegained in the initial battles at Gallipoli 14 .The campaign unearthed a number of outstandingcommanders. Officers identified inc-

58 DEFENCE FORCE JOURNAL No. 81 March April 1990luded new brigade commanders such as Glasgow,Glasfurd, Gellibrand and Elliot and newbattalioncommanders such as Leane, Cass,Bennett. Scott and Howell-Price 15 . Scott andHowell-Price were respectively 24 and 25years of age. These officers had proved themselvesunder fire.Chauvel and Monash, future commandersof respectively the Desert Mounted Corps inthe Middle East and the 1st Australian Corpsin France, also fought at the peninsula.Outstanding staff officers such as White andBlarney established their reputations at Gallipoli.White spent the remainder of the war asChief of Staff to Birdwood, the officer commandingtheANZACsat Gallipoliand laterthe 1stANZAC Corps on the Western Front until the1st Australian Corps was formed in 1918.Blarney, the future Australian Field-Marshal,became Monash's Chief of Staff in Europe.After Gallipoli the ANZACs were to gainhonours on the battlefields of France andFlanders and on the battlefields in the Sinai,Palestine and Syria. Again ANZAC troopshad to learn from experience gained in battleas they had done at Gallipoli. Intense trainingcombined with good staff work and competentleadership were also needed before the troopsmastered the intricacies of warfare as fought inEurope and the Middle East 16 . By the latterstages of the war Australian forces had servedtheir apprenticeships on the battlefields andalong with their New Zealand and Canadiancounterparts, had developed into formidable"fighting machines".Two battles where Australian forces distinguishedthemselves were at Beersheba on the30th October 1917 and at Hamel on the 4thJuly 1918.At Beersheba the 4th Light Horse Brigadeunder the command of Brigadier-General Grantwere given the difficult task of taking the townbefore nightfall. This was necessary to cut offTurkish reinforcements heading to Beershebaand to allow watering of the horses at the wellsin the town. The attack was launched late inthe afternoon. The assault was led by the 4thand 12th Light Horse Regiments with the 11thfollowing. The regiments attacked from approximately6000 metres over a hill and then acrossa gentle, open slope to Beersheba.The defenders mistook the Australian attackas a demonstration and when they realisedtheir mistake, were not able to react quicklyenough to the threat. Turkish artillery couldnot bring effective fire to bear because theAustralians had closed the gap where artillerycould be employed and Turkish machine-gunnests were quickly located and silenced by-British batteries. Turkish riflemen also firedtoo high because the gunsights on their weaponswere set for long range shots.The Australian assault took out the easternflank thus causing the Turkish defence tocollapse and the Australian horsemen wereable to save the wells which the Turks hadintended destroying. Australian casualties forthis bold and dangerous charge were light.The 1st Australian Corps, under the commandof Monash and including a sprinkling ofUS troops, conducted a brilliant combinedarms operation against their German foes atHamel. Tanks advanced with infantry, whichin turn kept pace with lifting artillery barrages,while aircraft were used for aerial resupply offorward troops. The attack went to schedulewith all objectives being achieved in 93 minutesof battle.German defenders at Hamel were misled byAllied deception measures. Allied aircraft flewover the German lines to hide the noise ofAllied tanks as they moved to their assemblyareas at the frontline. Diversionary attackswere launched at the flanks to confuse theGermans as to the real tactical objective. In thedays prior to the attack, daily artillery barragesconsisting of smoke and gas were fired at theGerman lines causing the defenders, as amatter of habit, to don their gas masks whenthey saw smoke. On the morning of the attackonly smoke shells were fired thus catching theGermans in their gas masks. Lastly stores,ammunition and extra guns were moved forwardat night and were camouflaged by day topreserve secrecy.Fighting QualitiesThere were a number of factors whichcontributed to the fighting prowess of theAustralians in the Great War. One was leadership17 . Unit commanders were responsible forselecting their subordinate commanders andthese officers in turn led comrades well knownto them. Furthermore, officers were expected

THE GAI I 1POLI CAMPAIGN: A BROADER PERSPECTIVE 59to lead by example and share the risks andhardships of battle with their troops.Secondly, initiative was encouraged at alllevels and as Bean stated 18 there were severalinstances where a suggestion volunteered by asoldier to his officer, at a critical moment,resulted in an important achievement.Thirdly, social aspects cannot be ignored.Australian units were each raised in a particularstate and therefore many troops in the sameunit were likely to come from either the sameor neighbouring regions. This helped to fosterunit identification and esprit de corps. Manytroops also had rural backgrounds and wereaccustomed to harsh climatic conditions andto surviving in the bush. Australia was amiddle class society and the absence of socialdistinctions made it easier for officers andsoldiers to communicate with each other.Other important attributes of Australian societywere mateship and loyalty and the emphasisgiven to members not failing their fellowtroops in battle.Lastly, Bean considered " the crucial fightingqualities of Australian troops were discipline,initiative and the willingness to take risks.Bean dismissed 20 the caricature of the "dinkum"Aussie, which had emerged from the GreatWar, of drunkeness, thievingand hooliganism.Instead Bean suggested that Australians weregood fighters because of their willingness toface the facts and their going straight for theobjective.To quote one observer 21 :"The typical Australian soldier... was aboveeverything a realist. He had too muchhorsesense to make cannon fodder, the"death or glory" idea failed entirely tomove him; the Digger believed wholeheartedlythat it was much better to be alive dog with the will to bite- and a bite ortwo left- than a dead lion with no will orbite at all. He could see no virtue instubborness for its own sake, nor in discipline.Give him a logical objective andcompetent leadership and the Australiansoldier was one of the most dangerousandresourceful fighters in the world. Butemploy him on a task or in a mannerbeyond the limits of intelligent patience,and he made a poor defender of lastditches".ConclusionThe Gallipoli Campaign was a watershedevent. It knocked the wind out the Allies' sailsand left them bankrupt for ideas on how tobring the war in Europe to a speedy and asuccessful conclusion. It took another threeyears of hard and costly fighting on theWestern Front to wear down Germany and toforce her to an armistice on the 11th November1918.In conrast, the Allies made better progressin the Middle East. The wide, open spacesallowed more room for manoeuvre and thereforeopposing forces could avoid being boggeddown in prolonged trench warfare. After theirtriumph at Gallipoli, Turkish forces sufferedsuccessive defeats in a series of campaigns inthe Sinai, Palestine and Syria where the Alliesgradually drove them back past Allepo. Bythat stage Turkey was war weary and soughtan armistice on the 30th October 1918.The forces of social and political changeunleashed in the Great War, though causingthe collapse of four dynasties/empires (ie theOttoman Empire in the Middle East, theHapsburg Dynasty and Empire in Austro-Hungary. the Hoehenzollern Dynasty in Germanyand the Romanov Dynasty in Russia),were not brought back under control at thecessation of hostilities. It took another worldwar, some 20 years later, to curb the militaristicambitions of Germany. Italy and Japan.At the end of World War II, the world wasleft divided between the two superpowers ofthe USA and the USSR and their satellites,along with some sleeping giants such as China.The tensions and frictions between these powersare still being resolved today.All nations have their folk heroes, myths,legends and traditions. The significance of theGallipoli Campaign for Australia and NewZealand was not its being an inglorious defeat,but that it gave both a distinctive militaryidentity. This identity is symbolized by theANZAC tradition.This tradition has served both countrieswell when servicemen and women have beencalled to arms in subsequent wars. Today itprovides an ideal for all current and futuremembers of the Defence Forces of both countriesto live up to and maintain.

60 DEFENCE FORCE JOl'RNAl. No. 81 March_ April 1990Gallipoli, 1915 Essad Pasha, Corps Commander of the Turkish forces, holds a conference with his staff on a hilloverlooking the battlefields. (AWM A5295)Notes1. For a description of the Australian soldier and theAN ZAC tradition see L.L. Robson( 1988a) Digger-Themaking of an Australian Stereotype. The Bulletin, 26thApril. 64-104 and L.L. Robson (1988b) The AustralianSoldier: Formation of a Stereotype in M. McKernanand M. Browne (eds) Australia: Two Centuries of Warand Peace. Canberra: Australian War Memorial andAllen & Unwin. chap 13.2. There were other reasons, besides economic ones, forthe new bout of imperialism. Additional reasons includedthe prestige and power of having an "empire" andthe strategic advantages gained by having bases in thenew colonies. See A. Jamieson (1982) Europe inConflict 1870 - 1980. London: Hutchinson, chap 7.3. Holstein was initially under the hegemony of Austriabut lost it when Prussia defeated her in the war of 1866.4. A. Gamble (1981) Britain in Decline. London: Papermac.46-49.5. ibid. 52-58.6. See R.R. James (1965) Gallipoli London: Pan. 26.7. For a general description of the expedition see Jamesibid. For a description of Australia's participation seeC.E.W. Bean(l941) Official History of Australia in theWar: The Story of Anzac-Gallipoli Mission. Sydney:Angus and Robertson; C.E.W. Bean (1948) GallipoliMission. Canberra: Australian War Memorial; andC.E.W. Bean (1946) Anzac To Amiens. Canberra:Australian War Memorial.8. For an explanation of why the expedition failed seeJames ibid and W.J. Graco (1987) Some Reasons forthe Failure at Gallipoli. Defence Force Journal. May -June. 40-42.9. James. 10-70.10. For Hamilton's views on the campaign see I. Hamilton(1920) Gallipoli Diary. London: Arnold.11. Lloyd George was initially Chancellor of the Exchequer1908-1915. Minister of Munitions June 1915-June1916. Secretary of State for War June-December 1916and Prime Minister 1916 until November 1922.12. C. Barnett (1970) Britain and Her Army 1509-1970.London: Allen Lane, 386-387, 399.13. B. Gammage (1988) The Crucible.The Establishmentof the ANZAC Tradition in M. McKernan and M.Browne. 162.14. P. A. Pederson (1988) The A IF on the Western Front:The Role of Training and Command in M, McKernanand M. Browne. 168-170.15. Bean 1946. 190.16. For a description of the Australian performance on theWestern Front see Pederson. 167-193.17. Bean 1946. 536-538.18. ibid.19. ibid.20. ibid.21. Robson 1988b. 104.Major Graco was called up for national service and was commissioned from the Officer Training UnitScheyville in 1971. He was allocated to A A Psych and since commissioning he has served in a variety ofcorps and staff appointments. He is currently the S02 Computer Training at the Directorate ofCommunications and Information Systems-Army. He holds a BSc from the University of New SouthWales and is currently doing postgraduate research into tactical decision making at the University ofNew South Wales and is currently doing postgraduate research into tactical decision making at theUniversity of New England.

The Royal Australian NavyGallipoliBy Lieutenant T.R. Frame, RANPreamble"Australians all let us rejoiceFor we are young and freeWe've golden soil and wealth for toilOur land is girt by sea ".These words, written over a hundred yearsago and long before Advance Australia Fairbecame the National Anthem, say somethingvital about the defence of Australia. The seais the dominant element in Australia's securityoutlook and the foremost means for preservingits national sovereignty.In 1902. Captain William Rooke Creswell-the father of the Royal Australian Navy(RAN) - argued that the newly federatedAustralia needed its own Navy and a capableone as an independent island"nation. He saidthat:"For a maritime state furnished without anavy, the sea, so far from being a safefrontier is rather a highway for her enemies;but, with a navy, it surpasses all otherfrontiers in strength ".IntroductionThis was the pervasive view when WorldWar I broke out in 1914 and the RANparticipated in the strategy of Imperial navaldefence. The seas were considered to be theworld's highways and every nation with acoastline and a seagoing navy was potentiallyAustralia's neighbour. This accounts for thepresence of the Royal Australian Navy atGallipoli.Yet the Australian military tradition builtaround the Gallipoli campaign seems to ignorethe contribution of the sailor and forgets thatgaining control of the Dardanelles was thewhole point of the land campaign. JeffreyGrey put it well when he argued that:" When we speak of the sustaining myth ofAnzac, of the "digger", of "nashos" and"chokos", it is the Australian soldier, notthe sailor or airman, who is considered.This may seem curious for an islandnation which long relied upon the seapowerof a great and powerful ally for the firstline of its security, a country which haspossessed a formal navy and a concernwith control of the sea for longer thansome comparable nations, such as Canada.But both the RAN and the RAAF...havealways tended to be outside the mainstreamof A ustralian military experience and henceof the A ustralian military tradition. Small,long service, regular with at least as muchemphasis upon the machine as upon theman, they have tended to place a higherpremium upon technical professionalismthan has the army, with its long traditionof citizen soldiers and rapid wartime expansionaround a small regular cadre. Thusthey are removed from the Australianmilitary conceits of the bushman-soldierand the "naturalfighter".This whole debate on the reality and relevancyof the Anzac myths and legends and theimpact they have made on Australian society,probably no greater than in the armed forces,is the main reason for the enormous publicinterest in the 1990 commemoration. There isno doubt that Australians will view AnzacDay differently after 1990 in the same way ourviews of the arrival of the First Fleet werechallenged during the Bicentenary. But wherethe 1988 celebrations produced tension, frustrationand animosity, the challenge to the Anzacmyths prompted by this anniversary will beundertaken with sensitivity. It is a measure ofthe sacredness of Gallipoli that the RAN andthe RAAF have never protested its use by theArmy for polemical purposes or their implicitexclusion from the military tradition based onthe Gallipoli campaign for which so much hasbeen claimed. Yet arising from the commonalityof the Australian experience of war and theunity of the human condition, both the Navyand the Air Force do find a place in the Anzactradition. Their place is in the transcendenceof Gallipoli for the Australian nation.

62 DEFENCE FORCE JOURNAL No. XI March April 1990THE SEA OF MARMARA-*—I—i—I— RailwayLink to BerlinBULGARIAIf the popular perception of Gallipoli andwhat it means to Australia does need tochange to better reflect the historical accuracyand retain its relevancy for today, the role ofthe Australian sailor in the ill-fated campaignis worthy of closer examination."Jack", the sailor, possessed many of thesame qualities displayed by the ANZACs andfor which they earned their fame. Some of thesailor's traits the "digger" never even knewexisted. The Australian sailors at Gallipolidemonstrated great professional competence,a tremendous range of technical skills andplain, natural ability. They were disciplinedand thoroughly imbued in the ways and customsof the naval service, particularly the Australiansubmariners. They worked well with theirBritish counterparts, with whom they shared acommon heritage and accepted the leadershipof Royal Navy officers.The sailor embodied the outdoor life; notthat of the bush but that known by many moreAustralians, life in the coastal cities and townsand its emphasis on the beach and the oceanwaters. In reality, they, more than the"digger"and his bushman-soldier ethos, symbolisedthe Australian way of life and the essence of itsdevelopment and prosperity.Forthe Navy, the 75th anniversary is a timeto rediscover a forgotten part of its historyand. in the process, gaining greater publicrecognition for its contribution to the responsibleexpression of Australian nationhood andhigher public profile. The deployment of H M AShips Sydney, Tobruk and Oxley to supportthe Pilgrimage of Gallipoli veterans toTurkey is an opportunity for the RAN tobroaden public understanding of the 1915campaign, focus attention on the success of itsparticipation in the midst of devastating failure,and highlight the role of ships and the place ofnaval power across history and in contemporarydefence planning.The involvement of the RAN in the DardanellesCampaign was not large but it wasnonetheless significant in determining thecourse of the war in the Eastern Mediterraneantheatre. By a strange turn of history, the RANwas the first in when the Australian submarineAE2 penetrated the Dardanelles in the earlyhours of 25 April 1915. before the first troopshad gone ashore. Eight months later when theGallipoli Peninsula was being evacuated, adetachment of men from the RAN BridgingTrain after, assisting with the final embarkationof troops, were the last out.

THE ROYAL AUSTRALIAN NAVY AT GALI IPOLI 63Crew of Australia's AE2 Submarine, who took part in the Gallipoli Campaign, April 1915, and were later capturedand held as POWs in Turkey. (AWM P371/01/01)First In!The AE2 and her sister submarine the AElwere built by Vickers Maxims in Barrow-in-Furness and commissioned into the RAN inearly 1914. AE2 was under the command ofLieutenant Henry Gordon Dacre Stoker RN.an Irishman, and had a complement of 33officers and men.On 10 February 1914 the two Australiansubmarines began their passage to Australiasome 12,000 miles away creating a worldrecord for the longest submarine passage tothat time. When the weather permitted theywould be towed, but most of the journey wasmade under their own power. It was not analtogether smooth trip. While transiting throughthe Mediterranean, AE2 suffered thefracture of several propeller blades as a resultof poor manufacture and was almost rammedby AEI which had a steering gear failure.Following visits to Malta. Colombo, Singapore,Darwin and Cairns the two submarinesarrived off Sydney Heads in the early hours of24 May 1914. The successful passage of thetwo Australian submarines was hailed as amagnificent feat of seamanship and engineering.The submarine rose in esteem andbecame an advocate for its own cause. Australianow had a complete fleet unit and boasted thetwo most powerful submarines outside ofEurope. By mid-1914 the clouds of war weregathering and it was not long before the RANwas tested in the hardest training grounds -war at sea.The extent of theconflict in the Balkans wasevident in August when Austria-Hungary declaredwar on Serbia and Germany declaredwar on Russia. Within a few days Britain andthus Australia, as part of the British Empire,were also at war. Australia had pledged to"Stand beside the mother country to help anddefend her to our last man and our lastshilling".AE2 was refitting in Melbourne when warwas declared, but was quickly made ready andsent north to take part in the capture ofGerman New Guinea. Rabaul, the administrativecentre of German New Guinea, was attackedand seized on 11 September 1914. During thisbrief skirmish six Australians were killed (AbleSeaman W.G.V. Williams becoming the firstAustralian to die in combat during World WarI). Three days later AEl was mysteriously lostwithout trace off New Britain. The wreck ofthe AEl has never been located nor has areason for her loss been established.The AE2 returned to Australia in late 1914.The RAN had cleared the Germans out of thePacific and dealt with the only direct threat toAustralia. In the absence of enemy targets.Stokerand the men of AE2 were now without a

64 DEFENCE FORCE JOURNAL No. 81 March April 1990&* —HMA Submarine AE2 - 1914.purpose. On Stoker's recommendation theAE2 was offered to the Admiralty for servicein Home Waters, an offer that was gratefullyaccepted. The First Sea Lord, Admiral SirJohn "Jacky" Fisher, commented to WinstonChurchill the then First Lord of the Admiraltythat AE2 was the most advanced boat theBritish then had and would be most useful forthe Baltic campaign. In December she leftAustralia with the second convoy to theMiddle East, destined never to return.When the AE2 arrived in Port Said, she wasdiverted to the Eastern Mediterranean and putto work patrolling the entrance to the Dardanelles.The challenge of penetrating the Narrowsin the Dardanelles was so imposing thatStoker, then Lieutenant Commander, lost notime in suggesting that the AE2 should be used.After all, two attempts to rush the Dardanellesthefirst in February and the second in Marchhadboth failed.After much deliberation by Vice Admiral deRobeck (the Commander-in-Chief of theEastern Mediterranean Fleet), and severalunsuccessful attempts by other submarines topenetrate the Dardanelles, it was decided to giveStoker and the AE2 a chance. Just aftermidnight on 24 April 1915 the AE2 began herattempt. She evaded several Turkish searchlightsand gun batteries on the shores of theDardanelles before being forced to dive toavoid detection. As she did the shaft to theforemost hydroplane broke - reducing hermaneuverability and forcing her to break offthe attack. The damage was quickly repairedand the AE2 was ordered to try again on the25th.At midnight the Australian submarine beganher second attempt. After passing severalsearchlights she was spotted and forced to diveand run the gauntlet of a Turkish minefield. Itwas then that the first Australians began toland at ANZAC Cove. AE2 continued on herway, occasionally surfacing to take bearings.However, a compass malfunction caused herto run aground and she was fired upon fromthe Turkish forts. Luckily the submarine wasnot hit and managed to get back into deepwater.By 8am on 25 April 1915 the AE2 hadentered the Sea of Marmara, becoming thefirst Allied submarine to achieve this enormousfeat. For the next five days the AE2 carried outher orders "to run amok generally" and Turkishshipping supplying the Gallipoli Peninsulawas severely disrupted. The great tragedy forthe Australian submarine was the failure ofher torpedoes to function depriving them ofseveral successes.AE2 did, however, make a vital contributionto the Gallipoli campaign. After penetratingthe Dardanelles. Stoker sent a signal to deRobeck informing him of AE2's success. Thissignal arrived at a critical moment, de Robeckand General Hamilton (Commander-in-Chiefof the campaign) had just received reports onthe position ashore from General Birdwood

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66 DEFENCE FORCE JOURNAL No. 81 March April 1990they were a Naval unit. On 3 June 1915 theBridging Train embarked in the troopshipPort Macquarie bound for England andfurther training, before being sent to theWestern Front to act as an engineering unit forthe British forces. However, the best laid plansoften come unstuck when confronted by reality.As the troopship crossed the Indian Ocean thetemperature began to rise steadily. Onboardship the horses were stabled below decks andsoon began to suffer from heat exhaustion,within three weeks nearly a quarter of theunit's 400 horses had died.The Port Macquarie was ordered toBombay and the surviving horses were offloadedand the RANBT became a dismountedunit. Passage to Britain was recommended,but on arrival at Port Said in Egypt, theBridging Train found its orders had beenchanged. It was no longer going to Britain andthen on to the Western Front but was beingdiverted to assist at the British landings atSuvla Bay (a few miles north of Anzac Cove).Its job was to construct and maintain piersover which troops would land and woundedwould be evacuated. This was a task forwhich they were untrained but undertookwillingly. The Train was to prove that whatthey lacked in knowledge they made up for insheer common sense and a refusal to admit tofailure.On 7 August 1915 the RANBT landed atSuvla Bay, and within a few hours had beguntheir work of pier construction. On the 8ththey constructed a 120 yard pier for theevacuation of wounded in twenty minuteswhich was in use five minutes later. It wascompleted under intense Turkish shell fire. Aseach day passed the Bridging Train was givenmore and more work to do. It took over controlof the water supply, was responsible for unloadingstores from lighters, the storage and controlof engineering stores, the salvaging of groundedvessels, and it even set up a blacksmiths forgeand carpenters shop. Within a few weeks thereputation of the Train had grown immensely.It was described by one British General asa highly organised and efficient unit. Anotherdescribed their workshops as able to produceanything from a needle to an anchor. TheBridging Train's base was set up at a small covein the northern sector of Suvla Bay andbecame known as Kangaroo Beach.Movements of the AE2 in the Dardanelles and Sea of MarmoraICALt Or MILESSEA OF MARMORA* AE2sunk f "> nKara Bu 3urnuvARTAKI BAYA S I AM I N O RNgara BurnurAE2 grounded

THE ROYAL AUSTRALIAN NAVY ATGALLIPOI.I 67SUVLA BAY 1915I i ISuvla Bay 1915The fighting at Suvla Bay soon boggeddown into the trench warfare that had persistedat Anzac Cove and Cape Helles since May1915. The Bridging Train's work was away fromthe front line but it still received a great deal ofTurkish shell fire: casualties were light withonly four killed and some 60 men woundedduring the five months they spent on thePeninsula. Many more men suffered from illnessessuch as jaundice, malaria, paratyphoidand blood poisoning from infected cuts andscratches. Toward the end of November, theweather worsened and it was not long beforesnow began to fall, the first experience of it formany Australians. The novelty soon wore offas men began to suffer from frostbite and thesnow turned to driving rain. Trenches wereflooded and men and animals washed away asthe temperature continued to fall. The men fromthe Bridging Train were sent out to rescue anymen they could find suffering from frostbite.Hundreds were saved but many died on thebacks of RANBT men on their way to thebeaches.In December, the Bridging Train began toprepare for the evacuation of the Peninsula.Men were evacuated and not replaced, unnecessarystores were destroyed. Piers for evacuatingtroops were built, one such pier was builtat a beach near the small mountain I.ala Bababy Sub Lieutenant Hicks and a fifty mandetachment from the Train. They also had toact as a body-guard for the British Generaland his staff. These last few days at Gallipoliwere very tense. More and more men left thePeninsula and soon only a few hundred heldthe front line. If the Turks had known theycould have easily attacked and slaughteredthose on the beaches.Hicks and his men spent the last few hoursrepairing the pier which had been damaged byTurkish shell fire. At 4.30am on 20 December1915. Sub Lieutenant Charles Hicks and hisfifty man detachment stood waiting in thedark on a beach below the heights of LalaBaba at Suvla Bay. Gallipoli.A few minutes later. General Maude commandingthe British forces in the southern sector ofSuvla Bay, and his staff appeared. After a fewbrief words they all filed over the pier that theBridging Train detachment had built, into awaiting lighter and were conveyed to a waitingtransport vessel.As the lighter pulled away from the pier aglow of flame could be seen to the north as thepetrol soaked stores at Suvla cove were ignited.Thus ended the Royal Australian Navy's rolein the Gallipoli campaign.The Bridging Train was sent to the Greekisland of Lemnos where they spent Christmas.Lieutenant Commander Bracegirdle was sentto hospital and Lieutenant Bond assumedcommand of the unit. In early January 1916,the unit mutinied as they had not been paid intwo months. The problem was eventuallysolved, but Bond's failure to effectively dealwith it caused him to be removed from theunit. For the remainder of 1916 the BridgingTrain controlled the swing bridges over theSuez Canal. These bridges were designed toswing to allow ships to pass along the canalbefore reforming to allow road traffic to passover the canal.This was far from interesting work andmany of them became bored and requested tobe transferred to fighting units of the AustralianImperial Force (AIF). Over 100 men succeeded

68 DEFENCE FORCE JOURNAL No. 81 March April 1990**BB&I#Three members of the RAN Bridging Train

THE ROYAL AUSTRALIAN NAVY ATGAL LII'Ol 69in doing this. In December 1916. the Train wasasked to provide fifty men to take part in anamphibious assault on the Turkish held townof EI Arish on the northern coast of the Sinai.The waters and beach at El Arish wereheavily mined and the Turks were entrenchedon the beach. On 22 December, the detachmentwaded ashore at El Arish to find the Turksgone, but the beach was still mined. Fortunatelythey suffered no casualties. Here they began toconstruct a pier over which supplies for theAustralian Light Horse advancing into Palestinecould be landed. While at El Arish theywere subject to Turkish artillery fire andmachine gun fire from German aircraft. Thedetachment remained at El Arish until lateMarch 1917 when it was returned to the SuezCanal area and the whole unit disbanded.Battle of GazaThe last activity of note for the RANBToccurred on 25 March 1917 when the El Arishdetachment was sent to assist in what becamethe first Battle of Gaza. Embarked in two shipsthey were responsible for unloading storesinto small boats which were then rowed ashoreto resuDDlv the attackiniz forces at Gaza.During the operation a British aircraft ditchedin the water near one of the vessels. TheBridging Train men quickly swung into action:the pilot was rescued and the aircraft salvaged.Following their disbandment, some 190 membersof the unit returned to Australia fordischarge, the remainder enlisting in the AIFfor active service in Palestine and on theWestern Front.The Legends of GallipoliFor most Australians the mention ofANZAC conjures up images of the dramaticlanding on 25 April and the vicious battles atLone Pine and the Nek. Few know that theRAN was also involved. The RAN's contributionat Gallipoli was not large; less than fourhundred men were involved while their casualtieswere very light when compared to those ofthe ANZAC forces. Yet these should never befactors determining their worth in the campaign.If the AE2 had failed in her attempt topenetrate the Dardanelles then the ANZACsmay have been evacuated on 26 April and thelegend of ANZAC would have been stillborn.At Suvla Cove the stalwart work of theBridging Train was often the only bright spotin what was to become a pitiful episode of theGallipoli saga. The RAN's activities at Gallipoliwere successful and perhaps, given that Australian'sare nurtured on the myth that the wholecampaign was a tragic failure, this accountsfor why they are practically unknown.It is now 75 years since that fateful day inApril 1915 when the AE2 penetrated theDardanelles and the ANZACs first steppedashore at Gallipoli. Their actions are legendary,the men involved, immortal. The sailors deservetheir recognition in this important anniversaryyear. The role of the RAN at Gallipoli hasbeen severely underestimated. The officialnaval historian of the RAN in the Great War,Arthur Jose, concluded his account by sayingthat the RAN had "its share of Gallipolihonour". Wider perceptions prompted by thisanniversary will redefine and give fresh meaningto the sacred legends and from the enlightenedwritings of history greater understanding willundoubtedlv come.Lieutenant Tom Frame is currently serving in Navy Office as Research Officer lo the Chief of Naval Staff.He is co-author of the soon lo he released. First In, Last Out! The Navy at Gallipoli. which descrihes theRA N's involvement in the Dardanelles campaign. It is to he formally launched on 24 April in Sydney hy HisExcellency Rear A dmiral Sir David Martin KCMG A O. Governor of New South Wales, and in Gallipoli hythe Minister of Defence.

The Riddles of ANZAC7By Peter Stanley, AustralianIntroductionWar MemorialThe many ways in which Australians aremarking the 75th anniversary of the Gallipolicampaign suggest that Gallipoli and whatit represents remains an important part ofAustralia's national consciousness. The AustralianWar Memorial is contributing extensivelyto the anniversary. It is participating in theofficial Gallipoli 1990 trip to Gallipoli, funding"Gallipoli 75", a major project involving "schoolsand communities remembering", hostinga special lecture series and other educationalactivities, publishing a special "ANZAC" issueof i\\z Journal of the Australian War Memorialand is co-publishing with ABC Enterprises anew edition of C.E.W. Bean's Gallipoli Mission.The Memorial is also mounting several temporaryexhibitions, including two showing theways in which two artists, Horace Moore-Jones and Sir Sidney Nolan, have depictedGallipoli. A major temporary exhibition. TheRiddles of ANZAC, opened at the Memorial'sGallipoli gallery in April.of their culture. The question has becomeparticularly relevant since the Anglo-CelticAustralia which created and nurtured theANZAC legend has been transformed into themulti-cultural society of today. It may now beno longer safe to assume that all Australiansknow as much about the heritage of ANZAC asmight once have been so. In mounting TheRiddles of ANZAC the Memorial is helpingAustralians to learn more about their militaryhistory, and showing how the knowledgeenshrined in the official histories and theMemorial's galleries was acquired and transmitted.The Riddles of ANZAC has beencreated by the Memorial's historians, designersand curators. Much of the research underlyingthe exhibition was undertaken by Anne-MarieConde and John Moremon, the Memorial's1990 Summer Vacation Scholars. It draws onall the Memorial's major collections, but particularlyuses documents, many from the richprivate records collection, and artefacts fromthe military heraldry collection to explore howdeeply Gallipoli has affected Australia andAustralians.Bean's MissionA Special Place for AustraliansThe Riddles of ANZAC explores the question,"Why is Gallipoli a special place forAustralians?" The title has a dual meaning. Itis taken from a chapter in Bean's GallipoliMission and relates to the work of the AustralianHistorical Mission which visited Gallipoliearly in 1919. The larger question which theexhibition seeks to answer is itself a riddle:why should an obscure, scrubby piece ofTurkey occupied briefly by Australians in afailed military operation seventy-five yearsago still be important to Australians in 1990?At first sight the answer to the question"Why is Gallipoli still important to Australians?"might seem to be self-evident: Australianshave for nearly seventy-five years grownup to accept "Gallipoli" and "ANZAC" as partThe first part of The Riddles of ANZACdeals with Bean's mission of 1919. It usesphotographs, maps, paintings and relics foundby Bean in 1919 to show what his missionsought to achieve and how it laid the foundationsof the Memorial's collection of Gallipolimaterial which forms the core of the Gallipoligallery in which the temporary display stands.In returning to Gallipoli in 1919. Bean setout to solve several "riddles" which the evacuationfrom the peninsula concealed from thecampaign's losers. How far did Australianspenetrate on the first day? Where were theTurkish guns which made life at Anzac such ahell? Where did the boats actually land on 25April? Why did the attack on Chunuk Bairfail? In setting out to answer these and otherriddles Bean not only prepared to write hismonumental history, but also collected relicsof the campaign for the Memorial's collection

THE RIDDLES OE ANZAC "Iwhich are today among the Memorial's mostprecious possessions.The exhibition shows how Bean worked asan historian on the spot, walking the groundfought over in 1915. questioning a Turkishofficer and interpreting the relics of the fight inthe light of his wartime notes to reach anunderstanding of what had happened. It includesdocuments and relics which show howBean pieced together the often melancholystory of the campaign - a map marked by oneof the Australians who penetrated furthest on25 April; shrapnel from "Beachy Bill"; theorders for the landing; scraps of uniformshowing where men fell in the disastrousattacks of August. Some are displayed for thefirst time, including copies of Bean's field notebooks which reveal how he assembled thejigsaw of evidence in writing the official history.The Story of ANZAC.Paintings by the official war artist GeorgeLambert, a member of the mission, are featuredin this section.Gallipoli since 1919The second part of the exhibition deals withAustralia's relationship with Gallipoli since1919. It shows how Gallipoli has come to bealmost a part of Australia. This is strikinglyapparent through place-names. During theeight-month campaign the troops on Gallipolire-named their little piece of Turkey. Theychanged its topography, building trenches anddugouts, so much so that Bean thought that thesigns of their occupation would remain forhundreds of years. They turned Khain Tepeinto Plugge's Plateau and Kuruku Dere toMonash Valley, names not now used by theTurks but certainly still used by militaryhistorians and visitors to the peninsula. In1985 the informal names of 1915 were joinedby a formal expression of the special place inwhich Australia holds Gallipoli. when thelittle bay around which the landing occurredon 25 April 1915 was officially called byTurkey. Anzac Cove. The exhibition includesa map showing the locations and the origins ofnames of places on Gallipoli familiar to manyAustralians.Len Skipper, the Memorial's Exhibitions Manager anddesigner of the exhibition The Riddles of ANZAC', withresearcherSue Langford (left) and Anne-Marie Conde,one of the Memorial's 1990 Summer Vacation Scholars.(AWM)Gallipoli is also a part of Australia in thesense that its war cemeteries hold the remainsof some 6000 Australians. The dead draw backthe living, and the ways in which Australianshave returned to Gallipoli and its cemeteries isanother major theme of The Riddles ofANZAC.Though Australians first returned to Gallipoliin 1919, for many years very few travelledto the remote peninsula. From 1936 to themid-1960s the area was part of Turkey'sdefensive perimeter and was virtually closed tovisitors. Not until the growth of mass tourismin the 1960s did Australians, and particularlyyoung Australians, become familiar with thepeninsula. Theexhibition includes photographsand relics of several official visits - a RANbugle used to sound the last post in 1936 andan Australian flag which flew over commemorativeceremonies in 1948.In the years before overseas travel becamecommonplace Gallipoli was for many Australiansan almost mythical place, one which hadcreated the ANZAC legend. It lived in oldsoldiers' memories and in books, particularlyBean's official history, and in the fifty yearsafter the evacuation of Gallipoli very fewAustralians would not have recognized at leastthe roll call of names: the Nek, Lone Pine,Quinn's Post or Shrapnel Valley.

72 DEFENCE FORCE JOIRNAL No. 81 March April 1990First Major PilgrimageThe first large "pilgrimage" to Gallipolioccurred in 1965, the fiftieth anniversary ofthe campaign. It coincided with a revival ofinterest in Australia's experience of war, andof the first world war in particular. Since thenlarge numbers of Australians have visited thepeninsula, rediscovering it as a place of importanceto their nation. Many are drawn to findthe graves of men whom they could not haveknown, but have yet not been forgotten. Theexhibition includes relics found by touristsand researchers who have visited Gallipoli overthe last twenty-five years, and a poster advertisingthe 1981 film, Gallipoli, one of the waysin which almost every Australian can be saidto have "visited" the peninsula.The Gallipoli campaign created what hasbecome known as the ANZAC legend. As anexpression of what war has meant for Austra-0^k1 fl%' rif!S u /Gal I i poll can be regarded as a part of Australia in thesense that Anzac area bears many Australian names.Quinn's Post, one of the most well known, wasnamed after Major Hugh Quinn of the 15th battalion.Quinn, pictured here as a Militia captain before thewar, was killed repelling a Turkish attack on the postnamed after him on 29 May. (AWM H 17420).rANZAC Day in Sydney between the wars.

["HE RIDDLES OF ANZAC 73The Australian War Memorial.Hans the term is understood in a myriad ofways. For some it is a straightforward statementof enduring values of comradeship and nationhood.Others have a more ambiguous attitudetowards this complex but nevertheless integralpart of Australia's culture. The exhibitionincludes a letter describing the first Anzac Daycelebrations, in Egypt in 1916, a poster advertisingthe second world war film. Sons ofA NZA Cs, wartime crocheting celebrating theA NZA Cs and a variety of Anzac Day ephemera.This material, much of which has never beforebeen exhibited, explores the connections betweenGallipoli and ANZAC. illuminating someof the ways in which Australians have expressedtheir feelings about this aspect of Australia'snational identity.Gallipoli TodayFinally, the third section of the exhibitionbrings itsexploration of Gallipoli and ANZACup to the present. It includes a video showingfootage of the Gallipoli 1990 official visit,which features the ceremonies at Anzac Coveon Anzac Day itself. This, the latest expressionof what ANZAC means for Australians, is afitting centre piece of the exhibition.The Riddles of ANZAC opened in theGallipoli gallery on 25 April and will remainon display until the 75th anniversary of theevacuation of Gallipoli.Peter Stanley is head of the Memorial's Historical Research Section, where he has worked since 1980. Hehas written several hooks on aspects of Australian military history, particularly on the colonial period.

Malone of Chunuk Bair8Bv Lieutenant Colonel Christoper Pugslev,RNZIR. (Ret.)" Yes we took Chunuk Bair and, unsupported(just seventy-six surviving of our sevenhundred) lost it. A British gunner deliveredmy death. A gateway in Taranaki remembersmy name".The Commanding OfficerC.K. SteadAnzac in 1915 severely tested theinexperienced officers and soldiers of theANZAC Corps. If a man had a weakness thenthe conditions at Anzac would ruthlesslyexpose it. Many failed that test and a cynnicismgrew in the ANZAC ranks about the capabilitiesof British Regular officers. They were notalone and there were many Australian andNew Zealand officers who also failed. AtAnzac it was often the soldier who triumphedin spite of failures in command. In the NewZealand Infantry Brigade as part of Godley'sNew Zealand & Australia Division there wasone Commanding Officer who stood out in hisprofessionalism and leadership.William George Malone was 56 years oldwhen he landed with his Wellington InfantryBattalion in the late afternoon on 25 April1915'. A lawyer and farmer from Taranaki.Malone had commanded the Xlth TaranakiRifle Regiment in the New Zealand TerritorialForce and on the outbreak of war was selectedby Godley to command the Wellington Infantry-Battalion of the New Zealand ExpeditionaryForce (NZEF). Soldiering fascinated Malone.In isolated rural Taranaki this Territorialofficer had a standing order in England forbooks on current tactical doctrine and in anage where many professionals scorned suchhabits, Malone read widely and deeply intothe science and practice of war. His son, thelate Denis Malone, gave me his copies ofHenderson's The Science of War and Burde'sTactical Principles and the pages carrymargin notes and text underlined in his hand.Malone relished the thought of command inWar and in raising his battalion in NewZealand and training it in Egypt. He gained areputation as a stern unyielding martinet whosought perfection in everything he did and onewho accepted nothing less from his officersand men. Those who did not measure up wereremoved and his first Adjutant, a regularofficer, was sacked. His officers found that itwas "...what I want and mean to have done". 2In Egypt the men cursed him for he workedthem harder and longer than any other battalion,but on Gallipoli it produced results. "Itwas Malone's battalion and every man in itbreathed the spirit of Malone..." 1The Wellingtons took little part in theevents of 25 April 1915 coming ashore late inthe afternoon and remaining in reserve, buttheir CO, in his fashion, took it upon himselfto arrange parties to scour the beach for picksand shovels and send them forward to wherethey were needed. In the days that followed theWellingtons played a critical role. In lateApril they secured and consolidated Walker'sRidge from Turkish counter attack and atHelles on 8 May Malone's battalion made thefurtherest gains in the fruitless attack by theNew Zealand Infantry against Krithia. It washere that Malone became increasingly scathingof British command and urged his brigadier toquestion the order to resume the New Zealandattack after the first had failed. "I am quitesatisfied that the New Zealand officer hasabsolutely nothing to learn from the importedman and that active service has taught thelatter nothing". 4It was in the defence of Anzac that Maloneexcelled. In the critical months of June andJuly first at Courtney's and then at Quinn'sMalone and his battalion took over posts thatwere a warren of battered trenches clinging tothe side of Second Ridge and manned by tiredand dispirited garrisons. "Such a dirty dilapidatedand unorganised post. Still I like workand will revel in straightening things up...Quitea length of fire trench unoccupied owing to thebomb-throwing superiority of the Turks. Noplace for the men to fall in. The local reserve isposted too far away and yet there is at presentno ground prepared on which they could becomfortably put. I...gave orders that everyrifle shot and bomb from the Turks was to bepromptly returned at least two fold. We canand will beat them at their own game". 5

MALONE OF CHl'NUK BAIR 75.Too Valuable to RemoveC.E.W. Bean recorded: "Quinn's was absolutelytransformed since my last visit. It is laidout in terraces, each with a shed on them withan iron roof, well sandbagged under which thesupports sleep. We had tea with Col Malone...on a little terrace in front of his dugout. "Theart of warfare," he said "is the cultivation ofdomestic virtues". If he had roses he wouldplant them there". 6Malone's domestic virtues are equally applicableto military personnel today: "Inspiringthe men with confidence - cleaning one's bootsand shaving daily, bathe even in a pint ofwater, keeping calm no matter what the racketor noise. Getting and keeping everything asnear normal as possible. No pigging it - noletting things slide - no "near enough" becauseit is war we are at. At the same time the utmostpreparation to meet every possible contingencyto the best of one's ability. The insisting thatevery man and officer constantly asks himself-If such and such a thing happens what will Ido. and answering and men knowing theanswers to the questions". 7Malone's defensive arrangements transformedthe situation at the head of MonashGully and now it was the Turkish postsopposite that came under threat. Quinn'sbecame Wellington property and Malone itslandlord, and other battalions as they came infor their spell as garrison had to be sure theyleft it in the condition they found it. Maloneremained at Quinn's throughout June andJuly as post commander and did not go out ofthe line with his battalion when it "rested". Inthe summer at Anzac young and fit men soonbroke down with the strain of combat, thelimited diet, poor sanitation, lack of water, theflies and the stench and sight of the dead.Dysentery and disease were endemic andwasted the battalions away yet Malone at 56thrived. But everything has its cost and whileMalone fought tooth and nail to improve theconditions of his men, his refusal to take no foran answer soured his relationships with hisbrigade commander. Brigadier F.E. Johnston,and staff. He was seen as "extremely insubordinate"and was hated by some because he wastoo valuable to remove.Stern MartinetMalone would be an uncomfortable subordinatefor any commander. Things had tomake sense and if they did not he would askwhy? There was no question of unthinkingobedience because this stern martinet haddeveloped an admiration and love for his menthat became his first priority. He was convincedthey could do anything but it had to be doneright. Conservative and with a strict andnarrow moral code Malone had little regardfor Australians and indeed anyone outside hisbattalion had to prove their worth.Johnston's New Zealand Infantry Brigadehad a critical role in Hamilton's August offensive.It was to advance up the deres ontoRhododendron Ridge and sieze Chunuk Bair.By August the ANZACs of Godley's divisionwere shadows of the fit men that had left Egyptthree months before. A soldier watching themmove into position at the outposts below thefoothills remarked that: "Battalions that hadlanded a thousand strongand had received the3rd and 4th Reinforcements were now downto four or five hundred men...Many were thinand tired. The mile of march had exhaustedthem". 8Not Fit EnoughMalone believed that the New ZealandInfantry Brigade was not fit enough to do thetask they had been set. and was critical of theplanning: "I do feel the preparation, as regardsto our brigade anyway is not thorough."The Brigadier (Johnston) will not get downto bed rock. He seems to think that nightattack and the taking of entrenched positionswithout artillery preparation is like "kissingone's hand". Yesterday he burst forth, "Ifthere's any hitch I shall go right up and takethe place myself. All as it were in a minuteand on his own! He says, "There's to be nodelay". He is an extraordinary man."If it were not so serious it would belaughable. So far as I am concerned, the men,my brave gallant men, shall have the bestfighting chance I can give them or that can begot. No airy plunging and disregard of therules and chances". 9

• > DEFENCEFORCE JOl'RNAL No. HI March April 1990Rhododendron RidgeDawn 7 August 1915 found Malone's battalionleading the brigade up RhododendronRidge. The Wellingtons had been pushedforward in the night march as other battalionsfound themselves split and disorganised. Nowthe goal of the campaign was some 20 minutesclimb in front of them. Malone reported toJohnston, whose headquarters was followinghis battalion, that he had secured the Apexsome 500 metres from the crest and wassending scouts forward to confirm his position.Now was the time for Brigadier Johnston tolive up to his boast "There's to be no delay"and push Malone's Battalion onto the highground or pass another battalion through thefirm base it established.As the New Zealand infantry toiled up theslopes the 3rd Light Horse Brigade attackedacross the Nek towards Baby 700, the strongestposition in the Turkish line. They were cut topieces as they left the trenches and only thedead fell across the Turkish parapets. PeterWeir's film Gallipoli in its chilling climaxcaptures the reality of the charge and gives theimpression that it was all to aid the British atSuvla who were supposedly sitting on thebenches drinking tea. It was not so. The attackwas for the New Zealanders and as the LightHorse died, it was the New Zealanders whostopped below the crests and had breakfast.Johnston finding two of his battalions missingtook counsel of his fears and the advice of hisbrigade major and decided to consolidate onthe Apex. Scattered rifle fire was coming fromChunuk Bair and the brigadier decided to waitfor the rest of his brigade to close up. So tiredmen slumped in the scrub on RhododendronRidge: ate their bully, took a mouthful ofwater, or sucked a beach pebble, as theygrimly eyed the heights ahead.It was 11am that the Auckland Battalionpassed through the Wellingtons and attackedup the narrow spur towards the heights. Bynow it was evident that the Turks had reinforcedthe ridge and were holding them in strength.The Auckland CO had gone forward onreconnaissance and he and his scouts hadcome under accurate and intense fire. Herecommended to his Brigadier that the attackbe delayed until nightfall, but Johnston refused.Godlev the divisional commander had beentold of the New Zealand delay and hadordered Johnston to push on. Now with theopportunity gone. Johnston ordered the attackand as the Aucklands advanced, he stood onthe skyline behind them cheering and shoutingthem on until he was dragged into cover by hisbrigade staff. It was rumoured he was drunk.In the space of 100 metres Auckland lost threehundred men and were driven to ground.Johnston ordered Maloneto renew the attack.Malone refused: "My men are not going overin daylight - but they'll go over at night timeand they'll take that hill...I will take the riskand any punishment. The men are not goinguntil I order them to go". 10Chunuk BairMalone was as true as his word. Beforedawn on 8 August 1915 the Wellington InfantryBattalion seized Chunuk Bair. Chunuk Bairwas not the highest ground but it masked thetwo higher peaks to the north, known to theBritish as Hill Q and 971. It controlled thejunction of Second and Third Ridges, thepossession of which was vital to the security ofthe Turkish defensive lines around Anzac. Itscapture was essential to the success of Sir IanHamilton's August offensive and all otheroperations in August were of secondary importance.The Wellington Infantry found the twinpeaks of Chunuk Bair only lightly defended asthe artillery bombardment during the nightled the Turkish defenders to abandon thewaist deep trench line that ran the 100 or sometres along the saddle between the peaks.Malone determined to hold it with two companiesforward in the Turkish Crestline trenchand two companies in a support line to be dugon the seaward slopes some 20 - 30 metresbehind the crest and connect the two withcommunication trenches.Turkish Counter AttacksSection strength posts, ten men strong, weresent forward to provide early warning as the700 New Zealanders hacked at the stoneyground. Each man carried two sandbags thathe filled and placed in front of him to build up

MAI.ONE OF CHUNUK BAIR 77the trench wall. As the light grew, the men inthe outposts and on the crest could see thevillage of Boghali in the valley below andbeyond it in the distance the waters of theNarrows. It was the first glimpse seen by theANZACs since the day of the landing when itwas seen by Australians before they weredriven back by Turkish counter-attacks. If itcould be reached it opened the way for theships of the British and French Navies to passthrough into the Sea of Marmora and threatenthe Turkish capital Constantinople.Malone's Wellingtons was the first of fourbattalions ordered to move up that morningand secure the ridge. Two British New Armybattalions were to follow and enlarge the NewZealand hold either side ofChunuk Bair. Butonly one battalion could move forward at atime and as the battalions moved into positionthey came under heavy fire from the highground, from Battleship Hill to the south andfrom Hill Q in the north. The 7th Gloucestersmoved onto the northern height of ChunukBair and started to organise a defensive linefacing Hill Q. but almost immediately firekilled many of the officers and panicked thesoldiers into cover behind the New Zealandlines. The 8th Welsh Pioneers fared as badlyand only elements of the battalion reached theheights. Most of these remained throughoutthe battle in the dead ground behind the NewZealand support line. Those that could beorganised were led forward and placed intothe New Zealand line.From daybreak Turkish pressure grew toremove the threat on Chunuk Bair. Fire fromthe flanks reduced reinforcements to a trickle.Turkish counter-attacks came from the flanksand front. Fire was opened at ranges from10-20 metres when a man's head could first beseen. "It wasn't long before what there was ofthe trench, it was only about three feet deep inthe first place. It wasn't long before the deadand wounded were so piled in the trench thatwe were standing on them and we only hadcoverage very little above our knees. Andthere was this continual thought of the wounded.What can we do for them? But no onecould do anything. No one"."The Turks captured the northern crest ofChunuk Bair and fired along the line of theforward trench till it was filled with dead andwounded, and the crest was abandoned exceptfor part of the southern knoll. The improvisedLieutenant Colonel William George Malone of theWellington Infantry Battalion.jam tin grenades of the New Zealanders soonexhausted, and each counter attack was heraldedby a volley of Turkish grenades that rolleddown the slopes into the trenches where theywere either thrown back or exploded amongthe dead and wounded.All day the fighting continued and whileelements of the Auckland Mounted Riflesreinforced the line in the late afternoon, formost of the day it was the Wellingtons' battle."The Wellingtons seemed to rise up each timefrom nowhere and the Turks were hurledback. In the first of these attacks the bayoneton Col. Malone's rifle was twisted by a bullet,so after this he kept it with him; as he said itwas lucky". 12 Their Colonel, as always, was atthe crisis point. "There I saw the bravest man Iever saw. Colonel Malone who was doing thejobs from Lance Corporal to Brigadier General".11There was little contact with the New ZealandBrigadeon the Apex of Rhododendron Ridge.A signaller, Cyril Bassett, would become thesole New Zealand Victoria Cross winner forhis efforts to establish a line between Maloneand his brigade commander. Artillery firefrom the ships at sea and the New Zealandhowitzers in the Anzac perimeter pounded thecrestline. It kept the Turks at bay but with20-30 metres between trenches and in thesurging of attack and counter attack by bothsides, British guns inevitably killed both NewZealander and Turk. Malone died this way inthe late afternoon. His adjutant who was oneof three Wellington officers to survive the dayunscathed recorded. "I have always believed itwas the destroyer as I saw her swing broadside

78 DEFENCE FORCE JOURNAL No. 81 March April 1990on and the puffs of smoke from the guns as shefired". 14That night the remnants of the WellingtonBattalion were replaced by the Otago Battalionand the Wellington Mounted Rifle Regiment."Of the 760 of the Wellington Battalion whohad captured the height that morning, therecame out only 70 unwounded or slightlywounded men...Their uniforms were torn,their knees broken. They had had no watersince morning; they could talk only in whispers;their eyes were sunken; their knees trembled;some broke down and cried like children". 15They left their Colonel with their dead in thetrenches on the slopes. They lie there still.Chunuk Bair is one of the epics in NewZealand military history. But for many yearswhat Malone and his men achieved was forgotten.On 10 August, 1915, Mustafa Kemalrecaptured the hill from two British battalionswho had relieved the exhausted New Zealanders.In the brigade report of the action itwas wrongly reported that Malone had notoccupied the crest on 8 August, 1915 but haddug in on the reverse slopes and had surrenderedthe advantage to the Turks. "Now -Chunuk Bair has gone...trenches badly sighted,they say,..." 16 Malone's bravery was praisedbut in death his competence was questioned.Chunuk Bair was also overshadowed by LonePine where Walker signalled the achievementof his Australians with seven Victoria Crosses.The single Victoria Cross to New Zealanderson Chunuk Bair suggested they had less toremember. Other VCs were recommended,but not awarded. It is only now that NewZealanders are starting to understand whatthey achieved. In 1990 it is likely that thelargest number of Australians and New Zealandersto assemble at Gallipoli since thecampaign will gather this year on Anzac Dayto remember what it means to our two countries.For New Zealanders it is important thatwe also remember that other day and thatother dawn on Chunuk Bair - 8 August 1915-the dav we "beheld the Narrows from thehill".One senses Malone expected to die onChunuk Bair. If not on 8 August then on thedays that followed. Had he survived that day itwas unlikely that he would have retired withthe fragments of his battalion. As he had doneat Courtney's and Quinns he would havestayed on to impose order and to strengthenthe defensive line. Chunuk Bair was his propertyin the same way that he was landlord ofQuinns. Gallipoli too was his campaign. At 56years of age it is unlikely that he would haveseen service in France, although one can seehim as a superb brigade commander in trenchwarfare conditions. Yet his legacy continued,two of his subordinate officers. Hart andYoung, became the first Territorial InfantryOfficers to be appointed brigade commandersof the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. In1916 the New Zealand Division adopted Malone'sLemon Squeezer, first worn by his XITaranaki Rifles and then by his WellingtonBattalion, as the distinctive headress of theNew Zealand Army today, and with it hisspirit lives on.Notes1.7.8.9.K).I I1213141516Malone"s diaries and letters are deposited in the AlexanderTurnbullLibrary in Wellington. Extracts have beenpublished in "The Great Adventure"Edited by Phillips,Boyack, and Malone. Allen & Unwin, 1988.Malone Diarv. 25 October 1914. quoted in Pugslev p.62.Major A.C. Temperley quoted in Pugsley p. 253.Malone to Hart. 4 June 1915. quoted in Pugsley p. 198.Malone Diarv. 9 June - 24 Julv 1915. quoted in Pugslevp. 278.C.E.W. Bean. Gallipoli Correspondent. The FrontlineDiaries of C.E.W. Bean, edited K. Fewster. p. 139.Malone to wife. 3 July 1915. quoted in Pugsley p. 254.Pugsley. Gallipoli: The New Zealand Story, p. 273.Malone Diary. 4 August 1915. quoted in Pugsley p. 278.Pugsley. Gallipoli: The New Zealand Story, p. 286 -287.Interview Vic Nicolson with Author. 1983. Tape andtranscript QE11 Museum.Pugsley. Gallipoli: The New Zealand Story, p. 302.Pugsley. Gallipoli: The New Zealand Story, p. 302.Pugsley, Gallipoli: The New Zealand Story, p. 304.C.E.W. Bean. The Story of Anzac. Volume II, p. 679.Pugsley. Gallipoli: The New Zealand Story, p. 313.Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Christopher Pugsley graduated from RMC Dunlroon and served with theSew Zealand Infantry Regiment until 1988. He is a freelance historian and "Gallipoli: The New ZealandStory" was published in 1988 and is reprinted in 1990 in paperback. He is a co-author of "The AnzacTradition ". (April 1990) and "In the Shadow of Death: New Zealanders and Military Discipline in the firstWorld War" is being published in July 1990.

Serving God and Man:9Australian Chaplains at GallipoliBy Dr Michael McKernan, Australian WarMemorialWalter Dexter, widely known as Bill, knewabout men and war. He served in SouthAfrica and was awarded the DistinguishedConduct Medal. He worked as a mastermariner taking pilgrims to Mecca and then heanswered a call to serve his God in the church.Ordained in Britain, he volunteered for thediocese of Melbourne which explains howwhen war broke out he found himself achaplain in the Australian Imperial Force. Hewas more than a spiritual guide for his men;his experience of life and of war meant that hecould tell them what to expect in action.Dexter took a camera with him to Gallipoli.On that terrible day on 24 May when a trucewas called to allow both sides to bury theirdead Dexter had his camera with him. Heworked with a party of men, stretcher-bearersmost of them, digging rough graves for thehundreds of Australians who had been lyingout in the open ever since the landing. Dexterwas able to say a hurried prayer over eachbody as it was consigned to the grave and totake some details to assist in identification.Back in their own lines he took a picture of theten or so men who had formed his burial party.It is a harrowing picture.First Chaplain AshoreThe men had seen awful sights that day andthe smells would stay with them for a long timeyet. Dexter told us what he had seen: "thebodies were horrible to look at being blackand swelled up stretching out the clothing andin many cases when they were touched fallingto pieces". The stretcher-bearers stared pastthe camera, each man locked in his own world,saddened and sickened by the awful evidenceof the tragedy of war. What words, we mustwonder, looking at that picture, did Dexteruse to comfort his men. What did the chaplainsay?There were not many chaplains at Gallipoliand few of them had the strength to endure theentire campaign. Dexter did, and so did JohnFahey. Born in Tipperary in 1883 and ordainedin 1907, Fahey left almost immediately for theAustralian mission, serving all his priestlydays in the diocese of Perth. He was a manlytype of priest, an excellent sportsman, a fineshot, who lived a rough, unconventional life amongstthe timber workers in the south-west of WesternAustralia. This bush experience equipped Faheywell for the chaplaincy.John Fahey was the first chaplain ashoreand he landed on 25 April, ignoring the orderthat chaplains were to remain behind on theboats because every place in the tows wasneeded for fighting soldiers. "I believe anorder came out that we were to land only thesecond or third day...but it never reached me".So Fahey was in the very first wave of troopsashore and as his tow came into view it wasmet with rifle fire from the Turks: "the sailor inthe stern was hit first, then another fell acrossme; then an oarsman dropped his oar and fellto the bottom of the boat. It was horrible".While the troops rushed up the steep cliffsFahey remained on the beach at the placewhere the wounded were brought togetherawaiting evacuation back to the boats offshore.He talked to the men, comforting them,praying with them regardless of their denomination.He would like to have advanced up thecliffs too to pray over the bodies of the dead ordying but believed he could be of more use tothe living on the beach. The spiritual welfareof his Catholics was assured, he believed, forhe had insisted that every man make hisconfession a few hours before the landing. Inthe first three weeks of the campaign he couldnot say Mass as it was too dangerous to gatherthe men together in close formation.Dexter, meanwhile, grievously disappointednot to be allowed to land with his troops,worked as a medical orderly caring for thewounded as they were brought back. It wasvery hard work, "one's heart had to be verystout", he reported. "I formed a dressingstation in the tween decks and also went anddressed one part of the deck just as they lay. Iwanted to bubble and cry and take them in myarms and soothe them for their nerves were all

80 DEFENCE FORCE JOURNAL No. 8! March April 1990wracked...Instead I joked with them and madethem laugh and gave them cigarettes to smokewhile I pulled the hard bandages from theirwounds".Fighting MacWilliam McKenzie, a Salvation Army officerand now a chaplain, watched the landing fromhis ship at sea and reported that "the wholething looked as if the cauldron of hell wasbeing stirred by a giant poker". McKenzie wasa big man in body and in heart. Not atheologian, rather he exemplified practicalChristianity in the very best Salvationist way.Born in Scotland in 1869 and brought up on"porridge, the shorter catechism and plenty oflickings" he migrated to Australia with hisfamily in 1884. Physically imposing, with a bigvoice to match, he won his reputation atGallipoli where he was universally known as"Fighting Mac". "There is always a price forvictory", he wrote, "and the field chaplain isone of the auditors".Andrew Gillison was the first Presbyterianchaplain appointed to accompany the AIFand his qualifications, too, ensured that hewould win a place in the troops' affections.Also born in Scotland, Gillison had served as aprivate in the Queen's Edinburgh Rifle VolunteerCorps and soon after his arrival in Australiabecame chaplain to the Victorian ScottishRegiment. Like Dexter, he worked as a medicalorderly on 25 and 26 April and learned toadmire the bravery and the calm acceptance ofthe wounded Australians: "You might havestood blindfolded in the hospital or troopdeck...and but for a heavy sigh, and anoccasional suppressed groan and the words"water please" you would not have known thatyou were in a place where maybe 100 woundedand some dying men lay bleeding and largelyunattended as yet".Gillison landed on the third morning andimmediately found that things were "prettyhot". A few days later he was in the trencheswhen the Turks launched an attack on thatportion of the Australian line. "A shout cameto me to jump into a dugout, which I didspeedily". The Australians used their machinegunto withering effect "such a storm of lead Ihad of course never seen and could not haveimagined" and later Gillison had the sad taskof burying the dead. He noted that denominationaldifferences were of little interest atGallipoli and the urgent thing was to see thateach man, dead or alive, was attended to. OfWords of encouragement and hope. (AWM C2681)

SERVING GOD AND MAN: AUSTRALIAN CHAPLAINS AT GALLIPOI I 81the Catholic service he wrote that it may not be"all that we would desire, but it is simple andwe can all join in it". How unusual was thisappealing unity of purpose when, of course, inAustralia denominational differences were soemphasised and sectarianism, under the impactof war, was to reach new and bewilderingproportions.A New Way of ThinkingSoon enough something like routine settledover the peninsula; so agile are human beingsin accepting and accommodating the extraordinary.The chaplains spent their time yarningwith the men, encouraging them and prayingwith them. When it was possible and safe theywould hold a church parade and there aremany pictures in Dexter's photograph albumof small groups of men gathered together tolisten to the padre's words of encouragementand hope. So close were they to scenes associatedwith the spread of the Christian churchto Europe that several of the chaplains gavelectures and talks on this and other biblicalthemes. There was little sense of evangelizing,more of providing something interesting anddifferent to men who were imperceptibly forginga new way of thinking.Death was the catalyst, ever present andindiscriminate. Most burial services were heldat night, when it was safer and chaplains neverknew how many services they would be calledupon to lead. Of course they knew many of thedead personally and for most this made thetask very much harder.James Green, a Methodist chaplain, wrote:"I have buried many a young man of brilliantpromise and great attainments...and have mournedover many a friend and comrade". Theynoted the location of the grave and they wroteto the mourning families at home, often sayinghow a man died and thus helping the grieving.Andrew Gillison and a stretcher-bearer whowas a Methodist minister, R.H. Pittendrigh.heard a wounded man calling out but theywere warned that they could not reach him forthe Turks had the spot well covered with riflesand machine-guns. Gillison believed that anattempt must be made to help the man andchaplain and stretcher-bearer crawled out totry to tend to him and perhaps to bring him tosafety. Another Presbyterian chaplain, E.N.Merrington took up the story:They got close to the man, when the Turksfired, and both were hit. They rose up andran for our trench and reached it. Gillisoncollapsed, but was conciousfor an hour ortwo. He was shot between the shoulders,where the bullet struck him as he crawledforward. The bullet came out of his chestnear the heart...His words were of hisloved ones in Melbourne, and of the hopethat never failed his courageous spirit. Hedied about 2 o 'clock ".Gillison was the only chaplain killed atGallipoli but all knew that they risked deathconstantly. Just before the body was to belowered into the grave one of the chaplainstaking the service noticed Gillison's weddingring which he reverentially removed for thewidow in Melbourne. In December, 1914 as theship had pulled away from Station Pier,carrying its cargo of men to the yet unknownwar, Gillison had written of his terrible sadnessat leaving his wife and family. "God keep themall", he had written, "and grant us a speedyreunion".Church service on the quarter deck of H.M.S. London.one of the ships carrying the Australians, when leavingLemnos for Gallipoli, 24 April 1915. H.M.S Majesticastern. (AWM A2466)

82 DEFENCE FORCE JOURNAL No. 81 March April 1990^ ^ > » ^v^2T?•**-*£r.?*"*

SERVING GOD AND MAN: AUSTRALIAN CHAPLAINS ATGALLIPOLI 83*N *'Bodies in no-man's land awaiting burial.Naturally the chaplains were older thanalmost all the men they served and it is hardlysurprising that many of them could not keepgoing. The life was hard and demanding andtheemotional strain heavy. McKenzie. Fahey.Dexter and one or two others kept on goingalthough even they would take a short break atLemnos as circumstances permitted. Theywere reluctant to leave their men for too longbecause of the very close bonds that had beenformed.The sense of betrayal of the dead that manymen understandably felt when they heard thenews of the evacuation from the peninsulaweighed particularly heavily on the chaplains,although, of course, they understood the senseof evacuation. Many wondered whether theTurks would respect the graves of the Australians,unnecessarily as it transpired. Dextersought permission from General Birdwood toremain behind on the peninsula to tend andcare for the graves but this was refused. Beforehe left, however, and he was one of the last togo, he wandered among the hundreds ofgraves that dotted the hillsides and the gulliesplanting wattle seeds that he had obtainedfrom somewhere. "I intend that a bit ofAustralia shall be here".From that time on Australians have tendedto regard Gallipoli as "a bit of Australia" andcertainly as a sacred place. Unfortunately, wecannot know what the chaplains said to theirmen to make war and suffering and deathbearable and possibly we could not understandit if we knew. That was something reserved forthe fellowship of Anzac. But we do know thatthe chaplains served their men well and thatthey served Australia well; that they were menin their own way heroes.Notes:The sources for all the quotations contained in this articleand a much longer treatment of the Australian chaplain andthe AIF may be found in Michael McKernan, PadreAustralian Chaplains in Gallipoli and France. Sydney. 1986.Michael McKernan has worked at the Australian War Memorial since I9H1 where he is a deputy director.He has written several books on war and A usiralia and other aspects of A ustralian social history. A t presenthe is Visiting Fello w at the A ustralian National University and is writing a history of the A uslralian WarMemorial for publication on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the opening of the building in 1991.

84 DEFENCE FORCE JOURNAL No. 81 March April 1990- » / *4*' >*' * * • .•Colonel Izzettin Calislar, Staff Officer to Mustafa Kemal Bey

Extracts from the Diary of a Turkish Officer10By Ahmet Arda, First Secretary,Turkish Embassy, Canberra.IntroductionThe following entries have been taken from the diary of IzzettinCalislar, my maternal grandfather, who, throughout his life tooknotes of the days events, probably to use later as references. I translatedthe notes of the dates which I thought might be interesting toAustralians. I have omitted the entries relating to his family affairs andto his letter exchanges with family and friends.One of his notebooks is the pocket calendar of Lieutenant B.P.Nettleton, B Squadron, 1 Light Horse Regiment, Australian ImperialForces. Lieutenant Nettleton came from Turramurra, New SouthWales.Izzettin Calislar was born in 1882 in Yannina. Greece. He joined themilitary service of the Ottoman Empire. He served during the BalkanWars (1912-1913). In the first World War (1915 Gallipoli, 1916-1918Eastern Anatolia, Syria and Iraq) he served as the staff officer ofMustafa Kemal. In 1920 he joined the forces of Mustafa Kemal inAnatolia. During the War of Independence he took active commandposts in many battles.In 1939 he retired from the army with the rank of General. He alsoserved as a member of the Turkish Parliament from 1939 until 1950.He died in 1951 in Istanbul and is buried in the State Cemetery inAnkara.Cover of pocket• calendar ofLieutenantB.P. Nettleton.\ Intof'fvftgfimvgji'k\ ^Lsy, s. vvA//L *4

86 DEFENCE FORCE JOl'RNAL No. 81 March April 1990Gallipoli March - December 191514 March 1915I received a telegram at 11.00 pm from Mustafa Kemal Bey, thedivision Commander of Maidos, asking me to come quickly to Maidosto join him.22March 1915Weather is cloudy, northerly winds. Army corps were informed aboutmy admittance to the new job. I pray to God for success.25 April 1915Nice weather. Today enemy started landing at Seddulbahir(V Beach), Ariburnu (AnzacCove), and Kumkale. Our group receivedthe task of driving away the enemy at Ariburnu (Anzac Cove). Beforenoon the Commander left with the cavalry squadron, 57th regimentand mountain artillery. I stayed at the HQ till noon to collect andprepare the remaining. I went to the battlefields in the afternoon. Wewere successful in today's offensive. The enemy had 4-5 divisions. Theywere driven away and destroyed. We also suffered heavy losses. Atnight we inspected the forward lines.26 April 1915Nice Weather, battle continues. No offensive today. We are preparingtomorrow's attack. We moved the HQ to the western slopes ofKocadere. I was busy collecting the 77th regiment that was ruinedyesterday. 33rd regiment came as reinforcements. We placed them atthe left of the front and placed 64th regiment to the right. At night weplaced the HQ in Kocadere. Today was very critical for us. All theregiment Commanders were asking for reinforcements. The calm oftemper of Mustafa Kemal has overcome everything.27 April 1915 (General Attack Day - Anniversary of the Accession ofthe Sultan)Nice weather. We have attacked the enemy from every direction. Wesettled opposite their trenches. I earlier went to the right side togetherwith the 64th regiment and prepared the opening and engaging in thebattle of the 64th regiment. I stayed at the artillery line of the right sideand contacted the division Commander by phone. Enemy couldn'trespond to our attacks and withdrew from right and centre, but wecouldn't trace them, they received reinforcements and settled. After thenight fall I came to the division Commander's place at the centre artilleryposition. Our artillery fires and attacks continued in the night but wecouldn't achieve the final result. While I was talking with the artilleryCommander Fethi, a dip portion of a naval shell passed just over myshoulder and fell in front of me. Didn't touch us.28 April 1915Nice weather. The enemy is busy with fortifying their strong trenches.125th regiment joined us. 3 deserters from the 77th regiment wereexecuted in front of them. 2nd battalion of 125th regiment is placed onthe left. Today enemy tried to exert some pressure on our left butcouldn't succeed. Fight continued into the night.

EXTRACTS FROM THE DIARY OF A TURKISH OFFICER 87-€ Ait £5 \%&&g*i&irJ* >-Avinimant n Trdne de SA MAJESTE IMPERIALSLe SULTAN HOUHAMMED RECHAB KHAN V.14(27 Avnl 1909 =e Rftl-uI-aVhir 1327 Ann*: de 1'HigircSwrbf|Mr4 , »-.uiii.»iu^oipt,*i:i 77 avapattie *7< tiir Seers*o-rnusa*oo imBUw r$ £ A. A. M. t«v ^.i.;..^.MM>aV , I0TLUU2I PEJAT IAH TOT E\l/ilhilllXUtS PL-JUS hjUV b. | 14 u.^a^v 19C9If Uuir^, :909 —S rt>)Hii.|i>|arir 1327' 6 F.^T.-o.-i-djio 1327118-247] \ . jl_v (V^J^) >^(ii'u- \ i [5,0123 A V R : LMrrrrrdiS, Pin! At \i Cr.15 xnpiAiorT 7"r/< .\lVcojTrTT*/i«Kn»;,-tip>i$ £-** ^16 u « r h LSBrhfsBrp}ir>b. or fl^SmSjf~^ -lu-LT117-248] \ | j U27 A VRI LllirdlS. AnthymcJU) >Vkfit? vrfr 01H xnpiAior14 U\\LA\ ' p., -e> " J '-^v * lQ > 3vi '•t->J*"••:•«-&,29 April 1915Cloudy weather. Enemy, after receiving reinforcements, startedshowing some activity. Our soldiers kept their position. In theafternoon our right was threatened. I took a battalion of the 125thregiment and headed that way. On our way enemy naval bombardmenthit us. Battalion dispersed. I collected them in a creek. Headed themto right. Then when I felt the situation was calm again, took them to leftside and I came back to the division Commander. Today the divisionCommander received the silver war decoration. He recommended meand 57th. 27th and 64th regiment Commanders and his aide-de-camptor the Silver War Medal.Diary entries for27th- 29th April 1915.30 April 1915Today 13th. 14th and 15th regiments of the 5th division came. Weprepared for the attack. All regiment Commanders were called to HQand oral orders given. We have a force of 3 divisions, enemy has one.But our two divisions cannot be counted as one, they are very tired anddamaged.The enemy has a very strong position. Settled there, later when theirforces suffer from losses may easily bring more reinforcements andcounter attack or may settle in the Seddulbahir (Cape Helles) regionand conquer the entrance to the straits and control it.German Colonel Kannegiesser came with the 5th regiment.

88 DEFENCE FORCE JOl'RNAL No. 81 March April 1990/ May 1915 (General Offensive Day)Nice weather. General offensive carried out. We couldn't achieve adefinite result. Our soldiers on the left lines couldn't take off from theirtrenches. 5th regiment attacked from the centre and have sufferedheavy losses. Attack continued throughout the night. At night from thecentre, soldiers came close to the enemy lines. It was a very fierceattack, the officers and soldiers fought like lions, reached the enemytrenches and lost their lives there.2 May 1915Nice weather. No important change in the situation. Night attack ofthe enemy to our right has been stopped. Enemy suffered heavycasualties. Enemy navy heavily bombarded our position. Enemy lossestonight reaches 800.3 May 1915Nice weather. No important change in the situation. Enemy and oursoldiers stay 3-500 metres apart from each other. Morale and desire ofthe soldiers are high. For the moment, it was decided to advancethrough the trenches.7 May 1915Nice weather, a little cold breeze. Enemy artillery bombarded ourright. Our artillery silenced them. We have gathered a group ofvolunteers to attack the right side of the enemy. 137 soldiers, under theCommand of Lieutenant Saffet. With God's mercy we hope they willsucceed.The night offensive carried out. Officers wounded, soldiers eitherdead or wounded. We couldn't succeed. A little offensive on the rightwas successful. Trenches were taken, together with guns and ammunition.10 May 1915Nice weather. Today enemy tried to be active on the centre and leftbut been refused easily. On the other side of our lines there are 1st and16th Australian battalions and New Zealand brigade and their navy.15-20,000 soldiers.18 May 1915Nice weather. Together with the Commander Mustafa Kemal weinspected the front lines. Commander gave verbal instructions on aprobable attack for tomorrow, and delivered morale boosting speechesto thesoldiers. In theafternoon I went to thearmy corps HQ. Informedthem about our preparations and the group's position. Other staffofficers were also there. 2nd. 5th and 16th divisions were of the opinionto postpone the attack for a day. I said postponing the attack will notmake any difference. Army corps staff officer, with hesitation, said togo on with the attack without delay. I returned back to the HQ.Explained the situation to the Commander. We inspected the fronts ofthe 57th regiment.

EXTRACTS FROM THE DIARY OF A Tl/RKISH OFFICER^vDiary entries for 7th19 May 1915 (General Offensive) - 10th May 7 975.At 3.30 am the attack started. 64th and 57th regiments conducted theattack and invaded the enemy trenches. Other regiments also attackedthrough their lines. Attack in general did not achieve a final result. Oursoldiers were very brave. They lost their lives on the enemy trenches.This bravery will be written with golden characters in our history.Enemy later stopped our offensive, and arranged a counter attack onour left, but stopped. In the afternoon, enemy attacked our centre andleft, but refused. A piece of shrapnel with oval surface, hit my hand,gave no harm.20 May 1915Warm weather. We inspected the right front. In the afternoon, enemyopened a red cross flag on Merkez Tepe (German Officers Ridge).14th regiment replied with a red crescent and they buried their dead.After this, the enemy opened heavy artillery and gunfire and continuedall through the night. Tonight the enemy received reinforcements of 4-5ships.21 May 1915Nice weather. Kemal Bey from the Army Corps went to the BritishHQ at Ariburnu (Anzac) to negotiate an armistice for the burial ofdead. The position of Italy got worse. Their position against theAustrians seems obvious. They would be able to assist the French with40,000 men and allocate 150,000 against us.

90 DEFENCE FORCE JOURNAL No. 81 March April 199022 May 1915Rain. In the afternoon I went to the Army Corps HQ at Kemalyeri.Other staff officers were present. We discussed the issue of defence. Isaid that we can keep our position with 4 regiments, they said with 2divisions. We learned the armistice conditions. I will attend as the firststaff officer and arbitrator. The burial has been postponed.A blindfolded Turkish officerbeing escorted to discuss theArmistice terms for buryingthe dead.23 May 1915Today we have received the order for the armistice to bury the dead. Iwas appointed as the head of the Ottoman delegation. We are twoofficers Nazim from the 16th regiment, two doctors Dr Huseyin andDr. Ziya from the 16th regiment and 2 translators Lieutenant Ziya-Naval officer Tahir. No sleep tonight.24 May 1915I left the HQ at 3 am, reached Kabatepe at 5 am. Other members ofthe delegation joined me there. At 7.30 am I went to the conversationsection and met with the British Delegation. The Chief of the Britishdelegation Staff Officer Lt. Colonel (Iski)?. Staff Major (Medhem)?and Dr. Herber (?) (He told me that he is working for the benefit ofOttomans).We started working. I have seen thousands of martyrs on thebattlefield. The example of Turkish courage and bravery. We foundtwo wounded Turkish soldiers. The British delegation was calm andserious and showed that they were correct in their efforts. My worklasted till 4.00 pm. We walked all the time because of the steep andrough nature of the land. Of course very tired. At 4.30pm I reached theHQ of the 5th group, rested a little, had coffee and came back to theHQ. Esat Pasa congratulated me for my conduct of work.

EXTRACTS FROM THE DIARY OF A Tl'RKlSH OFFICER 9125 May 1915Rain. I was busy at the HQ. 1 prepared two reports. One about theconduct of burial armistice, the other about the enemy and ourposition. Today we have witnessed the sinking of an enemy frigate infront of Kabatepe.27 May 1915We have learned that the Commander General of the AustralianArmy Corps is lightly wounded.28 May 1915Warm weather. No change in the situation. I have stomach pains. Inthe afternoon we toured the 64th regiment lines, examined fortomorrow's offensive. The enemy trenches are very strong and thewidth of the field is narrow. Success is doubtful. At edge of the 15thregiment, they prepared to attack by exploding a mine tunnel. Wecouldn't sleep.29 May 1915The battle today started at 3.30 am with artillery and gained intensitywith the explosions of the mine tunnels. 64th and 27th regimentsexecuted their attacks. But final result wasn't achieved. Battle continueduntil 8 am. Then everywhere was silent. Later on, the enemy distributedpamphlets from the planes. With these pamphlets they were invitingour armies and soldiers to their side and announce the British as thefriends of Ottoman and Islam. Stomach pains. I can't eat a thing.30 May 1915Warm weather. The Commander gone to Conkbairi to conduct theSazlidere (Seaweed Wally) campaign. I remained at the HQ. Beforenoon, from the trenches of the 72nd regiment, I investigated theSazlidere situation. In the afternoon at 1.15 pm, enemy, first with heavyartillery, then with heavy gunfire, tried the trenches of the 27thregiment. The offensive was stopped. Battle continued until 3.30 pm. Iacted as the division Commander's deputy. We again came underheavy shrapnel rain. At midnight there will be an attack on the enemyat the north of Sazlidere. I pray to God to make us successful. I sufferfrom stomach pains.31 May, 1915The situation in the battlefields is not improving. The British in theirstrong trenches, we are in ours. We can only kick the British with selfsacrificing attacks. The field is narrow, there is no place to manoeuvre.Our attacks don't bring the final success. The attacks result in heavylosses. This improved the self security of the British, but they do nothave the courage. It would have been very nice if they had attacked, westopped them giving heavy casualties and enter their trenches with acounter attack. The combat spirit of our soldiers is, thank God, veryhigh, but waiting makes us sick.2 June, 1915Warm weather. I have inspected the trenches of the 25th and 64thregiments. A bullet wounded the soldier who was accompanying me inthe trenches of the 25th regiment. An enemy saw us while touring the

92 DEFENCE FORCE JOURNAL No. 81 March April 1990trenches of 64th regiment and opened fire on us. Some of the soldiers inthe 64th regiment were sleeping. What carelessness. I shouted angrilyto their commanders. Mustafa Kemal promoted to Colonel. Hope oneday our promotion will also be realised.4 June, 1915Warm weather. We were busy at the HQ till noon. In the afternoonwe moved the HQ to Duztepe (Battleship Hill). Army corps HQinformed of a heavy attack in Kirte region (Helles). We also waited foran attack in our lines. Our expectations were correct. At 11.00 am, theenemy took our positions under artillery, automatic rifle and rifle fire.Later attacked the lines of 27th, 64th and 57th regiments. This attackhad been successfully driven away because of the timely information.5 June. 1915At 5 am we learned that the enemy took over the 31st and 32ndtrenches of the 57th regiment. We hurried to the 57th regiment HQ.The regiment was ordered to try till they perish to recapture thetrenches. 27th, 57th. regiments with suitable precautions, attacked theenemy who invaded ourtrenches and destroyed them with bombs. Thetrenches recaptured and enemy suffered. God made us victorious. Adelegation is visiting our HQ.6 August, 1915Warm weather. 1 am suffering from a light flu. In the afternoon theenemy opened heavy artillery fire to Kanlisirt (Lone Pine) and MerkezTepe (German Officers Ridge) and opened relatively light fire to thelines of the 19th division. For two hours they attacked Kanlisirt andunfortunately succeeded in capturing Kanlisirt. This caused deepsorrow. This action is the starting point of the enemy's offensive. Oncewe tried to counter attack Merkez Tepe. 57th regiment was unsuccessfulin their try and then abandoned. Tonight the enemy tried with minetunnels to invade our trenches Nos. 47 and 48, but our soldiersdefended the trenches and enemy withdrew. Tonight enemy attackedAgilderesi (Anzac) at the same time heavily bombarded our divisionlines. Our lines are of course a little bit damaged. I immediately tookthe directives to the 18th regiment commander. Unfortunately, theenemy succeeded in capturing the trenches in Agilderesi.7 August, 1915Weather is not that warm. Situation is very critical. Enemy starteddischarging soldiers at Kemiklidere (?) and at 4.30 am attacked the linesof 18th and 27th regiments, fortunately destroyed. Later the remainingenemy at the lines were also destroyed. After this success in thedivisions' lines, the situation at Conkbayiri (Chunuk Bair) turned outto be more serious. The enemy is trying to flow to Conkbayiri fromSahin Sirt and Agildere. Two squadrons from the 72nd regimentplaced on Sahin Sirt and a battalion from 14th regiments sent toConkbayiri. With these measures, we stopped the enemy's forwardmovements.8 August, 1915No sleep tonight. Early in the morning the Conkbayiri battle hasstarted. The situation is critical at the Conk Tepe (Chunuk Hill) on the

EXTRACTS FROM THE DIARY OF A TURKISH OFFICER 93right. I went to DuzTepe (Battleship Hill) and stayed there till sunset. Istudied the enemy position in the area from the top of the trenches. Ihave reported to the Commander with urgent importance. I have sentthe 1st battalion of the 11th regiment to reinforce the 25th regiment.Later, 10th regiment arrived. I send the two battalions from them tothat direction. I have told the importance to Conkbayiri to the DeputyCommander of the 25th regiment. Major Mehmet Ali and 10thregiment commander Lt. Col. Kemal. I told everyone not to giveConkbayiri to the enemy. After sunset, I came to the HQ. I explainedthe situation to the Commander, especially the absence of commandand order, which was creating difficulties. This situation was explainedto Esat Pasa officially and unofficially. He proposed the command ofthat region to Mustafa Kemal Bey. He put forward some conditionsand wanted the command of the divisions which will be placed there.First they didn't accept, but with the consent of the army commander,they accepted. They formed the Anafatalar Group command. Sefik Beycame to the command of the 19th division. Mustafa Kemal Bey went toCamlitekke and took his new post.Turkish Staff Officers of theGroup Command.9 August, 1915Nice weather. The attack started at sunrise at Conbayiri and resultedwith the withdrawal of the enemy. The critical situation has beenrestored. The result of Mustafa Kemal Bey's activity and influence. Weall felt relief. The enemy's artillery attack on Conkbayiri from theirnavy and land forces, were enormous by any standards. Probably15,000 artillery shells. Our soldiers battled courageously under theseconditions. Conkbayiri was a fierce fight. Five divisions attackedMestan Tepe. They were 12. 7. 4, 5 and the 9th divisions. After sunset,silence prevailed. Mustafa Kemal stopped the enemy attacks.

94 DEFENCE FORCE JOURNAL No. 81 March April 199014 August, 1915Warm weather. I didn't go out. I was busy with the records of thosewho worked hard during the previous battles. Tonight my appointmentto the Staff Officer's post of the Anafartalar Group Command(Mustafa Kemal) was announced.16 August, 1915Warm weather. I woke up early. The Commander was also up. It wasunderstood that the enemy is exerting pressure on Kirectepe (Suvla).By car we immediately went to Kursun (?). Army Commander LimanPasa and 5th division Commander Wilmer were there. The news fromthe front was not clear. They were asking for reinforcements. Thenecessary forces were sent from there. We then went up to Kucukmisirlik(?) and inspected the situation from close. Kirectepe again was thecentre of the battle. The available forces were sent there. We crossed thearea at Buyukhisarlik (?) which was under naval artillery attack, byrunning. We returned back at 2 pm. Liman Pasa was still there. Laterby car, we went to Camli Tekke. All the officers, except the StaffOfficer, were at the battlefields. Mustafa Kemal Bey dictated a grouporder to Wilmer announcing his arrival to the battlefield.21 August, 1915Cool day. The Commander rejected Hayri Bey as his Staff Officerand forwarded the Staff Officer's post to me. Army Staff Officer triedto create obstacles. He said "Let's write to Istanbul and wait for ananswer". The Commander pointing at me said "you go on with it, fromnow on he is my Staff Officer" and that is what is happening. In theafternoon, the enemy attacked the 12th and 7th division lines. Thedirection of the attack was against the centre of the 7th division, nearAzmak (Suvla) left of the 34th regiment and at the centre of the 7thdivision. The enemy seemed a little successful. Fortunately, they werestopped with heavy casualty and the trenches that they captured, werere-captured. It was a very fierce fight. Enemy couldn't completely carrytheir dead and wounded in two days. Likewise, the enemy preparedtheir attack with heavy artillery. In the evening the attack was stopped.At night and in the early morning, their new efforts to the 7th divisionwere stopped. The battle was conducted by phone from the HQ.In the evening, a lady reporter from the Polish newspapers came.Dined with us. Went back by car. European women come even to thewar front for a purpose.22 August 1915Nice weather, little wind. Early in the morning, Liman Pasa arrived.I had slept very late last night. In the morning I was busy with thetransactions. An officer and 20 soldiers were taken prisoners from theenemy. We tried to interrogate the officer, but he was very strong andrefused to give anwers. We appreciated his attitude.27 August, 1915Nice weather. Enemy started activity in the afternoon. Reinforcedthe existing forces at Kirectepe (Suvla). At 4 pm opened artillery fire onthe lines of the 75th division and Kayacikagili Hill (Hill 60). Attackedat 5 pm. Was successful in penetrating some of our trenches. The enemyattack on the lines of the 20th regiment was met with fierce resistance.

EXTRACTS FROM THE DIARY OF A TURKISH OFFICER 95Enemy withdrew with heavy casualties, and sent back from most of thetrenches which they had penetrated. Unfortunately, kept few trenchesof a few battalions. Enemy tonight attacked 64th regiment lines ofYusufcuk Tepe (Scimitar Hill), but they were not successful. 6thdivision was partially sent to reinforce the 7th division. 64th regimentof the 7th division was sent to the back slopes of Ismail Oglu Hill (WHill Suvla). Enemy again reinforced its position in our lines. 3rddivision is coming from Asia-19th regiment is coming from Maidos.Whole night we conducted the battle by telephone. We slept from 3 amto 5 am.Members of the Lower andUpper Houses of the TurkishParliament visit the Gallipolibattlefields on 3 November1915.12 September, 1915A little cool weather. We opened fire with heavy artillery to theenemy camp near Kemikliler (?). Commander, before noon, went toinspect the 19th division, afternoon went to 9th division. Liman Pasacame to the HQ later and told me that he will give me a German IronCross. I thanked him.23 September, 1915A little windy and cool weather. Liman Pasa arrived in the morning.According to Liman Pasa enemy withdrew some forces. I do not thinkso. Comparing the area that they hold, they cannot keep there with lessthan 6 divisions. Probably they have strong reinforcements.

96 DEFENCE FORCE JOURNAL No. 81 March April 199026 September, 1915Nice weather. 1 am suffering a little bit from stomach pain. Early inthe morning, we performed an artillery attack against the enemyopposite the 34th regiment. At night, they have taken 4 British POWs.They were from the 13th division. According to them, enemy didn'twithdraw any forces. We learned that Enver Pasa came to the front.Inspected Conkbayiri (Chunuk Bair). Didn't come to our HQ.27 September, 1915Nice weather. Some stomach pain and a little dizziness. Commanderassuming insult by Enver Pasa's action yesterday sent his resignation tothe army HQ. Edip Bey and Kazim Bey came to our camp. Commandermentioned his resignation. They also find it inappropriate. But he isinsisting.6 October, 1915Nice weather. Iraq army Command post has been proposed toMustafa Kemal Bey. With the following conditions, he accepted.Bagdat and Basra governor posts, promotion, title of General Commander,to bring some officers with him and their promotion.Previously he asked for the commanding post of the army which willbe formed to help Bulgaria, but they proposed Iraq. Let's see where wewill go.13 October, 1915Nice weather, but cool. Stomach pains continue. An enemy aeroplaneflying on our line was hit by the machine guns from the 76th regiment.It fell somewhere between our lines and Tuzla Golu (?). Then wastotally destroyed by fire. Golc Pasa has been appointed to Iraq.4 November 1915Nice weather. Busy at the H.Q. At the 11th Division Major Hamdiand group artillery commander von Berg argued. Hamdi refused toobey von Berg's orders. Situation is a little critical. We saved Hamdifrom going to military court. Mustafa Kernel protected Hamdi.Problem settled.6 November, 1915Nice weather. I was busy at HQ. Artillery duel is going on at thefront. An enemy plane was hit. Landed at sea. Our artillery opened fireon the rescue boats. One was hit.(13-24 November 1915 was spent in Istanbul with family on leave)25 November, 1915Nice weather. I haveseencommanderand others and returned to mypost.A torrential rain in the evening. Water invaded the plain in front ofthe lines and the trenches. The soldiers are facing great difficulties.Heavy loss of men, animals and materials in the floods.27 November, 1915Weather is very bad. Rain and cold is continuing. Especially 18th,59th and 36th regiments are having difficulties. Weather is getting

EXTRACTS FROM THE DIARY OF A TURKISH OFFICER 97much colder. Some of the soldiers who were severely effected by therain later froze to death. We couldn't receive supplies because of thestorm. The animals are hungry today.28 November. 1915Weather is very cold. Tonight It snowed. I am suffering from heavytoothache.30 November. 19/5Nice weather. Toothache is very severe. I was compelled to have itextracted. Dr Huseyin extracted my tooth. It hurt a lot but I tried andresisted. No change in the situation. They caught 2 POWs again fromAzmak (Suvla). 190 froze to death 30 drowned because of the paststorm.The situation between Liman Pasa and Mustafa Kemal turned out tobe the most important issue. The reason in summary is as follows.1. During Enver and Izzet Pasa's visits Mustafa Kemal in line withLiman Pasa didn't propose the deployment of the 2nd Army towardsSalonika.2. In the dispute between Hamdi and von Berg he protected Hamdiand didn't send him to military court.3. By asking the army HQ how to use the German officers who wereat the HQs of the 3rd division and 16th army corps, emphasising thatthe German officers are of no use.4. By sending Hollman from the 1 1th division made Liman Pasa veryangry. Later Liman Pasa officially informed that he will not send anyGerman officers.5. The group was ordered to conduct reconnaissance attacks to theBritish positions and the attacks were carried out by the Anafartalargroup. But with a second order Liman Pasa criticised the actions of thegroup and Mustafa Kemal refused Liman Pasa's criticisms and refutedthem.This situation caused misunderstanding and bitterness between thetwo commanders and Mustafa Kemal will leave for Instanbul on sickleave.1 December, 1915Tonight Commandant, Fuat Bey and I sat down until midnight wetalked about marriage. We convinced Mustafa Kemal Bey to getmarried, and he decided to do so, but on marriage you cannot trust hiswords.4 December. 1915Nice weather. In the afternoon I went out to inspect the arsenaldepots and the roads. I also went to see the production lines. Marshal(Liman Pasa) came in front of our HQ today. Pertev went to see him. Hecomplained about the situation of the roads and said Mustafa Kemalshould have taken care of the roads instead of building himself a villa.Liman Pasa's words are showing his indignity.5 December, 1915Nice weather. I am busy at the HQ. Liman Pasa today broughtMustafa Kemal's sick leave papers to our HQ. He showed an attitude ofanger inside and ashamed outside. Asked me whether I have receivedmy German Iron Cross or not. He noticed that I was not wearing it.

98 DEFENCE FORCE JOl'RNAL No. 81 March April 199019 December, 1915We woke up early this morning. We went to Tursun to inspect themanoeuvres. Marshal also came. It lasted about 1.5 hours. Marshal leftat the end. Karnensinger and Fevzi Pasa (who temporarily replacedMustafa Kemal) criticised. In the afternoon at 2.30 enemy bombardedthe right of the south lines and attacked. They suffered some heavy lossesand withdrew. In the evening they spotted 5-6 transport ships and 25military transport vessels at Imroz. 4 of them headed towards Suvla.These movements and the enemy attack in the south gave us theimpression of a new attack. I slept at midnight. At 3 in the morning theduty officer woke me up and gave me the following information. Staffofficer of the 9th Division reported that at Suvla and Azmak theyspotted many frigates and military transport vessels, they also spottedbarges and boats going and coming. This gave the impression of a newenemy discharge. Later on silence prevailed. Large fires in the enemylines. They ordered reconnaissance attack. Then it was understood thatthe enemy was not discharging, on the contrary, escaping from ourfront. Same news came also from Ariburnu (Anzac). In our lines, firstthe reconnaissance team of the 21st Regiment then the reconnaissanceteams of the 12th, 11th, and 23rd divisions entered the enemy trenches.Everywhere was empty. Orders to follow the enemy was given. Enemyconducted the withdrawal very secretly, nothing was leaked. Oursoldiers went to the seaside but made no contact with the enemy. Samething at Ariburnu as well. With these British who stayed for monthsagainst the defence lines established by Mustafa Kernel Bey becamehopeless and desperate and escaped. Victory and God's will occurred.The army commander has the ambition to press the enemy and totake them prisoners. In fact it would have been better, but we wouldthen suffer heavy losses. But the body of a single Turk is .very valuable.As it had happened like this many Turkish lives saved. I hope they willalso withdraw from the southern front as well. In the afternoon withFevzi Pasa we went to see the enemy trenches at Kayaciikagili (Hill 60).They were deep and narrow-self protected.21 December, 1915Heavy southerly winds. Rain until noon. Then rain and wind. I wasbusy at the HQ. The soldiers were busy collecting the enemies leftovermaterials. On the 16th army corps lines they collected enough foodstuffto keep an army corps for three days. 300kms of wire, 800 tents, 300portable tents. 3000 pickaxes and millions of sand bags.I received a letter from Mustafa Kemal. he was resting. I haveinformed him of the enemv withdrawal.Ahmet Arda was born in 1953 in Istanbul. He joined the Diplomatic service in 1979. He served in Cyprusand European Community Departments of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Ankara and in TurkishEmbassies in Dhaka and London. In November. 1988 he was appointed to the Turkish Embassy inCanberra as the First Secretary.

DEFENCE FORCE JOURNAL No. 81 March April 1990 99'Those heroes that shed theirblood and lost their lives...You are now lying in thesoil of a friendly country.Therefore rest in peace.There is no differencebetween the Johnniesand the Mehmets tous where they lie sideby side here in thiscountry of ours...You, the mothers,who sent their sonsfrom far away countries,wipe your tears; yoursons are now lying in ourbosom and are at peace.After having lost their liveson this land they have becomeour sons as well."The Kemal Ataturk Memorial, Canberra

Task Force Gallipoli11When 60 World War 1 veterans, eightwidows of World War 1 veterans and eightjunior Legatees left Sydney for Turkey on 20April 1990, for the 75th Anniversary commemorationof the Gallipoli landings, it was theculmination of efforts which have lasted formore than a year.It all began in March 1989 when a group ofveterans from the World War I Association ofNSW visited Parliament House. Bill Hall,leader of the group and patron of the association,was introduced by the Minister forVeterans' Affairs, Ben Humphreys, to theMinister for Defence, Kim Beazley."How about sending some of the old Diggersback to Gallipoli for the 75th Anniversary?"Bill asked Mr Beazley.The Minister was receptive and after Billfollowed up with a written request, supportedby the RSL. Mr Beazley put the proposition tothe Prime Minister. Bob Hawke. who readilyagreed to provide an aircraft and made apublic announcement of the proposed Gallipoli1990 Visit on 24 April 1990.Mr Humphreys was given the task of coordinatingthe visit and this led to the settingup of a Steering Committee and of the GallipoliTask Force within the Department of Veterans'Affairs. The Task Force had overall responsibilityfor planning the visit, supported by theDepartment of Defence which involved some1300 service personnel from all branches of theDefence forces.The Steering Committee was headed by EdAttridge, National Program Director. CorporateServices, Department of Veterans' Affairsand included representatives of the RSL, theOffice of Australian War Graves, World War 1Veterans' Association of NSW. AustralianWar Memorial, Departments of Defence, ForeignAffairs and Trade and Prime Ministerand Cabinet, the Repatriation Commission,the M inisters for Defence and Veterans' Affairsand members of the Gallipoli Task Force.The Task Force, headed by Director, JohnQuinn, began with one person in May last yearbut gradually grew as the tasks and functionshad been set in place. It included a staff of 15 inCanberra, a nurse co-ordinator in Sydney andcarers - doctors and nurses - throughoutAustralia who were responsible for the wellbeingof the veterans from the time they lefttheir home States until their return fromTurkey. The carers included doctors and nursesfrom Repatriation General Hospitals and aRAAF contingent of two doctors and fournurses.In consultation with the RSL and WarWidows' Guild. theTask Force considered theapplications from veterans and others whomade the visit and M r H umphreys announcedin December the names of those who had beeninvited.Legacy assisted with the nomination ofjunior Legatees.Applications were received from 105 Gallipoliveterans, 196 World War I veterans whoserved in other theatres of war and 69 warwidows. Gallipoli veterans who applied weregiven preference. All those judged fit to makethe journey were included and made up thebulk of the Visit Group.The work of the Task Force also includedongoing medical checks, arrangements foraccommodation and ground travel, itineraryand detailed program, medical and hospitalfacilities in Turkey and in Singapore, wherethe group stayed in transit, the provision ofuniform clothing for the Visit Group, administrativearrangements such as the provision ofpassports and responsibility for media liaison.TheTask Force, with Defence representativesand the RSL. had also liaised closely withTurkish authorities who prov ided support forthe two Australian ceremonies held atGallipoli on Anzac Day. The Turkish authorities,who also organised an InternationalCeremony, were enthusiastic and co-operative.Liaison visits to Turkey were made by EdAttridge. John Quinn and Nurse Co-ordinatorMrs Diana Trickett from the Task Force.One of the pulses for all those working tomake the Gallipoli 1990 Visit a success hasbeen the opportunity to meet the veterans.Veterans, who despite advanced age still showedthe humour, courage and independence ofspirit which gave birth to the ANZAC tradition.