That phrase in the title is from the New Zealand Expeditionary Force monument at Chunuk Bair, on the Gallipoli peninsula. April 25, 1915 is a sacred date for two, possibly three countries. The baptism of fire for King and Empire for Australia and New Zealand (hence ANZAC - Australia New Zealand Army Corps), and the campaign where Mustafa Kemal, later known as Ataturk, father of modern Turkey, first made a name for himself.
It is sacred territory, and I am so glad I have been there. I am less glad that I didn't wake up to catch the bus to the actual Dawn Service, but I got to Lone Pine and Chunuk Bair on April 25, and got to Anzac Cove the next day. Will get back there again someday to do the Dawn Service though. One of those things that will never become just a funny story in hindsight grrr.
'Those heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives... you are now lying in the soil of a friendly country. Therefore rest in peace. There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side now here in this country of ours... you, the mothers, who sent their sons from faraway countries wipe away your tears; your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace. After having lost their lives on this land, they have become our sons as well.' - Ataturk, 1934
Tens of thousands of British and French died during the eight month campaign as well, actually many more than the Aussies and Kiwis, but with the carnage at Ypres and Verdun and the Somme and all along the rest of the Western Front, it seems to have become a footnote for those two countries. Eighty six thousand Turks died as well, defending their homeland.
More ANZAC casualties were taken on the Western Front than at Gallipoli, but the Dardenelles campaign was our baptism of fire. Passchendaele, or Third Ypres, I have heard was one of the worst battles of the entire war, 'mud, mud, everywhere' is a refrain I remember from a book somewhere, but Gallipoli is the 'famous' one.
Lest we forget
Paul
It is sacred territory, and I am so glad I have been there. I am less glad that I didn't wake up to catch the bus to the actual Dawn Service, but I got to Lone Pine and Chunuk Bair on April 25, and got to Anzac Cove the next day. Will get back there again someday to do the Dawn Service though. One of those things that will never become just a funny story in hindsight grrr.
'Those heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives... you are now lying in the soil of a friendly country. Therefore rest in peace. There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side now here in this country of ours... you, the mothers, who sent their sons from faraway countries wipe away your tears; your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace. After having lost their lives on this land, they have become our sons as well.' - Ataturk, 1934
Tens of thousands of British and French died during the eight month campaign as well, actually many more than the Aussies and Kiwis, but with the carnage at Ypres and Verdun and the Somme and all along the rest of the Western Front, it seems to have become a footnote for those two countries. Eighty six thousand Turks died as well, defending their homeland.
More ANZAC casualties were taken on the Western Front than at Gallipoli, but the Dardenelles campaign was our baptism of fire. Passchendaele, or Third Ypres, I have heard was one of the worst battles of the entire war, 'mud, mud, everywhere' is a refrain I remember from a book somewhere, but Gallipoli is the 'famous' one.
Lest we forget
Paul
yeah, some people read them...
ReplyDeleteDefinitely, NY is a hotbed of paranoia, neuroses and sexual frustration. Never before have I encountered such a mass epidemic of Mr Softy afflicting the male species. No idea what I'm doing there.