Anzac Cove

The landing at Anzac Cove was part of the amphibious invasion of the Turkish Gallipoli peninsula by British and French forces on April 25, 1915. The landing, on the Aegean coast of the peninsula, was made by soldiers of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps and was the first significant combat of the war for our countries.

The purpose of the invasion was to neutralise the Turkish forts that controlled the passage of the Dardanelles straits. The Anzac Cove landing went awry when the leadership cadre with the knowledge of the operational attack plan were either killed or wounded leaving the beachhead in chaos. Older semi retired Senior Officers, using WWI tactics, took to storming large numbers of troops up the hills and into the paths of newly invented high-speed machine guns. What was planned, as a swift operation became a protracted and deadly eight-month struggle.

Over 42,000 soldiers died at Gallipoli and over 10,000 were from Australia and New Zealand. The freedom we enjoy today was hard fought for. What I found heart wrenching was the ages of many of the soldiers that willingly volunteered to defend our country. Many were under twenty and many more under eighteen.

They shall grow not old as we that are left grow old.

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning,

We will remember them.