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.[/b]
To the Kiwis and Aussies I hope you have a great Anzac day, going to dawn service, watching the marches, or even spend it like me having a beer with your mates playing two-up.
For anyone who isn't aware of what Gallipoli is, or why Anzac day is so special I'd recommend the movie
Gallipoli by Peter Weir.
The most significant part of the film is the charge at the Nek, by the 8th and 10th Light Horse on the 7th of August 1915.
Just as the film shows, the attack was to begin at 4:30am but the supporting barrage finished 7mins early allowing the Turks time to fill their trenches and resight their guns. The Nek was only about 40m wide and only 18m separated the Australian and Turkish trenches. It was only wide enough so 4 waves of only 150 each could assault the turkish lines defended by 5 machine guns.
At 4:30 the first line, all Victorians went over the top, and were cut down within metres. The second went exactly 2 minutes later and were butchered.
The 10th, all West Australians filed into the trenches. Attempts were made to call off the attack, but by some miracle a marker flag had made it to the Turkish trenches, and the order to continue was made. The 3rd line's commanding officer Lt Col J.W. Springthorpe told his men
"Boys you have ten minutes to live and I'm going to lead you".
Even though all knew they faced certain death not one hesitated when the went over at about 4:45am.
The fourth line filed into the firing steps and by now frantic attempts were made to call off the attack, but the right of the line rose up and so the the rest went.
The historian CW Bean remarked the Turkish gunfire (the Australians went in with only bayonets) was a single continuous roar, and he could not hear single shots, until there was nothing but sudden silence.
Hundreds of Australians were killed in the space of a couple of tennis courts. Their bones would turn the ridge white as they lay unburied till 1919.
A rollcall afterwards only counted 47 men out of nearly 600.
The Nek
Those heroes that shed their
blood and lost their lives...you are now lying of the soil
of a friendly country, therefore rest in peace. There is
no difference between the Johnies and the Mehmets to
us where they lie side by side here in this country of
ours...You, the mothers, who sent their sons from far
away 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. Kemal Ataturk
Tronsky
