Trip To Turkey pt 1

Being Kiwi, we planned a visit to Turkey, and just had to visit Gallipoli. After a night's stay in Istanbul we rode the tour bus down the peninsular. The 5 hour ride was broken up with just one toilet stop and the weather didn't look too promising either. We arrived at the Crowded House Hotel in Eceabat and the rain clouds disappeared.
Our tour guide hurried us all onto the bus and off we went, 5 Americans, 18 Aussies and us. Stops included Brighton Beach (where the ANZACs should have landed), the Beach Cemetery, Anzac Cove, Ariburni Cemetery, ANZAC Commemoration Site (where they hold the dawn service on the 25th), Lone Pine Australian Memorial, Johnston's Jolly, 57th Regiment Turkish Memorial (the whole regiment died), The Nek, and finally Chunuk Bair NZ Memorial where the Kiwis held out for 2 days til the Turks forced them back again. We were amazed at the distance from ANZAC Cove to Chunuk Bair and the close proximity in which they fought against each other. In some cases it was only about 8 metres of no man's land. We were shown the headstone of the 14 year old Australian private, the youngest to die there. I can't imagine how he must have felt during the few weeks he was there. The adventure must have turned into a nightmare for many of them.
We were so pleased to have the guide because he gave us the Turkish viewpoint of the invasion as well as summing up what had happened to the ANZACs. Such an amazing place and wonderful people who have kept the memory of our fallen alive for almost 100 years.

Beach Cemetery.

Iti at ANZAC Cove

ANZAC COVE - much smaller than we imagined.

The memorial at Ariburnu Cemetery. Very poignant.

Walking along the beach toward the ANZAC Commemoration Site.
ANZACs called the large rock in the background "The Sphinx."

The flagpole at the ANZAC Commemoration Site.

Preparations for ANZAC Day were in full swing.

Lone Pine Cemetery - the Australian Service takes place here.

There are still traces of trenches and tunnels in the area called
Johnston's Jolly.

The 57th Regiment Turkish Memorial

The view from the Nek down to the area where the British troops
landed, at the far end of the peninsular.

In front of the wall at Chunuk Bair,
where the names of the NZ regiments are listed.  

This statue in Eceabat shows Turkish mehmets
helping a Kiwi soldier (top centre) and an Aussie (lower left).

An instalment showing just how close some of the battles that took place were.

A model showing where some of the monuments and cemeteries
are on the peninsular. Chunuk Bair is at the top of the photo.

NB. I hope you read all of this Raymond. I'm going to test you next time we skype (haha!). Don't forget to read Troy too. xxx Mum