Apr 21 2008
Anzac Day in Australia
ANZAC Day, the Baptism of Blood for the Butchers Bill. Expeditions which are decided upon and organised with insufficient care or thought generally end disastrously.
25 April, a public holiday in Australia, marks the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War. It commemorates a baptism of blood for the colony, one of the greatest disasters in the unholy mess of the War to end all Wars.
Winston Churchill devised the plan of attack on the Turkish forces and, despite grave doubts and warnings from military commanders, pushed his ideas through. It has been widely suggested that he went ahead without permission. That, in effect, he acted alone.
However it may have been conceived, before sunrise on the morning of 25 April 1915, the ANZACs made their way in small rowing boats to the shore of Gallipoli.
They were met with terrible gun fire. They had landed in the wrong place, a small cove with steep cliffs, crisscrossing gullies, and excellent cover for Turkish snipers.
Lone Pine
A high ridge with one pine tree was the scene of two days of appalling, mainly hand to hand, fighting. The men were packed so tightly together that rifles could not be raised.
Of the nine Victoria Crosses awarded for acts of the highest bravery at Gallipoli, seven were earned at Lone Pine.
Many acts of bravery went unrecognised, and include the now iconic Simpson and his Donkey.
Terrible Casualties
In the failed Dardanelles campaign, young men from many nations were slaughtered, many of them not knowing what they were fighting about. The losses were : -
• Turkey - 86,692 • Britain - 21,255 • France - 9,798 • Australia - 8,709
• New Zealand - 2,701 • India - 1,358 • Newfoundland - 49
Despite the horrendous losses, and the bloody retreat from Turkey, Churchill always claimed his campaign was succesful. In what manner it was succesful was known only to whatever gods may be. And to Churchill.
The words of Lloyd George should have been heeded. Expeditions which are decided upon and organised with insufficient care or thought generally end disastrously.
The fighting in World War 1 ended at 11am on 11 November 1918. But that wasn’t the end of the deaths and the terrible suffering. The casualties were referred to as the butcher’s bill.
More than 90 years later the cost of the war is still with us — the butcher’s bill is still being paid.
More posts on Anzac
Simpson and his Donkey
For further reading, see The Gallipoli Front - An Overview (outside link)
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