Our last morning in Turkey has finally arrived as we work out how to stuff everything into already bulging bags and spend our remaining lira. The final day yesterday included a visit to the beautiful Chora Church which features mosaics depicting the life of the Virgin Mary. Being a Sunday it was a little easier to get around Istanbul without the usual crazy traffic.
Archive for the ‘Battlefield Tours’ Category
Farewell Turkey
28 April 2008 by Andrew Gray.
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Battlefield Tours, News, Simpson Prize Winners
ANZAC Day at Gallipoli
27 April 2008 by Robyn Van Dyk.
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Battlefield Tours, News, Gallipoli
A couple of days after the landing on the 25th April 1915 the weather turned bitterly cold for the ANZACs dug in at Gallipoli. Having been blessed with the weather so far, the battlefield tour received a good dose of what it would have been like for the diggers in 1915.
Most of us on the tour agree that we have just spent the coldest night of our lives camped out for the Dawn Service! We left the hotel at 12 am in order to arrive at ANZAC Cove ahead of the pack and reserve some seats for the service which was to start at 4:30 am. As the temperature at ANZAC Cove was forecast to fall to -3 degrees we dressed like “Michelin men”. When we arrived we realised that the pack were already there ahead of us and it was a struggle to get seats. Although in the end we all managed to find seating amongst the 12,000 strong crowd. Several of us managed to squeeze in with the large contingent who had been camping out on the grounds for several hours ahead of us. Those who did this all agreed that they had made the right choice as there is warmth in numbers. read on
The Landing, 25 April 1915
27 April 2008 by Robyn Van Dyk.
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Battlefield Tours, News, Gallipoli
ANZAC Cove is the name given to this stretch of the west coast of the Turkish Peninsula where the Australians and New Zealanders made their landing on the 25 April 1915. The landing marked the start of an eight month campaign on the Gallipoli Peninsula. The ANZACs under General Birdwood were to make the northern landing. Once ashore they were to press inland.The Battlefield tour took a boat trip yesterday to the coast where the ANZACs made their famous landing on the morning of Sunday 25 April.
Panorama view of the coastline from the Aegean Sea. From here the Anzacs made their landing. Photograph by Matt Dare.
Another three days on the peninsula
27 April 2008 by Andrew Gray.
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Battlefield Tours, Simpson Prize Winners
Wednesday - To Helles and back
Following our exploration of the ANZAC part of the Gallipoli campaign, we moved to Cape Helles to look at the battles that took place at the south of peninsula. A visit to the British Memorial reminded us of the significant naval presence and the huge number of British troops involved in the battles for Krithia. At the top of the cliff we looked down onto V Beach where the River Clyde beached and the British troops were cut down as they tried to establish a beachhead.
The Canakkale Sehitler Abidesi (Monument of Canakkale Martyrs) is a huge memorial on the tip of the peninsula and gives an impression of strength and power. A stone relief at the base of the memorial showed Turks and ANZACs developing mutual respect during the May armistice. There were many bus loads of Turkish visitors at this memorial and we had our picture taken with some soldiers. An impressive part of the memorial was the etched glass headstones that names thousands of Turkish soldiers killed in the campaign. read on
The Ancient City
24 April 2008 by Robyn Van Dyk.
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Battlefield Tours, News, Gallipoli
Homer described the location of the city of Troy as situated at the entrance of the Dardanelles. The Gallipoli campaign was fought a few kilometres from the site of the ancient city. The historical connections between the ancient and modern battlefields were not lost on the Australians fighting in this region. Many ANZACs found pieces of ancient pottery when tunnelling into the hills.The battlefield tour took the opportunity to walk through the ruins of this ancient city and to take some group photographs. We are divided into two groups Green (top) and Gold (bottom).
Green (top) and Gold (bottom) group photographs amphitheatre Troy read on
Aboriginal ANZACs
24 April 2008 by Robyn Van Dyk.
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Battlefield Tours, News, Gallipoli
There are only five known Aboriginal servicemen buried at Gallipoli, however, it is estimated that 500-800 Aboriginal diggers served in the First World War. Ethnicity was not recorded in the enlistment process and research into indigenous service can involve trawling across many different sources, sometimes we may never know who these servicemen were.
Three days on the peninsula
23 April 2008 by Andrew Gray.
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Battlefield Tours, News, Simpson Prize Winners
Day 1
Stepping on two continents
It’s great to see that the concept of quiet Sunday morning traffic exists in other places around the world. Leaving Istanbul was quick and simple, even though we got an idea of just how big a city of 16 million people can be. A drive through green countryside was very pleasant, noting the complete lack of fences and many shepherds with sheep and goats. The boy from Kingaroy has seen plenty of tractors in his time in Australia, but out in the paddocks, not cruising down the road like they do here. read on
Memorial to the Bouvet
23 April 2008 by Robyn Van Dyk.
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Battlefield Tours, Gallipoli
The first action by the Allies against the Ottomans began as a naval operation and occurred here on the Dardanelles. On the 18 March a large British and French fleet of 18 war ships advanced towards the Narrows, hoping to put the forts that defended the Dardanelles out of action, threaten Constantinople and open supply routes to Russia.The war operation began with preliminary bombardments of the Turkish forts in January and February 1915. The operation failed due to the impenetrable defences of this passage which included artillery and mines that were laid strategically in the narrows.
Mobile Howitzers were the key to the defences of the Narrows. Original Krupp L40 150 cm Howitzer defending the Dardanelles (left). Barrell from a mobile Howitzer at the Naval Museum Cannakale (right) Photographs by Colin Simpson.
Stop Passerby
23 April 2008 by Robyn Van Dyk.
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Battlefield Tours, News, Gallipoli
On the journey from Istanbul to the Dardanelles the Battlefield tour noticed this striking memorial on the slopes of the Kilitbahir Plateau. In English it translates to:
Stop passerby
The ground you tread on, unawares,
Once witnessed the end of a generation.
Listen in this quiet earth
Beats the heart of a nation.
Stop Passerby!
Istanbul not Constantinople
20 April 2008 by Andrew Gray.
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Battlefield Tours, News, Simpson Prize Winners
If we were sensible and thoughtful students, we would talk about the rich cultural experience we had today visiting the Blue Mosque, Topaki Palace, Basilica Cistern and Hagia Sophia. We would describe the centuries old Christian and Muslim history associated with these places, reflecting on the significant events and people that are part of Turkish history. read on
