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Startling underwater discovery at Gallipoli battlefield
Underwater archaeologists exploring off the coast of Gallipoli, Turkey, have found a somber relic from the famous WWI battle. A barge that removed dead and wounded soldiers from the beachhead back to a hospital ship was found at the bottom of the sea. The team also found the wreck of the HMS Lewis, a British destroyer.
Gallipoli is a Turkish peninsula that controls access between the Black and the Aegean seas. It also guards the western approach to Constantinople, the capital of the Ottoman Empire, which fought on Germany's side in World War One. In 1915, UK's First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill decided it was of crucial strategic importance and landed troops there. What followed was a disaster. Allied troops got pinned down on the beaches and endured months of constant fighting before they finally pulled out. The Turks suffered too, with each side losing a quarter of a million men.
The Allied side included not only UK, French, and Canadian troops, but also a large number of men from the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. The ANZACs, as they're commonly called, became heroes back home and are national icons to this day. The hospital barge was found near ANZAC Cove, shown here, and was probably sunk while carrying casualties from this famous unit.
Gallipoli is one of the most popular destinations in Turkey. Faint traces of the trenches from 90 years ago are still visible, and guided tours show visitors the locations of the various armies fighting it out for control of the beach and overlooking mountains.
A nice detail about this story is that the archaeologists are a joint Australian-Turkish team. Looks like these folks are remembering their history while putting it behind them.
Photo courtesy of the Australian War Memorial.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
nzm Jun 24th 2010 2:04PM
ANZAC day is April 25th. The day is marked with dawn services all around Australia, New Zealand, Gallipoli and anywhere where there are large groups of Aussie and Kiwi expats. War veterans, military forces and families then march in a parade, usually to a war memorial, to lay wreaths and commemorate the fallen and the survivors.
den Jun 25th 2010 10:12AM
One of the most bittersweet songs regarding this battle and the soldiers, "and then they played Waltzing Matilda". Unbelievably sad, still has revelence today for our soldiers.
Dear Tuffy Jun 25th 2010 3:37PM
Funny you mention that Den, the whole time I was reading the article I was singing that tune in my head.
Sean McLachlan Jun 25th 2010 3:38PM
Strangely enough, I heard that song in a bar the day before I wrote this article!
Michael Jun 25th 2010 9:08AM
I salute the brave lads who with Patriotic zest and love of their homeland, and God
fought on these shores so long ago.
Fatboy Jun 25th 2010 12:00PM
Three Cheers! Hip Hip Hooray! Hip Hip Hooray! Hip Hip Hooray! A salute to the brave and the fallen. Godspeed. Hope we as a civilization can rise above war someday.
WMMorgan Jun 25th 2010 10:38AM
"Churchill decided it was of crucial strategic importance". The decision was a correct one, as this article seems to dismiss out of hand. The Allies were stymied by bad field leadership and preparation, extraordinarily hostile terrain and unusually good Turkish commanders.
Gallipolli may have been the most important battle of the 20th century: Success would have knocked the Turks out of the war and let the Allies reinforce Russia on the eastern front through the Black Sea. Russia stays in the fight. They share in the victory. Lenin and the Bolsheviks never come to power. Hitler remains an obscurity, robbed of his canard of Jewish perfidy. WWII, Stalin, the Cold War and all those other horrors then slip into the alternate-universe dustbin.
Sean McLachlan Jun 25th 2010 10:41AM
Not sure why you think I dismiss Churchill's decision, considering that I discuss Gallipoli's strategic importance in the sentence before the one you quote.
Bob Jun 25th 2010 2:40PM
Excellent article...
istanbul Nov 3rd 2011 10:20AM
Spent three days in area and two full days visiting the park and memorials were not enough. Should have had a third. Used dardanel troy Cannakale as a base and left car at Kilitbahir. Our visit was focussed on the British landings in the Cape Hellas area and Morto Bay as well as Gully Ravine. There was more than enough to see with British, French and Turkish sites. It is a must to read up on the Gallipoli campaign before you go. Pretty spectacular and difficult terrain was dwarfed by a second visiting Suvla and Anzac areas www.privatetoursinistanbul.com Spectacularly beautiful and daunting/terrible for those who fought there. September is a quiet time for a visit with good weather although very dry. Well worth the visit Thank you all so much.