What an emotional one this was. We got the opportunity to visit Gallipoli enroute to Istanbul and had a day at this tragic, yet beautiful place. We paid our respects to the soldiers that famously fought for their country on this beach in WWI. Home to the famous ANZAC legend, over 130,000 men were killed here in 1915 – one third of them ANZACs; the rest being Turks. Being able to stand where it all happened, we were able to get a proper understanding and immense respect for the impossible conditions that the poor buggers endured such as rough terrain, intense heat and unfamiliar surrounds. Our guide was absolutely fantastic and reminded us that it wasn’t just the ANZACs that suffered in this battle – something that we hadn’t bothered to consider in the past. We learnt that it was considered a gentleman’s war: as the Turks and ANZACs agreed to a 24 hour ceasefire so they could bury their lost comrades respectfully, swapped cigarettes, food and various other supplies. There was even one Turk who was without a weapon and came across a severely injured Aussie, scooped him up and carried him back to the ANZAC trenches – at risk of being shelled to smithereens. Needless to say, we grew a new found respect for the Turks as they were only defending their own soil and were under insutruction and killing against their Muslim beliefs. Our guide even had a key to a locked records room that had original letters from Aussie soldiers to their loved ones back home – telling their mothers that they haven’t seen or heard of some of their lifelong mates in the trenches for weeks and feared the worst. There wasn’t a dry eye in the room, from teenagers to fully grown men and the bus trip home was a very quiet one.
WIN:
A.N.Z.A.C. Nuff said.
FAIL:
The two young girls who were 45mins late to the bus and then couldn’t be bothered to even get off the bus to do the tour and hear about the tragic events that took place at ANZAC Cove. They were American.
theflightclub 