The Gallipoli Campaign
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The Gallipoli campaign On April 25th 1915 at dawn, Australian and New Zealand troops landed on the Gallipoli Peninsula in Turkey which is now called Anzac Cove. Around 20,000 soldiers landed on the beach over the next two days. Instead of finding the flat beach they expected, they faced steep cliffs and were shot at by the Turkish army who were waiting for them on the cliffs. Thousands of Australian and New Zealand men died in the days & months that followed the landing at that beach. The surviving diggers, as they waited for reinforcements, suffered conditions such as typhus, lice, poor food, poor sanitary conditions and lack of fresh water as well as mud, mud , mud! 8 months later the Anzacs were evacuated on 20 December 1915. By then, 8,141 had been killed or died of wounds and more than 18,000 had been wounded. The landing at Gallipoli was seen as a story of courage and endurance amongst death and despair. Australians were hailed for their dash in attack and doggedness in defence and the ANZAC legend was born. The ANZAC Legend The spirit of ANZAC recognises the qualities of courage, mateship and sacrifice which were demonstrated at the Gallipoli landing. “It is a legend not of sweeping military victories so much as triumphs against the odds, of courage and ingenuity in adversity. It is a legend of free and independent spirits whose discipline derived less from military formalities and customs than from the bonds of mateship and the demands of necessity.” Each year on Anzac Day we come together and spend time remembering the sacrifices of those who have died in war, protecting our country. The word ANZAC meant someone who fought at Gallipoli but later came to mean any Australian or New Zealander who fought or served in World War 1. During the Second World War, ANZAC Day became a day on which the lives of all Australians lost in war time were remembered. Today Anzac Day represents our remembrance, gratitude & national pride for ALL men and women who have died in ALL wars. It is a day when we can reflect on the many different meanings of war. .