HISTORIC SOIL

Evening Post, Volume CXIX, Issue 134, 8 June 1935, Page 5

HISTORIC SOIL

PILGRIMAGE TO GALLIPOIif

(From "The Post's" Representative.)

LONDON, May 18,

A party of seven of the Strathaird passengers left the ship at Suez on April 21 to make a pilgrimage to Gallipoli for the 20th anniversary of the landing. The party consisted of Mr. and Mrs. Curry (Auckland), Mr. and Miss Astley (Auckland); Mr. Jack (Christchurch), Miss Stade (Auckland), and Mr. Eadnell (Melbourne). : At Alexandra they joined the Ismu for the Dardanelles, via Athens and Smyrna. The new name for Smyrna, by the way, is Ismu. The party spent an interesting day viewing the ruins of Smyrna and seeing the new city of Ismu, which is now in the making. The old city was destroyed by fire in the war between Turkey and Greece in 1922. Chanak was reached on April 26 at 5 a.m. From this point a fine view was obtained of the New Zealand Memorial at Chanak Bahr—the furthest inland point reached by any of the ( Anzac troops. This was the travellers' first view of Arizac. They left Chanak via Kilid Bahr and Maidos, and had • very pleasant run over the countrjfc They found Anzae very quiet, th« stillness of the place being particv* larly impressive. They visited the cemeteries, which they found wert being kept very neat and clear by the Turks, under the supervision of Capr tain Millington. All the country > overgrown again, very much as in 1915, but the trenches were i still to be seeifc and all the old positions were easil* picked out, while barbed wire, bull* beef tins, broken rum jars, shell case* etc., were still in evidence. Mr. Curry and Mr. Radnell actual!* served in Gallipoli, and Mr. Curry wal able to find his old gun positions. Sf it was a real pilgrimage again to vis* this sacred spot and to see the graves of many comrades. One day was sper* at Cape Helles, now so peaceful and quiet. Here there are only a few shepherds with their goats, and a little cultivation. There is,. of course, the huge memorial at Cape Helles to the 20705 men of the British forces that are missing, and their names arc carved on the walls of this memorial. The party received wonderful treatment on board the Ismu from Ihe Turks, who could not do enough for them. ,