ANZAC DAY.

Mataura Ensign, 25 April 1917, Page 5

ANZAC DAY.

DEEDS OF HEROISM. WHAT OUR SOLDIERS DID. “All these fought most valiantly, and their deeds will be remembered for evermore. Their memorial has been already inscribed in men’s hearts. In future ages the sons of the Empire will seek to emulate their imperishable renown, and their daring bravery. We resolve by God’s gracious favor that our brothers shall not have laid down their lives in vain.”—From the Tribute to the Anzac men in the service in Westminster Abbey. “Nohing but a thorough and systematic scheme for Hinging the whole of the troops under my command very rapidly ashore could he expected to meet with success; whereas, on the other hand, a tentative or piecemeal programme was bound to lead to disaster. The lauding of an army upon the theatre of operations I have described—a theatre strongly garrisoned throughout, and prepared for any such attempt—involved difficulties for which no precedent was forthcoming in military history except in the sinister legends of Xerxes. The beaches were either so well defended by works and guns or else so restricted by Nature that it did not seem possible, even by two or three simultaneous landings to pass the troops ashore quickly enough to enable them to maintain themselves against the rapid concentration and counter-attack, which the enemy was hound in such a case to attempt. It became necessary therefore not only to land simultaneously at as many fronts as possible, but to threaten to land at other points as well.”—Sir lan Hamilton’s First Despatch.

MINISTERIAL MESSAGE.

TO THE TROOPS

A UNITED PEOPLE

(Per United Press Association.) WELLINGTON, April 24. Sir oas. Allen, Minister for Defence, issued the following Anzac Day message to-night. The message has been transmitted to the High Commissioner to he communicated to the soldiers in hospital, to General Godley .to be communicated to the troops in France, and to the Officer Commanding in Egypt to be conveyed! to the New Zealand troops with the army operating in Palestine :

“To-day is the second anniversary of the historic landing on Gallipoli, which will go down in history as one of tile finest feats of daring in which British soldiers have been engaged. Weave proud to think that our New Zealand troops emerged from this ordeal fit to rank amongst the bravest defenders of the Empire. Since then much blood lias been shed, and many homes have been made desolate, hut it has not been in vain. AVe stand to-day a united people, part of a united Empire, stronger than ever, but chastened by the sacrifices that have been foreeu upon us. Our troops are still fighting in the far-flung line. They will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with England and our Allies till aU Honorable and lasting peace has been secured. Let us trust that next time we celebrate Anzac Day it will he in peace, and that our soldiers will have returned to us. Let us also hope that when the clouds of war have rolled away its lessons will not he forgotten, and that we shall all realise that if the country is to he free its citizens must note only be prepared to die for it in time of war, hut live for it in time of peace.”

GREETINGS TO COMRADES.

FROM RETURNED SOLDIERS

WELLINGTON, April 25. The New Zealand Returned Soldiers’ Association has sent the following gable to General Sir A. J. Godley;— Please convey heartiest greetings from the New Zealand Returned Soldiers’ Association to their comrades at the front and to their commander

of the 29th Division. The New Zealand returned soldiers have proud recollections of their Gallipoli associations.

A THING IMPOSSIBLE.

AVTTHOUT A PRECEDENT

The landing at Gallipoli is descrU-eu by Mr John Buchan jn Nelson’s History of the War as a “fight without a precedent.” There have been fiercely contested landings in the wan ke hisrtiy of our nation, but none were on a similar scale to that on the Peninsula where New Zealand’s sons were first asked to prove their mater.,il valor. Mr Buchan says that “every rule of yor was set at naught” during tlm landing, ‘“On paper the thing was impossible,” as the Turkish Army order announced, and by the “text books uo man MionJd have lefte the beach alive.” Yet one soldiers acccomplished the in-iossihle, staled the heights and drove tlm enemy hack so that a footing was obtained. Ail accounts show that the Tnks fought «ith boldness. That the audacity of our troops succeeded is a tribute to their manhood.

The Rattlo of the Landing on April 25, 1915, w r as fougl.it by the “incomparable :29th Division,” the East Lancashire Territorial Division, the Anzacs (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps), the Royal Naval Division, the Indian Troops, and the French Expeditimnry Force. The morning of April 25 “ires absolutely still; there was no sign of life on the shore ; a thin veil of mist hung motionless over the promontory; the surface of the sea was as smooth as glass.The Armada drew close to the Peninsula shortly before daybreak. The honor of being the first men to land rests with the Australians, - who dashed ashore at 4.53 a.m , and the first Turk was bayoneted at 5.5 a.in. i he principal landings near. Cape Hellos were under the iin modi ate direction of Rear-Admiral R. K. AVemyss, wdiq.se squadron comurisod the battleships Swiftsure, Implacable, Cornwallis,' Albion, Vengeance. Lord Nelson and Prince George; the cruisers Euryalus, Talbot. Minerva and Dublin, six sweepers and .1-1 trawlers.

THE TWENTY-NINTHS. The immortal 29th Division was composed of British home troops, and some of ,their feats have been described by Sir lan Hamilton, Regarding the landing on Beach W. the general says ; “So strong, ju fact, were the defences of W beach ’that the Turks may well have considered them impregnable, and it is my firm conviction that no finer feat of •inns has ever been achieved hv the British soldier—or anv other soldier— Mum the storming of these, trenches 'rom open boats on the morning of April 25. The landing at W had been entrusted-to the Ist Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers, and it was to the complete lack of the sense of danger or of fear of this daring battalion that wo owed our astonishing success” The work clone at Beach V was, if possible, even more heroic than at Beach W, for “in addition to wire entanglements, trenches and rede "Lis tbore was a massive old mined t‘..t •. at the eastern end and a ruined mk« cm the ridge behind the b; ; . hj ■■■ • of win cl i afforded excellent cover ',«>■ machine guns and riflemen. Tl.c n, p ve! was that the position was carried ut all.”

•, THE ANZACS. But while the heroism and pugnacity of British troops had been proved in many a bloody battlefield, yet had never shone so brightly as at the landing, their Australasian comrades had to prove their worth. Pessimists had doubted the .thoroughness of their training and discipline, though no one had dared to doubt their courage. When the trial came the New Zealand and Australian troops evidenced not only their courage hut their discipline and their training. Competent authorities say that the attack delivered by the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps was by far the greatest of all the assaults made at the Battle of the Landing. The Anzacs sailed out of Mudros Bay on the afternoon of April 24, escorted by the Second Squadron of the Fleet under Rear-Admiral Thursby, which consisted of the following ships Battleships: Queen, London, Prince of Wales, Triumph and Majestic; cruiser, Bacchante; destroyers, Beagle, Bulldog, Foxhound, Scourge, Colne, Usk, Chelmer and Rihble; sea-plane-carrier, Ark Royal; balloon ship, Manica; and 15 trawlers. The soldiers on board the battleships, who were mostly sleeping soundly, were aroused and served with a hot meal. A visitor to the mess decks wrote that “the Australians, the majority of whom wove about to go into action for the first time under the most trying circumstances, possessed at 1 o’clock in the morning courage to be cheerful, quiet and confident. There was no sign of nerves or undue excitement such as one might reasonably have expected.”

THE RENDEZVOUS. “The rendezvous was reached just after half-past one on the morning of the 25th,” wrote Sir lan Hamilton, “and there the 1500 men who had been placed on board H.M. ships before leaving Mudros were transferred to their boats. This operation was carried out with remarkable expedition and in absolute silence. Simultaneously the remaining 2500 men of the covering force were transferred from their transports to six destroyers. At 2.30 a.m. H.M. ships, together with the tows and the destroyers, proceeded to within some four miles of the coast, H.M.s. Queen (flying Rear-Admiral Thursby’s flag) directing on a point about a mile north of ,Gaba Tepe. At 3.30 a.m. orders to go ahead and land were given to the tows, and at 4.10 a.m. the destroyers ■were ordered to follow. “All these arrangements worked without a hitch and were carried out in complete orderliness and silence. No breath of wind ruffled the surface of the sea, and every condition was favorable save the moon, which sinking be hind the ships may have silhouetted them against its orb, betraying them thus to the watchers on shore.”

ANZAC COVE

The beach —the historic Anzac Cove

—on which the landing was actually effected was a very narrow strip of land, about 1000 yards in length, bounded on the north and the south by two small promontories. The transfer of the troops to the small craft was effected very rapidly, and in complete silence. The decks of the battleships were cleared for action, the crews went to general quarters, and at 2.58 a.m. the squadron approached the shore at a- speed of five knots. The intention was to make the first landing just before daybreak. THE LANDING. At 4.10 a.m. the battleships Triumph and Majestic, and the cruiser Bacchante, were 2500 yards from the shore. The outline of the coast could just dimly be seen. The picket-boats were ordered to go ahead, and steamed slowly past the battleships, towing the heavily-laden boats, which approached the land in the silence and the darkness, and they were close to the shore before the enemy stirred. “Then about one battalion of Turks were seen running along the beach to intercept the lines of boats. . At this, so critical a moment, the conduct of all ranks was most praiseworthy. Not a word was spoken—everyone remained perfectly orderly and quiet, awaiting the enemy’s fire, which, sure enough, opened, causing many casualties. The moment the boats touched land the Australasians’ turn had come. Like lightning they leapt ashore, and each man as he did so went straight as his bavonet at the enemy. So vigorous was the onslaught that the Turks made no attempt to withstand it, and fled from ridge to ridge, pursued by the Australian infantry. The Turks had sharp-shooters behind every bush, and were harassing not only the men on the beach, but still more the fresh boat-loads coming ashore from the destroyers. Three boats broke away from their tows, and drifted along the coast helpless, under a rain of bullets. The determined men at the base of the cliffs only paused to charge their magazines, and to throw aside their packs. Then they clambered with desperate haste up the cliff-side, cleared the second trench within a quarter of an hour, and pursued the startled (Ottomans on the top. There was no semblance of order in that first wild rush, for there was no chance of keeping rank. Every man fought for himself, but the one universal object was to get forward.

ANZACS ESTABLISHED. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. the enemy, rer inforeed to a strength of 20.000 men, attacked the wdiole Hue. but were, handsomely repulsed with the help of the warships. Later another determined attack was repulsed, and, despite constant attacks during the night, the line held firm. The troops had had practically no rest on the night of the 24th--25th,” wrote Sir lan Hamilton ; “they had been fighting hard all day over most difficult country, and they had been subjected to heavy shrapnel fire in 'the open. Their casualties had been deplorably heavy. But, despite their losses and in spite of their fatigue, the morning of the 26th found them still iii good heart and as lull of fight as eyCr. It is a consolation to know' that ,the Turks suffered still more seriously. Several times our machine-guns got on to them in close formation, and the whole surrounding country is still strewn with their dead of this date.

THE COST. The price of .success at A nr.ac Cove was deafly shown by the lengthy casualty lists received in New Zealand and Australia during the- nioniji following the landing. The 45 lists received up to M ay 31 contained tin* .names of 1700 New Zealand of deers and men. posted as killed in action, died of wounds, wounded and missing I he total losses at the landing, including those at An/,ac, munhered 2167' officers and men killed, 8219 wounded and 3593 missing. AGAINST DESPERATE ODDS. It is not great wars and conquests that stir the. heart of peoples and create immortal songs and legends, says a writer on the campaign, but deeds of individual heroism and, more than anything. the heroic failures of the few who fe’d lighting against overwhelming odds.'' SVe do not recall Balaclava as a splendid feat of arms, but as a glorious blunder in which the British soldier ~bowed his virtues by implied, obedience to a wrong order which consigned him to almost certain death. The three hundred of .Thermopylae are. not immortal because they held a pass against the Persian hordes and stemmed the advance; but because they were hut three hundred Spartans vvlio proudly chose to die in the leuions <>'■ Ner'ie- i; i> in tin- fuf"" will men think of fiallipoli, and the

people of Australia and New Zealand have pride and reverence for the memory of those of their own blood who. greatly daring, almost Avon through on that all but impregnable peninsula. AN HEROIC LEGEND. Every nation in the world has its story of heroic deeds, of forlorn hopes greatly lost, to he an inspiration in peace and war, and Gallipoli gave us our tale for the future. Not that the Gallipoli campaign was entirely a failure, for though it did not succeed in its first object, it played its valuable part in the war, but it was a great chance boldly conceived against great odds, and it is this that appeal to the imagination. Then one thinks of the way in which the men of Australia and New Zealand stormed the cliffs of Gaba Tepe, the landing in the darkness under the cover of the Fleet, the multitude of boats conveying the men to the beach,' the rush ashore under the terrific fusilade from the cliffs, and the unhesitating charge which these young soldiers from the youngest nations made up precipitous crags and gullies and ravines. DEFIANCE OF DEATH. Wolfe’s attack upon the Heights of Abraham is a great tale in British history, but it is not finer than this story of how the youth of New Zealand and Australia came by night in silent boats to the foot of Gaba Tepe’s cliffs, and, in reckless defiance of death, held them when dawn came. It is a victory of courage that will live in the imagination of men for ever, and because we have pride, and because we owe reverence to the men who gave us this glory, we celebrate the anniversary of April 25, 1915.

DUTY DONE. Those who took part in this memorable campaign and are spared to return to their native land, have brought with them a consciousness of duty done, and done gloriously, which should introduce into their lives a never-failing source of joy and contentment. Whatever trials or sorrows fate may have in store for individual lives, no power can ever take away from them this priceless possession. Those who have made the supreme sacrifice are to be envied in that for them this chequered life closed in the noblest way, and their names are enshrined for ever in the grateful memories of their countrymen. Not sorrow, which is without hope, but pride, affection, even thankfulness, we trust, will fill the hearts of those who to-day are thinking of their dear ones fallen, in action, and of the wild flowers of Gallipoli blossoming on their graves. -

LOCAL OBSERVANCES. A LARGE TURN-OUT. Glorious weather favored the local observance of Anzac Day and brought a great number of people out to watch the procession and so pay honor to the brave whose deeds the day commemorates. The procession left the Defence Office and proceeded to the bridge, tnence along Norfolk Street to the --ain Street, and down the Main Street to Mersey Street, and down Mersey Street to the destination, the Princess Theatre, where a religious service is proceeding as we go to press. The order of the procession was as follows:—Mounted Rifles, under Captain McKinley; Band, under Bandmaster Warring; Anzacs, in charge of Sergeant-Major White; C Company, 14th Regiment, under Second Lieutenant Poppelwcll; No. 56 Company Senior Cadets, under Lieutenant Boyne; Army Service Corps, under Lieutenant Todd ; National Reserve. The names of the returned men who took part in the procession are as follows :—Sergeant-Major White, Main Body; Sergeant-Major Carver, Main Body; Sergeant-Major Macau. Engineers, 4th Reinforcements; W. J. Taylor. Driver, Army Service Corps, Main Body; A. J. Middlemiss, Private, 6th Reinforcements; W. D. Shelton, Corporal, 7th Reinforcements; W. D. Burke, Private, 4th Otago Regiment, Main Body; Janies Thomson, Private, Wellington Battalion, .Main Body: A. R. Wingham, Private,'Otago Battalion, Main Rodr: A. , Shipman, Private, Otago Battalion, Main Body; J. McDermott, Corporal, Bth Regiment, Main Body; W. Miller, Corporal, Otago Battalion,' Main Body. The whole parade was under the comin and of Lieutenant-Colonel Bowler and he was accompanied by another returned officer in the person of Surgeonmajor McAra and by Colonel J. Cowie Nichols, V.D., A.D.C.. O.C. the Otago Military District, and who was down in Gore inspecting the military camp at'present held on the racecourse, and waited over to take part in to-day s proceedings.

TO-NIGHT’S FUNCTION. A supper and re-union in honor of returned soldiers is to be heM at the Town Hall this evening, when it is expected there will he a large attendance of the general public. The main hall has been laid olt as a supper room, and after refreshments have been partaken of a short toast-list will be gone through. ' Solos will be given by Misses M. G. Ross and O. Latham..and Messrs IL L. Stevenson and B. Ferguson, and Miss M. Latham will preside at the piano. The toast-list will consist ol three toasts, and the number of speakers is limited, so that proceedings may terminate at a fairly early hour.