Twenty-Five Years Ago

Northern Advocate, 26 April 1940, Page 4

Twenty-Five Years Ago

At dawn on April 25, 19J5, Neiv Zealand and Australian troops, to become known as the Anzacs. ! landed at Gallipoli. & On April 28, news was received | in New Zealand that* the land- | ing had been made, but there was j nothing about New Zealand forces [ having taken part. [ The announcement stated : “The f disembarkation of the army, cov- ? ered by the |leet, began before 4 sunrise at various points on the ? Gallipoli Peninsula. . . . h was | completely successful:' • 4, On April 29, a cable from the ? Secretary for the Colonies stated : I “His Majesty’s Government de--4 sires me to offer you warmest | congratulations on the splendid i gallantry and magnificent achie--4 vement of your contingent in the l successful progress of operations i in the Dardanelles .” ? Not until May 3 were details of | the operations published.

' This news showed that New Zealanders and Australians ac- ! quitted themselves most valiantly • in situations extraordinarily try- ; ing and difficult. , Strong positions were taken and • the many counter-attacks by the ! Turks were invariably repulsed. , It was stated that the Anzacs, k in being landed so as to threaten ! the first main objective—the Nar- • rows forts —were given the post of ’ honour. • Statistics of the Gallipoli cam- ' paign, which continued until Jan- | uary 9, 1916, are: The British em- • ployed 468,987 men, with losses of : 33,522 killed, 7,636 missing, and | 7 8,420 wounded, in addition to an '> enormous number invalided. [ The French force employed was . probably over 80,000, with prof portionate casualties.