GALLIPOLI MEMORIALS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 18963, 10 March 1925, Page 11

GALLIPOLI MEMORIALS.

IMPOSING APPEARANCE. HELLES AND CHUNUK BAIR. WORK IN THE CEMETERIES. Splendid work has lifrri done by {lie Imperial War ({raves Commission in laying out and beautifying the graves of (lie men who fell on Gallipoli, and an added dignify lias been lent to the scheme adopted by tho erection of memorials at llflies and Cliunuk Bair. Details were given yesterday b.v Mr. E. T. Marr, formerly an architect in Auckland, who spent four years on Gallipoli in charge of the construction work under Sir .'John Burnet, 1?. A., and returned to Auckland by the Eemuera.

Mr. Marr describes the He,lies monument as very imposing and in such a commanding position overlooking the entrance to the Dardanelles that it is seen by every ship going to Turkey and to tho Black Sea. It consists of a towering shaft 108 ft. high, and built of worked stone. Around the spreading base space has been reserved for the names of the 20,000 missing men, while on the shaft itself are inscribed the names of the units, both naval and military, that took part in the campaign. No less inspiring is the New Zealand monument at Chiinuk Bair, designed by Mr. S. Hurst Segar, of C'hristc.hurch. Altogether there are 28 cemeteries .mi the peninsula. Tho general scheme of treatment consists of an enclosure containing tho graves and surrounded by a grassed embankment faced on the outside with stone. Each of the cemeteries has a monument, the sire of these being regulated by the number of graves in the area. The monuments are built up in the style of a mural cross, with a cross projecting from the higher central structure. In the larger cemeteries a Great Stone of Remembrance is set in front of the monuments. Some difficulty was experienced in the arrangement of the areas, as much of the identification of graves disappeared be tween the evacuation and the coming of the commission. Where identification is complete a stone mounted on a concrete peg deeply set in the ground and bearing a simple inscription is placed over the grave. In some of the cemeteries wheiv areas are occupied by the unidentified dead the areas are flanked by rows of similar stones set out in a pleasing architectural design around the area. These stones bear the inscription wjth the addition, " Believed to be Buried in This Cemetery." The names of the missing men to whom there is 110 monument in the battle areas are inscribed on panels placed on the walls of the cemeteries at Hill 60, Cliunuk Bair, Lone Pine and Twelve Tree Copse. Mr. Marr explained that the architects had used h local stone, somewhat resembling English Portland stone. This was found to be easily worked and durable, and when placed in position produced n very striking effect. Generally he thought the design employed was dignified and serene. Each of the cemeteries was now surrounded by a belt of trees and shrubs, all of which were doing very we'.l, their three years' growth having given fhem a good start. 'The main plantings were in pirms maritirnuin and cypress. Mr. Manadded that the Turks had -assisted the commission in many ways, and the special lepreserifative sent up from Constantinople had taken some trouble to make conditions comfortable.