ANZAC VISITED

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 77, Issue 155, 3 July 1934, Page 10

ANZAC VISITED

A COLOURFUL CHRONICLE NEW ZEALAND LADY’S LETTER The following is extracted front a personal letter written by a New Zealand lady to a friend in Wanganui. The personal references have been left in to preserve the continuity of the narrative:— s.s. Duchess of Richmond, Gallipoli Peninsula, Monday, April 30, 1934. We woke at 3.30 in the dawn and saw tlie lighthouse of Cape Holies on our left, so we were soon on deck and watched our entrance into the Dardanelles. It seemed incredible that we were really there—the flat plain of Troy! on our right with mountains behind just to be seen below the full moon just setting, and on our right horizon to the north of the island of Alurdos, lying at first like a grey shadow and gradually becoming more aud more opalescent and lovely as the light increased —while cutting across in front of it the little low dark piece of land with a lighthouse and some sort of obelisk on the highest point —with a low round hill behind (Achi Baba). The obelisk we saw, as we got nearer, to be the Helles Memorial, and it stood so silent and lonely. Even as the ship slowly left it behind it seemed to stand as a strange symbol of something that didn’t belong to this land and almost as a reproach. The Cape looked so small and the famous and terrible beaches so small, aud close together, and the Turkish forts so near. We soon passed on and the sun rose on the brown scrubby cliffs ana we went back to bed—to look out again al about 6.30 and see Chauak Ban; on one side, and the tiny little village of Maidos on the other, with Khelia Bay just, beyond—where we cast anchor. Everyone was very excited ami talkative at, breakfast. It is interesting to see the effect on the men who have been here 19 years ago—middleaged now—with families and dull jobs, perhaps monotonous lives—they are remembering how they went tnrough a terrible and heroic adventure and their friends did, too. After breakfast I found in the d raw-ing-rocN a solemn proceeding going on—of several of the most distinguished generals and thei r wives sitting round with quantities of gentlemen n black morning clothes and a few Turkish officers. Tins was a polite Turkish deputation who had come from Chauak to pay their respects, quite unexpectedly and pleasingly. They drank coffee and smoked cigarettes, and a little conversation went on in halting French. The General Davies made a speech through an interpreter. He said we were overwhelmed with their unexpected and pleasing politeness in thus greeting us, and that we liked to think of our once brave opponents as now our friends—a renewal of old friendship. He recalled the fact that the Turks never shelled the Army white they played football. He also added with humour, “We were really very sorry w e had to leave."’ There was another old general standing next to me who kept murmuring “That’s enough, that's enough; you never know how these fellahs Mill take it.’’ But the Turks sat with immovable faces through the interpreter's speech, and then a smart young man dressed as if for a wedding, -who was the Mayor of Chauak, made a short speech saying he was glad to think that this day was a revival of an old friendship. Then everyone hoped the proceedings were at an 'end; but. now they all sat down again—solidly, prepared apparently to sit there indefinitely. I addressed one of the ladies in French and we had a little talk, •and I. found she wished to see round the ship. I asked the chief general if I might take them and he said, ‘Tin afraid you’ll only delay mutters!” So 1 asked the chief Turk if I could have ten minutes to take the ladies round, and he replied that we had all the lime there was as he was only waiting for the general to go with him to Anzac! I explained this to the general whose French had not been equal to discovering this, and with great alacrity he jumped up murmuring, “11 faut prepare,” and left, so 1 took, the three ladies round a little and they were very impressed, only one would talk any French. After that we got off in a Turkish boat —spread with tovelv carpets for us to sit on she was flying an old Australian Hag! Ou landing I found myself forcibly borne off with our usual party of Colonel and Airs. Morse and Barbara Sheffield and her friend and two old majors, and not till we had started did I discover that they had arranged with the driver to go straight to Suvla —leaving out the tops -where the Lone Pine Memorial is, till the afternoon. I couldn’t do anything being one against them all! also we were quite unable to communicate with the driver, so 1. had to miss being at the memorial when the few (three) Australians in the boat Mere laying their wreath there loi all their Anzac comrades. I was disappointed as 1. am the only person in rhe whole ship who has any interest, in New Zealand. AVe were in a sort of post oftice van very low and hot and overcrowded, but it had windows, and the “road” rivals the .Mexican roads at their worst, so the journey was awful! We went straight across the Peninsula, first, up and then across a plateau for about tour miles, and then we came to the scrubby broken ground and began to descend to the shore just to the north of Gaba Tepe and saw the whole coast, with Imbros and Samothrace, the islands, across the bluest of blue sea, it ali looked very fair and lovely. We stopped at one of the many beautiful little cemeteries with its white stone small pylon and seats and low walls and lovely flowers (tall purple irises mostly) just on the left of the road between it and the neaca. I walked on round the corner and found myself in Anzac Cove! —such a little one and “cove” is a misleading word as it denotes shelter—where there is practicallv none. 1 started climbing the orange sandy broken cliff c-n my right and there was a patch up through the scrub, and flowers, rock roses mostlv convolvulus and lots of little ones and got. up to- the top ol a small ravine—Phiggcs Plateau the first place the New Zealanders held 1 think where there is a little cemetery. Cf course there was no path in 1915.

They were calling for me to come down, so I went no further, and we jolted and banged along the coast to the open plain to the north of Suvla; we turned inland again for about half a mile and came to another cemetery on some rising ground, Hill 60, where Ihe Norfolk Yoemanry had been. Hero Colonel Morse took charge and took his partv walking off —for miles! The heat was terrific by non. and T couldn't anyhow bear Io see the battle-

field, trenches and bones, so R. and I didn’t go but came back to the car. The •emetery was surrounded as they all are by small pine trees, and the scent of the pine needles and’ the wild thyme and the irises was lovely and I heard the first cuckoo. It all looked most quiet and peaceful, and then two little Turkish soldiers in grey-green uniforms and rifles, popped up from the scrub! and sat peacefully on a knoll, smoking cigarettes! R. and 1 ate our lunch, and it was about 12.30 and then went back in the car to where the Morses were to meet it—about a mile from Anzac Cove—so R. and I walked on to it, in great heat. We paddled and then sat in the minute shade of the remains of a concrete wall and tried Io paint a little while; R. walked up to Plugge's Plateau. Whil e there Cecil Goodden appeared trying to find Ins old way up the cliff, and he showed me where the New Zealanders went up— more to the left—or north, of where I had been, so I went up for a hit. It was awful and J in a cotton frock and with a red umbrella. Couldn’t or didn’t get far but sat for a bit before scrambling down. The men had three days’ food and firewood and 200 rounds of ammunition extra to carry when they went up. no wonder they threw away their packs. The ground there is full of ravines and gullies. They never got right to the top that first day—--1 felt anywhere there Nat might have lain. How thankful T was he. wi’.s spared the awful hardships of the time followed. Nothing can have been more, merciful or lovely than that that death should have met him quickly in his first gallant effort. The place looks so lovely, and is so ghastly. The sun is merciless, and the blue sea had [drowned thousands just there, and the orange cliffs and beautiful scrub was just a death-trap for the Turkish, bullets —and besides they only had one pint of water a day, brought, from Alexandria. Someone was saying last night that the best troops in the world with l.h n physique, flaring and courage of the Anzacs, and the discipline and training of the best British troops combined—• couldn’t have gained the, objective, in manoeuvres, with no- opposition or lire —under three days—what these men were expected to do in one day. I. he whole thing seems to a lay mind a quite incredible and in forgivable waste ami ghastly wrong gamble. Hud anyone known the nature of the ground before (which Sir lan Hamilton didn’t as he was given, no maps) it is hardly possible that thousands ot. men would, have sacrificed on such an adventure ' • poliev ” —divisions at home and incompetence were the cause of it. Hero Jn this peninsula —sti.ll Turkish! and practically uninhabited except by and thousands of bones. However’ it, is only another instance of the futility of war besides anything else about, it. To return to the beach! We were picked up by our bus load—most of them in the last stages of exnaustion one old man was very nearly dune as tney had had an awful walk, and then we turned up to the Lone Pine Memorial, up an awful road and hill. [ suppose 500 feet up, but so beautiful when we got there. It is a very large cemetery and pylon, and stands on the top edge of a neck of hind so that the view all round is superb facing straight across to the islands with the coast as far as Helles to be seen on the left, the, s.w., and the. Hue of Suvla Bay on the n.e. There were large bods of brilliant red stocks and -mall round beds of the same pale mauve iris, all just coming out. and small clipped hedges of rosemary and some small Judas trees in flower and small rambler roses planted against the low white walis, with lines of taller cypress standing up against the blue sea and round clipped bushes of rosemary in formal lines. The actual graves are marked each with a square sort of box slab. Many of them have texts but, the most of them have the same words, “Their glory remains for ever.” , t . In front of the pylon there was the poppy wreath, a large plain wooden cross that the Australians had put there in the morning, and in front ot it I laid the bunch of Bridehead Luurestinns and rosemary I had brought. 1 wrote a card, “TO NatUe. .and h.s friends of the 6th Haurakis from BriJehcad,” and I had put the V aim cabman’s words cn it. , W,. found “Williams Y.N. the hundreds ol others, on a panel, I on the base of the pylon, also Moore Mon,.-th. I put rhe little bunch of cowslips which were still alive, wb.eh 1 had picked nt Foxholes on the 19th under their names, imr the. sun v.ill soon wither them. Only the people whose bodies were found have any extra words such as son of —or regi-ment—c-r text—which seems a little hard The rest, the majority I should think, just make rows and rows and rows of names on the walls of all the cemeteries. , , n We stayed there about halt an houi. ami then' held on for dear life as wc plunged down the hill! and so bac v across the Peninsula 1 realised what a. terrible and merciless laud it is—and we left the cemeteries absolutely and lonely and alient in this strange laud. No one every going near them, except the, Turkish gardeners, who may «ertainly be proud of them. I here aie ho motors on the Peninsula I imagine I suppose the Turkish shepherds see them sometimes. We saw a few families with their donkeys but very few houses. The War Graves' ' omrnissioner’s representative, who lives opposite at Chanak, goes round, of course. To-day we have not gone to Helles but are spending a quiet day on the ship and to-morrow morning at 7.30 Cecil Goodden and three of us have taken a car to go back to Anzac and the tops. I must go and see the big New' Zealand memorial which stands on the top of the ridge, and which we can even see from the ship. They were the only ones who ever got (some time in September) as far as :.o be able to see tne coveted “Narrows, and thought they couldn’t stay there long, they have been allowed to have their memorial all to themselves there. Mav 2: Wc drove up to the New Zealand memorial this morning and certainly it is in a magnificent position. I can imagine the feeling of the men who got there and saw the other side! —the Narrows. Oh! if only they could hav c been reinforced and stayed there! It is not such a beautiful cemetery as Lone Pine, somehow. Wc also saw Shcllgreen on our way back and went to look nt Nat's name again at Lone Pine. We went to the Turkish memorial, which is on “The Neck/ ’ in the afternoon. General Davies took a wreath and laid it there and then the Turks went with him and put one on Lone Pine; wish 1 could have gone with them.