The Lord Of The Rings : Gallipoli 100 years on

Gallipoli 100 years on

Richard Taylor and others talk about creating the display "The Scale of Our War" which opens at our national museum, Te Papa, tomorrow.

Scroll down the page to access the 6 episodes.

http://gallipoli.tepapa.govt.nz/


This morning I gave my donation to, and obtained my poppy from, the Gurkhas standing on the corner outside parliament, and was lucky enough to be allowed to touch a Gurkha kukri attached to the centre back of the Gurkha soldier's belt. Just wow.


Scroll to the bottom of the page to see the Gurkha kukri (and a pretty cute slogan)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2095323/posts






Quick, play dead.

Re: Gallipoli 100 years on

Gallipoli like so many of the battles in WW1 was such a massive waste of young mens lives on both sides of the trenches. My Great great Uncle was one of them he was killed in action at the "battle" of Achi Baba Nullah http://www.gallipoli-association.org/on-this-day/july-12 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Gully_Ravine#Achi_Baba_Nullah_.282._Kerevizdere_Battle.29


Thomas Campbell Laing
7590 Private; 1/5th Battalion, Royal Scots Fusiliers

Thomas was born 29 January 1894 in Troon, Ayrshire to John Laing and Agnes Campbell. He was killed in action on 12 July 1915, aged 21, on the Gallipoli Peninsula, Turkey. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Helles memorial.


Tragically 2 years later his brother was killed in action in the Ypres offensives another battle with mind bogglingly huge death tolls.


They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
We will remember them.


Iain

So we come inevitably from Daedalus and Icarus to the Giant Bomber. It is not an advance in wisdom!

Re: Gallipoli 100 years on

Agreed: war is a waste of young mens' lives.

The 100th anniversary is a major deal for us Kiwis and Aussies.

Some data:

The total population of New Zealand in 1914 was approximately 1.1 million
Almost 100,000 New Zealanders served overseas in the New Zealand Expeditionary Force (NZEF)
More than 2200 Māori and around 500 Pacific Islanders served overseas with the New Zealand forces
11 Victoria Crosses were awarded to soldiers serving with New Zealand forces
Several thousand New Zealanders served in the Australian or British imperial forces, being awarded a further five Victoria Crosses
In all, 550 nurses served overseas with the New Zealand Army Nursing Service, while others enlisted in the United Kingdom
Around 18,000 New Zealanders died in or because of the war, and there were 41,000 instances of wounding or illness; 2779 died at Gallipoli and more than 12,000 on the Western Front
The names of those who died are recorded on approximately 500 civic war memorials throughout New Zealand

But it's said best in this song. This version by John Williamson.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E22gszljklc









Quick, play dead.

Re: Gallipoli 100 years on

It is indeed ironic that one of the finest short dedications in the English language is Ataturk's comments to the survivors of those who died at Gallipoli.

I could die happy if I could write something that awesomely memorable.

Look- its trying to think!

Re: Gallipoli 100 years on

It's inscribed on the Ataturk Memorial on Wellington's south coast.

Today's a big day. There is a parade of WWI vehicles, WWI costumed people and present day military, departing Parliament at lunchtime, making its way to the National War Memorial further up town.

Quick, play dead.

Re: Gallipoli 100 years on

I met some Aussies in Belgrade coming from Gallipoli last week, Belle. They said the peninsula and Istanbul were full to the brim with Aussies and Kiwis, all who had made their way out there to commemorate the ANZAC troops.

Their commitment to going out there so far from Australia and New Zealand in order to honor the fallen and war veterans from one century ago made quite an impression on me.

Re: Gallipoli 100 years on

I can't help thinking that the ANZAC remembrance will only get stronger and more meaningful from here on in



Quick, play dead.

Re: Gallipoli 100 years on

What intrigues me, and would be great to discuss more at length (perhaps over IM or e-mail, since the boards are censored) is how Aussie & Kiwi national identity were shaped by events that occurred in Turkey, so far away (in a war that was mainly Europe-centered, unlike World War II).

From a historical point of view it's a fascinating phenomenon, and somehow links the two regions together.

Re: Gallipoli 100 years on

This is the best short answer I can come up with. For this exercise I'll voice the part of the baby gorilla.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWCHP-W2mlI

"OMG they're so like us - they share 98% of our DNA, you know".



Quick, play dead.

Re: Gallipoli 100 years on

Wonder if Jackson will ever get around to his film on Gallipoli. It was to focus more on the landings ..which is where the campaing went wrong...then the later period which was covered in the Peter Weir film.

Top