We're on the Battlefield well under the fire of the enemy
This was the first casualty and very soon there were several others hit
Then the order was given to fix bayonets and drive the turks out which we did with vengeance
This was the landing at gallipoli on April 25th 1915 as described by some of the men that lived through it
More than 50,000 australian troops fought here and eight thousand of them died here, too
But gallipoli was just one small part of a much bigger conflict
What's now known as the first world war began in 1914 between these two powerful groups
Australia was still a member of the British Empire and
many young Aussies saw it as a chance to sign up and serve their country
I was keen, 100% keen.
Like everyone we all were in those days
By November 1914 the force of 20,000 Australian men had arrived in egypt, ready to fight
Most of the fighting was taking place here on the western front in France
But months in neither side was winning
So Britain came up with a plan to defeat Germany, by attacking its allies
Austria, Hungary, and what's now Turkey. Their goal was to take control of this area called the Dardanelles
Ground forces were sent in at three main points
Many were actually british and French
Australians and New Zealanders made up just one of the landings at a place we now know as Anzac Cove
When she hit the beach, I gave the word get out and out the men got at once
Into the water up to their necks
In darkness they faced a tough and difficult climb off the beach while from above
Turkish soldiers and artillery fired on them.
Both sides dug trenches for cover.
Place was a [indistinguishable] and a bursting shells, you know.
For months the fighting continued neither side getting an advantage over the other,
though several attempts were made.
One of those was the battle of lone pine
The Aussies is created a diversion by attacking Turkey's front lines then held their position
despite intense fighting.
Seven Australians won the Victoria Cross here the highest award for bravery in wartime
But while the Australian attack was successful
the overall allied Mission failed
By December the allies gave up on taking gallipoli and started planning an evacuation instead
To help one Aussie soldier came up with this invention.
A gun that would go off on its own using weighted cans of water.
The Drip Rifle helped hold off any attacks while the anzacs withdrew.
We thought we would be very lucky if we got away.
But they did and after eight long months the gallipoli campaign was finally over.
World War I stretched on for another 3 years and
during that time on the western front the anzacs would fight many more battles and
lose many more lives than they did at gallipoli,
but they'd also have a much bigger impact which eventually helped the allies go on to win the war in 1918.
Gallipoli wasn't the most important Battle Australia was involved in During World War one
but it's still remembered as the first real battle we took part in as a nation and
every year since on April 25th people around the country commemorate those who fought and died there.
Something still just as important 100 years on.