The
Campaign
A visual tour Gully
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The Landings at Helles, Anzac and Kum Kale in the
Dardanelles were ordered when the planned naval push through the
straights to Constantinople (modern Istanbul) in February and March
1915, which was intended to relieve the blockade against the Russian
allies and open a second front, was thwarted by shore-based fire
and mines. It was deemed necessary to land men to repulse the Turkish
defences, and this initial step led to an eight month campaign from
late April 1915 to early January 1916, when the Allied troops were
evacuated. Official figures suggest that almost one million Allied
and Turkish soldiers were mobilised during the campaign, and that
both sides suffered casualties (killed, wounded or missing) of some
250,000 each.
This site is quite specifically about Gully Ravine
and its environs. Please look at the links
page if you need further general background on the Gallipoli campaign. Gully Ravine runs down in a south westward direction to the sea from the foothills of Achi Baba, an area of high ground which was, very optimistically, the objective of the allied forces for 26th April 1915, the day after the landings at the beaches on the western end of the peninsula. Achi Baba was never taken by the allies. There are a number of ravines that run westward towards the sea in this way, but most are just a few metres deep. Thousands of years of erosion have made Gully Ravine up to 30 metres deep in places.
Another feature that made Gully Ravine such a focus of activity is that it is far more than simply a sunken stream bed. Smaller gullies and openings run off it on either side, and these were quickly pressed into use as dressing stations, supply dumps, dormitories, practice firing ranges and stables etc. From the first occasion that I heard of Gully Ravine, I have been
drawn to its history and place in the Gallipoli campaign. The gully
is a microcosm of all that trench warfare was- both in terms of
the fighting and death, the stalemate of attack and retreat, and
also the building - in truly awful circumstances, of a 'home from
home'. I have two, albeit distant relatives listed on the Helles memorial,
and based on their regiments and the dates they fell, it appears
that they were involved in the fighting in and around the ravine.
One fell on 28th June 1915 at the height of the Battle of Gully
Ravine in the area of the Boomerang, and the other in August, having
just left the firing line on Gully Spur. Research continues. New 'off topic' page added October 2009. The French sector and the lost memorials. Can you shed any light on this mystery? Andy Crooks. 2008 Usage notes: To Australian, NZ and Turkish visitors: This site is specialised (but I trust, not myopic) and does not claim to cover the full extent or sacrifice of the Gallipoli campaign. A few miles up the coast, The ANZACs not only fought their own battles, but also forged a legend and earned the pride of their nations. We must also acknowledge that French forces, Gurkhas, Indian and a number of other nationalities fought at Gallipoli. It is worth noting too that there were many other nationalities, including Australian and New Zealand, involved in the battles in and around Gully Ravine. I acknowledge of course that I am emphasising the British and allied angle here. The Turkish defended their homeland with courage and commitment, and the losses to all involved are duly acknowledged and respected. Those who have researched beyond the superficial level will know that 'Gallipoli' is the English rendering of 'Gelibolu'. Gelibolu is a Turkish town some 50 km east of Cape Helles and somehow, the campaign on the peninsula came to be known in this way. The campaign is also sometimes also referred to as 'The Dardanelles' after the waters off the southern coast of the peninsula. This is probably quite appropriate, because apart from the land battles described here, there was an earlier attempt to force the Dardanelles straights by allied ships, repulsed by the Turkish. 'Gallipoli' is so well established in historical usage however, that I shall continue to use it here. Purists might also prefer to see the armies opposing the allies referred to as 'Ottoman', and they would be technically correct, since the Ottoman Empire did not officially cease to exist until its partitioning after the end of the First World War. Ataturk founded the modern Turkish Republic in 1923. Again, because of their long established use, I will stick with the words 'Turkish' and 'Turks' when referring to the defending troops. Disclaimer. The
information provided on this website is researched and supplied
in good faith and to the best of my knowledge is accurate. However,
I do not claim that the content is definitive, and nothing in the
site should be construed as a specific recommendation. Opinions
are solely my own. This site has no commercial intention and is
for educational and informational use. Images
used are either my own personal property, donated by acquaintances
(and duly acknowledged) or are in the public domain. |
Allied
attacks on the spurs to the west and east of the ravine and the
resulting trench systems made the gully an essential access route
for the front lines, and also itself the scene of direct and bitter
fighting. The final allied front line prior to evacuation was approximately
2/3 of the way up the ravine.