Gallipoli visit

[IanB]

Evening all,
I found out yesterday that one of our clients cancelled and that left me 5 consecutive days off. Being based in the UAE has huge advantages regarding countries that are easily accessible. I decided to use the 5 days to tick off another bucket list trip. I leave tonight for Istanbul and will spend 5 days touring the Gallipoli battlefields, Troy, and anything else time allows me to.
If anyone in Oz or NZ has relatives there please let me know asap and I will do what I can in the limited time I have to look them up and get a photo of their grave. Of you have info on where they are that would obviously help immensely.

Ian

[lcarroll]

Ian,
   What a wonderful opportunity, and also a nice gesture to our Members that may have relatives there. Just another example of the fellowship that flourishes on our little Forum!
Cheers, and enjoy!
Lance

[Edo]

hey Ian,
please post some pictures too!
have a nice trip!
ciao
edo

[macsporran]

If I should die think only this of me. That there's some corner of a foreign field that is forever England.....
I know Rupert Brooke died on his way there and is buried on a Greek island but there must be so many young men lying at Gallipoli, it is quite heartbreaking to contemplate.
It is a nice thing you offer Ian: I bet you'll be very still and quiet when you see the rows of fallen.

[IanB]

Hi folks,

I just got back from a lightning trip of 5 days in Gallipoli. I would highly recommend a visit to anyone, especially if you have an interest in the area due to relatives serving there etc. I rented a car in Istanbul airport and drove down to Cannakale, a 4.5 hour drive. No problems with traffic and the roads are excellent - not so much if you decide to do a little local travelling, but still no major issues. I booked a coach tour of the ANZAC sites, then did the British sites down south on my own by car. That gave me the chance to revisit any sites that were skipped by the tour. Quite a few of the ANZAC and British cemeteries are inaccessible to coaches so if you need to visit a specific one you may need to hire a car anyway.Those include Shrapnel Valley, Plugge's Plateau, Shell Green, The Nek, and The Farm (accessible via a steep track from a coach stop at Chunuk Bair) in the ANZAC sector, and Redoubt and Pink Farm in the British sector down south. Also well worth a visit are the Turkish memorials and the forts of Namazgah (opposite Canakkale) and Ertugrul (overlooking V Beach).

Here are some pics I took whilst there.







Canakkale, my base for the trip. Well worth staying here and taking the ferry over, it's only 10/20 minutes depending on whether you go to Kalitbahir (for going south to the British sites) or Eceavat (for going West to the ANZAC sites).


Z Beach ANZAC Cove


Ari Burnu Cemetery


Chunuk Bair




Lone Pine


New Zealand Number 2 Outpost


Turkish 57th Regiment Memorial


Turkish Cemetery in the southern sector


Fort Namazgeh


Kilitbahir Castle from Fort Namazgeh


Fort Ertugrul


V Beach from Fort Ertugrul


X Beach


Lancashire Landing Cemetery


Pink Farm Cemetery


Twelve Tree Copse Cemetery


Redoubt Cemetery


Helles Memorial and the view inland




Turkish memorial at the site of the Battle of Gully Ravine


and the view inland




If anyone is planning a visit and wants some tips I'd be happy to pass on my experiences.

Ian

[Borsos]

Thanks a lot for sharing these interesting photos of a fascinating trip.
Andreas

[Edo]

wery interesting pictures indeed!
thank you for sharing!
ciao
edo