PANEL 5

SICK AND WOUNDED

They lived with death, dined with disease.
From an anonymous poem about Gallipoli

When the Gallipoli campaign began no-one expected that it would last so long or cause so many casualties. The number of wounded from the initial invasion overwhelmed the poorly organised medical facilities. During major attacks many hours passed before a wounded man received adequate care. Eventually, proper lines of evacuation were established to hospital ships and back to base hospitals at Lemnos island, Egypt and Malta.

As the summer heat intensified, conditions on Gallipoli deteriorated. Primitive sanitation led to a plague of flies and the outbreak of disease. Thousands of men were evacuated suffering from dysentery, diarrhoea and enteric fever. The poor and monotonous diet of bully beef, hard biscuits, jam and tea made the situation worse. Men suffered particularly from lice in their clothing. Morale sank as the prospect of victory receded. Many came to feel they would never leave Gallipoli alive.

Stretcher bearers carrying wounded at Anzac.
The soldier on the left is carrying filled water bottles up to the front line.
(Australian War Memorial C01761)