Evacuation
Williams Pier, North Beach, Gallipoli, December 1915
Why was this image chosen?
From the point of view of the British Empire and Dominion
forces on Gallipoli no operation there was so successfully carried out as the
evacuation of 8 to 20 December 1915. For that reason alone it deserves a panel
to itself. The panel text concentrates on the reasons for the withdrawal and
the simple facts of how many were successfully taken off the peninsula without
the Turks becoming aware what was happening.
The feeling of the soldiers about leaving Gallipoli is
well summed up in the prefatory quotation from a New Zealand soldier.
Basically, many of the men were greatly saddened by having to leave
behind the graves of their dead comrades. Bean tells us their
reaction to the news of the evacuation:
For days after the breaking of the news there were never
absent from the cemeteries men by themselves, or in twos and threes, erecting
new crosses or tenderly ‘tidying-up’ the grave of a friend. This
was by far the deepest regret of the troops. ‘I hope,’ said one of
them to [General] Birdwood on the final day [19 December], pointing
to a little cemetery, ‘I hope they
won’t hear us marching down the deres [gullys]'.
[Charles Bean, The Story of Anzac, Vol II, Sydney, 1924, p.882]
Evacuation
I hope our poor pals who lie all around us sleep soundly, and do not stir
in discontent as we go filing away from them forever.
New Zealand soldier at the evacuation of Gallipoli
After August, the British
mounted no further major attacks at Gallipoli. The British Government grew alarmed
at the failure to break through to the Dardanelles and there was mounting criticism
of the whole venture. In November, when winter arrived, there were men who froze
at their posts and over 16,000 troops suffering from frostbite and exposure
had to be evacuated. Eventually it was decided that the campaign could not meet
its objectives and the British and Dominion force on Gallipoli should withdraw.
Many thought a withdrawal would result in heavy casualties. However, elaborate
precautions were taken to deceive the Turks into thinking nothing unusual was
happening.
Between 8 and 20 December 1915, 90,000 men were secretly embarked
from Suvla and Anzac. On 8 and 9 January 1916 a similar evacuation was conducted
at Helles. Only a handful of casualties were suffered in these well-executed
operations.
Williams Pier, North Beach,
Gallipoli, December 1915, with the Sphinx in the background. At this time the
preparations for the evacuation of the Australian and New Zealand troops from
Anzac were well under way.
(Australian War Memorial C01621)
TAHLIYE
Umarim çevremizde sessizce uyuyan zavalli arkadaslarimiz, onlari
sonsuza kadar terkedip gitmemiz karsisinda kahirlarindan mezarlarinda dönmezler.
Bir Yeni Zelanda askerinin Gelibolu yarimadasinin bosaltilmasi sirasindaki sözleri
Agustos’tan sonra, Ingilizler
Gelibolu’da baska büyük harekata girismediler. Ingiliz hükümeti,
Çanakkale bogazina umulan açilimin gerçeklestirilememesi
karsisinda telaslanmaya baslamisti. Ayrica tüm harekat gitgide daha fazla
sorgulaniyordu. Kasim gelip de kis bastirdiginda, nöbet yerlerinde donup
ölenler oldu. Uzuvlarinin donmasi ve soguga maruz kalma nedeniyle 16 bin
askerin tahliye edilmesi gerekti. Sonunda harekatin amacina ulasamayacagi sonucuna
varildi ve Gelibolu yarimadasindaki Ingiliz ve Dominyon birliklerinin geri çekilmesine
karar verildi.
Agir kayiplar verilmeden geri çekilmenin
mümkün olmayacagina bir çoklari inanmiyordu. Türkler bu
geri çekilisin farkina varmasinlar diye büyük önlemler
alindi. 8 ile 20 Aralik 1915 tarihleri arasinda Suvla ve Anzak koylarindan 90
bin asker gizlice geri çekildi. Benzer bir operasyon, 8 ve 9 Ocak 1916’da
Helles’de gerçeklestirildi. Basariyla gerçeklestirilen bu
operasyonlar sirasinda sadece az sayida kayip verildi.
Gelibolu kuzey sahilindeki Williams iskelesi,
Aralik 1915. Arka planda Sfenks görülmekte. Bu fotograf çekildigi
sirada Avustralya ve Yeni Zelanda birliklerinin Anzak körfezinden çekilme
hareketi iyice ilerlemisti.
(Avustralya Savas Aniti C01621)
Original Art
Australian War Memorial C01621
