30 October 2024
Personnel deployed on Operation Mazurka Rotation 57B embarked on a professional development and military education journey to the historic Gallipoli Peninsula.
The trip offered an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the Gallipoli Campaign and its significance to Australia’s military history, providing a chance to walk in the footsteps of those who fought more than a century ago.
Organised by Commander of the Operation Mazurka Australian Contingent Lieutenant Colonel Andrew Glover, the tour was an immersive educational experience and focused on the origin and background of the conflict, as well as the perspectives of both the Anzacs and the Ottomans.
Deployed in support of the Multinational Force and Observers in Sinai, Egypt, the personnel of 57B had an early-morning arrival in Turkey on September 19.
They got their first glimpse of the Gallipoli Peninsula shortly after arrival when they took a bus to their accommodation in Canakkale, a small-town overlooking Gallipoli on the shores of the Dardanelles – the 66km stretch of water between the Mediterranean and Black Seas, which during World War 1 was so strategically important, it triggered the events that would lead to the Anzac legend.
'Standing in front of the Turkish Memorial was a powerful reminder of how fierce the fighting was and how much both sides gave during the campaign.'
The next morning, the group visited Anadolu Hamidiye Battery, the site of the Battle of the Dardanelles – an infamously short engagement where Ottoman gunfire and sea-mines defeated the combined British-French naval host.
Standing on the shores of the Dardanelles, among the now silent Ottoman gun-batteries and overlooking the Gallipoli Peninsula across the water, the junior officers of 57B took turns giving briefs to the rest of the team on the origins of Australia’s involvement in the Gallipoli Campaign.
These briefs included the geo-political state-of-play in 1914, which set the conditions for the conflict; the initial naval operations of the campaign and why they failed; the Ottoman response to the conflict; and the landing operations of the Anzacs.
After this, the group took a ferry to the Gallipoli Peninsula, beginning with a visit to Achi Baba – the strategic objective of the British landings, which took place on April 25, 1915. This vantage point had panoramic views over the southern peninsula, which allowed the team to gain an insight into the challenges that would await both the Anzacs and the Ottoman defenders.
A particularly moving stop was at the Turkish Memorial complex, with its 40m-high monument honoring the Ottoman soldiers who lost their lives during the campaign. Here, participants reflected on the shared sacrifices and bravery of both sides, gaining a greater appreciation of the campaign’s broader impact.
Australian contingent quartermaster Leading Seaman Vivian Messa described the experience.
'Most of the Anzacs were so young, yet still showed incredible leadership characteristics under adversity.'
“Standing in front of the Turkish Memorial was a powerful reminder of how fierce the fighting was and how much both sides gave during the campaign,” Leading Seaman Messa said.
The day continued with visits to V-Beach at Seddülbahir and the Helles Memorial, where the group learned about the fierce battles fought along this stretch of coastline.
The next morning, the group took a ferry across the Dardanelles to Anzac Cove. Here, they reflected on the harrowing experiences and courage of the Anzacs during their first steps onto Gallipoli. The beach cemetery offered an opportunity for quiet contemplation over the graves of those who fell in the campaign, before walking to the top of Plugge’s Plateau to view the Anzac positions and visit the site of the Battle of Lone Pine.
Throughout the day, senior non-commissioned officers provided briefs on the individual heroes of the Gallipoli Campaign, such as Private John Kirkpatrick and his donkey, the noted stretcher-bearer from 3rd Australian Field Ambulance who saved countless wounded soldiers throughout the campaign.
Other heroes included Major Frederick Tubb, VC, known for his heroic actions at the Battle of Lone Pine on August 9, 1915; and Corporal Alexander Burton, VC, who also distinguished himself at Lone Pine, and many more. Other sites the team visited included the Nek, Johnston’s Jolly and Courtney’s Post.
Leading Seaman Messa described the trip to Gallipoli as an incredible experience he never thought he would have.
“Experiencing it with a group of other ADF members I’m deployed with made the whole experience 10-times better,” he said.
“Anzac Cove was definitely the highlight. As a child, you grow up hearing about all the stories of the Anzacs in the First World War – actually getting to walk in their footsteps on the shores of Anzac Cove and pay my respects there was a truly remarkable feeling.”
Leading Seaman Messa summarised some of the key lessons from the trip.
“Leadership doesn’t come with age,” he said.
“Most of the Anzacs were so young, yet still showed incredible leadership characteristics under adversity.”
Leading Seaman Messa went on to share that the overall experience on Operation Mazurka had been an incredible opportunity.
'It’s the place where Australia’s national identity was formed.'
“Don’t ever limit yourself. I come from the Torres Strait, a small, remote region,” he said.
“Joining the ADF and deploying on Operation Mazurka has allowed me to see parts of the world I never thought I would.”
Sergeant William Tutt also found the trip enriching, describing it as an opportunity to walk in the footsteps of the Anzacs and see the ground of the Gallipoli Campaign first-hand.
“It’s the place where Australia’s national identity was formed,” Sergeant Tutt said.
Sergeant Tutt’s brief to the Australian contingent was on Trooper William ‘Billy’ Sing, and Anzac sniper who was given the nickname ‘the Murderer’ or ‘the Assassin’ for his skills and the high rate of casualties he inflicted on the enemy.
As a sniper and reconnaissance Platoon Sergeant with 6th Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment, Sergeant Tutt said the highlight of the trip was getting to give a brief on Billy Sing, on the very ground he fought on.
After visiting Anzac Cove, Sergeant Tutt described the most important lesson he learned from the Gallipoli Campaign was to “have a bias for action”.
