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Anzacs at Gallipoli - Aussies, Kiwis and MORE?

Despite the ANZACS synonymy with Australia and New Zealand, it's a little known fact that their original formation included many British servicemen as well as officers, soldiers and divisional staff from a host of other nationalities. Within the ANZAC ranks could be found, at various points, men from the 7th Brigade of the Indian Mountain Artillery, the Ceylon Planters Rifle Corps, the Jewish Zion Mule Corps, the Royal Naval Division, the British 13th Division, the British and Irish 10th Division and the 29th Indian Brigade.

First formed in November of 1914, the original name of the corps was the Australian Army Corps, however after many complaints from the New Zealand recruits, the administrative clerks renamed the corps and the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps was born. It's recorded that the original abbreviation of A. & N. Z. A. C. became too cumbersome to note each time a diary entry was made, so the simpler form of ANZAC became commonplace in daily use. ANZAC became the official code name of the corps but was actually not used widely amongst the troops until after the Gallipoli landings of 1915 where the ANZAC name became legend.

Following the collapse of the military campaign and the subsequent evacuation of the Gallipoli peninsula, the Australian and New Zealand units, along with their combined multicultural divisions and brigades, re-assembled in Egypt. There, the New Zealanders went on to form their own division and the Australians split into two divisions. These newly formed division went on to serve in France on the Western Front as well as Egypt, Palestine and Mesopotamia where their legend only grew in stature.

Since the Great War the ANZAC name has infrequently been attached to various units, battalions and regiments serving worldwide, usually as a suffix. But as we all know generally, all New Zealand and Australian servicemen and women are now fondly referred to as ANZACS, no matter where their service is based.

Furthermore, and unbeknown to many, following the fierce fighting on the Gallipoli battlefields, much of the original historical artwork and illustrations depicting the ANZAC heroics, bore the flags of Australia, New Zealand and the British Union Jack. Despite this fact, over the past century the gallant service to the ANZAC name from those bravest of multicultural Middle-Eastern, Sri Lankan, Indian, Irish and British troops has been neglected to the point of where they are rarely recognised as ANZACS.

It's time to change that!

LEST WE FORGET!

Anzacs at Gallipoli

Attending the Anzac Day Gallipoli Dawn Service in Turkey is a once in a lifetime opportunity to learning more about the conditions the ANZACS experienced, the surrounding environment and discovering more regarding the heroic military service of the Gallipoli Campaign (by both ANZACS, Ottomans and others). The dawn service and subsequent commemorative services at Lone Pine and Chunnuk Bair can be a sobering yet very rewarding and memorable experience.

Mark has been working for PP Travel for over 20 years and has travelled to the Anzac Day Dawn Service at Gallipoli on 16 occasions.

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Posted: 06 September 2019 11:40:22 GMT by Mark
Being at Gallipoli for the Dawn Service on Anzac Day where our forefathers landed in Turkey, creating the Anzac legend, will be a moment cherished by a privileged few. PP Travel has just completed another series of very successful tours for the Da ... read more

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Anzacs at Gallipoli - Aussies, Kiwis and MORE?

PP Travel Anzac Day Gallipoli Options

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