Where Australia fought in WW1
Even though the events in Europe had little to do with Australia, the ANZACs joined the war due allegiance to their to the British Empire. By December 1914, 20000 Australian soldiers along with 10000 New Zealanders were training in Egypt in preparation for battle. From Egypt the Australian New Zealand Army corps split up to fight in several locations across Europe.
ANZACs in Gallipoli
The first action of the ANZACs was not on the Western Front in France and Belgium where most of the British troops were fighting. Instead they were to form a crucial part of an attack on Germans ally, Turkey. This attack on Turkey was a strategical move by the Triple Entente to shorten the war, however it was highly devastating for the ANZAC troops. On the 25th of April 1915, the ANACs arrived on the Turkish peninsula of Gallipoli. They were forced to struggle up steep cliffs under the waiting machine-gun fire of Turkish troops. When night fell the ANZACs had only made a few kilometers of land and had lost two thousand three hundred men. The ANZAC soldiers remained in Gallipoli until the December of 1916. Throughout there time in Turkey they suffered enormous losses due to the modernized weapons of the Turks.
"By this time we could just make out the distant hills and we must have been only about a hundred yards off the shore, when the Commander of the Naval Pinance sang out the words “Tell the Colonel these devils have brought us a mile too far North” (what he meant then I did not know, but since I have learnt that it was the strong current that was running that carried us out of our way).
No sooner were the words out of his mouth, than a bright light shone out from the shore and one shot rang over the hills. We knew then that we were seen by the Turks and we were told to pull for our lives to the shore, by the time we had dipped the oars into the water, they were hitting the boats and the water wholesale, then we were told to get out, and get ashore the best way we could, every man for himself. I can tell you it was cruel to see our lads dropping into the boats, for they had Machine Guns trained onto us besides their rifle fire.
It was just Hell let lose, nothing short of murder, to see our boys go down like sheep, it made your blood boil, and then that is the time you get mad with excitement, and you are only out to kill or be killed, to avenge the pals who you have loved like brothers. I along with my chums were lucky to reach the shore after a few attempts to wade through water up to the neck. It was the coldest Turkish bath I ever had. There were quite a number of our fellows drowned in trying to get ashore with their packs pulling them down."
Content: This source is about the arrival of ANZAC soldiers onto Gallipoli
Origin: The author of this journal entry T.E Drane, was an Australian soldier who was deploed to Gallipoli. This journal entry was written on the 25th of April 1915
Tone: Emotional, angry
Motive: To inform the reader of the events thats took place, as well as to reflect on them
ANZACs in Somme
The battle of the Somme was an attack on Germany taking place over a several battles dating from the
1st July – 13th November, 1916. On the first day of battle, there were 60000 casualties, a third of them being fatalities. This was because Britain were extremely unprepared, were inexperienced, didn’t have the required weaponry, were caught by surprise by the strength of the German army and lacked confidence themselves. The attack was successful however and resulted in 500000 German deaths, but at a cost to the British and French armies.
In the battle of the Somme Australia was mainly involved in offensive fighting in Pozieres and Mouquet Farm around 23rd July – 3rd September. Australian soldiers were also sent to battle at Fluer in November that year, however the attacks were futile. The Battle of the Somme caused 22000 casualties for the Australian army, drastically effecting the amount of men willing to recruit. This lack of enlistment started a great debate in Australia about the need for conscription.
ANZACs on the Western Front
The western front was a campaign set for the Australian troops after the tragedy of Gallipoli. Starting in March 1916 and continuing until November 1918 the Australians fought in the trenches along the western front in France and Belgium. Throughout this time the losses on the Western Front were heavy and gains were small. It was here that they sustained their highest casualties. In 1918 the Australians reached the peak of their fighting performance in the battle of Hamel on 4 July. From 8 August they then took part in a series of decisive advances until Germany surrendered on 11 November.
The Middle East campaign began in 1916 with Australian troops participating in the defence of the Suez Canal and the allied reconquest of the Sinai peninsular. In the following year Australian and other allied troops advanced into Palestine and captured Gaza and Jerusalem; by 1918 they had occupied Lebanon and Syria. 1. 300 Australians died in the Middle East campaign
ANZACS in the Middle East
A Journal entry from the trenches
The Anzacs