NationStates Jolt Archive

Since There Seems to be Many Australians Here Now I have a Question For Them.

Did any of your people fight in Gallipoli and do you have a story of the battle that your great gand da told?
What does Gallipoli mean to you as a nation and as indevidual Australians?
Are you angry today of the tragic English command or at the Turks?

Since There Seems to be Many Australians Here Now I have a Question For Them.

Did any of your people fight in Gallipoli and do you have a story of the battle that your great gand da told?
What does Gallipoli mean to you as a nation and as indevidual Australians?
Are you angry today of the tragic English command or at the Turks?

We carried the fucking aussies at Gallipoli.



Ok that's not quite true, we fought right along side them the whole way. It was those brit commanders that were the problem..

Im not angry at the english...as they are naturally stupid. Im more angry at the Turks for slaughtering us (australians) when we were trapped, and then immigrating here like nothing has ever happened.

I'm not Australian, but I had the chance of watching them for a while. My apologies if anyone thinks my observations are offensive.

Did any of your people fight in Gallipoli and do you have a story of the battle that your great gand da told?
Australia is a big country, and surprisingly few Australian families have actually been here that long.
The last one of the diggers actually there died last year I believe (he cheated to get into the army at only 16...).

What does Gallipoli mean to you as a nation and as indevidual Australians?
Well, if someone says "Military" in Australia, they talk Galipoli. Despite recent attempts to raise the profile of some WWII engagements (still Vets around from then you see), this particular battle is at the heart of Australian Patriotism.
You can easily see that every year on "Anzac Day" (=anniversary of the landing), when hundreds of not thousands do the pilgrimage to the other side of the world to be there (and drink beer).

Are you angry today of the tragic English command or at the Turks?
More at the English than at the Turks. There's been a nice level of acknowledgement that the Turkish soldiers suffered just the same, and that they were only there to defend their home.
I once mentioned in passing to a few of my Aussie Friends that the Turkish Commander actually had a lot of help from his German Organisers...only got me a few tired grins.
They can however get quite worked up about the English command, and Churchill in particular. Their own commanders are usually left untouched though.

Realities Digger is more common in OZ for a Soldier but it was actually an NZ term first.

Wellington Regiment at Chunk Bair.

Im more angry at the Turks for slaughtering us (australians) when we were trapped...
They were trapped too. And besides, how would you act if some foreigners tried to invade your home?

...and then immigrating here like nothing has ever happened.
They didn't. That was much later, and both sides dealt with their past admirably.
The Turks did absolutely nothing wrong - the Allies were the aggressors. And since Australia is a friendly country (usually), you don't hold grudges against them.

Let me begin by saying I am Turkish, so get your flamethrowers ready people!

Im not angry at the english...as they are naturally stupid. Im more angry at the Turks for slaughtering us (australians) when we were trapped, and then immigrating here like nothing has ever happened.

Come on now, the Turks had everything at stake in that war. You can't expect them to surrender to invaders, much less century-old enemy invaders. (Don't get me wrong, I'm talking about the British. While the Turks had no reason to be hostile to Australians, they did fight as Allied troops.)

None of my relatives fought there to my knowledge; but a heap of them did so in WWII.

Im not angry at the english...as they are naturally stupid. Im more angry at the Turks for slaughtering us (australians) when we were trapped, and then immigrating here like nothing has ever happened.

In case you didn't notice, we kinda invaded their country. And we forgave eachother nicely.

Might I leave you with a quote?

"Those heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives... you are now lying in the soil of a friendly country. Therefore rest in peace. There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side here in this country of ours... You the mothers who sent their sons from far away countries wipe away your tears. Your sons are now living in our lands and are in peace. Having lost their lives on this land they have become our sons as well." - Mustafa Kemal Ataturk

While I'm neither, Aus., nor, Kiwi, nor, Turk, nor Brit., I have friends among all of the above who get on like a house on fire over here.

We carried the fucking aussies at Gallipoli.

Ok that's not quite true, we fought right along side them the whole way. It was those brit commanders that were the problem..

And, at least in my experience, while they may take the piss, real Aussies remember what the NZ in ANZAC means.

Kanabia, well quoted.

I sympathise with the Turks, they suffered as we suffered, but on their homesoil. The lesson of Gallipoli is this: don't trust those in charge. It's why Australia is so much more anitestablishmentarism than many othet nations.

I sympathise with the Turks, they suffered as we suffered, but on their homesoil. The lesson of Gallipoli is this: don't trust those in charge. It's why Australia is so much more anitestablishmentarism than many othet nations.

One of the things I like most about the aussies.

I sympathise with the Turks, they suffered as we suffered, but on their homesoil. The lesson of Gallipoli is this: don't trust those in charge. It's why Australia is so much more anitestablishmentarism than many othet nations.

A big slice of that probably can be traced back to the convicts. Of course, the majority of Aussies have no direct links back to the convicts (I'm a Vic, so I should know), but the convicts have to have influenced the wider development of the Australian character, way back when.

"Those heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives... you are now lying in the soil of a friendly country. Therefore rest in peace. There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side here in this country of ours... You the mothers who sent their sons from far away countries wipe away your tears. Your sons are now living in our lands and are in peace. Having lost their lives on this land they have become our sons as well." - Mustafa Kemal Ataturk

I'm not sure but isn't this the quote on the memorial at Gallipoli erected by the Turkish government?

I'm not sure but isn't this the quote on the memorial at Gallipoli erected by the Turkish government?

That's the one. :)

Gallipoli casualties
Died Wounded Total

Total Allies 44,072 97,037 141,109
Ottoman Empire 86,692 164,617 251,309


The price of defending one's homeland.

The French also fought in Gallipoli.

Indeed, more French died in Gallipoli then Australians.

Indeed, more French died in Gallipoli then Australians.
Certainly is true. But when you take into account that the French army was likely larger than the Australian population at the time, it isn't surprising. Gallipoli was the first campaign in which Australia entered as one single country, so it holds a very strong place in Australian mythos.

Certainly is true. But when you take into account that the French army was likely larger than the Australian population at the time, it isn't surprising. Gallipoli was the first campaign in which Australia entered as one single country, so it holds a very strong place in Australian mythos.

I may be wrong, but I read somewhere that proportionally to population, Australia and New Zealand took the most casualties. I'll try and verify that.

I may be wrong, but I read somewhere that proportionally to population, Australia and New Zealand took the most casualties. I'll try and verify that.
I only found these:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_I_casualties#Casualties_by_country
http://www.anzacday.org.au/history/ww1/anecdotes/stats01.html#Total%20Troops%20Mobilized%20and%20Casualties

Maybe...but as a whole that shouldn't be a surprise, considering that they were being led just as European troops, and no Allied Commander would've stopped and thought how many Anzacs there could actually be left. :p

Maybe...but as a whole that shouldn't be a surprise, considering that they were being led just as European troops, and no Allied Commander would've stopped and thought how many Anzacs there could actually be left. :p

Heh, yeah. Proportionally, it looks like Australia and NZ are on par with France.