Today will mark the 101st anniversary of the official establishing of Anzac Day and the 102nd anniversary of the beginning of what came to be known as the Battle of Gallipoli (a.k.a. Dardanelles Campaign, the Battle of Gallipoli, or the Battle of Çanakkale).
A young family look at the crosses planted in the ANZAC Field of Remembrance, Sydney, April 2009
It “…is a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand that broadly commemorates all Australians and New Zealanders ‘who served and died in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations’ and ‘the contribution and suffering of all those who have served’. Observed on 25 April each year, Anzac Day was originally to honour the members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) who fought at Gallipoli against the Ottoman Empire during World War I.
“Anzac Day is also observed in the Cook Islands, Niue, Pitcairn Islands, and Tonga, and previously also as a national holiday in Papua New Guinea and Samoa.”
Courtesy of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anzac_Day
Movies featuring the battle of Gallipoli as a plot point include:
- Russell Crowe’s directorial debut, The Water Diviner (2014).
- Peter Weir’s directed Gallipoli (1981) and starring Mel Gibson.
More about the battle itself and the complex issues surrounding it are featured at:
- The History Channel: http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-i/battle-of-gallipoli
- Britannica: https://www.britannica.com/event/Gallipoli-Campaign
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gallipoli_Campaign
- British Battles.com:
- http://www.britishbattles.com/the-gallipoli-campaign-part-i-the-naval-attack-on-the-dardanelles/
- http://www.britishbattles.com/the-gallipoli-campaign-part-ii-genesis-of-the-land-attack-on-the-gallipoli-peninsular/
- http://www.britishbattles.com/the-gallipoli-campaign-part-iii-the-anzac-landing-on-25th-april-1915/
- http://www.britishbattles.com/the-gallipoli-campaign-part-iv-the-first-landings-at-cape-helles-and-y-beach-on-25th-april-1915/
