Australian Embassy
Turkey
Embassy address: Ugur Mumcu 88 Kat 7 GOP - Telephone: 0312 459 9500 - Fax: 0312 446 4827

Lone Pine Commemoration 2008
Ambassador’s Welcome Speech

Welcome to the Lone Pine Commemoration. I would like to welcome The Hon. Joel Fitzgibbon, Minister for Defence; Rt Hon Winston Peters, Minister of Foreign Affairs of New Zealand; Air Marshal Geoff Shepherd AO, Chief of Air Force of Australia; Air Vice-Marshal Graham Lintott, Chief of Air Force of New Zealand; Australian, Turkish and other honoured guests, ladies and gentlemen.

Many people contribute to the success of these commemorations. In addition to the Australians and New Zealanders who work so well together, I would like to thank the Turkish Government, represented by His Excellency Mr Kemal Unakitan, Minister of Finance. I would like to thank particularly Governor Orhan Kirli, the Governor of Canakkale and his colleagues, Ambassador Muzaffer Eroktem, Turkey’s Coordinating Ambassador for Anzac Day and the Second Army Corps. I also would like to thank the Turkish people, particularly the people of Canakkale, for the sincerity and warmth of the friendship and hospitality they extend to Australians.

There are many places of importance on this peninsula, from the Cape Helles beaches at its southern tip to Suvla Bay, to the north-west of here. The places many of you will have read about over the years (Anzac Cove, Shrapnel Valley, Quinn’s Post, The Nek and many others) and may well be visiting for the first time today, evoke all sorts of images and emotions.

While it started on the beaches below us, this is the place where the presence of our fallen countrymen is strongest for me. This is Turkish land, yet feels so Australian.

On the late afternoon of 6 August 1915 the offensive at Lone Pine commenced. It was part of a plan to break the stalemate. Since the first few days of the Campaign little had changed in strategic terms. Trench positions had remained largely static. The Turkish offensive in May had failed to change this. Now the ANZACs and the British would attempt to change the shape of the battlefield.

It may seem a little odd now, given the importance Lone Pine has, but it was a diversionary attack. It was designed to draw the defending forces to this position on the southern flank of the ANZAC position to make it easier for other forces to seize the high ground on the northern flank.

On that afternoon, as the sun set behind them, the men of the Australian 1st Brigade set off. Many of them made it into the Turkish trenches, taking the first line. However, after the success of the initial attack, the Turkish forces counter-attacked with great courage, as they usually did.

The fighting became even more intense and went into the night. The battle continued into a fourth day until, with both sides exhausted and having suffered heavy losses, it came to an end.

At the end of the battle there were 2,277 Australian casualties. Turkish losses are not known, but are estimated at 5,000 or perhaps more. A greater number died in that battle than the number of us gathered here today to remember them.

Here Australians and Turks fought, not only with guns and bombs (which we now call grenades), but with bayonets and their bare hands. Seven Victoria Crosses were won here – testament to the ferocity of the fighting. Here Australians and Turks suffered and died together.

We call it Lone Pine, which carries a touch of romance and recalls the sense of adventure in which many of our men set out from Australia. The Turks called it Kanli Sirt, which translates as “Bloody Ridge”.

A unique relationship was forged between Australians and Turks on the battlefields of this peninsula. During the suffering and destruction of the war our soldiers developed a respect for their Turkish adversaries as soldiers and as men. The Australians appreciated the Turks’ courage, fighting ability and sense of honour. For example, J J Ryan of the 4th Battalion, who fought at Lone Pine, referred to the Turks as “good honest soldiers – brave”, who were “not afraid to die”. E W Bartlett of the 11th Light Horse said the Turks “fought very fairly and like us were honest troops”. One final example from Allan Salveson, who landed soon after the Battle of Lone Pine and was sent to hold the line here: “they were very good fighters and very fair people”.

Just as we remember and celebrate the mateship, the resilience and the good humour of our forefathers, Turks remember with pride the courage, the honour and the sacrifice of their soldiers.

Many of us attended the Dawn Service this morning. It is a solemn commemoration of remembrance. Here while we certainly remember the fallen, we also celebrate who we are as a people.

The Anzacs, the Australians who fought here, helped to tell us who we are. We created their legend and made them our heroes. The values we find lived in their lives have become our values. In addition to the mateship and resilience, we celebrate their understated humour, their determination to make the best of a bad lot, their irreverence.

We feel the loss and the waste of war, but with that loss is mingled pride and gratitude.

It is a great honour to be with you today as we remember those who died, those who were wounded and those who suffered long after the fighting ended here in Gallipoli and in all other theatres of war where Australians have served.

There are so many of us here today that it can be difficult to hear the fallen. If they do not speak to you today, I encourage you to return. Perhaps winter is best, where solitude is easier and the main sound is the wind.

Welcome to Lone Pine.

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