Men from the Surf Coast at Gallipoli

On 19 May 1915, the Turkish defenders launched an assault on the Anzac line, aiming to drive the invading allies into the sea. They had bombed and attacked the position killing many Australians and secured a section of the trench at Courtney’s Post. Albert Jacka (Modewarre) was guarding one end of the trench, firing shots at the Turks, stopping them from moving further forward to the communications trench. After a futile attempt to move forward with three other men, Jacka decided the best strategy was for him to take the trench alone. Creeping into ‘No Man’s Land’, Jacka waited for his comrades to create a diversion, and he then jumped into the trench and shot five Turks, bayoneted two and took three prisoners. When his Commanding Officer approached the trench at dawn he found Jacka with the prisoners and the dead bodies with an unlit cigarette in his mouth. Jacka said, “Well, I got the beggars, sir”. Jacka was awarded the Victoria Cross for his remarkable act of courage – the first to be awarded to any member of the AIF.

Jack Cunningham trained as a mechanical engineer before joining the Cheetham Salt Works in 1906 where his father was one of the founders of the company. Jack was one of the original ‘lads’ who challenged Aireys Inlet on 28 December 1910 to a rowing race. The first ‘competition’ was held on the Anglesea River on 3 January 1911, and after several years it became an annual rowing regatta held on New Year’s Day, a tradition which continues today. Jack was allocated to the Automobile Corps, and his diary indicates he arrived in Egypt via the HMAT Benalla. However his service record states he left a few days later on the HMAT Orvieto. After further training in Cairo, Jack too headed off for Gallipoli.

Jack sailed on the Saldanha to Lemnos, a horse boat with only iron decks. While the other boats set sail for Gallipoli, Jack’s unit stayed behind until 1 May when they proceeded to Gaba Tepe. “From April 26th to May 4th………a great lot of transport in the bay and warships, torpedo boats, destroyers, balloon ship and aeroplane ship with two water planes aboard. The “Queen Elizabeth” was firing as we passed her near the shore. We were anchored quite close to the shore for the first two days and could see everything going on land. All night there was a continuous boom of guns from our battleships and a continuous row of rifle fire along the cliffs. Sometimes there is a calm for a few hours then all of a sudden it starts again and goes for hours. Yesterday we had quite an exciting time as shells from either Chanak fort or the ship ‘Goeben’ started to fall in the bay among the transports. … As the shells were so close to us and other boats we have now moved out about another mile from the shore …”

“From May 4th to May 8th. Since we moved out things have been fairly quiet except on May 5th afternoon an aeroplane came along flying very high, and at first, we did not take any notice of it as we have 3 of them flying every day, but suddenly on looking through the glasses, we saw black crosses on it showing it was German. It passed nearly over us, and then our battleships started firing on it, so it cleared out. Last night after dinner we saw another flying high and saw through the glasses it was the German again. It came along and then slightly turned its direction and sailed clean over our ships. One felt awfully helpless as you could do nothing and suddenly it dropped three bombs, two of which missed our boat by about 50 yards and exploded in the sea. The concussion of one killed a big fish which came up to the surface. The aeroplane then turned and went back again. Today the Captain has had sandbags put on top of the wireless room and on top of the bridge, and we have five picked rifle shots ready now in case it comes back which of course it will – probably every day. They have taken all our officers on shore now except Major Holdsworth, Captain Stevenson, and myself. We have on the ship about 190 men and 200 horses. I wish we could get ashore. It’s rotten waiting here when you can see everything on land but are not actually in it. Still, I suppose, our time will come. We hear every day of fellows we know being killed or wounded.”

For those on board it was still unclear what was going to happen with the horses or when they would disembark. A week later the Divisional Train was reorganised with some, including Jack, returning to Alexandria because the terrain of Gallipoli did not suit the horses. Now stationed at the Mex camp, Jack found the heat irritating and the boredom frustrating. He pushed to be transferred to the Engineers, but his request was declined. In September a new Light Horse squadron was created and Jack was made Troop Leader, but this did not stop his resolve to move to the Engineers. Using connections from home, Jack continued his push for a transfer which was finally granted. He sailed for Gallipoli at the end of October joining others in ‘Shrapnel Gully’. The next day he checked out the rabbit warren-like trenches. His job was to fix ‘Leanes’ trenches to house the 6th L. H. and make bomb-proof dugouts, drainage, survey work etc. He “had to draw sketches and estimate materials. Everything is worked by surveys and plans, and you want to be more a civil or mining engineer to grasp the work but I shall battle along and try and pick things up.”

At the end of October Australian engineers were tunnelling to undermine Turkish trenches, including a section opposite Johnstone’s Jolly. During the operation there were some men of the 4th Field Company who were killed. When a fired mine did not break through to open air the poisonous gas left by the explosion remained in the tunnel endangering the life of anyone who entered it. To ensure that Tunnel C2 was safe to enter after a mine had just been fired, Lieut. Bowra went down the rope ladder in the shaft leading to it. He didn’t return, and others tried to rescue him, but they too were overcome by the gas. Harold Rodda (Anglesea) was mentioned in despatches for attempting to rescue Bowra. His citation reads: “On 29th October 1915 at ANZAC, for his gallant attempts to rescue Lieutenant Bowra of 4th Field Company Engineers, who was ‘gassed’ at C2 tunnel opposite Johnstone’s Jolly, ANZAC. He twice entered the tunnel in search of Lieutenant Bowra, and only relaxed his efforts when overcome by the fumes himself.”

Jack Cunningham, by the end of November, had moved down to the beach and was put in charge of the water supply for the whole place. The challenge was the cold weather bursting the pipes and everyone was put on water rations. In the first week of December, just as Jack had almost got the water supply working properly, “orders came to build a light pile footbridge out to the S.S. Milo which is about 350 ft. out but all of us doubt if it will stand in rough weather.” … “From Dec. 9th to 12th. Things most unsettled at present. All kinds of rumours floating about. All our ordinary work has been stopped and all men are doing such work as repairing and building new piers, also taking a footbridge out to the Milo and I have to get the Milo cleared and step ladders made all along for men stepping down into boats. Ordnance is packing a lot of stuff up and it looks very much like evacuation although it seems hardly credible. Trevor had tea with us tonight and has now left with his 27th Battalion. He does not know where he is going. I cannot think that the whole is going but at present everything points that way. If we do all have to go, it will mean certain lots being left to the last. I wonder if our lot will be or not, probably we shall as we are on pier work etc. now. If we all go the ones that are left to the last will get Hell. Dec. 12 & 13. Am afraid its evacuation. It’s awful to think of after all the lives that have been lost here. Heard today that our Company will not be the last to go but No. 5 Company are taking it on. I hope they have luck and get through all right. It will be a hard experience though for them as some if not a lot of causalities must occur. We will probably clear out in a few days’ time after we have got everything ready such as piers, Milo footbridge etc. I have nearly got my job finished. We blew out a piece of the side of the Milo this afternoon for No. 5 set of steps. Beach Bill was very active and sent a lot of shots over us while on board but they got no hits. A lot of heavy firing occurred on Russell’s top also greater than any since I have been here and some of them landed on next ridge to ours and tearing large bits out of the cliff, black smoke and seemed pretty big stuff. I feel awfully sick about going. It seems terrible unless there is something behind we do not know anything about. Let us hope so.” 

Jack goes on to describe the preparation of Milo and the other piers ready for the evacuation. He was told that he had to stay until the last day with six others to administer any repairs to piers that might be needed. The Turks had a new gun position that was causing some damage, firing down on them and stopping the work on the piers. Days later Jack describes destroying boilers and pumps and how empty the place was. The weather was calm which helped the evacuation, though a barge had crashed into the pier and that had to be fixed. Jack and his men left Gallipoli on 19 December at 10.45 pm, boarded the El Keira and waited a couple of hours for the last lot to come aboard. They disembarked at Lemnos the next day.

Over eight and a half months, nearly 60,000 Australians came and went from Gallipoli, trying to gain ground on a battlefield that stretched over a mere 400 acres. A total of 8709 Australian men were killed; thousands more were evacuated wounded or sick. 137 men from the Surf Coast Shire landed on Gallipoli, 116 left the peninsula, 50% of them had sustained an injury. There were many acts of bravery, none more rewarded than Albert Jacka (Modewarre) who was awarded the first issued WW1 Victoria Cross, for his bravery on the night of the 19-20 May, 1915, at Courtney’s Post.

During the Gallipoli campaign, Winifred Anna Cameron Gilliland, joined May Tilton serving with the Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service Reserve in Egypt. By the end of the war she had been recommended for the Royal Red Cross 2nd Class and was awarded Associate of the Royal Red Cross.

Gallipoli is now indelibly part of Australia’s soul. The image of Australians resting in dugouts on cliffs gave the campaign a particular hold on the popular imagination. Out of their adversities and suffering came the legend of the Anzacs and the mystery of its mantra of mateship, resilience, friendship, kindness, humour and irreverence. The legend endures.

Back in Egypt, there was little respite for the troops. Their nightmare was not over, even worse was to follow in the fields of France. At Fromelles in July 1916, in just 24 hours, the Australians suffered 5533 causalities. By the end of that year, 42,270 Australians had been killed or wounded.