HOW DID THE GALLIPOLI CAMPAIGN IMPACT ON NEW ZEALAND SOLDIERS THAT TOOK PART IN THE WAR?
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Post War
Before the war, New Zealand lads already had a positive prospect on the Campaign. The idea of venturing into the unknown gave them a sense of excitement to join the war. Not much was it the idea of fighting for the mother nation Britain but to travel. Young and naive the soldiers were to the realism of what the war ahead was to hold for them, nothing but utter misery, hardship and deaths. PHYSICAL IMPACTS ON SOLDIERS The Landing The landing of ANZAC cove proved a mystery as it was clearly not known why they diverted from their original plans. Factors such as weather may have been the cause of their change. Strong ocean currents, faulty navigation or miscalculations may have pushed the ship off course. When the ANZAC's landed on the cove they were exposed to a high facing cliff top which left them vulnerable to the Turks who were awaiting for their arrival above. The Turkish were highly equipped as they had machine guns and with the disorganized and confused ANZAC's left them scattered on the ground as easy targets. Making their way on foot from the large naval ship to the cove proved difficult as the soldiers were bombarded by random shelling along with carrying their heavy backpacks. Food and Water With the ANZAC's backsides towards the sea water and facing the Turks, water was scarce. Water had to be shipped from neighbouring countries such as Egypt in barrels. The ANZAC's had water barrels that were often left to be leaking from bomb shelling. However when water was available, soldiers were often limited to only 2.3 litres of water a day. With little amounts of water, soldiers had to reinvent new purposes for the wasted water so that every drop was used. Leftover tea was used for shaving and to wash their faces. "The heat was intense. So was out thirst and we got only half a bottle of water per man per day ... Great was our delight when our first drink of tea came along the trench, passed from hand to hand in a kerosene tin, It was full of tea leaves, and by the time it reached our end of the trench it was muddy from the dusty walls - but it was nectar." - Ewen PIlling, Otago Infantry (Auckland War Memorial Museum, 2014) Canned food and hard biscuits were the common dietary for the soldiers. Fresh foods such as vegetables and fruits were uncommon due to the condition that the ANZACs were in. It was very hard to sustain healthy fresh foods for the soldiers survival. The ANZAC's normally ate bully beef which were canned, hard biscuits which is now known as ANZAC biscuits and jam. Soldiers were always resorted to eating dried flakes of vegetables and vegetables mixed with water, as they were easy and compact to carry. With little variation, nutrition the soldiers were still able to fight on in a difficult situation. Being away from home meant eating processed foods in order to be able to kept for a long period of time. Disease The trenches and surroundings of the ANZAC's became a breeding ground for mice as leftover food and corpse were scattered along them. Not only were there pests but they created huge unsanitary problems as corpses were ripped open for diseases to spread. The ANZAC comrades were often faced with seeing their dying companion bodies being ripped opened by rats. Not only were there bodies and mice everywhere but the trenches were also used as a dumping ground as left over tins were piled up in the trenches along with muddy water in the trenches. The ANZAC's spent a long time in the trenches making them prone to parasites, insects etc. This left to sickness and possible deaths. Lice caused trench fever where the soldiers experience pain and then followed by high fever. Climate at Gallipoli On summer nights the soldiers often had trouble sleeping. When the ANZAC's landed on Gallipoli they had attire that normally equipped them for the entire year and conditions that they would face regardless the season. The ANZAC's had attire that would help them in winter and also summer. The trenches had no shade of any sort and they were always in direct sunlight which made resting difficult. But in winter was what challenged the ANZAC's. By the time winter came the attire worn by the soldiers were worn out by winter regarding all the activities they have done. The ANZAC's found themselves in groups to retain heat for survival. Others were faced with the amputation of their limbs because of severe frostbites. However with the constant flooding on trenches from severe weather, soldiers were often faced with trench foot. This was caused by a prolong exposure to wet and damp conditions which causes the skin to shrivel, blister and open to wounds for infections to occur which then leads to the amputation of the feet. This was a common threat to the ANZAC soldiers as they spend the majority of their times in the trenches. Along with the flooded trenches, soldiers were often found immersed in the trenches and drowned to death. By the time the train stopped the trenches were often left muddy and sluggish leaving the trenches weak. MENTAL IMPACT ON SOLDIERS Soldiers were often left to isolation at the Gallipoli Campaign. Keeping sane and having a steady mind was vital for the survival and performance of the ANZAC's, as they were often faced with horrible things occurring around them. Anything that reminded them of home, nurtured the soldiers for the time being. After the Gallipoli Campaign soldiers were unable to cope in a recovering society, many were left to perish into poverty as they were unable to cope. Some of the soldiers were so disfigured from shrapnel wounds, burns that they were unable to find jobs after the war, After War Prosthetic painted masks were common during World War 1. A mask as thick as a postcard made from galvanised copper would be painted as closely to the wounded's skin colour. These prosthetic masks were used to cover up severely wounded faces from the war. Items such as the "Princess Mary Gift Box" were like gold to the men. These gift boxes were often made by women back in the homeland. "Cards, letters and papers from home, or making something take this vase, were all good for morale. ANZAC soldier Private Jarvis made the vase with sun-dried Gallipoli clay, decorating it with regimental badges." - Auckland War Memorial Museum 2014 MEMORIES OF AN ANZAC SOLDIER IN GALLIPOLI WW1The video above features an ANZAC soldier who was a runner at the Gallipoli Campaign. Jack Hazllit talks about the horrors he faced when they landed at ANZAC Cove. This video gives a direct understanding from a soldier who experienced these himself.
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Soldiers getting inspected for trench foot
Injured soldier being carried by other comrade
Trench foot disease
Small boat carrying injured soldiers to hospital naval ship (many had to wait for days or even weeks to seek help)
Shortly after the landing of ANZACs
Map depicting the route and plan the ANZAC's planned to take and also the set up by the organised and strategic Turks
HISTORIANS POV ON GALLIPOLI
"It proved insufferable hot in summer – a soldier opening a tin of jam would find it smothered in blowflies before he could get a spoon of it to his mouth, and large numbers of men fell victim to dysentery – and freezing in winter. And the distances between the opposing trenches were so limited that it was perilous to risk even a swift look over the parapet." - Trevor Wilson |
ORMOND BURTON
"When New Zealanders went to war, they were ignorant of its causes and and innocent of its meaning."
- Ormond Burton, The Silent Division
Ormond Burton a teacher, soldier, war historian, pacifist, Methodist clergyman and writer born in Auckland (1893 - 1974) was a renowned soldier of World War 1 in New Zealand history. While the ANZAC's were serving in Gallipoli, Ormond was a on a ship towards the French wall. He served as a war doctor and treated the injured and dead while in battle. Burton was luckily able to escape many casualties from bullet wounds and near misses to death. A controversial character he is for refusing to go to war due to his religious belief in the 2nd World War.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11240597
http://lestweforget.org.nz/profiles/ormond-burton/
http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/speech/119/burton-talking-about-christmas-in-1943
"When New Zealanders went to war, they were ignorant of its causes and and innocent of its meaning."
- Ormond Burton, The Silent Division
Ormond Burton a teacher, soldier, war historian, pacifist, Methodist clergyman and writer born in Auckland (1893 - 1974) was a renowned soldier of World War 1 in New Zealand history. While the ANZAC's were serving in Gallipoli, Ormond was a on a ship towards the French wall. He served as a war doctor and treated the injured and dead while in battle. Burton was luckily able to escape many casualties from bullet wounds and near misses to death. A controversial character he is for refusing to go to war due to his religious belief in the 2nd World War.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11240597
http://lestweforget.org.nz/profiles/ormond-burton/
http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/speech/119/burton-talking-about-christmas-in-1943
