An Australian soldier lies wounded in the foreground, as hundreds of other soldiers move among the dead and wounded on the beach at Anzac Cove on the day of the landing. The soldiers wearing Red Cross armbands are tending to the wounded. Boxes of equipment are stacked among the men and the beach is also littered with discarded personal equipment. This scene is looking along the beach to the north. Photograph by Charles Atkins. [AWM PS1659]

Who was John Simpson, the man with the donkey?

John Simpson Kirkpatrick was a British born merchant seaman who enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force in 1914 and served at Gallipoli (under the assumed name of John Simpson) as a stretcher bearer with the 3rd Australian Field Ambulance. Simpson took part in the Gallipoli Landing on 25 April 1915 and worked recovering wounded men until killed in Shrapnel Valley on 19 May 1915.

On 26 April he acquired a small donkey, and later another, which he used to help lightly wounded men, especially men with leg wounds, to reach medical aid. His superiors recognised the value of Simpson's work and allowed him to act independently. Simpson was a minor celebrity to the diggers on Gallipoli, though some diary mentions of 'the man with the donkey' are probably describing others, like New Zealand Private Richard Henderson, who also used a donkey to help wounded men down to the beach.

Simpson became famous as a result of later news articles; these stories rapidly achieved mythic proportions and led to a protracted campaign to have Simpson awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross, however no official recommendation for the award of the Victoria Cross to Simpson was ever made.

Did the Anzacs land in the wrong place?

Historians have still not agreed on the answer to this question. Certainly many of those present thought the Anzacs should have been landed over a kilometre south on 'Brighton Beach', closer to Gaba Tepe. A naval officer in the first wave, Commander Dix, famously shouted as they touched the beach 'Tell the colonel that the damn fools have taken us a mile too far north.' Either navigation error, or a previously unknown current along the shore, was blamed for the mistake. The senior army officers, Birdwood, Bridges and Godley, agreed with Dix. However Admiral Thursby, in charge of getting the Anzacs ashore, claimed that the landing took place in roughly the right spot. Recent research has tended to support Thursby, showing that the precise point aimed for is unclear in the orders, that Birdwood told the navy they could shift the landing further north if necessary and that the navy selected a two kilometer long area, anywhere within which it would be acceptable to land; they did not expect to achieve precision in the dark on an unknown shore.

If there was an error, then it was fortuitous as it avoided Ottoman fire from well defended Gaba Tepe.

What happened to the Australians after Gallipoli?

When Anzac Cove was evacuated on 20 December 1915, the Australians returned to Egypt. The news of Gallipoli had caused a surge of volunteers resulting in the 'doubling' of the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) in February 1916. The units of 1st and 2nd Divisions, which had served at Gallipoli, were split in half. One half stayed with the division, the other half formed the new 4th and 5th Divisions. In both halves the units were made up to strength with new recruits. The four Australian infantry divisions left Egypt for the Western Front from March 1916. In November they were joined by another division, the 3rd, which had trained in the United Kingdom. The five Australian infantry divisions remained on the Western Front until the war ended in 1918.

The Light Horse, which had also been at Gallipoli, was combined with the New Zealand Mounted Rifles to form the Anzac Mounted Division and in February 1917 the Australian Mounted Division was added to the AIF. The light horse fought the Ottomans in Sinai, Palestine and Syria for the remainder of the war.

After Gallipoli the Royal Australian Navy operated in the North Sea with the British Grand Fleet and against German colonies in Africa.

In 1916 the Australian Flying Corps raised four squadrons. One served in Sinai and Palestine, the other three flew on the Western Front.

Was there a truce so the dead could be buried?

On 19 May 1915 the Ottomans attacked, intending to wipe out the Anzac beachhead. They failed, losing 3000 dead. The Anzacs lost only 160 killed, one of whom was the man with the donkey, John Simpson. Before long the corpses between the lines were rotting in the sun and the smell became oppressive. A truce was arranged for one day, 24 May, to allow both sides to bury the dead. Each army was to keep to its own half of no man's land, but some soldiers could not resist stealing a glimpse of the enemy trenches. Gifts were exchanged. Private Harry Barnes, communicating in sign language, gave a tin of bully beef to a Turkish soldier. Afterwards he wrote that 'Jacko', as the Australians called them, was 'a very good bloke indeed.' Some, like Lieutenant-Colonel Percy Fenwick, a New Zealand medical officer, were able to talk to the enemy. 'The Turkish dead lay so thick that it was almost impossible to pass without treading on their bodies. The stench was awful. A Turkish doctor gave me some pieces of wool on which he poured some scent and asked me to put them into my nostrils. I was glad to do so.'

The 19 May truce was the only one of the Gallipoli campaign.

Who were the last Gallipoli veterans?

Alec Campbell, from Tasmania, was the last surviving Gallipoli veteran and Ted Matthews was the last 'original Anzac'- one who landed on the first day.

Alexander William 'Alec' Campbell was born on 26 February 1899 and died, aged 103, on 16 May 2002. He left his clerical job at 16 years old, lied about his age and enlisted in 15th Battalion in July 1915. 'I joined up for adventure' he later said. Alec arrived at Anzac Cove five weeks before the evacuation. Falling seriously ill as the campaign ended he was returned to Australia and discharged. After the war Alec was a jackaroo, carpenter, public servant, and union organiser. He earned an economics degree, married twice, had nine children and competed in seven Sydney-Hobart yacht races.

Albert Edward 'Ted' Matthews was born on in Sydney on 11 November 1896 and died, aged 101, on 9 December 1997. With his death there were seven Australians and one New Zealander Gallipoli veterans still alive, but none were original Anzacs. A carpenter, Ted enlisted aged 17, serving as a signaller with 1st Australian Brigade. At the landing he was hit by shrapnel, which was stopped by a thick notebook in his pocket. Ted was at Gallipoli for eight months until the evacuation. He later served on the Western Front. After the war Ted returned to carpentry, married and had two children. He tried to enlist for the Second World War but was rejected because of his age.

What did the Royal Australian Navy do at Gallipoli?

The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) was represented at Gallipoli by the submarine AE2 and the Royal Australian Navy Bridging Train (RANBT).

Following service during the Australian capture of German New Guinea, AE2 was sent to Gallipoli where she was ordered to penetrate the Dardanelles on 25 April 1915. After damaging the Turkish gunboat Peykisevket she passed through the Narrows, pursued by surface vessels. AE2 ran aground twice, but became the first submarine to enter the Sea of Marmara. For the next four days she attacked Ottoman shipping bound for the Gallipoli Peninsula.

As AE2 surfaced on 30 April, the Ottoman torpedo boat Sultan Hissar opened fire and fatally damaged her. Although none of the crew was lost when AE2 sank, four were to die in captivity.

The most highly decorated RAN unit in the First World War was the RANBT. On 7 August 1915 it landed under fire at Suvla Bay, Gallipoli. The RANBT first built pontoon piers to enable supplies to be brought ashore, but later became responsible for a wide variety of engineering tasks: building and maintaining wharves and piers; unloading stores; controlling the water supply to the front line and repairing equipment. All these activities took place under enemy artillery fire which killed and wounded 62 RANBT members. During the evacuation, the RANBT maintained the wharves from which the troops embarked. The RANBT left Suvla at 0430 on 20 December 1915, the last Australians to leave Gallipoli.

How many Victoria Crosses were awarded to Australians at Gallipoli?

Of 64 Victoria Crosses awarded to Australians in the First World War, nine were earned at Gallipoli. The first went to Lance Corporal Albert Jacka, who became a national hero as a result. During the Ottoman attack of 19 May 1915 Jacka, single-handedly, recaptured a trench at Courtney's Post, killing seven of the enemy. When his officer arrived Jacka reported 'I managed to get the beggars, sir.'

Seven VCs were awarded to Australians for the capture of Lone Pine in August 1915. Captain Alfred Shout was one of the heroes of the landing in April and at Lone Pine he led attacks until a grenade exploded in his hand, mortally wounding him. Lieutenant Frederick Tubb and Corporals Alexander Burton and William Dunstan fought side-by-side. Tubb was wounded and Burton killed. All three were awarded the Victoria Cross. Other VCs went to 19 year old Private John Hamilton, Lance Corporal Leonard Keysor, and Lieutenant William Symons.

The last of the Gallipoli VCs was awarded to Second Lieutenant Hugo Throssell for bravery at Hill 60 during the August offensive. Throssell, the only light horseman to be given the medal, fought on despite several wounds, inspiring all those around him. After his wounds were dressed, he returned to the fight.

Who commanded the Australians and New Zealanders at the landing?

Australians and New Zealanders were under British command in 1915 because they had never before raised an army and had few officers experienced in commanding large forces. The Gallipoli landings were made by the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force (MEF) which the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) was a part of. The MEF was commanded by General Sir Ian Standish Monteith Hamilton (1853-1947). Hamilton spoke four languages, wrote poetry and had fought in seven wars.

The ANZAC was commanded by Lieutenant General William Riddell Birdwood (1865-1951). Birdwood was born in India, served in the 11th Bengal Lancers and fought in several British Empire wars. 'Birdie' was popular with the Australians and New Zealanders, not least for his daily habit of swimming in Anzac Cove, often under shell fire.

In April 1915 Birdwood's ANZAC was composed of two divisions. The 1st Australian Division was commanded by Major General Sir William Throsby Bridges (1861-1915). Bridges was born in Scotland, but his mother was from New South Wales. He moved to Australia aged 18, served in the Boer War, raised the Australian Imperial Force in 1914 and died of wounds received at Gallipoli on 18 May 1915. The other division was the New Zealand and Australian Division, under Major General Sir Alexander John Godley (1867-1957). An Englishman and international polo player, Godley was sent to New Zealand in 1910 to command the New Zealand Military Forces. Following the outbreak of war Godley was given command of the Division.

What weapons did the Australians use?

The Australians at Gallipoli used field artillery, trench mortars, Vickers heavy machine guns and the Webley pistol. But for the average infantryman, the weapons were a rifle with bayonet and a hand grenade.

The .303 Lee Enfield rifle was of British manufacture. Developed from the Lee-Metford in 1888, it was the standard British Commonwealth rifle for 70 years. After each round was fired a bolt was used to eject the cartridge and place a new round in the chamber. It had a ten round magazine which could be loaded with two five round clips, making it possible to fire 20 aimed rounds in a minute.

The bayonet was also of British design. Almost 60 centimetres long, it was not usually attached to the rifle when firing, as its weight decreased accuracy. In an assault the bayonet's most important use was to terrify the enemy, as actual bayonet fighting, though it occurred, was not common.

When the Australians arrived at Gallipoli they didn't have hand grenades, though the Ottoman troops did. Disadvantaged in trench fighting by the lack of this weapon, the Anzacs began to make grenades. They were called jam tin bombs, made with old tins, an explosive charge and nails or bits of barbed wire as shrapnel. The bomb fuse took a few seconds to burn, and was sometimes caught and thrown back.

What happened at Lone Pine?

One of the most famous assaults of the Gallipoli campaign, the Battle of Lone Pine, was intended to divert Ottoman attention from a much larger attack elsewhere, the August Offensive. Though the offensive failed, Lone Pine, named after a solitary pine standing on the battlefield, was an Australian success.

The Lone Pine attack was made by 1st Brigade in the late afternoon of 6 August 1915, the day before the charge at the Nek. After an effective artillery bombardment, the Australians stormed formidable entrenched Ottoman trenches, sections of which were roofed over with pine logs. Some of the attackers had to break in through the logs to engage the defenders. The Australians reached their objectives within 30 minutes. This was the prelude to four days of intense hand-to-hand fighting. Both sides sent in reinforcements as the Ottomans tried in vain to recapture Lone Pine. The fighting was brutal and bloody, and often confused, as soldiers from both sides fought along a maze of narrow trenches with bayonets, hand grenades and rifles. It was described as the heaviest fighting of its kind in which Australian troops took part in the First World War. There were over 2,000 Australian and 6000 Ottoman casualties.

What did the Anzacs eat and drink at Gallipoli?

The men were well fed on the ships the night before the landing and carried ashore extra food, as it would take time to establish a system of supply. Sergeant De Vine of 4th Battalion waited nine days for his 'first good feed of cheese, onions and tea.'

A month after the landing the official ration, to be divided into three meals each day, was a third of a kilogram of tinned meat, half a kilogram of hardtack biscuit, 100 grams of bacon, 70 grams of cheese, a quarter kilogram of onions or potatoes, 14 grams of tea, 115 grams of jam, 90 grams of sugar, 14 grams of salt, two grams of mustard and one of pepper. In June bakeries began to provide a bread ration the equivalent of one thick slice.

Sometimes the men received their full daily ration, but most often not. Certainly no one grew fat at Gallipoli. Occasionally supplementary rations were issued – a quarter cup of rum and enough tobacco for one or two cigarettes a day.

The shortage of water was a greater problem. Wells were dug but not enough could be obtained this way and water had to be brought from elsewhere. The ration was four litres a day for drinking, cooking and washing. In practise, the troops often existed on one litre a day for all purposes.