| The film Gallipoli is pretty good, - some moving scenes in it and great music. I read a good book last holiday, "Birds without wings" which had some interesting bits in it from a Turkish perspective, - although if you ever want to read a good war book, - Birdsong by Sebastian Faulkes is the one.
British soldiers were of course also at Gallipoli, although did not get the pig of a job the Anzacs did, - it was the London Regiment, City of London Yeomanry. Gallipoli was reported through the papers over here as being a great success and was celebrated as such in London. A few years ago I did some research into my grandfathers WW1 campaign and found out that he signed up the day after Gallipoli was paraded as a triumph, - and he joined the same City of London yeomanry. Few years later and he gets blown up on hill 61 outside of Ypres, ended up in a Bolougne field hospital with bits missing. But he was lucky after going through the Somme campaign’s as he made it home.
Because of the connection I have always had a thought for Anzac day, - and actually it proves that despite all of the sports baiting between nations I think that there is still a pretty strong link.  |