THE GALLIPOLI NARRATIVE: Monday 8 April/Tuesday 9 April

One week and we have traversed thousands of kilometres, three countries, many generations of history and the true impact of our experiences will take time to fully process. To adequately cover what we have seen and learnt would take many more blog posts to produce so with the daily demands of group touring always making us time poor, some brief snapshots will have to suffice at this stage.

Much has been written about the campaign in 1915 that catapulted our newly formed federated nation into an imperial conflict in 1914, but to fully grasp this wartime history one needs to be there and to see the landscape that shaped the battles associated with the Gallipoli narrative. Our Connecting Spirits group saw its history specifically through the stories of five Australian soldiers who took part in the 1915 campaign and where four were killed. We visited the graves of Keith Harrington (Beach Cemetery), Robert Hooper (4^th Battalion Parade Ground cemetery), Carew Reynell (Hill 60 cemetery) and the Lone Pine memorial where William Lear was thought to have died. Mal also took us to the location where his great uncle Maurice Bartley was wounded near Quinn’s post and spent three days trying to get back to safety suffering from gunshot wounds to his leg. We will revisit Uncle Maurie’s story again later in the tour. The 2022 CS tour learnt of Keith Harrington’s death through his older brother Reginald’s diary which I featured in several blog posts. To follow up Keith’s story at his grave this year completed the circle, and it was an emotional and quite sublime experience.

It was a perfect morning as the sun shone over the Aegean and being back at Beach Cemetery after 22 years made more of an impact than I was prepared for. This place is just so beautiful, and it has been said many times that to imagine the horror and human tragedy that took place here amongst such a gorgeous setting seems impossible to comprehend.

Our first stop was the museum at Gabe Tepe on the headland that overlooks the Aegean Sea. It is part of the Gallipoli Peninsula National Park. The museum is a far cry from the one I visited 22 years ago with extensive displays and explanations of the 1915 campaign. It is an impressive concern.

Afterwards, as the group wandered down to THAT beach at Ari Burnu, we all spent time just wandering and wondering. Small stones were collected, some just sat and watched the waves while we had private thoughts and reflections. I watched the young Pearson twins Coen and Thomas, both 19 years of age, soak in this place and as both expressed, they were thinking about the 19-year-olds from over a century ago. It was clear that the beaches of WW1 were making their unique impact on these young men.   This location so steeped in mythology and history is extraordinary.

Our final visit for the day was to Hill 60 and the grave of South Australian Carew Reynell a Lieutenant in the 9^th Light Horse and member of the famous vigneron family of the southern Vales in South Australia. On the second day on the peninsula, we started with a visit to Lone Pine where we reflected on the Ngarrindjeri story through the service of Arthur Thomas Walker who we would learn more about later in the tour in France. Small Ngarrindjeri feather flowers in the colours of the Raukkan community, blue and white, were placed in the ground near the Lone Pine Memorial where on Anzac Day a major service will take place after the traditional Dawn Service at the official Commemoration Site. We were hoping that the flowers will stay in place for April 25. While at Lone Pine Mal spoke about his relative William Lear from the 9^th Light Horse, who died during the August battles under the leadership of Carew Reynell and whose body was never found. Like so many others during the years of the ‘Great War’, Lear was Known Unto God, never to be found.

Our next commemoration was something not attempted on previous tours: a live hook up with the family of Lieutenant Robert Hooper of the 10^th Battalion. I had prearranged with Hooper’s nephew, Graham Weatherald, to phone him from the 4^th Battalion Parade Ground Cemetery. The only problem was that this cemetery is located at the bottom of a steep gully and a challenging walking track. I was unsure if phone contact via WhatsApp would work in this location. And as Graham had arranged for family to be ready in Stirling back home for the video call the pressure was on to make it work. Thankfully we connected and I was able to share live with Graham and his family, images of where Hooper was buried and where we had shared his story. It was a special moment for us all.

Our next story was that of Mal’s great uncle Maurice Bartley, brother of Frank Bartley, who was wounded close to Quinn’s Post.  Mal showed us the location where his great uncle was wounded and took 3 days to get to the beach suffering from gunshot wounds. Despite long periods of hospitalisation and returning to Australia, he eventually returned to active service to see out the war. Maurice raised a family and died in 1967.

When we traverse the western front next week and look back at the first wartime battles of the A.I.F here in the hills, gullies and beaches of the Gallipoli peninsula, the impact of geography will become intensely apparent. The 1915 ‘Baptism of Fire’ would be superseded by the massive industrial battles that became known as attrition warfare. The snipers of the hills and gullies would be replaced by heavy artillery and frontal attacks on the flat lands of the Somme and Flanders. The geography would shape the story.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday 7 April – farewell Istanbul and off to the Dardanelles.

‘Troy, with its 4,000 years of history, is one of the most famous archaeological sites in the world. The first excavations at the site were undertaken by the famous archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann in 1870. In scientific terms, its extensive remains are the most significant demonstration of the first contact between the civilizations of Anatolia and the Mediterranean world. Moreover, the siege of Troy by Spartan and Achaean warriors from Greece in the 13th or 12th century B.C., immortalized by Homer in the Iliad, has inspired great creative artists throughout the world ever since.’ (whc.unesco.org)

After a couple of intense but fabulous days in Istanbul, it was time to head south to the main focus of the tour: the sites of the Gallipoli campaign and to remember and commemorate the soldiers our group have researched. The distance from Istanbul to Canakkale is just over 300 kms and with all the new freeways, bridges and massive infrastructure works over the last decade plus, the journey was seamless. In the last few years, the Turkish government has spent billions on these works including a massive new bridge, the ‘1915 Canakkale Bridge’ that spans the Dardanelles about 10 kms south of the Sea of Marmara. With a span of just over 2,000 meters, it is has become the world’s longest suspension bridge thus eliminating the ferry rides across the waters that would often involve hours of queuing with trucks, cars and buses. It is an impressive structure however there was something rather special about that ferry crossing all those years ago when I was last here.

Before arriving at our hotel, we spent several hours at the ancient archaeological site of Troy and unlike 2001, lots had changed here too. Walkways and interpretive boards were everywhere on this UNESCO World Heritage site along with a brand new 5 level museum. Artefacts from the region spanning thousands of years and many civilisations, made for impressive displays and historical accounts. The archaeological work in ongoing as Turkish universities continue uncovering Troy’s multilayered history.

Our Canakkale hotel the ‘DoubleTree by Hilton’ is a fabulous 5-star new establishment with superb views across the waters and peninsula that our ancestors fought and died in. Tomorrow the WW1 narrative begins in earnest.

 

 

Day two Saturday 6 April: Istanbul the city of the Byzantines and the Ottomans

‘Inhabited for at least 8,000 years, Istanbul was the capital of two of the world’s most powerful empires- the Byzantines and the Ottomans- and every stone is steeped in history.’ (Eyewitness guide: Istanbul highlights, pg. 10’)

This city is one of the most extraordinary places on the globe and trying to cover all it has to offer can be overwhelming. Our group visited four key sites today: the Blue Mosque, Haghia Sophia, Topkapi Palace and the Spice market.

The Blue Mosque

Unlike yesterday, we tackled the city early before the crowds would create havoc with endless queues. The weather was perfect, and we entered the famous Blue Mosque with a moderate wait this time. It was time to don the headscarf and remove our shoes before entering this impressive place. The mosque was commissioned by Sultan Ahmet and is said to be one of the world’s most famous religious buildings. Its name comes from the use of the delicately patterned iznik BLUE tiles that cover the interior. Completed in 1616, it marked the supremacy of Islam over Christian Byzantine. Tourists and visitors are welcome but are advised to avoid prayer times.

Haghia Sophia

One of the oldest symbols of Istanbul, the Haghia Sophia was originally built as a Christian church in 567 by Emperor Justinian. Some of the remnants of the Christian era can be seen prior to its conversion to a mosque in the 15^th century by Fatih Sultan Mehmet. Its function changed yet again in the 1930’s under the leadership of Ataturk where it was converted to a museum. Today its role as museum and mosque is a shared one is visited by worshippers and tourists alike.

Topkapi Palace

As the Christian era of Constantinople (Istanbul) ended with the emergence of the Ottomans, Sultan Mehmet 11 had Topkapi Palace built as his main residence between    1460- 1478. It is a massive site and its opulence overwhelming. Macit told us that the decree of the Sultan was always paramount, and it did not bode well for any architect or builder to disappoint him. It would result in a beheading if you failed in your tasks! Macit ably guided us through all the key areas of the courtyards, kitchens which had over 4,000 people working in that area alone, the harem, Throne room, the Imperial wardrobe, the treasury with all its jewels and treasures and finally the armoury sharing with us its fascinating history.

The Spice Market

Feet sore, energy levels hammered, and brains overloaded we had had one more experience to be immersed in: the Spice Market (known as Misir Carisi- the Egyptian Bazaar). Unlike the Grand Bazaar, the Spice market is a smaller and easier place to navigate, and its culinary delights are just divine. Despite our flagging energy levels, it was the perfect way to end a magical day in this fantastic city. Many Turkish delights, teas and spices were purchased as the shop owner who greeted our group clearly made a packet from our visit. It will be interesting to see if the ‘presents’ I purchased for family back home survive the next few weeks without being eaten!  Just divine.

Two days in Istanbul aren’t enough, but they do provide a powerful incentive for a return, and longer visit. Put it on your bucket list folks!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2024 CONNECTING SPIRITS COMMUNITY TOUR: The Journey of Remembrance continues.

Twenty-three years ago, a group of students and staff from Mount Barker High School, took part in an overseas WW1 commemorative trip to Europe to travel to the graves and memorials of World War One soldiers who the group had a connection to. ‘Remembrance 2001’ and a second tour, R2004 evolved into a new project known as ‘Connecting Spirits’ and its twenty-year narrative has been well documented and is outlined on the Connecting Spirits website at www.connectingspirits.com.au  

In the very first tour in 2001, our group ventured overseas starting our journey in Turkey with Macit Saszade as our guide. Twenty-three years on Macit would once more be our guide. Meeting up with Macit once more seemed like those two decades were only moments from yesterday and it was a joy to be working with him again after the passing of so many years.

Our group of 14 weary travellers arrived in Istanbul after the rigors of long-haul flights plus a lengthy stayover at Changi airport in Singapore but we hit the ground running! Istanbul’s largest city with a population of over 16 million people: Macit says the figure is closer to 18 million but officially that is debated. We arrived at the end of the Holy month of Ramadan and preparations for the end of the fasting period would see many celebrations in the next few days. Added to this was the visit of important political figures to Istanbul in the area of the Hagia Sofia and the Blue Mosque, so security was evident everywhere as we navigated our way through massive crowds.

We walked around the Sultan Ahmet Square located in the heart of historical and cultural centre of Istanbul and learnt about ancient Hippodrome, the stadium of ancient Byzantium. Nearly two thousand years ago, over 100,000 spectators would attend sporting events and horse racing at this stadium and today the square features objects from the parts of the Byzantine empire. The most significant are the Egyptian obelisk and the bronze sculpture of three entwined serpents from the Greek island of Delphi. As we moved around the square Macit told us about the dogs and cats of Istanbul that freely roam the city. They are friendly and well fed as the city and its people see that the care of the animals is a community responsibility and a civic duty.   Water and food bowls are everywhere.

From there we went underground to the fabulous Basilica Cistern …the largest of several hundred ancient cisterns that lie beneath the city of Istanbul. Water was pumped into these storage systems via the viaducts built in Byzantine times and recently this heritage site has undergone significant restoration. It was just superb.

From then it was lunch was at the Pudding Shop, and I had fond memories of eating here in 2001…it did not disappoint! Our final adventure was to battle with the crowds and sellers at the Grand Bazaar, the covered markets including over 3,500 shops. A final coffee stop and then it was time to head for our hotel the lovely Movenpick Hotel. Showers/dinner and SLEEP awaited us. What a start to the tour!

The 2024 Connecting Spirits Community Tour group

Coen and Thomas Pearson are the youngest of our group: they are being

'looked after' by the whole group Isabell and Jeremy ...all is good!! Don't worry mum and dad.

The underground cisterns of Istanbul

Dogs and cats rule the city.

Turkish food is the BEST!!!

Night view from the hotel.