A pretend attack made to divert an enemy's attention from where the attack is really going to take place, also a way to draw defenders away from where an attack is planned to be.
How would they have got to Istanbul (Constantinople as it was then) this was the reason for the landings at Gallipoli one to secure the Dardanelles straights to help out Russia and two to capture Constantinople three to try to do something to stop the stalemate on the Western Front. Did discover that we did occupy Constantinople once WW1 was over. Think the Greeks were under Ottoman control at that time and then of course there was the fighting at Salonika (now called Thessalonika). The Greeks asked the Allies to land there, they were fighting against the Serbs. My Great Uncle was there, Granddad's brother (Joseph Pritchard) hence my Dad's name William for Grandad and Joseph for this Brother. Am in contact with one of Joseph's descendants.
I didn't realise that the Greeks were still under Ottoman rule at that time, my European history knowledge is not as good as it should be, a lot forgotten since I left school, all those years ago. I did know that a lot of the Middle East was under Ottoman rule, at that time. I'm surprised that if we occupied Constantinople after WW1 that we didn't give it to the Greeks, usually if a country backs the wrong side in a war, as the Turks did, there's usually a price to pay.
No we did not, because of Ataturk (Mustafa Kemal), who was in fact sort of in charge at Lone Pine who my Grandad was fighting against. Checked and the I think mainland Greece was not at that time under Turkish control, but a lot of the Greek Island were, but some of the Island that were under Greek control, ended up being under Turkish control and if you Google Izmir (in Greek Smyrna) in Turkey that was a Greek enclave and the Greeks lost it just after WW1. Following the defeat of Turkey in WW1 the victors had, for a time, intended to carve up large parts of Anatolia into respective zones of influence and offered the western regions of Turkey to Greece. On 15 May 1919, the Greeks landed in Smyrna, but the Greek expedition towards central Anatolia was disastrous for both that country and for the local Greek. By September 1922 the Greek army had been defeated and was in full retreat, the last Greek soldiers leaving Smyrna on 8 September 1922. Its quite an interesting time out there there is so much History in that part of the World.
13/12/15 And now the evacuation begins, which as it turns out was the most successful part of the whole campaign in Gallipoli, not one life was lost. It was a complete success.
I found this article on the 'Imperial War Museum' website 9 Reasons Why Gallipoli Was One Of The Worst Fighting Fronts Of The First World War By Kate Clements It has sound recordings of soldiers. Code: http://www.iwm.org.uk/history/9-reasons-why-gallipoli-was-one-of-the-worst-fighting-fronts-of-the-first-world-war
Just yesterday I was wondering why the Turks hadn't sent out feelers to ascertain the reason for the quiet. "a Turkish solider crossed “no mans land” to try and find the reason for such inactivity, one of our sentries allowing him to come quite close, shot him"" Obviously the Turks hadn't heard the saying "curiosity killed the cat".
I can't believe that the years diary is nearly finished. Thank you Lone Pine for a year of interesting reading
As my year has been hectic one way or another, in particular my health issues have affected my concentration (won't go into it), thus I've not kept up with your daily diary reports, Lone Pine. I'm here to say I hope to read through it next year, I shall read one day at a time, I'm sure it's fascinating reading. So I too thank you, you have given me something to look forward to, something I can read a bit at a time. .
You are most welcome all of you, yes it is nearly finished and I hope it has given everyone who read it a better understanding from the Australian point of view of the Gallipoli Campaign. It will end on the 31st December as I have no more I just got this piece of his diary I do have to say it is wonderfully written.
Its a can that you make a cuppa in or cook in on an open, usually camp, fire. http://www. nma.gov.au/exhibitions/symbols_of_australia/billy
I have been told that the Australian's in WW1 altered the chorus to Waltzing Matilda, and it goes something like this, Fighting the Keiser, Fighting the Keiser Who'll come a-fighting the Keiser with me And we'll drink all his beer And eat all his sausages Who'll come a fighting the Keiser with me. I presume this is the clean version there were probably loads of variants on this, but this is only one I know.
The army also has all sorts of "Dirty Ditties" in it's repertoire, I can still remember one I was taught as an apprentice about King Farouk of Egypt by ex servicemen.
