Gallipoli memorial

Entrance Plaque: THE GALLIPOLI MEMORIAL WAS DESIGNED AND ERECTED BY/ NADIR IMAMOGLU/ OF LONG LANE, ESSINGTON, STAFFORDSHIRE/ IN MEMORY OF HIS BELOVED MOTHER BEDRIYE ERSAMLI./ THE MEMORIAL WAS CREATED THANKS TO THE HELP OF THE FOLLOWING:/ DAVID CHILDS CBE, FOUNDER OF THE NATIONAL MEMORIAL ARBORETUM,/ STAFF AND FRIENDS OF THE ARBORETUM,/ AND/ JACK PLANT, VETERAN, WW2, ROYAL AIR FORCE/ (Names of other contributors...)/ Left-hand plaques: "THE GRASSY SLOPES THAT CROWN THE CLIFFS ARE CARPETED WITH FLOWERS. THE AZURE SKY IS CLOUDLESS;/ THE AIR IS FRAGRANT WITH THE SMELL OF WILD THYME. IN FRONT, BEYOND A SMILING VALLEY STUDDED WITH/ CYPRESS AND OLIVE AND PATCHES OF YOUNG CORN, THE GROUND RISES GENTLY TO THE VILLAGE OF KRITHIA,/ STANDING AMIDST CLUMPS OF MULBERRY AND OAK; AND HENCE MORE STEEPLY TO A FROWNING RIDGE/ BEYOND, ITS HIGHEST POINT LIKE THE HUMP OF A CAMEL'S BACK. AWAY TO THE RIGHT, EDGED WITH A RIBBON/OF SILVERY SAND, LIE THE SAPPHIRE ARC OF MORTO BAY, THE GLISTENING DARDANELLES AND THE GOLDEN/ FIELDS OF TROY. ON THE LEFT, A MILE OUT INTO THE AEGEAN, A FEW WARSHIPS LIE MOTIONLESS, LIKE GIANTS/ ASLEEP, THEIR GAUNT OUTLINES MIRRORED IN A SATIN SEA; WHILST BEHIND THEM, IN THE TENDER HAZE OF THE/ HORIZON, IS THE DELICATELY PENCILLED OUTLINE OF SNOW-CAPPED SAMOTHRACE. AS FAR AS THE EYE CAN/ REACH THERE IS NO SIGN OF MOVEMENT: THE WORLS SEEMS BATHED IN SLEEP. ONLY HIGH ON THE/ SHOULDER OF ACHI BABA - THE GOAL OF THE BRITISH TROOPS - A FIELD OF SCARLET POPPIES INTRUDES A/ RESTLESS NOTE. YET IN HALF AN HOUR THAT PEACEFUL LANDSCAPE WILL AGAIN BE OVERRUN BY WAVES OF/ FLASHING BAYONETS, AND THESE ARE THE LAST MOMENTS OF HUNDREDS OF PRECIOUS LIVES."/ CAPTAIN ASPINALL/ GALLIPOLI 1915/ IN 1915 A POSITION OF STALEMATE HAD BEEN REACHED ON THE WESTERN FRONT WHILE, IN THE EAST,/ THERE WAS A NEED FOR THE ALLIES TO PROVIDE SUPPORT TO THE RUSSIANS. THE WAY AHEAD, AS/ ADVOCATED BY WINSTON CHURCHILL, THEN FIRST LORD OF THE ADMIRALTY, WAS TO SEND A NAVAL TASK/ FORCE THROUGH THE DARDANELLES TO CAPTURE CONSTANTINOPLE (ISTANBUL)./ ON 18 MARCH 1915 AN ARMADA OF BRITISH AND FRENCH WARSHIPS ENDEAVOURED TO FORCE A PASSAGE/ THROUGH THE DARDANELLES BUT, AFTER SEVERAL SHIPS WERE LOST TO MINES, THE ATTEMPT WAS/ DISCONTINUED. THE NAVY THEN RECOMMENDED THAT AN EXPEDITIONARY FORCE BE LANDED TO SECURE/ THE GALLIPOLI PENINSULA BEFORE THE FLEET TRIED TO SAIL THROUGH AGAIN./ THE LAND OFFENSIVE STARTED IN THE VERY EARLY HOURS OF 25 APRIL 1915 WITH FRENCH TROOPS LANDING ON/ THE ASIAN COAST, BRITISH TROOPS AT THE TIP OF THE PENINSULA AND THE AUSTRALIAN AND NEW/ ZEALAND ARMY CORPS (ANZACS) COMING ASHORE, BY ERROR, AT THE NOW FAMOUS ANZAC/ COVE. INSTEAD OF MANAGING A SWIFT MOVE INLAND THE TROOPS WERE PINNED DOWN ON THE BEACHES/ BY A WELL ORGANISED TURKISH ARMY UNDER THE OVERALL COMMAND OF THE GERMAN GENERAL LIMAN/ VON SANDERS. THE ALLIES, COMMANDED BY GENERAL HAMILTON, WERE UNABLE TO BREAK THROUGH AND/ TRENCH WARFARE, VERY SIMILAR T0 THAT ON THE WESTERN FRONT, ENSUED./ THE ALLIES ATTEMPTED SEVERAL MAJOR ADVANCES AND A NEW LANDING FURTHER ALONG THE COAST AT/ SUVLA. HOWEVER, THE ONE INSPIRING LEADER AND MILITARY GENIUS IN THE THEATRE OF WAR WAS THE/ TURKISH COLONEL MUSTAFA KEMAL (LATER KEMAL ATATURK, THE FIRST LEADER OF MODERN TURKEY), AND/ HE MANAGED TO DRIVE BACK EVEYR ATTEMPTED ALLIED ADVANCE./ AFTRE MONTHS OF BITTER FIGHTING AND CASUALTIES EXCEEDING 500,000 ON BOTH SIDES, LORD/ KITCHENER, THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WAR, VISITED GALLIPOLI AND RECOMMENDED THAT ALLIED/ FORCES BE WITHDRAWN. IN JANUARY 1916, AFTER EIGHT AND A HALF MONTHS OF FIGHTING, AND IN THEIR/ ONE SUCCESSFUL OPERATION OF THE CAMPAIGN, ALL ALLIED SOLDIERS WERE SECRETLY EVACUATED WITHOUT/ ANY LOSS OF LIFE./ AFTER THE WAR THE AREA OF FIGHTING WAS GIFTED TO THE ALLIES TO BE CARED FOR BY THE/ COMMONWEALTH WAR GRAVES COMMISSION. IT HAS NOW BEEN DESIGNATED AS A PEACE PARK BY THE/ TURKISH GOVERNMENT AND CONTAINS MANY POIGNANT AND MAGNIFICENT MEMORIALS TO THE FALLEN OF/ ALL THE NATIONS WHO TOOK PART IN THE CAMPAIGN AND WHOSE SOLDIERS LIE IN PEACE OFTEN SIDE BY SIDE. Right-hand plaques: (Map of region)/ (ORIGINAL TEXT)/ [Turkish language commemoration]/ M.K. ATATURK/ (TRANSLATION)/ THOSE HEROES WHO SHED THEIR BLOOD ON THE LAND OF A DISTANT COUNTRY: HERE YOU LIE IN THE SOIL OF A / FRIENDLY COUNTRY. SLEEP IN PEACE AND TRANQUILITY. YOU LIE SIDE BY SIDE WITH THE MEHMETCIKS* AND/ IN EACH OTHERS ARMS. YOU THE MOTHERS WHO SENT THEIR SONS TO WAR FROM FARAWAY COUNTRIES,/ WIPE AWAY YOUR TEARS. YOUR SONS ARE NOW IN OUR BOSOM. THEY ARE IN PEACE AND THEY WILL SLEEP IN/ PEACE. AFTER GIVING THEIR LIVES ON THIS SOIL THEY HAVE BECOME OUR SONS AS WELL./ *PET NAME FOR TURKISH SOLDIERS - LIKE THE ENGLISH WORD TOMMY./ M.K. ATATURK/