Rare Gallipoli film found at AWM
The Australian War Memorial has found rare film footage of Gallipoli. The 45 seconds of grainy shaky black and white 35mm film shows the only known moving pictures of the shoreline at Anzac Cove and of British soldiers massing at Suvla Bay.
Although Suvla Bay was a mainly a British operation there were Australians who died there. SIgnificantly, after suffering 8000 casualties on 9 and 10 August, the British occupied positions only marginally different from those held at daybreak on 7 August.
The more mature among my readers may remember the old tune Suvla Bay that was based on an older song, ‘An Old Australian Homestead’.
In an old Australian homestead, with roses round the door, A girl received a letter, ’twas a message from the war. With her mother’s arms around her she gave way to sobs and sighs, And as she read the letter, the tears fell from her eyes.
Chorus: Why do I weep, why do I pray? My love’s asleep so far away; He played his part that April day, And now he lies on Suvla Bay.
She joined a band of sisters underneath the cross of red, To do her noble duty to a lover who now lay dead. Many others came to woe her, but were sadly turned away, As she told them her sad story of her love on Suvla Bay.
I can remember my Mother singing the song in my youth when Gallipoli Veterans were in their 50s. Some were in their fifties but two of my Fathers uncles were forever in their 20s and still sleep at Gallipoli and France.
UPDATE: Yesterdays link to the film was with West Australian News and doesn’t work for some. The AWM has now put up the film on their website. The link above will take you there.
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Anyone have any other links to the video? That website is junk! Can’t get it to play at all. Why don’t these guys just upload to Youtube and embed the video.
Fixed. I tried YouTube yesterday to no avail but this morning the AWM has it posted.
Its a great time of th eyear for you aint it Kev – plenty of war to wallow about in –
lest we forget that those poor dolts over in Iraq in your and my names – prosecuting an illegal war that has resulted in rivers of blood. You approve of our wars dont you Kev? You revel in their stories, the mock heroes and the day these
tools of idiot governments get to march.
I feel a need to disinfect my server and laptop after your visit A. Pontian. You’d be best advised to stay wallowing at LP and maybe drop over to Road to Surfdom…they’re your kind of person. Most readers here respect tradition and honour and think it’s reasonable that good men should fight to stop the spread of terrorism and in the past, communism. As you obviously don’t then you’re not welcome and I cannot beigin to imagine why you would even want to visit.
You’re a fuckwit, Pontian. You’re part of the pathetic garbage in our peaceful society that gets a free ride. As J.S Mill said: ‘……………made and kept safe by better people than themselves’.