It’ll be Gallipoli’s smallest dawn service ever but a band of Aussies are determined to honour Anzacs
A SMALL band of Australians are determined to honour our Anzac heroes in the face of terror threats and growing political unrest in Turkey.
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A SMALL band of Australians are determined to honour our Anzac heroes in the face of terror threats and growing political unrest in Turkey.
It may be one of the smallest Gallipoli dawn services in history but for those making the trip to the peninsular, dwindling numbers will make the event more memorable.
Turkish officials said yesterday they had responded to Australia’s warnings about a potential attack on this year’s ceremony by boosting the number of security personnel.
Snipers are being stationed around key sites and soldiers and police have been checking access lanes and tracks.
Additionally some spots in the ceremony site are closed to the traffic in order to prevent any problems and there is ID control for everyone who wants to enter to the site.
For Peter and Lyn Schuh it was an emotional 15,000 kilometre journey from Wondai, almost 250km northwest of Brisbane, to find the grave of a lost family member.
Mr Schuh, 64, wept by a memorial near Cape Helles at Gallipoli as he described the moment he found the grave of a distant uncle which had been lost to his family for 102 years.
Private Louis George Hodges grew up working on the cane fields in Bundaberg but he died alone in a military hospital in Istanbul at the age of 20.
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He was taken as a prisoner of war after just a few weeks on the ground.
“He had a bad wound to his neck and when he died they buried him at the Haidar Pasha cemetery on the Asian side of Istanbul,” he said.
“I had to find where he was buried because no one has ever visited him.
“He died alone but there is a saying that you never truly die if you are remembered.
“The Turkish people really look after the place as well ... I was so surprised. They even let me put a photo of him on the grave. They really respect the places Australians are buried.”
Turkey’s presidential referendum and the constant threat of terrorism were never going to keep the Schuh family from attending the service.
“They endured incredible hardships so it is only fair that we do the same,” he said when asked if he had considered cancelling the trip at any stage.
“You can’t live your life in fear.”
Normally thousands of Australians descend on Anzac Cove for the dawn service but tour guide operators speculate that this year the figure will be closer to several hundred.
Melbourne historian Craig Roach has lived in Turkey for 20 years and takes groups of Australians through Gallipoli each Anzac Day.
He met with News Corp near a pair of rusted French artillery that were recently discovered in the middle of a farmer’s wheat field and spoke of how Turkey had changed in the past year.
“Normally the Turkish people are very friendly when I take groups through the area for Anzac Day but this year was the first that I have ever seen people scowl at us and frown,” he said.
“It is very worrying.
“I’ve even had death threats sent after making comments on a website (about a political story).
“It is very disappointing but I love this country and I love living here.”
Woolongong mother Silvia Dawson, 59 and her friend Vicki Harris, 56, from Coolangatta, said they would never let the threat of terrorism prevent them from enjoying life.
“We are travelling through Europe right now and we wanted to see Gallipoli and if you worry about terrorism you won’t get to experience anything,” Mrs Dawson said.
“We are vigilant and very careful, we probably wouldn’t come and do it on our own but with a tour group I think it is very safe.
“I’ve wanted to come for a while because when I read the names of these children who died I think of the mums left behind.”
Several security blockades have been set up on roads leading to Anzac Cove, where the dawn service will be held.
Police have limited the number of cars that can drive close to the event after a recent trend in which extremists used vehicles to drive through crowds.
The Australians who made the journey will be transported into Anzac Cove by bus several hours before the dawn service.
There they will wait, in the cold of the night and early morning, to pay their respects.
GALLIPOLI ATTENDANCES
2012 — 6000
2013 — 5200
2014 — 4400
2015 — 10,043 — 76 per cent Australian, or 7633 people
2016 — 1224
2017 — 640 — 67 per cent Australian or 430 people
Source: Department of Veterans Affairs
Originally published as It’ll be Gallipoli’s smallest dawn service ever but a band of Aussies are determined to honour Anzacs
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