Richard Wilkins travels to the beaches of Gallipoli to retrace his grandfather’s steps

RICHARD Wilkins is currently in Gallipoli retracing his grandfather’s steps and says the “personal journey” has taught him so much about why we should still care about our war heroes.

Richard Wilkins at the Australian Commercial Radio Awards

HE’S most comfortable interviewing A-listers and talking all things movies and Hollywood gossip, but Richard Wilkins has been busy reporting on a very different kind of story this week.

The Today entertainment guru is currently in Gallipoli where he is retracing the steps of his grandfather, who fought there during WWI.

Having recently returned to New Zealand to research his grandfather’s past, the 60-year-old TV personality visited the Auckland War Memorial where he uncovered photos and diaries of his grandfather, an emotional experience which he says affected him unlike any other story he’s worked on.

Wilkins’ journey, which he described as “a rite of passage” for himself and his family, will air on Nine’s Today at 7.50am Friday morning. “Anzac Day has always had a special place in my family,” he tells news.com.au before jumping on a plane to Istanbul. “It’s also my son Christian’s birthday.

“From a few years ago I thought I’d go over there and mark the day as a rite of passage. So I started on a bit of a journey. I went over to Auckland, I discovered my grandfather’s war medals all lovingly displayed at the Auckland museum, along with his diaries.”

Richard Wilkins’ youngest son Christian will turn 20 on Saturday.

Wilkins uncovered that his grandfather, George William Thomson (affectionately referred to as “papa”) was a 25-year-old dentist in the New Zealand medical corps from 1914 when he signed up and travelled to Egypt before finding himself at Gallipoli.

“He was straight out of uni, and was just trying to wire people’s jaws up so that they could keep on serving.”

Admitting that the trip will see him venture way beyond his comfort zone, Wilkins said: “I don’t really know how I’m going to feel, I just feel immensely proud that my grandfather stepped up to do this.

“In little old New Zealand, over half the population of available men stepped up. One in five were killed, and one in two were seriously injured.

“There is so much to discover about these heroes. They weren’t all 10ft tall and bullet proof, they were butchers, bakers and candlestick makers — they were all sorts.”

Opting not to comment on chatter that the TV networks have scaled back their Gallipoli coverage this year due to lack of interest, Wilkins said it was simply a “personal journey” for him, and predicted that “things will gear up exponentially between now and the weekend,” with Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Princes Charles, William and Harry making the trip to Anzac Cove.

“We have a pretty big team over there. The Nine Network has thrown a fair few resources at it and we have a pretty big presence,” he said.

As for the apprehension, flying over with a plane full of war widows would surely have put the affable TV presenter at ease.

Wilkins will tell his grandfather’s story on Today, 7.50am Friday.

It's a long way to #Gallipoli... #QF100 #Anzac #Today9 #9News pic.twitter.com/Vfk7uOmwdP

— Richard Wilkins (@RichardWilkins) April 22, 2015