PAST EVENTS

The film "Breaker Morant" was no longer available for an intended film evening in September. Another film was obtained but proved somewhat disappointing. There have been bigger and more violent films making statements about war but "Gallipoli" does it on a more personal level. Made in Australia, the film deals with the athletic exploits of two young Australians which eventually lead to and come to an end at Gallipoli.

The real "Gallipoli", or more correctly known as the Dardanelles campaign, on the other hand, contained a number of interesting features. On January 2nd, 1915, in response to an appeal by the Grand Duke Nicholas, commanding the Russian armies, the British Government agreed to stage a demonstration against Turkey to relieve pressure on the Russians on the Caucasus front. The Dardanelles were selected as the place, a combined naval and military operation being strongly supported by the the First Lord of the Admiralty, Winston Churchill.

The naval bombardment began on February 16th but was repeatedly halted through a series of adverse circumstances. After three battleships had been sunk and three others damaged, the navy abandoned the attack, concluding that the fleet could not succeed without military help. Troop landings began on the Gallipoli Peninsula at two places early on April 25th, 1915.

Altogether the equivalent of some 16 British, Australian, New Zealand, Indian and French Divisions took part in the campaign. British Commonwealth casualties, apart from heavy losses among old naval ships, were 213 390. The campaign was a success only in so far as it attracted large Turkish forces away from the Russians, but it failed to produce decisive results because of poor military leadership, faulty tactics, lack of surprise, the inexperience of troops, inadequate equipment, and an acute shortage of shells. The campaign had serious political repercussions leading, inter alia, to Winston Churchill's resignation from the Government.

FUTURE EVENTS
Next monthly meeting

OCTOBER 14TH
Major Darrell Hall will present "The 1917 Diary of 2/Lt R.E. Stevenson, 2/7 London Regiment. " (Audio-visual)

The venue for the meeting will be the Lecture Room, 'SB' Bourquin Building, the Port Natal Administration Board's head office, on the corner of Jan Smuts Highway and Buro Crescent, Mayville, commencing at 8 p.m. Glasses and ice will be supplied so please bring your own canned or bottled refreshments. Please check in at the security gate as there is ample parking, under guard, in front of the building. Friends and interested persons are welcome to come along.

(Mrs) Tania van der Watt,
Secretary, Durban Branch,
S.A. Military History Society,
Box 870, HILLCREST, 3650.
Tel. (031) vvvvvv