Somme1916 Posted 24 February , 2004 Share Posted 24 February , 2004 The Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) Military History Society (SMHS) took a tour of the Gallipoli Battlefield in May of 02. I was one of the 50 fortunate SMHS members who got to go. A most wonderful experience, my thanks to the members of the SMHS and the Turkish Government & Military who made this possible! Jon Holland OF2 USA This is either X or Y beach, sorry I can't remember which and I didn't lable the photo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Somme1916 Posted 24 February , 2004 Author Share Posted 24 February , 2004 W beach. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Somme1916 Posted 24 February , 2004 Author Share Posted 24 February , 2004 The Sphinx from ANZAK Cove. Man, what a climb that was! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Somme1916 Posted 24 February , 2004 Author Share Posted 24 February , 2004 Starting up Shrapnel Valley. Me in my recon hat, with Flat Stanley (a grade school geography project) and my haver sack. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Somme1916 Posted 24 February , 2004 Author Share Posted 24 February , 2004 Sometimes you have to go down in order to keep go up. Leaving Plugge's Plateau CWGC to continue the climb up Shrapnel Valley. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Somme1916 Posted 24 February , 2004 Author Share Posted 24 February , 2004 And who should we meet at the top of Shrapnel Valley? Toni & Valmai Holt! I got my copy of their Gallipoli guide book signed but the my picute with them didn't take!!!!! $)*)#@&&@ This one from Walker's Ridge did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Somme1916 Posted 24 February , 2004 Author Share Posted 24 February , 2004 The mine layer Nusret. Thanks to some good mine placement the Nusret can probably be credited with sinking the most Capitol Warships of any ship during the Great War. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Somme1916 Posted 24 February , 2004 Author Share Posted 24 February , 2004 Nusret’s business end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Somme1916 Posted 24 February , 2004 Author Share Posted 24 February , 2004 My only shot of Suvla. Regrettably our tour didn’t include this AO. Oh well it’s a reason to go back! Cheers, Jon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartinWills Posted 24 February , 2004 Share Posted 24 February , 2004 This is either X or Y beach, sorry I can't remember which and I didn't lable the photo. John, It's X beach. You would remember Y beach if you reached it - it is the most inaccessible of the landing beaches and it's a tough climb down a steep gully side. Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Somme1916 Posted 24 February , 2004 Author Share Posted 24 February , 2004 Martin, Thank you. You’ve jogged my memory about our stop at the Y beach area. We did go to the area but as the cliff was too steep so we had to stand at the top and discuss the landings and fighting in that area. The thing I remember most about our visit to this area is that someone in our group discovered a human femur near at the edge of the cliff. We left the bone at the near by Ossuaire and our Turkish tour guide wrote a note to the authorities asking them to intern the bone with the others inside the Ossuaire on their next visit. I hope this happened. It was a very strong reminder of the life and death struggle that ragged there in 1915. Jon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul guthrie Posted 24 February , 2004 Share Posted 24 February , 2004 Jon, Suvla is a great excuse to go back, most interesting and quite pretty. Where did you stay? I will stay on peninsula mext time, Martin knows the name of the good B&B run by former Gardener for CWGC at Helles, may be Helles View, anyway I have been there, it & people are nice. There is a cafe also in Sadd el Bar village, will check that spelling come back & edit. Also a decent motel, basic but restaurant OK also near Helles, you may have passed it. The ferry is a pain, too much time. Cannakale is worth a visit, can see you were there. Looks like village is Suddalbahir now, never can remember, slightly different on old maps I think. I know of no place to stay in Suvla area, could be something in Anafarta village. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Somme1916 Posted 24 February , 2004 Author Share Posted 24 February , 2004 Paul, Yes we stayed in Cannakale. In addition to the Gallipoli Peninsula we also took in the some of the old coastal battery positions, a Crusader era castle, Troy and some of Istanbul. A most excellent adventure! Next time I go I'd like to go with a smaller group so we can get off the beaten track a little more and really explore the peninsula. Due to the size of the SMHS tour group we only got to do one off road treck, from ANZAC cove up Shrapnel Valley but it was the jewel of our wonderful trip. Cheers, Jon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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