Turkish Memorials

[kelly]

Hi all

 

The Gallipolian, number 109, Winter 2005 has an article on the peninsula being revisited by some New Zealanders in 1918 whereby they came across some Turkish memorials that were stated as "soon to be destroyed"

Does anyone know why, and what drove such a decision

 

[emrezmen]

Upon seeing some of the Allied graves neglected and their crosses removed, they retaliated by destroying at least two Turkish monuments at Anzac. Crosses were probably collected for fire by the locals. Other forum pals may provide a more comprehensive answer.

 

Not all the lost Turkish memorials/cemeteries on the Peninsula were destroyed by the Allied soldiers though. For example, 19th Division Monument (today's Sergeant Mehmet Monument) built by the order of Col. Mehmet Şefik, famous commander of 27th Regt and later 19th Div, on The Nek survived despite horrible renovation.

(Inscription reads: "In memory of the fallen of 19th Division")

 

Here are the list and photos of all lost and known Turkish memorials erected after the evacuation:

 

Anzac:

-Victory Monument - Near No.1 Outpost (known to be destroyed)  

 

-16th Division Monument - Lone Pine (probably destroyed)

 

-3rd Signal (Telegram) Coy Monument - Maltepe

 

-Çataldere Monument - Behind Mortar Ridge

 

-Kemalyeri Monument - Scrubby Knoll (probably replaced by today's monument in 70s)

 

-Grave and Monument of 4th Engineer Coy Commander Yahya Hayati - Kurtgeçidi (Kurt Ketchede in English maps) near Hill 971

 

-Austro-Hungarian Artillery Monument - Matikdere (northeast of Kocadere village)

 

Helles:

-Seddulbahir 9 January Victory Monument - Unknown

 

-56th Regiment Artillery Monument - Unknown (only its inscription survived)

 

An article (in Turkish) on lost Turkish memorials on the Peninsula: http://www.geliboluyuanlamak.com/779_gelibolu-yarimadasinda-kaybolan-sehitlik-ve-anitlar-mustafa-onur-yurdal.html

 

 

Edited 30 August , 2020 by emrezmen

[Guest]

Emrezmen,

 

Mate I notice the Yahya Hayati Efendi momument is incorrectly transcription?

 

My details given by our Turkish mate is;

 

Eng. 2nd Lt (İstihkam Mülazım-ı evveli ) Yahya Hayati Efendi C of 1st Eng. Company, 2nd Eng. Battalion killed on turkish time July 26th 1331 (christ time: August 9th 1915)
foto from: Harb Mecmuası Nr : 11

 

The photo is not that good if you what it?

 

Cheers

 

S.B

[emrezmen]

1 hour ago, stevebecker said:

Emrezmen,

 

Mate I notice the Yahya Hayati Efendi momument is incorrectly transcription?

 

My details given by our Turkish mate is;

 

Eng. 2nd Lt (İstihkam Mülazım-ı evveli ) Yahya Hayati Efendi C of 1st Eng. Company, 2nd Eng. Battalion killed on turkish time July 26th 1331 (christ time: August 9th 1915)
foto from: Harb Mecmuası Nr : 11

 

The photo is not that good if you what it?

 

Cheers

 

S.B

 

Many thanks Steve. I didn't notice that. Now I checked Harp Mecmuası No. 11 and see his photo. Obviously the inscription quoted in the article is incorrect according to Harp Mecmuası. His rank was 1st Lieutenant (Mülazım-ı evvel=1st Lieutenant).

 

 

 

Edited 23 June , 2020 by emrezmen

[Hedley Malloch]

Great images. Thank you.

[Bryn]

 

Thanks for those photos and information, emrezmen and Steve.

 

In The Gallipolian of Autumn 2016 is an article by Wes Olson, 'The 1936 Gallipoli Pilgrimage'. It mentions that when the ships' crews (HMAS Sydney and HMAS Australia) were looking around Anzac on 29 April 1936 there was a Turkish memorial at The Nek:

 

After lunch they climbed Plugge’s Plateau and crossed onto Walker’s Ridge. Ross was astonished by the view, being able to see Ocean Beach and Suvla Bay ‘stretched away into the distance’ to the north, and the ‘sickle shape of Gaba Tepe curved out into the sea’ to the south. They then crossed the ‘Nek’, inspected the nearby Turkish War Memorial, and followed the track up Baby 700 to Chunuk Bair.

 

That memorial still exists.

 

George Frederick Davis's thesis  - Anzac Day meanings and memories: New Zealand, Australian and Turkish perspectives on a day of commemoration in the twentieth century - submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand, 2008. In it he included the following photo and caption:

 

 

Turkish battlefield monument near Lone Pine, Gallipoli. It had similar design to the Nek
monument. This monument fell into disrepair and was dismantled by the IWGC.

Kilia Bay Main Information Centre, wall display.

 

Also from the thesis:

[A] report by a ‘Special Correspondent’ who relates the construction of a road from ‘Kilid Bahir (overlooking the Narrows), by Anzac Cove, to the left flank of the old British battlefront on the slopes of the Aegean.’ The correspondent describes the Turkish memorial as ‘just one indication of the pride of the Turks in their successful defence of Constantinople. It is a rough rubble and concrete monument which stands about 14 ft. high. Rising from the top are a dozen unexploded shells, of which the bases are set firmly in concrete. One of the Blocks of the monument is faced by a sniper’s steel plate upon which is scratched in Turkish characters a message of victory… They raised one other monument in memory of their dead. It was built of ammunition boxes overlaid with concrete, but the Greeks who are now in occupation have long since levelled it to the ground.’ (The Times 1 Nov. 1920 p13).

 

Davis notes in relation to the paragraph above (which was a footnote in his thesis) that: The correspondent also comments on the Turks reinforcing defences in the area with double barbed wire from Suvla Bay to Cape Helles and placing a 6 inch naval gun on Baby 700.

 

The naval gun - assuming it's the same one - is still on Baby 700. Here's my daughter having a look at it: