On 25 April 1915, the Allied forces of the First World War launched amphibious landings on the Gallipoli Peninsular. The aim was to control the straits and capture Constantinople (now Istanbul), the capital of the Ottoman Empire.
The Allied landings, which included French, Australian and New Zealand troops, were heavily opposed by Turkish forces. A trench warfare stalemate followed in extreme heat and appalling conditions. This eventually ended in a disastrous Allied defeat with over 250,000 casualties, including 58,000 dead. Turkish losses were heavier still.
Here are 7 notable war memorials that are tangible and poignant reminders of the Gallipoli campaign.
29th Division Memorial, Stretton-on-Dunsmore, Warwickshire, Grade II* listed
Unveiled in 1921, the 29th Division War Memorial is dedicated to all British servicemen who served at Gallipoli. It marks the place where King George V reviewed the 18,000 troops and 6,000 horses of the 29th Division on 12 March 1915 before they embarked on active service.
Winston Churchill overruled his generals to secure deployment of the 29th (originally destined for fighting in France) to launch a ground attack at Gallipoli after the British navy met stiff Turkish resistance.
Lancashire Fusiliers Memorial, Bury, Grade II* listed
Designed by Edwin Lutyens, whose father and uncle were both members of the Regiment, the Lancashire Fusiliers Memorial was unveiled in 1921 and has two unusual life-size painted stone flags of the type the architect originally envisaged for the Cenotaph in Whitehall.
It commemorates the heavy losses suffered by the Fusiliers, including 600 of the 1,000 men who came ashore in open boats at the ‘W’ beach, 1 of 5 beaches on the tip of the peninsula. An extraordinary 6 Victoria Crosses were awarded for bravery that day.
St George’s Church Memorial Cross, Kent, Grade II* listed
This memorial is unusual in that it was originally erected as a private monument in 1916, one of the few constructed during the war itself.
The Reverend William St Clair Tisdall, vicar of St George’s, commissioned it in memory of his two sons. One was killed on the Somme, and the other – Sub Lieutenant Arthur Walderne St Clair Tisdall – was killed in action in the Second Battle of Krithia in Gallipoli, on 16 May 1915.
On the first day of the Gallipoli landings, Arthur rescued comrades under fire on ‘V’ beach. He was posthumously awarded a Victorian Cross for his valour.
Royal Gloucestershire Hussars Yeomanry Memorial, Grade II* listed
This memorial, sculpted by Captain Adrian Jones, was unveiled in 1922.
It is in the form of a tall stone cross on an octagonal plinth in College Green close to the cathedral. Four bronze relief panels, each depicting a campaign where the regiment served during the First World War, including Gallipoli, grace the plinth along with bronze panels listing the names of those who were lost.
Collingwood Battalion of the Royal Naval Division Memorial, Grade II listed
This polished red granite obelisk commemorates those who gave their lives in the Third Battle of Krithia at Cape Helles on the Gallipoli Peninsula on 4 June 1915, when the battalion was virtually annihilated.
The memorial, unveiled in 1919, stands overlooking land where the Royal Naval Division trained.
Gallipoli Memorial, St Paul’s Cathedral, London
This modern memorial was erected by The Gallipoli Association and unveiled by its patron, HRH Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh, on 28 November 1995 in the presence of 8 survivors of the Gallipoli campaign.
It takes the form of a stone tablet inset with two bronze reliefs. The lower panel is a map of the Gallipoli peninsular, while the upper one depicts the dramatic scene of an amphibious landing by troops.
Gallipoli Memorial, National Memorial Arboretum, Staffordshire
Memorials take many forms. This was created by UK-based Turkish architect, Nadir Imamoglu, in 2004 at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, featuring 150 acres of trees and memorials of many kinds.
The central glass mosaic showing a map of Gallipoli has message panels on either side. They include a forgiveness speech relating to the Gallipoli campaign by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey and its first president.
Further reading
- War Memorials Associated with Gallipoli Campaign Listed
- Remembrance and War Memorials
- Practical advice for those who manage or look after a war memorial or memorial garden
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