Events of 1915
25 April is Anzac Day. It commemorates the landing of the Australia and New Zealand Army Corps at Gallipoli at dawn on 25 April 1915, during the First World War. Anzac Day is now a memorial to all who have fought and died in every war New Zealanders have fought in since then.
25 April 1915
Gallipoli: The Australian and New Zealand Corps (ANZAC) landed at what became known as Anzac Cove on Turkey's Gallipoli Peninsula.
In conjunction with British and French forces in the area, the aim was to secure the Dardanelles and force Turkey out of the war, thus gaining access to the Black Sea and their ally, Russia.
5-8 May 1915
The New Zealand Infantry Brigade was deployed south of Cape Helles.
On May 8, it attacked and entrenched Turkish positions in daylight. But the action failed, and the Brigade suffering 835 casualties. In the first 14 days on the peninsula, the Brigade sustained more than 2,000 casualties.
24 May 1915
An armistice was declared at Anzac. Australian, New Zealand and Turkish troops spent five hours burying hundreds of their dead in "no-man's" land, between the trenches.
7 August 1915
The Battle of Chunuk Bair began, with the Wellington Battalion capturing the hill the following day. It was the only time in the campaign that Allied troops saw their original objective - the Dardanelles. After hours of massive Turkish counter-attacks, the battalion was driven back, suffering heavy losses. Corporal Cyril Bassett, a signaler, won the Victoria Cross during this action.
8-20 December 1915
Anzac Cove was evacuated without loss of life. Of the 8,556 New Zealanders who served in Gallipoli, 2,721 died and 4,752 were wounded, an 87% casualty rate. |
