LONE
PINE
Lone Pine, which
is he second important place for Australians after the Anzac Cove, took its
name from a single pine tree rising among the bushes.
On the morning of
25th of April 1915, Australian troops reached to Lone Pine range in isolated
parties and held the hill till sunset on the 25th of April. Subject to heavy
Turkish cannon fire, Australians wanted to retreat but they were stopped by
Gordon Bennet, second commender of the 6th Battalion, who said to his
soldiers: "we don't return, we all die here". Upon the words of
Bennet, Australians started digging trenches. But by the end of the day al the
Bennet's soldiers were killed. Lone Pine was the stage for fierse battles
between Australian and Turkish and troops who named it "Bloody
Range"
In August,
Australian soldiers were ordered to have a misleading attack on the Turkish
troops in the Lone Pine and surrounding areas. This was the part of the plan
to keep the Turks busy in ths area and give chance to British Troops to land
at Suvla Bay and Salt Lake areas. Lone Pine Battle contunied on this hill and
in the tunnels four days. Nearly 7000 Turkish and Australian soldiers either
got killed or wounded in this small territory. Australian sodiers won 7
Victorian Crosses in 2.5 days because of the heroism they performed there.
The details of
this fierce battle was revealed when the region was visited by the members of
Historical Mission who discovered the bones, uniform pieces, bronze numbers
belonging to Australin soldiers fighting at Lone Pine.
LONE PINE MEMORIAL
LonePine Memorial,
designed by Sir John Bennet, the head arcthitect of the Gallipoli Monuments,
was buitt with the lime stone originating from Ilgardere. The onument which
has four cross reliefs on the four sides reaches the height of 14.3 meters.
Small church which is located in the monument houses the information about the
monument and cemetery. Lone Pine Memorial was built on the Turkish trenches
and tunnels captured by the Austral8ans during the August Battle. The trenches
mostly filled with the bodies fored a base for the one Pine Cemetery.
