Military History Tours          On Tour - Centenary of Lone Pine 5 August 2015

Today was one of those truly great days you can experience on tour.

After a very filling Breakfast, we headed out across the Dardanelles, past the Nusret, a replica of the hero minelayer that stopped battleships and toward Kilitbahir where we visited the forts that also dealt the entente ships devastating blows.

Heading south we climbed the eyrie that is Aci Baba, the dominant ground never captured by the assaulting forces, then on to the Turkish Memorial at Cape Helles. Then to the British Helles Memorial overlooking "V" Beach where we discussed the deployment of the Collier "River Clyde" and the battle that cost the lives of the cream of the last British Regular Division to be deployed in World War 1.

North along the coast, we saw the terrain that ensured the "X" and "Y" beach assaults had to be aborted.

Thence on to "Z" beach, noting the tactical difficulties associated with "Brighton" Beach before stopping at Beach Cemetery. There we said the ode over Simpson’s grave.

At Shrapnel Valley, we had our picnic lunch under a very shady tree before the adventurous headed for Plugge’s Plateaux and the notorious "Knife Edge".

Back on the bus, we drove to ANZAC Cove, discussed the landing and walked on the sacred beach where so much blood had been spilt.

After a somewhat extended tour of the Suvla battlefield, our last stop was at Hill 60. There we paid homage to Alan and Robert Sinfield’s great uncle Robert Robinson. It was quite a moment, Bob Stenhouse regaled us with three full verses of the ode.

Back to the hotel for a shower to cool down after a day of 35^? temperatures then another great meal.

Tomorrow there is a slight change of plan. DVA have advised us our proposed plan will not be allowed. We will thus visit Troy in the morning before proceeding to the official Lone Pine service in the afternoon.