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The Evacuation at Gallipoli

REFERENCE
Charles Bean's official report on the evacuation of Gallipoli
Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, No. 3, 10 January 1916, pp. 35-38. NLA call no. N82
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Finally, on 19 1915 December, as winter was setting in, the first troops were evacuated from Anzac Cove and Suvla Bay, with the men from Helles following later. Over 11 days, the entire contingent was withdrawn. Sir Ian Hamilton had been relieved of command in October. He had predicted that as much as half the force would be casualties should the Gallipoli campaign be aborted. In the event, the evacuation was one of the most successful operations of the campaign, with only a handful of casualties reported. The cost however had been high. Australia, whose population was then 6 million, lost 8700 men at Gallipoli. New Zealanders with a population of 1 milion, lost 2700. More than 21 000 British soldiers were killed. The French lost 10 000, the Indians 1300 and Newfoundland 50.   Some 85 000 of the defending Turkish troops were killed.

REFERENCE
Official report on the evacuation of Gallipoli by Charles Bean
Commonwealth Gazette, No. 10, 21 January 1916, pp.147-148. NLA call no. N82
Click to view gazette

Bean recorded that the departing Australians grieved at leaving their dead mates behind, noting in the second volume of his official history series:

The consideration which did go straight to every man's heart was the tragedy of confessing failure after so many and well-loved comrades had given their lives to the effort. The men hated to leave their dead mates to the mercy of the Turks. For days after the breaking of the news there were never absent from the cemeteries men by themselves, or in twos and threes, erecting new crosses or tenderly 'tidying-up' the grave of a friend. This was by far the deepest regret of the troops. 'I hope', said one of them to Birdwood on the final day, pointing to a little cemetery, 'I hope they don't hear us marching down the deres (gullies)'.

- Charles Bean, The Story of Anzac, Official History of Australia in the War of 1914-1918, Vol. 2, Sydney: Angus and Robertson, 1924, pp. 882 NLA 940.394 STO

IMAGE
Evacuation of Gallipoli, December 1915
ENLARGE IMAGE
Evacuation of Gallipoli, December 1915
Ferguson Collection, National Library of Australia