ANZAC COVE

There is nothing gentle

for you here

not in Aegean heat

or Asian cold.

No shelter on the

windswept ridge

or comfort in

the dry ravine.

Just heat and flies

dust and wire.

Burning shell

and sniper fire

Lone Pine

“I hear little Tommy bought it

back on the beach.

And Ronnie Smith too.

Saw that one with my own eyes.

Cut down

by that machine gun nest,

before the Kiwi boys took it out.

Nice lad Ronnie

and damn good scrumhalf too!

Still, it will soon be light

and the ridge is just ahead …..

not a bad mornings work.

And if they want us to march to Constantinople

....I guess we’re just the boys

to do that too!

Then word goes round

“Johnny Turk ahead

Dig in dig in!”

and here we sit in winter’s snow

in those same holes

we dug out that spring.

Churchill's Fleet

On March 18^th French and British warships – most too obsolete to sail against the

German navy – pushed into the Dardanelles intending to

force their way through the long, narrow  straits and open the way to Constantinople.

However the Turkish gunners fought bravely and mines had been

laid in the night -  five major ships were sunk or damaged with heavy loss of life.

In London, Churchill was convinced the Turkish guns must have used all their shells, that

the obsolete ships were expendable and that they should press ahead again the next day……….

Queen Elizabeth, Majestic

Irresistible

Hit a shell and …bang

Not there at all!

Ocean, Inflexible,

Bovet

Boom, boom boom

a mine she met!

Lord Nelson, Irresistible,

Suffren

Oh dear, went down

with all her men

Churchill lost his fleet

And said “what fun!

Tomorrow I might send

another one!”

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