Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Signaller C.J.D. Smith, who with two other signallers – Charles Gill and Les Harding, all of the 10th Infantry Battalion, A.I.F. – remained on board their troopship to maintain contact with the shore on the occasion of the landing on Gallipoli on April 25th, 1915. Also on board were the “Hold Party and Horse Transport” units.

He later wrote:

“We sailed from Alexandria 1st March, 1915, on the T.S.S. Ionian for Lemnos Island with three other troops ships – Suffolk, Nizam and Devanan, which transported the 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th Infantry Divisions, with ancillary troops of the 3rd Brigade, A.I.F. These four were the first troopships to enter Mudros Bay.

“On the 18th they numbered 32, besides the British and French naval fleets. We remained in the harbour for six weeks, training in landing from lifeboats on the sloping shores of Lemnos, and had an occasional (off the record) visit to Thermos hot water springs. Then came the British and French naval reserves at the Dardanelles, and the unsuccessful landing of marines to demolish guns at Cape Helles. They fought off a plane from the mainland over the crowded harbour and encampments, which caused excitement and concern (planes were scarce in 1915).

“General Sir William Birdwood was appointed G.O.C. of the Australian and New Zealand army Corps. This distinguished and popular leader gave the name ‘ANZAC’ from the letters of his command. Later General Birdwood was referred to as ‘the soul of Anzac.’

“The Inspector-General of Overseas forces (General Sir Ian Hamilton) arrived from Britain on board the destroyer Foxhound.

“On the 23rd April, 1915, Col. Price Weir, Commanding Officer of the 10th Infantry Battalion called a parade. We crowded the hatches and gang ways in order to hear the plans of battle. Can one forget that hour when our C.O. – a soldier and a gentleman – spoke quietly and distinctly to more than 1,000 men, the flower of Australasian manhood. He said, ‘We will be the centre and covering party. You must carry the first trench with the point of the bayonet.’

“It was here that John Masefield wrote his eulogies of these gallant men from the antipodes: ‘They walked like Kings,” etc. That great man of literary fame served with our British comrades in this conflict.

“Two companies of the 10th embarked in full marching order of the battle cruiser, Prince of Wales. Companies from other 3rd Brigade battalions boarded the Ionian. A line of naval destroyers passed through the double boom at the entrance of Murdos Bay. The Ionian left for Imbros Island as darkness was setting in on 24th April. Three days later, aboard the same good troopship, in Grecian Archipelago, the scene had changed. The Ionian had been converted into a temporary hospital carrier with 695 casualties aboard under the care of two medical officers – Major Gordon and Capt. Campbell – from T.S.S. Seangbee, headquarters of the R.A.N. Medical Corps. I record their untiring efforts, by day and night they performing amputations, assisted by men who had never been in an operating theatre. Those two gentlemen truly topped the traditions of their laudable professions.”