ON ANZAC BEACH

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17689, 29 July 1919, Page 6

ON ANZAC BEACH

THE FIRST COMMEMORATION SERVICE. (From a Correspondent of Sydney Sun.) _ ~ LEMNOS, April 30. it was ihe privilege of the writer to hold the first commemoration service on the spot where Australians and New Zealanders landed m Galhpoli on April 25, 1915 fc>3\eral of the original Anzacs are stationed on the Gallipoli Peninsula, their best to arrange the graves of th° fallen, and when the holding of a service of commemoration was suggested to them they responded eagerly, and the service was arranged to be held on the beach itself— amongst some of the still remaining relics of the war. The thought of Anzao Cove as seen at night time during die war came back to us. One cculd fancy the beach a hive of industry—working parties going to and fro lighters'arriving at the.pier to be unloaded' and then reloaded with the wounded and sick. And the one thing which was always to_ us a source of comfort—the hospital ship lying out at sea, one mass of coloured lights speaking to us of home and comfort. LONGINGS OF THE PAST. How sometimes wo on that stretch of sandy ground longed to be on board that ship! Then, in the early morning everything quietened down. John Turk stand-wg-to at his guns coold see nothing much to firo at. Wo also thought of a Ettte destroyer which used to steam close to the land at daybreak, and fire away at the Turkish batteries on the hills. The batteries always responded with some very good shooting, but the destroyer was dodging about, and tho Turkish shells always fell just where tho destroyer had been a minute or so before. Tho destroyer 'became one of our firmest friends, and it became one of tie features of each day to look out for our little friend. Everyone who served in the Dardanelles Expedition -will have happy memories of the Royal Navy. Wo remember the destroyer which escorted us from England, and gavo us tho signal before leaving us: "A good voyage and a safe return." AT SUVLA BAY. Especially do wo remember the good old destroyer Foxhound, which landed us at Suvla Bayy. How' wonderfully kind they were to us plain soldiers—taking us down into their crowded bunks, loading us with, food and everything they could get us, posting our letters, and doing all they could to make us bappy. Gradually our congregation gathered together on tho beach, some coming- on foot others mounted on various kinds of steeds, including, of course, our oH friend tho muks. We took up our station-under tie shelter of three old boilers, which had stood tho test of time. On each side of us were tho two big cemeteries. in which many of tho gallant sons of England, Australia, ami New Zealand sleep their last sleep, Ther« was none of tho pomp aod ceremonial of a memorial service at St. Pool's Cathedral, but iindonbtedly it was the "real thing-." ' SOULS OF THE RIGHTEOUS. Hymns were the beantiful lesson from Isaiah beginning': "The souls of the righteous are in tho hands of God, and there shall no torment touch them," was read. We prayed for the souls of those gallant warriors, that they might, "by the Mercy and Xove of God, Rest in Pea/se." We prayed for the relations and homes of these gallant soldiers, and to prayed that the Dvos laid down co willingly on this spot might not have been given in vain. Our thoughts were turned to the beautiful lines of Rupert Brooke, himself a member of tho Dardanelles Expeditionary Force, and wo felt that Anzic, with all its memories, would "be for ever a part of Australia and' New Zeaand. The- service was ended, and before wo broke up, Australians, New Zealanders, and EngHsh -united in smgms the National Anthem. Photographs were taken of the congregation, good-byes were said, and thus ended tho first commemoration service on Anzac Beach.