GALLIPOLI VISITED.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 November 1921, Page 5

GALLIPOLI VISITED.

HISTORIC BATTLEFIELDS. TRENCHES STILL DISTINCT. MR. W. T. JENNINGS’ TOUR, A most interesting description of Gallipoli as it now appears, six years aftrr its occupation by New Zealand troopa, was given on Friday by Mr. W. T. Jennings, M.P., who returned to Auckland by the Makura. Mr. Jennings left New Zealand last May for the special purpose lof making a trip to Gallipoli and IreHand, to visit the graves of two of his sons, Lance-corporal Edgar Jennings and Lieutenant Harold Jennings. He took with him from Auckland three wreaths, two to be laid on the graves of his sons, and the third on the tomb of the Unknown Wairior, in Westminister Abbey. Mr. Jennings spent two weeks in Egypt, and leaving from Alexandria visited Athens, Smyrna and Mitylene, on the way to Chanak, a village on the Asiatic side of the Dardanelles. From Chanak, he crossed the straits by launch to Keilia, the headquarters of the Imperial Graves Commission on Gallipoli Here Mr. Jennings stayed three days, in company with Lieutenant-Co'onel Hughes, of the Australian Division of the Graves Commission, and Lieutenants Mildenball and Mater, the New Zei- , land representatives. He has the distinction of being the first civilian New Zeatender to visit the Gallipoli battlefielda. BATTLEFIELD CEMETERIES. “A very great amount of difficult wo’rk has been done by the commission in the formation of cemeteries and clearing up of the battlefields,” said Mr. Jennings. “The first one undertaken was in Shrapnel Gully, where about ‘ one thousand New Zealanders are buried. There are thirty or forty other cemeteries, all with their long rows of graves, marked with little white crosses.” The whole trip, as described by Mr. Jennings, was a sad and deeply impressive one, being filled with many tragic and sorrowful associations. ' I suppose the whole place has not changed very much from what it was when the New Zealanders first saw it,” he said. “Vegetation has grown freely, and although the rains have partly washed away some of the trenches, most of the communication trenches are still in existence, and one can get an idea of how things must have looked when our men were there. The country is wild and rough, reminding me of the hilly country round about Paekakariki. Viewing the scene as it appears at present, one can only marvel that our men ever managed to get ashore, and managed to break through the Turkish lines as they did. The making of roads has been an important part of activities on the Peninsula, and there is now a fine motor road from Helles right up to Suvla, the work of construction being carried out largely by Russian refugees. There is no doubt that later on New Zealanders will be able to visit Gallipoli, although it is a very difficult matter to do so as yet. But when the cemeteries work is finished, the authorities will be able to attend to the matter of accommodation. Arrangements are already being made for the erection of an hostel at Ke lia, half-way between Cape Helles and Chanak. Before leaving the Peninsula, Mr. Jennings visited the site chosen for the erection of the New Zealand memorial at Chanak Bair, and also the beautiful marble mausoleum erected by the French at Cape Helles, containing the remains of the French soldiers who fell in the fighting there, and with walls inscribed with the names of the fallen. VISIT TO CONSTANTINOPLE. From the Peninsula Mr. Jennings made his way to Constantinople, which, owing to the fighting at Anatolia, he found almost in a state of siege, with British, French, American and Greek warships in the harbor, the latter filled with troops. A Turkish rising in Constantinople was feared, and things were altogether uncertain during tne fortnight the visitor spent there. Incidentally, Mr. Jennings was the cause of great concern to General Harrington and the British Consul, through having wandered off by himself for a stroll through the streets of Stamboul one day. Upon being tracked down by an agitated search party, he was informed that a couple of visitors who had wandered from the highways into the noisome byways of the old capital had paid for their venture with their lives only a short time before. Mr. Jennings did not appear greatly impressed with some aspects of life and conditions in Constantinople. “A filthy city in the poorer quarters,” he said; “full of smells and dirt, and not so very much better in the other parts. But they have some glorious parks and gardens.” Leaving Constantinople, Mr. Jennings travelled by way of Bulgaria, Serbia, Italy and Switzerland to Paris, the trip taking five days, and being made under comfortable, although very expensive, conditions of railway travel.

Having placed his wreath on the tomb of the in Westminster Abbey, Mr. Jennings proceeded to Ireland and paid a similar tribute to the memory of his son, who was wounded in the fighting at Loos ( in 1915 and buried at Athlon®,