'Leaving for the Dardanelles' 1915

摘要

ThispostwasoriginallywritenfortheregularfeatureIntheFrameinTheNationalLibraryofAustraliaMagazineDavidIzatt,3rdBrigadeLeavingEgyptfortheDardanelles,Egypt1915,sepia-tonedphotograph;6.3x10.2cm,PicturesCollection,nla.gov.aula.pic-vn736016Until1915,itwouldhavebeenmainlyseafarerswhowerefamiliarwiththestretchofwaterknownasthe‘Dardanelles’.FewinAustraliawouldhaveheardofit,andfewerstillwouldhavetravelledalongthestraitlinkingtheAegeanSeawiththeOttomancapital,Constantinople.WithTurkey’sentryintotheGreatWar,thatchanged.VisionarystrategistsinLondon(notablyWinstonChurchill)hadtheideaofstrikingattheOttomanEmpirebyseizingConstantinople,usingthemightoftheRoyalNavy.ThisbecamethegenesisoftheDardanellescampaign.AmongthefirstformationssenttotheGreekislandofLemnostosupportthenavalattackwasthe3rdAustralianInfantryBrigade,whosemembersleftMenacamp,ontheoutskirtsofCairo(practicallyintheshadowofthepyramids,visibleinthebackground),onthelastdayofFebruary,1915.Here,fiveunnamedmenofthebrigadecarrytheirkitbagstowagonstobeginthejourneytoLemnos.Theretheywillwait,mostlycoopedupaboardtransportships,fortheorders,whichfollowedthefailureofthenavalattack,toinvadetheGallipolipeninsula.The3rdBrigadecomprisedbattalionsrecruitedfromwhatwereoftencalledthe‘outerstates’—Queensland(9thbattalion),SouthAustralia(10th),WesternAustralia(11th)andTasmania(12th).TheywouldformthefirstwavesofsoldierstolandonGallipoli.ThisphotographwastakenbyDavidIzatt,aScottishmemberofthe2ndAustralianGeneralHospital,aformersailorwhohadvolunteeredfortheAustralianImperialForceinOctober1914.UnderemployedbeforeGallipoli,hewasfreetowanderaboutMenacamptakingsnapshots—eventhoughmenweresupposedlyforbiddenfromtakingphotographs.Hewouldbecomemuchbusierwhencasualties,perhapsincludingsomeofthesemen,pouredbackintoEgyptfromGallipoli.DavidIzattsurvivedthewar—indeed,helivedlongenoughtoapplyforthemedallionmarkingthefiftiethanniversaryofthecampaign—andhisphotographalbumsarenowamongtheLibrary’streasures.Hissnapshotispoignantbecause,whilethemenshowninitareprobablyjustgladtogetawayfromthefliesandheatofMenacamp,weknowwhattheywillfaceon25April.