Anzac Cove

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25/06/14

Anzac Cove; During the night we steamed a Westerly course towards the Starit of Dardanelles. In the early morning with the Captain and duty officers of the watch on the bridge we transited again through the Dardanelles Strait. Upon clearing the Strait we steamed a North Easterly course towards Anzac Cove. We arrived at Anzac Cove at 8:00 a.m. Anzac Cove is a shallow bay on the Gallipoli peninsula in Turkey, the cove is 600 metres long bounded by the headlands of Aryburnu to the north and Little Aryburnu known as hell spit to the south. Following the landing at Anzac Cove, the beach became the main base for the Australian and New Zealand troops for the eight months of the Gallipoli campaign during the first world war.

At the Anzac Cove service held on board this morning I was one of four veteran’s who had a reading. One of the other three was Captain Errol Stevens R.A.N. Retired, we struck up a conversation and this gentleman was the Captain of H.M.A.S. Stalwart when I was a part of the ship’s company in 1978-79.

Captain Stevens joined the Navy as a 13 year old cadet midshipman in 1944, and has seen action in every conflict from WWII to the Vietnam War. He is truly a remarkable and humble Officer and a gentleman. His task today was to recite the ode, and mine was a reading that Kamel Attaturk had inscribed on a memorial at Anzac Cove to the mothers of all the Australian and New Zealand troops, whose remains still lie in Turkish soil. The attendance at the service today from the Veteran’s and their families was a sight to behold.

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Photos

Anzac Cove 25/06/14
Left to right Greg Reinke, Captain Errol Stevens R.A.N. Retired, and myself.
Captain Stevens was my old commanding officer on H.M.A.S. Stalwart in 1978-79.

Anzac Cove 25/06/14
My lovely wife Colleen and myself.

Anzac Cove 25/06/14
The official party including Captain Ivan Jerman commanding officer Dawn Princess.