2015 Gallipoli visit

On Saturday 25 April 2015, the Dawn Service was held at ANZAC Cove to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the landings.

One of my  Parker cousins, Jocelyn Parker, attended that service as both her grandfathers served in the Great War. Jocelyn's maternal grandfather, Major Tom F.L. Rutledge , from 'Gidleigh', Bungendore, served with the 7th Light Horse Brigade. He took part in the Gallipoli campaign from May to October 1915 and was at the Battle of Lone Pine.

Jocelyn (accompanied by her son, Alex Lowe) was kind enough to carry a tiny home-made posy of gumnuts all the way from Australia. The posy was laid at the Lone Pine memorial above Anzac Cove on Saturday morning underneath the 5th Battalion inscriptions.

The Lone Pine Memorial commemorates the 3268 Australians and 456 New Zealanders who have no known grave and the 960 Australians and 252 New Zealanders who were buried at sea after evacuation through wounds or disease. It is the main Australian memorial on the Peninsular.

The Battle of Lone Pine took place from 6-9 August 1915. Much of the fighting was at close quarters with dozens of small-scale actions holding back Turkish counter attacks. During those four days seven ANZACs were awarded the Victoria Cross.

Athol took part in the Battle of Lone Pine. Many of his 5th Battalion mates will be listed on that memorial.

Handmade posy at Lone Pine memorial.

Tiny handmade posy just under the 5th Battalion names of the fallen.

Hand made gumnut posy.

With many thanks to Jocelyn for taking a rather awkward package across the globe and laying this tribute in the most appropriate location.

I would also like to acknowledge the book of letters of Tom Rutledge written during the Great War.
'Socks from Bungendore', ed. Martha Rutledge and William Rutledge, Echo Books, West Geelong, Victoria, 2015.