During the Battle.
Soldiers in the Battle of Gallipoli have been impacted greatly. The impacts such as their living conditions, health, nutrition and mentality have been affected.
"we had a terrible time of it, but the worst of all was the landing day..." "and thank god I have come out of them safely. I have been hit three times. One bullet struck my water bottle once pierced my pocket and after going through four letters, stopped in my prayer book, whilst another struck my cartridge pouches. So i have had plenty of luck and can only hope it sticks to me right through." "I am only run down and have a poisonous foot, but i expect to be in the action soon again." Letter from Gallipoli edited by Glyn Harper.
This excerpt from this letter written by a New Zealand soldier in Gallipoli discusses how fortunate the soldier was to survive many bayonet charges since the landing at Gallipoli. This shows how the Gallipoli Campaign impacted soldiers severely as it clearly describes how the lives of soldiers were life threatening. Lives of soldiers were at risk every day and were expected to keep fighting for their country in addition to fighting for their lives even after being wounded or poisoned. It also shows how the life in the battle zone was not comfortable. Surrounded by dead corpses, flies, bad weather and muddy water squeezed between tight dug out trenches was not what soldiers were expecting in their first experience and adventure outside of New Zealand.
"Conditions for the ANZACs were horrendous. They were in the middle of a war zone, against an enemy who outnumbered them, who was more familiar with the environment, and who was holding much better trench positions than they were. Gallipoli was worse than anyone could have imagined and was certainly no overseas holiday for the ANZACs." -(skwirk)
"we had a terrible time of it, but the worst of all was the landing day..." "and thank god I have come out of them safely. I have been hit three times. One bullet struck my water bottle once pierced my pocket and after going through four letters, stopped in my prayer book, whilst another struck my cartridge pouches. So i have had plenty of luck and can only hope it sticks to me right through." "I am only run down and have a poisonous foot, but i expect to be in the action soon again." Letter from Gallipoli edited by Glyn Harper.
This excerpt from this letter written by a New Zealand soldier in Gallipoli discusses how fortunate the soldier was to survive many bayonet charges since the landing at Gallipoli. This shows how the Gallipoli Campaign impacted soldiers severely as it clearly describes how the lives of soldiers were life threatening. Lives of soldiers were at risk every day and were expected to keep fighting for their country in addition to fighting for their lives even after being wounded or poisoned. It also shows how the life in the battle zone was not comfortable. Surrounded by dead corpses, flies, bad weather and muddy water squeezed between tight dug out trenches was not what soldiers were expecting in their first experience and adventure outside of New Zealand.
"Conditions for the ANZACs were horrendous. They were in the middle of a war zone, against an enemy who outnumbered them, who was more familiar with the environment, and who was holding much better trench positions than they were. Gallipoli was worse than anyone could have imagined and was certainly no overseas holiday for the ANZACs." -(skwirk)
Climate.
Soldiers who have fought in Gallipoli had to face the harsh and unforgiving summer and winter climates.
During summer, the weather was very hot and humid, enhancing the stench of corpses and attracting more flies which caused and spread diseases to the soldiers. The hot climate impacted majority of the soldier's health as they were unable to eat due to the swarm of flies that would have devoured their daily meals before it could have gotten to their mouths. Soldiers often would sacrifice their meals during the day to eat during the night when flies were not active.
The hot weather soared through the day and continued through the night. Soldiers were unable to rest due to the uncomfortable heat . Although some of the ANZACs had worked outdoors on farms, therefore did not feel bothered by the heat.
During the winter climates, over 16000 troops suffered from frostbites and had to be evacuated once exposed. Others froze to death at their post. The freezing blizzards and frosts were the main factor that impacted the ANZACs. Many soldiers were not use to the cold as they spent most of their working days under Australian and New Zealand sun.
Soldiers were only supplied with clothes that catered to the warmer months. Boots and clothes were often worn out and the men that were no on duty had to huddle around each other in unsanitary blankets for warmth.
Men who faced frostbite had to have their toes or feet amputated to stop the spreading.
During summer, the weather was very hot and humid, enhancing the stench of corpses and attracting more flies which caused and spread diseases to the soldiers. The hot climate impacted majority of the soldier's health as they were unable to eat due to the swarm of flies that would have devoured their daily meals before it could have gotten to their mouths. Soldiers often would sacrifice their meals during the day to eat during the night when flies were not active.
The hot weather soared through the day and continued through the night. Soldiers were unable to rest due to the uncomfortable heat . Although some of the ANZACs had worked outdoors on farms, therefore did not feel bothered by the heat.
During the winter climates, over 16000 troops suffered from frostbites and had to be evacuated once exposed. Others froze to death at their post. The freezing blizzards and frosts were the main factor that impacted the ANZACs. Many soldiers were not use to the cold as they spent most of their working days under Australian and New Zealand sun.
Soldiers were only supplied with clothes that catered to the warmer months. Boots and clothes were often worn out and the men that were no on duty had to huddle around each other in unsanitary blankets for warmth.
Men who faced frostbite had to have their toes or feet amputated to stop the spreading.
Food and Water
![Picture](/uploads/2/9/5/8/29581285/4966034.jpg)
The average diet of ANZAC soldiers were mainly canned corned beef and rock hard biscuits, sugar, tea and some jam. Sometimes small quantities of bread were shipped in with bacon and cheese.
The food that were given to ANZAC soldiers in Gallipoli were nutritionally deficient and was most likely the cause of illness and diseases.
The average diet of canned corned beef and rock hard biscuits were the cause of poor health amongst 90 percent of the soldiers and killed about 200.
Within the 1915 diet of soldiers in Gallipoli, it was lacking vitamin A. The vitamin A content was low enough to cause night blindness. Other vitamins such as vitamin C, E, potassium, selenium and dietary fibre was not provided enough in their average diet of bully beef and, biscuits and jam. Bully beef also had an extremely high salt content which enhanced soldiers' thirst.
Clean water was very hard to maintain in Gallipoli. Fresh water would not have always been available when a leak has formed in the tank. Soldiers were not given enough water and were usually given about 2.3 litres for drinking, showering and other hygiene/grooming purposes. This shows that soldiers did not get enough water daily.
" The only drinking water we had was the water that came from Egypt in benzene tins. I think must have been half petrol half water, that’s what it tasted like anyway." - Sound Archives
"They were constantly complaining about the food. They were basically doing a cheap, dirty job on nutrition." Dr Nick Wilson, Wellington-based Otago University associate professor.
"What we would consider today to be basic necessities would have been luxuries had they been available to the ANZACs at Gallipoli." - (skwirk)
The food that were given to ANZAC soldiers in Gallipoli were nutritionally deficient and was most likely the cause of illness and diseases.
The average diet of canned corned beef and rock hard biscuits were the cause of poor health amongst 90 percent of the soldiers and killed about 200.
Within the 1915 diet of soldiers in Gallipoli, it was lacking vitamin A. The vitamin A content was low enough to cause night blindness. Other vitamins such as vitamin C, E, potassium, selenium and dietary fibre was not provided enough in their average diet of bully beef and, biscuits and jam. Bully beef also had an extremely high salt content which enhanced soldiers' thirst.
Clean water was very hard to maintain in Gallipoli. Fresh water would not have always been available when a leak has formed in the tank. Soldiers were not given enough water and were usually given about 2.3 litres for drinking, showering and other hygiene/grooming purposes. This shows that soldiers did not get enough water daily.
" The only drinking water we had was the water that came from Egypt in benzene tins. I think must have been half petrol half water, that’s what it tasted like anyway." - Sound Archives
"They were constantly complaining about the food. They were basically doing a cheap, dirty job on nutrition." Dr Nick Wilson, Wellington-based Otago University associate professor.
"What we would consider today to be basic necessities would have been luxuries had they been available to the ANZACs at Gallipoli." - (skwirk)
World War I veterans 1959 reunion : life at Gallipoli Interview
Interviewer: What was the food in Gallipoli like at that time?
[Both laugh]
Davidson: Much better at the Hydro Grand [Hotel]! [laughs] Oh, it was bully beef and biscuits all the time.
Fraser: Bully beef and biscuits.
Davidson: And I can remember a destroyer coming in with bread. Yeah, and we would get given an issue of bread and I thought it was the most beautiful cake I'd ever eaten in my life. And I'll tell you how extraordinary men will get, collected together under those circumstances. There was a loaf of bread to twelve men and they cut it up a slice each, and the fellows were arguing amongst one another that one fellow had a slice thicker than the other, and that's the condition you can get into.
Interviewer: But there was no other food except bully beef and biscuits?
Davidson: When there wasn't that there were biscuits and bully beef. [Both laugh]
- Sound Archives Collections Recorded during a 1959 Timaru reunion.
Interviewer: What was the food in Gallipoli like at that time?
[Both laugh]
Davidson: Much better at the Hydro Grand [Hotel]! [laughs] Oh, it was bully beef and biscuits all the time.
Fraser: Bully beef and biscuits.
Davidson: And I can remember a destroyer coming in with bread. Yeah, and we would get given an issue of bread and I thought it was the most beautiful cake I'd ever eaten in my life. And I'll tell you how extraordinary men will get, collected together under those circumstances. There was a loaf of bread to twelve men and they cut it up a slice each, and the fellows were arguing amongst one another that one fellow had a slice thicker than the other, and that's the condition you can get into.
Interviewer: But there was no other food except bully beef and biscuits?
Davidson: When there wasn't that there were biscuits and bully beef. [Both laugh]
- Sound Archives Collections Recorded during a 1959 Timaru reunion.
Disease
![Picture](/uploads/2/9/5/8/29581285/1401245519.jpg)
ANZAC Soldiers living conditions were not the most hygienic. Soldiers lived in trenches surrounded with stagnant of muddy water, insufficient sanitation, swarms flies, mosquitoes, lice and rats. A large number of rotting dead bodies and empty food tins were piled over no man's land which also increased and spread diseases amongst soldiers faster.
Dysentery and trench foot were one of the common diseases soldiers caught during the Gallipoli Campaign as an outcome out of impure and insufficient diet.
Swarms of flies during summer were a nuisance to soldiers and also made a huge impact on many ANZAC soldiers' health. Flies spread diseases extremely fast from constantly feasting over rotting food, human excrement and hovering over decaying corpses and fresh open wounds. This caused infestations of maggots which caused more problems impacting ANZAC soldiers' health and sanitation.
Dysentery and trench foot were one of the common diseases soldiers caught during the Gallipoli Campaign as an outcome out of impure and insufficient diet.
Swarms of flies during summer were a nuisance to soldiers and also made a huge impact on many ANZAC soldiers' health. Flies spread diseases extremely fast from constantly feasting over rotting food, human excrement and hovering over decaying corpses and fresh open wounds. This caused infestations of maggots which caused more problems impacting ANZAC soldiers' health and sanitation.
Appearance
During the Gallipoli Campaign, Soldiers were overworked, lacking sleep and not getting enough nutritional food and water in their system. Brick hard biscuits broke soldiers teeth and sunken eyes and cheeks with ghostly complexions took over soldiers' once healthy and lively complexions.
Soldiers were depicted to be strong, attentive and full of energy during the war. But in reality, soldiers were weakened, tired and poorly fed. |
"it is pitiful to see men, not long ago strong and healthy... Their once schoolboy complexions have been replaced by hollow houls and sunken eyes: their bodies emaciated. Most of them should be in hospital. They are cheating death but only just. They are walking corpses - the ghosts of Gallipoli" Joe Murray