The Battle for Gallipoli which proved to be an Allied fiasco and savage defeat in World War I nevertheless was pivotal in bringing the fledgling nation of Australia a sense of national pride and unity. Both Australia and New Zealand commemorate this defeat as Anzac Day each year on April 25. Here are some quiz questions and answers to reinforce the meaning of this day to Australians and New Zealanders.
The Gallipoli Soldiers
QUESTION 1: What does the acronym ANZAC stand for?
ANSWER: Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. The force was put together in Egypt where the men were being trained together. It largely comprised soldiers from the First Australian Imperial Forces and the 1st New Zealand Expeditionary Force. It was apparently to be named the Australasian Army Force, but the New Zealanders objected to this seemingly biased name.
QUESTION 2: What other troops fought alongside the ANZACS at Gallipoli?
ANSWER: Apart from New Zealanders and Australians, the Gallipoli landing force included large contingents from France and Britain, an Indian regiment, the Zion Mule Corps raised in Egypt, and troops from Nepal and from Newfoundland, Canada.
QUESTION 3: By What name is the Gallipoli Campaign known in Turkey?
ANSWER: The Battle of Çanakkale, commemorated because Turks successfully defended their homeland against a large invasion force.
ANZAC History Facts
QUESTION 4: What Two Strange Firearms Were Invented at Gallipoli?
ANSWER: The periscope rifle to shoot from concealment in the trenches and the self-firing rifle, which were set up to work automatically, so that there was a pretence that troops were still actively fighting when in fact they were being evacuated.
QUESTION 5: What Nearby Greek Islands Became the Operations Base for the ANZAC Offensive?
ANSWER: Lemnos, 80 kms from Gallipoli and Imbros, 24 kms from Gallipoli
QUESTION 6: What Distinctive Gallipoli Landmark was Given a Name Associated with Egypt?
ANSWER: The Sphinx – an outcrop on the Sari Bair range, which according to the Australian government Anzac website, was known to the Turks as Yusuk Tepe (High Hill)
QUESTION 7: How Many Victoria crosses were awarded for the Gallipoli Campaign?
ANSWER: Eleven.
QUESTION 8: What Was Special about the Australian ship which made it through the Dardenelles and into the Sea of Marmara?
ANSWER: It was the submarine AE2 under the command of Lieutenant Henry Stoker. It was eventually sunk by the Turkish torpedo boat Sultanhisar.
Famous Leaders and Famous Heroes of Gallipoli
QUESTION 9: Who was First Lord of the Admiralty who planned the disastrous Gallipoli Campaign?
ANSWER: Winston Churchill, who later rose to prominence in the Second World War as Prime Minister of Great Britain.
QUESTION 10: Who was the much-loved Turkish war leader who later became the first president of the new Republic of Turkey?
ANSWER: Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, who courageously led his troops to a bitter victory (some 300,000 Turkish casualties).
QUESTION 11: Who was the war hero who became known as the Man with the Donkey?
ANSWER: John Simpson, or more correctly John Simpson Kirkpatrick, an Englishman who enlisted in Australia and made many heroic rescues of the wounded using a donkey for transport, before being killed by machine gun fire on 19th May 1915.
QUESTION 12: Who was awarded the Purple Cross at Gallipoli?
ANSWER: Simpson’s donkey, Murphy. According to Digger History, In 1997, The RSPCA presented the Australian War Memorial with the Purple Cross awarded posthumously to Murphy for his services to humans while under constant fire at Gallipoli.
It is to be hoped that this quiz will raise interest in this great and terrible World War I battle and encourage people to make the Gallipoli Tour from Istanbul to see where hundreds of thousands of young lives were lost, from both Turkish and Allied forces.
