Souvenir in commemoration of the first anniversary of the 'Anzac landing in Gallipoli'
Souvenir in commemoration of the
first anniversary of the ‘Anzac landing in Gallipoli’ – memorial service of
Westminster Abbey, attended by the King and Queen, April 25th 1916
Print on tissue paper
Burgess, York Place, Strand,
London
F/2080
One year on from the landing at
Gallipoli, Anzac Day was commemorated for the first time. In London a memorial
service was held at Westminster Abbey, attended by the King and Queen, along
with General Sir William Birdwood who had recently been knighted for his
service at Gallipoli. Afterwards, more than 2,000 Australian and New Zealand
troops marched through the streets of the capital to a rapturous reception from
the crowds. Those who received the most attention were the wounded who had been
transported from their hospitals for the day.
This souvenir outlines the
commemorative events that took place, including lunch at the Hotel Cecil and
then a trip to His Majesty’s Theatre for entertainments.
Those who received the most
attention were the wounded who had been transported from their hospitals for
the day. It was reported that these men were:
‘attended by nurses in grey cloaks with red
collars. Many of the soldiers appeared to have almost completely recovered from
their wounds. Some, who had lost a leg, came in on crutches; others limped in
on sticks. They all looked cheerful and hearty.’
There were also a group of blinded
men who attended the service who, ‘bore themselves proudly’.
According to The Times report, ‘A great shout of welcome met the ANZACs as they
marched into the Strand … Mingled with the shrill hurrahs of the women and the
hoarser greetings of the men came echoing calls of “Coo-ee”. After a few
minutes Britishers too tried to give the call, but with only partial success,
and most of them came back to the national "hurrah”.’
It
was reported in Australian newspapers that there was dissatisfaction amongst
Australian troops as to who were included in the march. The men of the Light
Horse had been chosen to head the procession, while the men of the 3rd, 2nd and
1st Brigades, who were in the original landing, were in the rear of the
procession.
After the march, the troops were
served lunch at the Hotel Cecil where Australian Prime Minister Billy Hughes
gave a speech praising the bravery and tenacity of the men who landed at
Gallipoli one year prior.
This fragile printed souvenir was
published in London to mark the one-year commemoration of the ANZAC landing at
Gallipoli.
A memorial service was held in
London on the first anniversary of the landing at Gallipoli. This service was
held at Westminster Abbey and the King and Queen were in attendance, along with
General Sir William Birdwood who had recently been knighted for his service at
Gallipoli.