In the early hours of Sunday 25 April 1915 the first contingent of Anzacs landed on a beach north of Gaba Thebes, this was the first of many landings organized at Gallipoli. Over 8 landings were organized on the same day. While the Allies were supported by a heavy naval presence, the fighting was savage and heavy casualties were inflicted on both sides. When we directed fire at them I saw many heads, legs and arms flying through the air* (an account from an Anzac troop). On the eve of the 25th both armies were stopped. These landings were the first part of a large campaign, which would last 10 months. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayGallipoli was where Australian and New Zealand troops (the Anzacs) were branded with a reputation as brave, tough, good-willed soldiers who loved their countries and fought bravely for them. They were also considered by some to be larrikins, competitive, sympathetic, caring and nationalistic. The Anzacs (as they were called) were hailed for having these values. A single Victorian digger (LC Albert Jacka) evicted a party of Turks from a captured Australian trench by shooting five and bayoneting another two. This man epitomizes the courage shown by the Anzac diggers in the fight against the Turks. Sometimes Australians would rather play cricket than fight in the trenches. They played under the threat of enemy fire and yet they carried on, proud of their country and actually laughing in the face of danger. On May 24th both sides agreed to an armistice to collect the bodies, this was an act of understanding. While the Turks killed and wounded Anzac soldiers, the Anzacs treated enemy prisoners well, even offering drinks to enemy soldiers wounded in the field. Even though these were acts of humanity, the competitive nature of the Anzac troops prevailed even with shooting competitions with the Turks between the trenches, and notes with silly questions such as How far is Constantinople? were even passed between the two sides. Some Anzac troops even helped Turkish soldiers celebrate the end of the Muslim holiday of Ramadan by offering gifts of food and drink. Anzac troops were so devoted to their comrades and country that in times of trouble they carried casualties long distances across treacherous terrain to safety. All these actions really exposed the true nature of the Anzac troops. Civilian audiences in countries such as New Zealand and Australia were given false information about the war and Gallipoli and many soldiers believed Gallipoli would be fun and rejoiced. . Yet these statements provided by the media were factually false. Below are excerpts from letters home from soldiers who were brainwashed with media garbage and were about to be sent to Gallipoli: So I go to a place where monotony is unknown, a year seems like an hour crowded with glorious life. I'm about to step into the firing line and rejoice. and... I'll see the real thing soon and believe me, I can't wait. ..I thought it was silly to hear others talk like that but now I'm completely against it, I want to be there... Yet what they experienced was far from what they imagined. This is a little overview of what really happened from the diary of Sergeant Lawrence (Australian engineers): As I said before, they (Anzac) were simply blown to pieces by bombs. There is only a continuous flow of wounded from the trenches, mostly superficial wounds caused by bombs. Terrible sights, almost all soaked in blood, perhaps half a leg blown off,.