The 25th April is a day of remembrance for the Australians and New Zealanders for the Battle of Gallipoli in the Crimea during World War I and is an unusual ceremony in that it is celebrated with its enemy, at the time the Ottoman Empire, now Turkey. There were several other countries involved including countries from the British Empire. Although Canada did not contribute troops to this battle, there is a Canadian connection as the Royal Newfoundland Regiment (RNR) served during the Gallipoli campaign as part of the Empire, becoming part of Canada in 1949. It is with pride that the RNR lays a wreath every year in connection with this remembrance.
The RNR served with distinction at Sulva Bay as part of the British 88th Brigade of the 29th Division, landing on the 20th September, 1915, after spending two weeks in Egypt training and a week in transport. They landed 1,076 troops and immediately came under heavy fire and started taking losses. By 30th Sept. they had taken responsibility for mile long stretch of the British line in filthy, overcrowded trenches, which over time, were fronted by hundreds of dead Ottomans and allies who were unable to be buried due to the fighting. In October, the rainy season started leaving the men constantly drenched in hot days that dropped to freezing cold at night. On 26th November, a flood hit Sulva Bay filling the support trenches and firing lines with up to three feet of water which was further compounded by frostbite when a deep freeze followed on.
By 18 December, the evacuation of the peninsula started as it could not be taken from the Ottomans and the RNR provided rearguard support, being among the last to leave on 9th January, 1916. The RNR lost its last man on the 8th January, the day before the evacuation was completed, and was reduced to 17 officers and 470 men. They went to Egypt for two months to recuperate and train before being reassigned to the Somme.
So, although ANZAC Day (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) does not appear as a day of remembrance for Canadians, the province of Newfoundland and Labrador do so with pride.
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