The Cemetery’s name recalls the line of defences dug by the Turks South of
Alçıtepe, but it is in fact derived from the redoubt line – the front line of
British and French trenches established in May between the Aegean and the
straits. At regular intervals there were defensive positions, or “redoubts”
built and garrisoned to repel expected counter-attacks by the Turks. The
section on the Krithia Spur, about 100 meters North of the cemetery was begun
by the Australians on the night of the 8th May.
"Gallipoli- A battelefield Guide", (East Roseville 2000), Phil Taylor & Pam
Cupper, p. 144
It is always interesting hearing the men’s opinions of their officers. I do not think I heard any one spoken more highly of by the men of the Royal Fusiliers than young
Anstice. Over and over again during the subsequent weeks they would say to me: “You should have seen Mr. Anstice ! I reckon he deserves the V.C. if any one does. There was nothing he would not do for his men. Why, I saw him myself working like a nigger, and much harder than any of the men, carrying ammunition, water and rations, going about all up and down the line without a sign of fear. And we none of us thought he had it in him.But they never stop talking about him now. We are all changing our opinions about many people out here.”
8th –
Advanced to firing line this afternoon. Started to advance about 4 o’clock,
and dug in about a mile or more from the line. Had tea; had barely swallowed
it when we got orders to get into fighting order, and a few minutes later were
advancing in extended order. After we had gone a short distance the shrapnel
commenced to come, at first at irregular intervals, and then more steadily, I
kept near Edgar as long as possible, but by the time we had made a couple of
rushes we were all mixed up. The rifle fire got very warm after a while. We
were advancing in a sort of half circle, and were receiving fire on all sides
and rear. We advanced over several lines of trenches which had Ghurkas and
Tommies in them. Our men were going down everywhere, but we kept going. It was
nothing to take cover behind dead comrades, although such cover is only rom
sight of enemy, as a man won’t stop a bullet, but it’s wonderful what you’ll
cover behind when advancing. The machine gun fire was very hot. We never fired
a shot, even after passing the firing line, which half of us did not know was
the firing line. Lots of us were carrying picks and shovels to dig in with. We
lost a terrible number of men in the advance, and our artillery had to cease
fire for a while at the last, as we had advanced right into their fire zone
and were receiving some of their shells. There seem to be dead and wounded
Australians everywhere.
Diary entry of 8th May, Frederick Heatley SYMONDS (5th Battalion,
AIF), published in
"The Inglewood Advertiser" on
1st October 1915 - transcribed by Heather Ford, 2000.
Here and there in these cemeteries we saw primroses and other flowers which
beautify the English countrysize. Elsewere trees and plants from the homeland
were growing in the God’s Acres of this foreign soil. For example the grave
of Second-Lieut. E. Duckworth of the 6th Lancashire Fusiliers, 42nd
Division –“Killed 7th August, Vineyard”- was shadowed by an oak, now ten feet
high, which was brought from England and planted in Redoubt Cemetery by his
father in 1922.
"Gallipoli Revisited", (London 1934), W. E. Stanton Hope, p. 48
Today Second-Lieutenant Eric Duckworth is remembered on the Helles Memorial. His grave was in Redoubt cemetery though.
Gallipoli-August 5 1915
Dear Mother,
The British at Helles eventually concentrated their many cemeteries into six; as it happened, one of these had originally been established just behind the rearmost of the two Redoubt trenches dug by our 2nd Brigade in its famous advance, actually very near to M’Cay’s little headquarters. Hughes wrote to me in November 1919 that all the Australian remains had been discovered and were buried “practically where
Colonel Gartside was buried” (*) Only a few were identified as he was …Thursday, July 15. I first met W______ at 9a.m. at the R:F:’s and we went of to hunt for
Shafto’s grave. They had just had orders to move down to the beach. So when the regiment had started, we set off through the usual labyrinth of trenches, into the mule-track, and then along it till we saw a ruined house with a large fig-tree beside it, underneath which his grave was. It had a nice cross, and was elaborately decorated with shell cases. I said a few prayers.
This website has been prepared by
the first "hotel de charme" on the Gallipoli peninsula
Little enough did I think 12 months ago today that on the anniversary of
mobilisation I should be writing you from a hole in the Gallipoli Peninsula,
not having seen you for 10 ½ months, and to the tune of 75mm guns.
However you never know your luck, and I may see you in time to celebrate my 20th
birthday at home, but as things look at present, there is not much chance of
that.
Extract of a letter
by Eric Duckworth to his mother, transcribed from "Gallipoli, 1915 - Pens, Pencils
and cameras at war", (London 1985), Peter H. Liddle, p. 116