The British 29th Division made the main landings on 25 April on the toe of Cape Helles at five sites, named Y, X, W, V, and S Beaches; they were located in that order around the toe from west to east. Success of the plan hinged on the landings at W and V beaches on the tip of the toe and the rapid seizing of Krithia village (present day Alcitepe) and the dominating hill in the centre of the peninsula, Achi Baba (over 200 metres high). Turkish defenders in this whole southern sector amounted to 2,000 men.

The principal cemeteries and memorials of the Helles sector are easily accessible by travelling a road circuit from the village of Alitepe. They are listed below in the order encountered by travelling southwest from Alcitepe to Cape Helles.

Twelve Trees Copse Cemetry and NZ memorial is the first site reached on the southwestern road from Alcitepe. The cemetery is located on the site of a stand of pines where British soldiers established an artillery observation post shortly after the Helles landing. The cemetery contains 3,360 graves, including 12 Australians and 2,226 unidentified soldiers. The New Zealand Memorial next to the main memorial cross records the names of 179 New Zealand soldiers, most of whom died in May at the 2nd Battle of Krithia.

Y Beach is to the right of the road after Twelve Tree Copse. At Y Beach on 25 April 2,000 British soldiers landed unopposed. But the attacking force stalled and merely dug in rather than advance across the Turkish lines of communication. The British were attacked by an inferior Turkish force on 26 April and were evacuated. The area was recaptured two weeks later by land assault from the south.

Pink Farm Cemetery, named after the red soil of the area, is located on the site of a British forward supply base established during the advances towards Krithia. The cemetery contains 602 graves including that of a 16 year-old soldier of the Welsh Fusiliers who died two days before the evacuation.

X Beach is to the right of the road after Pink Farm but there are no signs marking the site. At X Beach British troops landed and scaled the cliffs without opposition or casualties. By early-afternoon three battalions were ashore but although they could see the landings at S Beach they did little for the next 24 hours but defend their small perimeter.

W Beach, lies on the western tip of the peninsula. On 25 April the 1st Lancashire Fusiliers battalion landed on X Beach and gained a foothold after bitter fighting. Their boats came under heavy fire from three entrenched Turkish platoons as they approached the shore and they had to penetrate barbed wire entanglements on the beaches. The 950-strong battalion suffered 533 casualties in the assault, 250 of whom were killed or missing. Six Victoria Crosses were awarded to soldiers of the battalion for this action and W beach was named 'Lancashire Landing'.

Lancashire Landing Cemetery is on the bluff above W beach. It contains the graves of 1,253 soldiers, including Australians and New Zealanders and other nationalities.

The Cape Helles Memorial is sited on a small hill near the southern tip of the peninsula. The imposing (33 metres high) cenotaph is a memorial both to the Gallipoli campaign and to the missing. The memorial is inscribed with the names of 20,763 men who died during the campaign on land and at sea and who have no known grave. It lists all the British ships and army formations and units which served during the campaign together with those of the AIF.
Please use the links below to continue .. from page 2.