The AIF Project

The Lone Pine Memorial, situated in the Lone Pine Cemetery at Anzac, is the main Australian Memorial on Gallipoli, and one of four memorials to men of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. Designed by Sir John Burnet, the principal architect of the Gallipoli cemeteries, it is a thick tapering pylon 14.3 metres high on a square base 12.98 metres wide. It is constructed from limestone mined at Ilgardere in Turkey.

The Memorial commemorates the 3268 Australians and 456 New Zealanders who have no known grave and the 960 Australians and 252 New Zealanders who were buried at sea after evacuation through wounds or disease. The names of New Zealanders commemorated are inscribed on stone panels mounted on the south and north sides of the pylon, while those of the Australians are listed on a long wall of panels in front of the pylon and to either side. Names are arranged by unit and rank.

The Memorial stands over the centre of the Turkish trenches and tunnels which were the scene of heavy fighting during the August offensive. Most cemeteries on Gallipoli contain relatively few marked graves, and the majority of Australians killed on Gallipoli are commemorated here.

War service: Egypt, Gallipoli

Embarked Alexandria to join the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force, Gallipoli, 3 March 1915.

Admitted (diarrhoea) to 4th Field Ambulance, Gallipoli, 7 June 1915; rejoined unit, Gallipoli, 7 June 1915.

Reported missing, Gallipoli, 8 August 1915.

Court of Inquiry held at Sailly, 22 April 1916, pronounced fate as 'killed in action, German Officers Trench, Gallipoli, 6 August 1915'.

Statement, Red Cross File No 1141004B, 209 Corporal W. CRIDLAND, 1st Field Company Engineers (patient, No 2 Australian General Hospital, Cairo), 1 February 1916; 'Witness and Gatty were in the same coy. Gatty went out in a charge on the German Officer's trwench early in Ausgust and was killed. His body was seen by the men of his coy on the parapet of the German Officer's trench. It could not be recovered. Witness said that he and Gatty were always together, very good friends. Gatty was only a lad. He was very popular with his mates.'

Second statement, Corporal M. MASTERS, Field Company Engineers (patient, Luna Park Hospital, Heliopolis), 26 January 1916): I knew Gatty, and thnk he was a Tasmanian. He was about 18. He said he wanted some of the fun, and went out with an infantry section, going out from Steel's Post to the German Officers' trench. He said he was going to see his father, and was going to have a go himself. Some of our chaps said they could see his body lying in front of our trenches; they could distinguish his purple badge. There were some 200 of our chaps lying there and no hope of getting them in. I never heard anything more asbout him. I helped to make the cross on the beach, which was put up to commemorate fallen comrades, and which appeared in the "Sydney Mail" of 1.12.15, and I suggested Gatty's name should be added, but we could get no official authority for doing so.'

Third statement, 863/333 Sapper J.G. HIRCOLL, 1st Field Company Engineers (patient, 4th Australian General Hospital, Randwick, New South Wales), 6 June 1916: 'Early in august, a party of the 1st Field Coy. were ordered to take part in an attack against the German Officers' trench. Gatty at that time was engaged in parapet work, and a few minutes before the attack began, Gatty came up to the party and said he wanted to join in as "they had all the fun". Informant and others tried to dissuae him, but he joined in the charge. Next day Informant saw his body lying in front of the trench. Gatty was young (about 18), medium height, stout build, fair complexion.'