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 Campaign), 5 April 1915.

Posted as missing in action, Gallipoli, 25 April 1915.

Mr Bodilly (father) wrote to Base Records, 28 November 1915: 'I am most anxious re my son being on the Missing List. No further information having been received. Seems hard to lose a son in this way & not the slightest information to hand. I know your hands has [sic

been full under such trying circumstances.' Base Records replied, 1 December 1915 that the list of POWs was being updated daily, and that it so far had listed 6 Officers and 54 Other Ranks as POWs.

Court of Enquiry, Erquingham, France, 24 April 1916, pronounces fate as 'Killed in Action, 25 April 1915'.

Mr Bodilly wrote to the Secretary, Department of Defence, 31 May 1916: 'I have received Nil concerning my son since his report of missing'. Base Records replied, 9 June 1916: 'I beg to state ere this the regrettable tidings of the demise of your son ... will have been conveyed to you ... I would add that when a soldier is reported missing, and cannot satisfactorily be accounted for a Court of Inquiry is held at a later date to collect all evidence of the case, and record an opinion as to whether it is reasonable to suppose the soldier is dead.'

Medals: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal