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.

Reported wounded and missing, 25 April-2 May 1915.

Court of Enquiry, held in the field in France, 5 June 1916, declared fate to be 'Killed in Action, 25 April 1915'.

Statement, Red Cross File No 2690304O, 937 Pte G.T. LOWE, H Company, 7th Bn, 23 August 1916: 'Informant states casualty was a particular friend, he was called "Ossie" by the boys. He was 5 ft. 9, fair, clean shaven, he had a very square chin, slim build, and wirey. Casualty landed with informant from the transport "Galeka" from the same boat. All the boat party got safely ashore. We went together right round the beach to the right flank and then we went forward up a gully. On reaching the summit of the hill we deployed. I spoke to casualty at about 2 o'clock in the afternoon. This was the last I saw of him. I was wounded at 5 p.m. and sent to the beach and thence to Alexandria, in Egypt. I made enquiries but could find no information concerning casualty.'

Second statement, 897 Corporal H.A. CLARKSON, D Company, 7th Bn, 11 April 1916: 'The last time I saw 971 Private O. Tankard was on the 25th April 1915, the day of the landing on Gallipoli, about two miles inland and between the hours of 12 noon and 2 p.m. when he was advancing in a bayonet charge.'

Third statement, 940 Company Sergeant Major F. MacDonald, D Company, 7th Bn, 6 April 1916: 'Tankard was wounded at the landing. Witness who was himself wounded at the same time, did not see it happen, but when on board the Hospital Ship met Cpl. Clarkson of the same Battalion who told him that he had seen Tankard wounded, went to give him a drink from his water bottle but came to the conclusion that he was too far gone.'

Fourth statement, 6226 Pte J. BORELLA, 7th Bn (patient, Norfolk War Hospital, Norwich, England): 'O.J. Tankard was killed by rifle bullets, shot through the forehead at Lone Pine, Gallipoli.'