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 missing, 7-12 August 1915.

Court of Enquiry, held in the field in France, 5 June 1916, declared fate to be 'Killed in Action, 7-12 August 1915.

Statement, Red Cross File No 01204029, 1315 Pte W. CHANDLER, B Company, 3rd Bn (patient, No 4 Australian General Hospital, Randwick), 28 June 1916: 'On the 6th August at Lone Pine, Informant started out alongside Archer in a charge. Before reaching the first Turkish Trench, Archer was hit and Informant saw him fall. He was not seen again alive. Archer was tall, young, dark, slight build, and Informant believes a baker by trade.'

Second statement, 2419 Pte E. PRINCE, 3rd Bn (patient, No 4 Australian General Hospital, Randwick), 28 June 1916: 'On 6th August at Lone Pine, Informant and Archer started off in a charge side-by-side. Informant was hit almost at once, but later on was informed by Private MacNamara, 3rd Rfcts., 3rd Battalion, that Archer had been killed in the charge.'

Third statement, 13003 Pte J. BELL, 3rd Bn, 11 May 1916: 'Witness states that he saw Archer lying dead at Lone Pine on 7th August about 8 a.m. Shot in the chest. Was next morning after the charge as witness was going down to the dressing-room that he saw Archer lying dead. Knew him well, was in same Platoon and knew his No. Archer used to get paid just before witness. Archer was young, had a fat-oval face, about 5 ft. 8 or 5 ft. 9, dark, dark hair.'

Fourth statement, Sergeant Major A.G. EDWARDS DCM, Legion d'Honneur, D Company, 3rd Bn, 22 April 1916: 'Witness says that Archer was attached to his coy in the charge at Lone Pine, about 5.30 p.m. on Friday 6th August. He got pretty well nearly up to the Turks' trenches but was killed by shell fire just beyond the crater. He was buried, witness thinks, by the Connaught Rangers, or by some of the reinforcements of his own regiment.'

Fifth statement, 1175 Corporal H.A. SMYTHE, A Company, 3rd Bn, 10 April 1916: 'Witness said Archer was not missing in Aug. Witness saw him continually from Aug 15 to Sept 15. On the latter date witness came away sick and knew nothing further about Archer, who was quite well when last seen by him ... Witness knew him very well, and was sure of his number. They were in the same company.'

Sixth statement, 1088 Sergeant Major A.G. EDWARDS, B Company, 3rd Bn, 17 February (?) 1916: 'Killed in charge Aug. 6th. Is buried in Brown's Dip. A service was read over a lot of them "en masse" by the Dean of ---? It is informant's business to see to the burying of the dead.'