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, 5 April 1915.

Wounded in action, 25 April 1915 (injury not stated); admitted to No 1 General Hospital, Heliopolis, Egypt, 30 April 1915 (gun shot wound, shoulder); transferred to Convalescent Camp, Helouan, 2 June 1915; discharged to Base Details ('fit for duty'), 8 June 1915.

Embarked Alexandria for Gallipoli, 19 June 1915; rejoined Bn, Gallipoli, 22 June 1915.

Reported missing, 7 August 1915.

Statement, Red Cross File No 2390603N, 1956 Pte J.W. HAYWARD, 4th Bn (patient, 1st Canadian General Hospital, Etaples, France), 1 August 1916: 'He was killed by a Machine Gun going across at Lone Pine. Hec was in the 1st. Line. I saw him shot.'

Second statement, 52 Sergeant R.S. DUTTON, B Company, 6th Bn (patient. HS 'Mohens'), 4 August 1916: 'On Anzac we went out to attack the German Officers trench at night and Ryan was with us. We were told it was lightly held, but we never reached the trench, and were obliged to retire, leaving a large number of dead in "no man's land". It was impossible for any prisoners of war to be taken, nor could the wounded or dead be rescued. Ryan never returned and I am convinced he was killed.'

Third statement, 57 Pte R.G. WEBSTER, 6th Bn, 31 January 1916: '... about the 1st August he went away sick to hospital for about ten days, and on August 8th, the battalion made a charge on the enemy's trenches, (that is the German Officers' Trench) and the casualty took the place of informant and led the section in the charge, which however, was not successful. At roll call, the casualty did not answer his name, and the following day did not bring any news of him. Informant returned to the trenches and was unable to find him.'

Court of Enquiry, held at Erquingham, France, 24 April 1916, declared fate to be 'killed in action, 7 August 1915'.