Anzac Reflections — Gallipoli missing
Recent research indicates that at least 16,000, possibly more than 17,000, NZ Expeditionary Force (NZEF) soldiers served at Gallipoli in the First World War (Wikipedia) in the period April — December 1915. During the entire War, the NZEF experienced a 58% casualty rate, one of the highest of any country’s forces in WW1. Given that New Zealand’s total population at the start of the War was just over one million, the country was hit hard by its losses. At Gallipoli, due to the extreme terrain and type of combat, 67% (1,862) of those killed were recorded as ‘missing’ (had no known grave). The New Zealand Memorial at Lone Pine — one of many features on the peninsula that was closely-contested by Anzac troops — has the names of 753 missing NZ soldiers recorded on it. There are four other memorials at Gallipoli dedicated to New Zealand Anzacs.
