A CHRISTMAS MIRACLE - THE EVACUATION

This Christmas we remember the Gallipoli Evacuation from Anzac Cove; the ANZAC evacuation concluded just before Christmas on 20 December 1915.

The Anzac evacuation of Gallipoli in late December 1915 was something of a Christmas miracle, with barely a casualty. The operation was staggered over three stages. In the first stage, men and equipment were removed in a similar fashion to winter preparations.

The second stage saw troop numbers significantly reduced, leaving enough soldiers to hold off a major Turkish attack for only a week. By early December there were more than 50,000 men at Suvla and more than 41,000 at Anzac.  By 18 December, the last phase of the withdrawal, only around 19,500 men remained on these two fronts.  

The final evacuation, the third stage, took place over the two nights from 18–20 December 1915. The last group of Australians left Anzac just after 4:00am on the morning of 20 December 1915, with the last boats leaving Suvla at around 5:00am.  

Systematic deception was used throughout the evacuation of Gallipoli. A delayed action device or drip rifle was invented by Aussie soldier Lance Corporal William Charles Scurry (later Captain W C Scurry MC DCM) of the 7th Battalion for this purpose. This device fired a rifle by means of weights operated through water escaping from one tin into another. A rifle could be left to operate 20 minutes after the device was set. Six rifles were left by 3rd Brigade AIF to fire following the departure of the last party (AWM G01291).