The Helles Memorial is a

Commonwealth War Graves Commission The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) is an intergovernmental organisation of six independent member states whose principal function is to mark, record and maintain the graves and places of commemoration of Commonwealth of Nations m ...

war memorial near Sedd el Bahr, in

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula ...

, on the headland at the tip of the Gallipoli peninsula overlooking the

Dardanelles The Dardanelles (; tr, Çanakkale Boğazı, lit=Strait of Çanakkale, el, Δαρδανέλλια, translit=Dardanéllia), also known as the Strait of Gallipoli from the Gallipoli peninsula or from Classical Antiquity as the Hellespont (; ...

. It includes an obelisk which is over high. The memorial is the main

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...

battle memorial for the whole Gallipoli campaign, and also commemorates the 20,956 Commonwealth servicemen with no known grave who died in the campaign in 1915–1916, during the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

. The United Kingdom and Indian forces named on the memorial died in operations throughout the peninsula, with main landings at Cape Helles and

Suvla Bay View of Suvla from Battleship Hill Suvla () is a bay on the Aegean coast of the Gallipoli peninsula in European Turkey, south of the Gulf of Saros. On 6 August 1915, it was the site for the Landing at Suvla Bay by the British IX Corps as par ...

, and the

Australian and New Zealand Army Corps The Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) was a First World War army corps of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force. It was formed in Egypt in December 1914, and operated during the Gallipoli campaign. General William Birdwood com ...

fought mainly at ANZAC Cove. There are also panels for those who died or were

buried at sea Burial at sea is the disposal of human remains in the ocean, normally from a ship or boat. It is regularly performed by navies, and is done by private citizens in many countries. Burial-at-sea services are conducted at many different location ...

in Gallipoli waters. Other Commonwealth memorials to missing servicemen from the Gallipoli campaign include the Lone Pine Memorial, Hill 60 Memorial, Chunuk Bair Memorial, and Twelve Tree Copse Memorial. Naval casualties who were buried at sea are also commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial,

Plymouth Naval Memorial The Plymouth Naval Memorial is a war memorial in Plymouth, Devon, England which is dedicated to British and Commonwealth sailors who were lost in World War I and World War II with no known grave. History After World War I, the Royal Navy w ...

and

Chatham Naval Memorial Chatham Naval Memorial is a large obelisk situated in the town of Chatham, Kent, which is in the Medway Towns. The memorial is a feature of the Great Lines Heritage Park. The huge expanse of the Great Lines was in its own right a layer of defen ...

in the UK. French casualties are commemorated at the

Morto Bay French Cemetery Morto may refer to: Places * Mar Morto (sea), Portuguese name for Dead Sea in the Middle East * Boi Morto, a bairro in the District of Sede in the municipality of Santa Maria, in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul * Lago Morto, a lake in the ...

. The main Turkish memorial is the

Çanakkale Martyrs' Memorial The Çanakkale Martyrs' Memorial ( tr, Çanakkale Şehitleri Anıtı) is a war memorial commemorating the service of about 253,000 Turkish soldiers who participated at the Battle of Gallipoli, which took place from April 1915 to December 1915 dur ...

Notable people commemorated

Among those commemorated at the Helles Memorial are five

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previousl ...

recipients: *Major

Cuthbert Bromley Major Cuthbert Bromley VC (19 September 1878 – 13 August 1915) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth ...

*Lieutenant-Colonel

Sir John Milbanke, 10th Baronet Lieutenant-Colonel Sir John Peniston Milbanke, 10th Baronet, VC (9 October 1872 – 21 August 1915) was a British Army officer, and a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded ...

*Captain

Gerald Robert O'Sullivan Gerald Robert O'Sullivan VC ( ga, Gearóid Roibeard Ó Súilleabháin; 8 November 1888–21 August 1915) was an Irish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be ...

*Sergeant

Frank Edward Stubbs Frank Edward Stubbs (12 March 1888 – 25 April 1915) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. Stubbs ...

*Sub-Lieutenant

Arthur Walderne St Clair Tisdall Arthur Walderne St. Clair Tisdall VC (21 July 1890 – 6 May 1915) was a British recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth ...

Also four

rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In it ...

internationals: *Captain William Campbell Church (Scotland) *Captain

Arthur James Dingle Arthur "Mud" James Dingle (16 October 1891 – 22 August 1915) was a rugby union centre and wing, who won three caps for England, and played for County Durham, Hartlepool Rovers and Oxford University. He was born and raised in County Durham ...

(England) *Sergeant William Nanson (England) *Captain Eric Templeton Young (Scotland) And one

first-class cricket First-class cricket, along with List A cricket and Twenty20 cricket, is one of the highest-standard forms of cricket. A first-class match is one of three or more days' scheduled duration between two sides of eleven players each and is officiall ...

er: *Lieutenant James SutcliffeCWGC Casualty Record, James Sutcliffe
/ref>

References

{{Reflist
Helles Memorial
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Gallipoli Helles Memorial Tour
Commonwealth War Graves Commission memorials World War I memorials in Turkey Buildings and structures completed in 1924 1924 establishments in Turkey Buildings and structures in Çanakkale Province

Notable people commemorated

See also

References