[CLOSED] Win a copy of Gallipoli: A Guide to New Zealand Battlefields and Memorials

Ian McGibbion: It does so by walking the visitor over the ground on which these sacrifices were made. When a visitor views the nature of the battlefield, whether the flat, open ground Leadley crossed at Cape Helles or the rugged terrain in which the Australians and New Zealanders fought most of the time at Anzac, he or she gets a better idea of the terrible predicament troops found themselves in at Gallipoli. In short, my book aids visitors to understand the battlefield, and the advantages the Ottomans held in occupying the higher ground.

Ian McGibbion: The needs of visitors, young or old, will depend on what transport they have. Those with a rental car can perhaps use someone like Kenan Celik as a guide, though he is at the upper end in terms of a fee. If they don't have a car, one of the tour companies listed will meet their needs. The disadvantage is that traveling with a group limits options to explore the battlefield. The operators listed specialize in taking people to the battlefield, and are no doubt well prepared for older visitors. Older people may have limited funds, in which case they might like to shop around to see who offers the best deal.

Ian McGibbion: A portion of the 500-strong Maori Contingent took part in the assault on the foothills that preceded the infantry attack on Chunuk Bair. Several platoons were allotted to the Wellington, Otago and Canterbury Mounted Rifles and they helped to capture important positions like Baucop's Hill and Table Top. Men later recalled hearing a resounding haka following the capture of the latter position. Others were involved in clearing the way up Chailak Dere, the main route to Chunuk Bair, for the infantry by removing obstacles under the direction of field engineers. Later the Maori Contingent moved up the hill and was based near the The Farm, below the summit of Chunuk Bair. After the Ottoman counterattack on 10 August, they operated near the position known as The Apex.

Ian McGibbion: It didn't really affect my opinion of the role of the armed forces today. But producing this guidebook, and the one on the Western Front, certainly increased my admiration for the men who formed the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in 1914-18. They faced situations that are almost inconceivable today, especially the high probability of becoming a casualty. Warfare has changed immeasurably since then, and we are unlikely to field large citizen-soldier forces again. The emphasis today is on professional forces to deal with a very different type of fighting. Extracts reproduced with permission from GALLIPOLI : A Guide to New Zealand Battlefields and Memorials by Ian McGibbon. Published by Penguin Group NZ. RRP $25.00. Text copyright © The Crown, 2004. Pg 62 Daisy Patch –Photograph copyright © The Crown 2004 Pg 99 Maori soldiers at Outpost No. 1. Part of the Maori Contingent helped capture the foothills on the night of 6–7 August. Photograph copyright © ATL, J. C. Read Collection, F-58101-1/4