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VK7AX > WIA 17.04.15 02:00l 54 Lines 2467 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 22380-VK7AX
Read: GUEST
Subj: [WIA-News] Gallipoli signallers provide battle links
Path: IW8PGT<IZ3LSV<ED1ZAC<VK2DOT<VK7AX
Sent: 150417/0047Z 22380@VK7AX.#ULV.TAS.AUS.OC [Ulverstone] $:22380-VK7AX
From: VK7AX@VK7AX.#ULV.TAS.AUS.OC
To : WIA@WW
Gallipoli signallers provide battle links
Date : 10 / 04 / 2015
Author : Jim Linton - VK3PC
As soon as the ANZACs landed at Gallipoli in Turkey on April the 25th 1915
the signallers, well-trained and proficient in Morse code signalling on flag,
lamp and heliograph (pictured right), as well as in map reading,
immediately began laying telephone lines.
The Australian and New Zealand Army Corp (ANZAC) did battle with Ottoman Empire
soldiers at Gallipoli during WWI. The ANZACs went on to fight on the western front.
Around the world radio amateurs are now marking the 100 years that have passed
since Gallipoli and WWI.
Writing in the FIST Down Under newsletter for April, Alan Gibbs VK6PG
said the signallers, identified by a right arm patch, by midnight that day
were at headquarters with working telephones and message-forms.
They were in contact with troop brigades.
However, at times movement was so quick that the phone network lines
could not keep up.
Alan VK6PG said many signallers were killed or injured when repairing lines,
and forced to show themselves as they relayed messages manually.
He said where it was not possible to lay landlines, visual signalling was used,
sometimes flags or sunlight by day, and Lucas Lamps at night.
It was always extremely dangerous to transmit towards the front of the battlefield,
as this would attract enemy rifle fire.
The article reports that in many cases, both Turkish and ANZAC phone wires
were in the same trench, along with many dead and wounded soldiers from both sides.
Amidst the enormous chaos of warfare, the signallers did a massive job in
keeping communications operational both in the field and with supporting
war ships nearby.
As radio amateurs begin to commemorate the heavy losses suffered during the
war 100 years ago, the Wireless Institute of Australia (WIA) has details of
its activity campaign online at www.wia.org.au The website has commemorative
stations throughout Australia, Belgium, New Zealand, Turkey, and elsewhere.
This includes ANZAC-suffixed callsigns in VK and ZL, AX-prefixed callsigns
in Australia, Belgium OP0PPYis at Polygon Wood, while Turkey has nine
TC100-prefixed commemorative stations.
(Sourced from the WIA Website)
http://www.wia.org.au/newsevents/news/2015/20150410-1/index.php
(Posted to the Packet Radio Network courtesy Tony VK7AX)
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