A group of New Zealanders in Türkiye for the upcoming Anzac Day commemorations have re-buried battlefield remains at Gallipoli.
The human remains were unearthed when historic World War I trenches were exposed by wildfires last August.
Subsequent heavy rain had further disturbed the site near the Chunuk Bair memorial, a New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) spokesperson said.
Local authorities and Commonwealth War Graves Commission staff were consulted and a decision was made to cover them.
New Zealand commemoration lead John McLeod said a small team, including members of the NZDF and the NZ Embassy, assisted in the covering up of remains that were exposed.
“It was the right thing to do. We consulted with local authorities about best practice and with the utmost respect and honour, we covered up the remains, laid poppies and took a moment of silence for each of the remains.”
The group also recited a karakia and The Ode and played the Last Post, he added.
Visitors to Gallipoli are being told if they come across exposed remains, leave them or gently cover them up.
McLeod said that given the number of dead across the peninsula, attempting to remove the fragmentary remains of the dead from all sides would do more damage to the remains as well as destroy the battlefield and surrounding environment.
“The collective approach from all countries is to minimise the impact of ongoing human interference on the battlefield and respect it as the final resting place of so many men.
“After the battle of Chunuk Bair, it was impossible under battlefield conditions to recover or bury all of the dead.”
From August 1915 onwards, the area around the Apex, where the most recent remains were found, was occupied by New Zealand units along with British forces. The area was a place of significant fighting as the Ottoman forces attacked after having recaptured Chunuk Bair, he added.
“It’s important the public acknowledges the sacredness of what is essentially one large cemetery.
“There are dead from all sides, laying side by side, and the various memorials across the heritage site honour those who never made it home.”
McLeod said the small team was humbled to be able to honour the remains in the area in a small way, and it was “a very stark reminder” of what Anzac Day commemorations in the area mean to those who acknowledge it.
By Rachel Helyer Donaldson of rnz.co.nz
