The Nek is a narrow saddle of land between the ANZAC trenches and the Turkish position at Baby 700, no wider than a couple of tennis courts. Its small size makes the tragedy that unfolded here in August 1915 all the more haunting.
For many visitors, especially Australians, The Nek is the place where the human cost of the campaign feels most concentrated and most personal.
The charge at The Nek
On 7 August 1915, waves of Australian light horsemen were ordered to charge across this tiny strip of open ground into entrenched machine guns. A supporting bombardment ended too early, the Turks were ready, and successive lines were cut down within metres of their own trenches.
The episode came to symbolise the futility of parts of the campaign and was depicted in the final scenes of the film Gallipoli.
Visiting The Nek
A small cemetery now occupies the ground where the charge took place, and standing on the spot it is hard to believe how little distance separated the opposing trenches. Guides use The Nek to explain how terrain, timing and command failures combined with terrible results.
It is a quiet, sobering stop, often the most reflective moment of a battlefield tour.
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