| Place | Middle East: Ottoman Empire, Turkey, Dardanelles, Gallipoli |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | RELAWM07860 |
| Collection type | Heraldry |
| Object type | Heraldry |
| Physical description | Cotton |
| Maker |
Unknown |
| Date made | c 1915 |
| Conflict |
First World War, 1914-1918 |
Damaged signal flag from Gallipoli landing : 12th Battalion, AIF
Description
Square signalling flag divided diagonally blue over white. In small text near the far edge is written faintly in black ink 'ANZAC 1915'. The flag also shows elements of shrapnel damage
History / Summary
This signal flag was found at Gallipoli, near the body of a signaller of the 12th Battalion who was killed on the day of the landing. The flag was found by Sergeant Harold Henry Young, 8th Battalion AIF.
The 12th Battalion was raised within three weeks of the declaration of war in August 1914 and embarked just two months later. After a brief stop in Albany, Western Australia, the battalion proceeded to Egypt, arriving there in early December. With the other units of the 3rd Brigade, 12th Battalion was the covering force for the ANZAC landing on 25 April 1915 and so was the first ashore at around 4:30 am. The battalion was heavily involved in establishing and defending the front line of the ANZAC position and in August contributed two companies to the attack on Lone Pine. It was the only battalion in the brigade to do so. The 12th Battalion served at ANZAC until the evacuation in December.