Anzac Day 2023: Australians pay respects to fallen diggers at Anzac Cove, Gallipoli

Australians who traveled to Gallipoli for Anzac Day paid their respects to the soldiers who fought and died for their country at the historic site.

As the sun rose in Turkey, Australians remembered the brave diggers who landed at ‘Anzac Cove’ more than 100 years ago on April 25, 1915.

For most Australian soldiers, the battle was their first experience of combat – with 2,000 killed on the very first day of the war.

Many sleep on the site of the historic landing, despite there being no shelter

Those present were forced to wear warm clothes when they awoke at dawn to pay their respects

The historic landing was part of a larger campaign to seize the Gallipoli peninsula, but the military operation was a failure.

As Australian and New Zealand soldiers tried to navigate the rugged terrain in the dark, they were subjected to devastating artillery bombardment.

What would eventually turn out was an eight-month stalemate, with soldiers barely moving from the positions they had reached on the first night in Gallipoli.

By the end of the First World War, more than 60,000 Australians had been killed and 105,000 wounded, gassed or captured.

Those who paid their respects in Gallipoli gathered to remember those who had lost their lives

The landing at the renamed Anzac Cove was a military disaster, with 2,000 killed during the first day of battle

The Gallipoli Campaign of 1915 defined Australia’s identity, with 8,700 Australians losing their lives in a battle that still tugs at the heart 100 years later.

As the sun rose over Anzac Cove, Australians who had flown to Instanbul woke up at dawn to pay their respects to those who had served in the war.

Emotions were high as people awoke from their makeshift beds, with many seen bundled up in layers of warm clothing to keep out the cold.

Back in Australia, thousands flocked to emotional morning services across the country before hitting the pub for a schooner and a game of two-up.

Anthony Albanese led a service in Canberra, his first as Prime Minister, while state and territory leaders attended morning services in Australia’s capitals.

By the end of World War I, over 60,000 Australians had been killed and 105,000 wounded, gassed or captured

Those paying their respects in Gallipoli awoke at dawn for an emotional service

Many flocked to the waterfront of Currumbin on Queensland’s Gold Coast, where attendees of all ages observed a minute’s silence as the Last Post was played.

After getting up early, many went to their local pub for a game of two-up.

Australian soldiers regularly played the toss bet in trenches and on troopships during World War I, after it was originally played by immigrants and convicts in the goldfields of the 1850s.

The game involves a designated ‘spinner’ throwing two coins or pennies into the air as players bet on whether the coins will land heads or tails.

Services will also be held on the occasion of Anzac Day in France and Papua New Guinea.