Selected by Diana Manipud, Archives Assistant

This is a trench diagram which illustrates ANZAC positions as well as identifying Turkish trenches at Gallipoli dated 6th October 1915, from the papers of Lt Gen Sir John Brown who served during the Gallipoli campaign.

I find this diagram interesting as there are a number of battlefield features with intriguing names.  Many of the areas appear to have been given descriptive names for obvious reasons such as ‘Shrapnel Valley’, ‘Shell Green’, ‘Mortar Ridge’, and the ‘Valley of Despair’. Numerous features on the map also have quite imaginative names such as ‘Lone Pine’, ‘Scrubby Knoll’ and ‘Johnston’s Jolly’.  It would be fascinating to find out more about the possible reasons and significance behind some of the names.

Ref: Brown, Lt Gen Sir John