While still training in the Egyptian desert late in 1914, the 1^st Australian Division and the New Zealand and Australian Division (NZ and A Division) (which later included the 1^st Light Horse Brigade) were formed into the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC), under the command of Lieutenant General William R (Field Marshal, the Lord) Birdwood.⁴⁹ Together with British troops, the ANZAC forces had been kept in Egypt because of unsuitable training facilities in England and, later, to help protect the Suez Canal, following Turkey’s entry into the war in October 1914.

In the face of lack of progress on the Western Front in late 1914, the British War Council suggested that Germany could best be defeated by attacks on her weaker allies, Austria-Hungary and Turkey. Initially, the attack on Turkey was to be a naval operation but, after abortive naval attempts to force the Dardanelles in February and March, the British Cabinet agreed that land forces could be used.⁵⁰ The ANZACS, together with British formations, landed north of Gaba Tepe (the landing area later known as Anzac Cove) and at Cape Helles on the Gallipoli Peninsula. They were to capture the Turkish forts commanding the narrow straits and force open the way to the Turkish capital, Constantinople.⁵¹ French forces attacked the Turkish positions on the Asia Minor side of the Dardanelles. Later reinforcements included the dismounted Australian Light Horse and New Zealand Mounted Brigades at Anzac Cove ⁵² and another British corps at Suvla Bay.⁵³

The campaign was an heroic but costly failure. In December, it was decided to evacuate the entire force from Gallipoli.⁵⁴ On 19 and 20 December, the evacuation of Anzac and Suvla was completed with the last British troops leaving Cape Helles by 8 January 1916. The entire operation evacuated 142,000 men with negligible casualties.⁵⁵ Australian casualties for the campaign were 26,111, comprising 1007 officers and 25,104 other ranks. Of these, 362 officers and 7779 men were killed in action, died of wounds or succumbed to disease.⁵⁶ Nine Victoria Crosses were won by soldiers in Australian units.

While a failure, Gallipoli became a household word in Australia and with it the ANZAC tradition was created. Gallipoli became the common tie forged in adversity that bound the colonies and people of Australia into a nation: a nation that still commemorates the 25^th of April as ANZAC Day, when the sacrifices of all Australian and New Zealand servicemen and women in all conflicts are remembered.⁵⁷