1 May 1915

ANZAC - Colonel Mustafa Kemal, 19th Division, Turkish Fifth Army - Kemal decided to make a concerted push against the centre of the line on the night of 1 May. Shortly before the opening of the battle he called his commanders to his headquarters on Scrubby Knoll, on Third Ridge and addressed them with the following inspirational words.

Photograph: Portrait of Colonel Mustafa Kemal Bey, painted by Austria-Hungarian artist Wilhelm Victor Krauss.

"I am of the wholehearted opinion that we must finally drive the enemy opposing us into the sea if it means the death of us all. Our position compared to that of the enemy is not weak. The enemy's morale has been completely broken. He is ceaselessly digging to find himself a refuge. I simply cannot accept that there are amongst us and amongst the troops we command those who would not rather die here than experience a second chapter of Balkan disgrace. If you feel there are such people let us shoot them at once with our own hands."

SOURCES: IWM Documents Atatürk Transcript, p.13