This is probably the most unique and special lottery draw to be conducted by RSL Art Union since its inception. It is a known fact that the organization has been actively involved in bettering the lives of former servicemen and women of the Australian Defense Forces (ADF), who have been in action in various missions both locally and abroad, whenever they come back home and need to find a new bearing in their lives. It is therefore imperative to, once in a while; honor the gallant soldiers who have defended this country, using their very own lives, at any point in the history of this great country. And what better way to honor these brave men and women than dedicating a landmark lottery draw to mark 100 years since the Gallipoli landings, in the World War I, where Australian and New Zealand soldiers are said to have exhibited exceptional military exploits!
Therefore, it is in this backdrop that the RSL Art Union has decided to christen its draw number 325, the Gallipoli Draw, in order to coincide with the ANZAC Day that will be marking 100 years since the famous Gallipoli landings. It is due to the same reason that anybody who purchases a raffle ticket in RSL Draw 325 will automatically qualify for entry into a bonus draw whereby they are likely to win a momentous trip to Gallipoli to take part in the celebrations of the ANZAC Day which will be commemorating the unique legacy of over a century of service, by brave Australian servicemen and women. The bonus prize, which is worth $15,000, comprises of a Flight Center Voucher valued at $10,000 plus gold bullion worth $5,000.
Located at the much sought after address of 5054 Emerald Island Drive at Carrara QLD 4211, the First Prize of Draw 325 is a classy waterfront complex comprising of four elegant homes that come with a stylish stand-alone five-bedroom home that is about a third bigger in size as compared to an average Australian house, which prides itself with a private lift as well as a plunge pool. The property offers breath-taking waterfront views from not only the master bedroom but also from both the living and dining areas of all these newly RSL built houses. The winner of this incredible prize will have the option of selling the property tax-free and making a whopping $3,100,000.00 or renting it out and receiving one of the most impressive yearly incomes ever offered estimated at $165,880 annually. There is also an option of living in the chic stand-alone home and still enjoy an attractive income estimated at $122,200 annually from the three house portfolio.
The Gallipoli draw 325 will therefore, by all means, be one of a kind not only because of its connection with the ANZAC Day celebrations and commemoration of the rich legacy of the Australian Defense Forces, but also because the emotive sentiments that accompany the story of the Gallipoli landing, during the World War I, about 100 years ago. The battle of Gallipoli is famous in Australia because of the legendary exploits of the Australian forces who were in involved in this war. However, not very many young people know the whole story behind the Gallipoli Battle.
The story goes that, as a result of the entry of the Ottoman Empire into the World War I, Winston Churchill who was by then the First Lord of the Admiralty hatched a plan to invade the Dardanelles. Deploying the Royal Navy ships, Churchill believed, partially from inaccurate intelligence, that the channels could be forced, hence opening up the way for a direct attack on Constantinople. This plan was given the green light, which saw many of the Royal Navy's older battleships relocated to the Mediterranean. The assault against the Dardanelles commenced on February 19th, 1915, with the Royal Navy, under the command of Admiral Sir Sackville Carden, shelling Turkish defenses to no avail.
A second assault was launched on 25th the same month which was successful in forcing the Turks to retreat to their second defense line. Storming into the straits, the British Warships again bombarded the Turks on March 1st the same year, however heavy fire made it difficult for their minesweepers to clear the strait. After another attempt to clear the mines failed on the 13th of the same month, Admiral Sir Carden resigned. His replacement was Rear Admiral John de Robeck, who launched a considerable attack on the Turkish defense but failed resulting in two old British together with one French warships being sunk after they were struck by mines.
With the obvious failure of the naval assault, it gradually dawned on the allied leaders that they badly needed a ground force which could eliminate the Turkish armaments on the Gallipoli Peninsula which was in command of the channels. This mission was bestowed upon Sir Ian Hamilton together with the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force. In this command were the newly constituted Australia and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC), The Royal Naval Division, the 29th Division and the French Oriental Expeditionary Corps. There was laxity in the operation's security which saw the Turks spend a whole six weeks preparing for the anticipated attack.
Countering the allies was the Turkish 5th Army under the command of General Otto Liman Von Sanders. Hamilton's plot suggested landings to take place at Cape Helles, just near the Peninsula's tip, with the ANZAC projected to land further up the coast which is to the north of GABA Tepe. The 29th Division was to move north to capture the forts along the channels; The ANZACs were then to move across the Peninsula to block the retreat or the replenishment of the Turkish defenders. The first landings happened on April 25, 1915 but they were badly staged.
The war would rage on with the allied forces encountering stiff resistance and suffering massive casualties. The ANZACs faired on well even though they missed the beaches where they intended to land by about a mile. They were able to gain some foothold pushing inland from "Anzac Cove." Two days later, under the command of Mustafa Kemal tried to drive the ANZAC back into the sea, but the resolute defending from naval gunfire defeated the Turks. The ANZACSs were also able to win a rare victory at Lone Pine, even though their main attacks on Chunuk Bair and Hill 971 were a flop.
On August 21, Sir Hamilton made an attempt to revive the assault at Sulva Bay with offensives on Scimitar Hill as well as Hill 60. After this ended in a failure, the British leaders debated the future of the Gallipoli campaign. Hamilton was finally replaced by one Lt. General Sir Charles Monro who would commence the evacuation process with the last allied forces departing Gallipoli on January 9th 1916.
The Gallipoli assault cost the allies a whopping 141,113 soldiers while the Turks lost 195,000 of their fighters. The Gallipoli Battle proved to be the Turks' greatest victory of the war. The Gallipoli campaign's failure contributed to the collapse of Britain Prime Minister H.H Asquith's government while Winston Churchill was demoted. As for Australia and New Zealand, who had not previously been involved in any major conflict, the Gallipoli Battle proved to be a galvanizing national experience. It is due to the aftermath of the Gallipoli landings, that April 25 is normally celebrated as the ANZAC Day to mark the anniversary of the landings. This day is obviously the most significant day of military remembrance in both Australia and New Zealand. Therefore, the Gallipoli Draw 325 is in honor of the famous landings; a form of tribute to the gallant soldiers who lost their lives in the campaign 100 years ago.
