Quote:
Originally Posted by RNeil
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I do not agree with Glyn Harper’s comment that— “Billy Beck was the first New Zealander of Godley's force (there were New Zealanders serving in the Australian Division) to get on to Gallipoli”
Instead I would suggest that Lieutenant-Colonel Edmund Robert Bowler was the first New Zealand soldier to land on Gallipoli.
Lieutenant-Colonel Bowler’s appointment as one of four Beach Landing Officers (BLO), placed Bowler as responsible for the No. 1 section, the northern-most section of the beach, this would place Bowler on the beach at least two to four hours before Beck landed.
Wikipedia mentions that— “On 1 August Beck was transferred to duty in Alexandria never to return to Gallipoli”
It is worth mentioning that in 1915 the New Zealand Ordnance Department Depot, and the New Zealand Advanced Base Post Office shared a building at No. 12 Rue de la, Porte Rosette in Alexandria (Egypt).
The following picture shows a New Zealand army ordnance store in England, staffed by members of the NZFA ‘transferred from the artillery into the NZAOC.’
