On this day on Lemnos, 109 years ago, over 200 ships, the largest armada in the history of the world at that time, set sail for the landing at Gallipoli.
This day is beautifully described by John Masefield below.
“On Friday, April 23, the weather cleared so that work could begin. The land of Lemnos was beautiful with flowers at that time, in the short Aegean spring, and towards the sea always, in the bay were the ships, more ships – they looked like half the ships in the world.
Now, throughout this city of ships which was so bustling with the passing patrols and noisy with the labor of men, the hoisting of the anchors began. One ship after another, full of soldiers, slowly left the harbor in the beautiful day and felt the swell of the sea again. Such an assembly of fine ships was never seen in this land, and the beauty and exultation of the youth upon them made them look like holy things as they sailed away. All the thousands of men who were abroad gathered on deck to see them, until every handrail was suffocating.
These men had come from all parts of the British world – from Africa, Australia/Canada, India, the Motherland, New Zealand and from remote islands in the sea. They had bid farewell to their country that they might give their lives to the cause we espoused—and, as they departed, all they felt was a joy of exultation that their youthful courage was about to be used.
They marched like kings on a parade to impending death. As they passed from anchorage to anchorage of warships on their way to sea, they cheered and cheered until the harbor resounded with cheers. As each ship, full of soldiers, approached the ships of war, the men waved their hats and cheered again, and the sailors responded, and the noise of the cheering grew, and the men in the ships that had not yet moved joined in, and the men ashore , until all life in the harbor was thankful that she could go to death happy. Everything was beautiful in the joy of the people who were about to die, but what was most touching was the greatness of their generous hearts.”
Source: Lemnos1915
