Tree planting ceremony proposed to mark Gallipoli

Cllr Mark Baxter made the proposal at the ABC Council’s monthly meeting, suggesting a tree planting ceremony in remembrance of those from the borough who died at Gallipoli.

He said, “The Great War had many infamous and bloody battles and I suppose, being from this part of the world, we think mainly of the battle of the Somme - and rightly so, as the 36th Ulster division suffered great loss and many of us can trace relatives back to that part of our history. Looking back, though, we can also see that the battle on the Turkish peninsula - which went on from April 1915 until the following January - saw the loss of 25,000 British and Irish soldiers. Approximately 46,000 allies fell there - the greatest loss of life for Australian and New Zealand forces.

“Many from this borough lost their lives there, which must have seemed like the other side of the world 100 years ago. One local man, PTE Joseph King, from Maralin and lived in Donacloney, was killed in action on 21st August 1915, and his brother, I believe was also killed at the Somme the following year. Such harrowing times for them and the families they left behind - I feel it’s very fitting that all these people, to whom we owe such a great debt, are remembered by the Council.”