The AIF Project

The Lone Pine Memorial, situated in the Lone Pine Cemetery at Anzac, is the main Australian Memorial on Gallipoli, and one of four memorials to men of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. Designed by Sir John Burnet, the principal architect of the Gallipoli cemeteries, it is a thick tapering pylon 14.3 metres high on a square base 12.98 metres wide. It is constructed from limestone mined at Ilgardere in Turkey.

The Memorial commemorates the 3268 Australians and 456 New Zealanders who have no known grave and the 960 Australians and 252 New Zealanders who were buried at sea after evacuation through wounds or disease. The names of New Zealanders commemorated are inscribed on stone panels mounted on the south and north sides of the pylon, while those of the Australians are listed on a long wall of panels in front of the pylon and to either side. Names are arranged by unit and rank.

The Memorial stands over the centre of the Turkish trenches and tunnels which were the scene of heavy fighting during the August offensive. Most cemeteries on Gallipoli contain relatively few marked graves, and the majority of Australians killed on Gallipoli are commemorated here.

War service: Egypt, Gallipoli

Embarked Alexandria to join the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force (Gallipoli Campaign), 2 March 1915.

Wounded in action, Dardanelles, between 25 April 1915, and 28 April 1915.

No trace of Private Ballard found in England, and now, 20 November 1915, posted as 'Wounded and Missing, Anzac, between 25 April 1915, and 28 April 1915'.

Court of Enquiry, France, 5 June 1916, pronounces fate as 'Killed in Action, Anzac, 25 April 1915'.

Statement, Red Cross File No 0210803E, 545 Lance corporal H.C. PITCHER, 12th Bn (patient, Ghain Tuffieha, Malta), 17 February 1916: 'On April 25 shortly after they landed at Anzac, he got shot in the the mouth at the foot of Shrapnel Gully where there would have been no chance of his falling ito the hands of the Turks. Informant believes he was in hospital in Manchester.'

Second statement, 250 Pte E.W.S. LUCAS, B Company, 12th Bn (patient, All Saints Hospital, Malta), 19 January 1916: 'He was badly wounded the first day. He had been court martialled and had had his stripes taken away. He had been at Sandhurst and in India. He is now in England, and witnss heard he had received a commission. He knew him well; was in D Coy and joined in Western Australia.'

Third statement, 531 Pte BROWN, A Company, 12th Bn (patient, Ras el Tin Convalescent Home, Alexandria), 1 April 1916: 'Witness was originally in C. Coy to which Percy Ballard belonged. Ballard enlisted in September 1914 at Morphetville, South Australia, and having been in the army before, he became a Sgt straight away. He lost his rank, however, in January 1915. He was wounded in the face on April 25th and witness both saw and spoke to him after he had been wounded. He did not appear to be badly wounded. Witness never saw him again, though he hear a report that he had gone to England.'