Johnston's Jolly Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery
Encyclopedia
Johnston's Jolly Cemetery is a Commonwealth War Graves Commission
cemetery
containing the remains of some of the Allied troops who died during the Battle of Gallipoli
.
The battles at Gallipoli
were an eight month campaign fought by British Empire
and French
forces against the Ottoman Empire
in an attempt to force Turkey
out of the war and to open a supply route to Russia
through the Dardanelles
and the Black Sea
.
Johnston's Jolly was the north end of Plateau 400 in the ANZAC sector which was captured by the 2nd Australian Infantry Brigade on 25 April 1915, the day of the landing, but recaptured by Turkish forces the following day and remained under Turkish control for the rest of the campaign.
The Turkish name for the position was Kirmezi Sirt, Red Ridge, whilst the ANZAC troops called it Johnston's Jolly because it was opposite Colonel George Johnston
's field artillery position which would be used to "jolly up" the defending Turks.
The cemetery was constructed after the Armistice and populated with remains found on the surrounding battlefield. There is only one identified individual, although the nationalities of a few other graves are known and special memorials record the names of 36 Australian soldiers known to be buried in the cemetery.
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission is an intergovernmental organisation of six independent member states whose principal function is to mark, record and maintain the graves, and places of commemoration, of Commonwealth of Nations military service members who died in the two World Wars...
cemetery
Cemetery
A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
containing the remains of some of the Allied troops who died during the Battle of Gallipoli
Battle of Gallipoli
The Gallipoli Campaign, also known as the Dardanelles Campaign or the Battle of Gallipoli, took place at the peninsula of Gallipoli in the Ottoman Empire between 25 April 1915 and 9 January 1916, during the First World War...
.
The battles at Gallipoli
Battle of Gallipoli
The Gallipoli Campaign, also known as the Dardanelles Campaign or the Battle of Gallipoli, took place at the peninsula of Gallipoli in the Ottoman Empire between 25 April 1915 and 9 January 1916, during the First World War...
were an eight month campaign fought by British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
and French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
forces against the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
in an attempt to force Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
out of the war and to open a supply route to Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
through the Dardanelles
Dardanelles
The Dardanelles , formerly known as the Hellespont, is a narrow strait in northwestern Turkey connecting the Aegean Sea to the Sea of Marmara. It is one of the Turkish Straits, along with its counterpart the Bosphorus. It is located at approximately...
and the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
.
Johnston's Jolly was the north end of Plateau 400 in the ANZAC sector which was captured by the 2nd Australian Infantry Brigade on 25 April 1915, the day of the landing, but recaptured by Turkish forces the following day and remained under Turkish control for the rest of the campaign.
The Turkish name for the position was Kirmezi Sirt, Red Ridge, whilst the ANZAC troops called it Johnston's Jolly because it was opposite Colonel George Johnston
George Johnston (general)
Major General George Jameson Johnston CB, CMG, VD was an Australian Army general in World War I.-Early life and career:...
's field artillery position which would be used to "jolly up" the defending Turks.
The cemetery was constructed after the Armistice and populated with remains found on the surrounding battlefield. There is only one identified individual, although the nationalities of a few other graves are known and special memorials record the names of 36 Australian soldiers known to be buried in the cemetery.