The Nek

The Nek: A Battlefield of Tragic Bravery

Location: Gallipoli Peninsula, Turkey
Site of one of the most devastating and futile battles of the Gallipoli Campaign

The Battle of the Nek (August 7, 1915)

• The Nek was a narrow ridgeline where Australian & New Zealand trenches faced Ottoman trenches at close range.
• ANZAC troops launched a bayonet charge against the Turkish defenses as part of a coordinated attack.
• A failed bombardment left the Turkish forces untouched and fully prepared for the assault.
• The result was a massacre—most Australian troops were cut down before reaching the enemy lines.

A Tragic & Futile Assault

• The attack was part of the larger August Offensive, intended to break the deadlock at Gallipoli.
• The first waves of ANZAC troops were mowed down by Ottoman machine guns & rifle fire.
• Despite witnessing the carnage, commanders ordered two more waves of attack—resulting in further slaughter.
• Of the 600 ANZAC troops involved, over 370 were killed or wounded in just a few minutes.

Why Visit The Nek?

• Pay tribute to the ANZAC soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice.
• Walk the battlefield where one of Gallipoli’s most tragic charges took place.
• Understand the courage and futility of World War I trench warfare.

The Nek stands as a solemn reminder of the heavy cost of war, where bravery met with tragedy on the bloodstained slopes of Gallipoli.