Stores burning at Suvla during the early hours of 20 December 1915. Image courtesy Gallipoli Association.
- Brigadier-General John Monash on East Mudros records his final diary entry about the evacuation of Gallipoli:
There is little to add to the history – Brig. General Johnston (Chief of our artillery) has just landed from on board a destroyer to direct Naval fire in case we had been attacked. He relates that at 9 o’clock this morning and again at 12 noon the Turks opened a furious bombardment on our empty trenches, particularly at Lone Pine, The Apex, and Hill 60 (the last two being the ends of my portion of the line) so up till then they had not discovered our departure even though our destroyers had amused themselves all the morning shelling our beaches and hospitals (which have been left standing) with incendiary shells, so as to burn up the debris of wreckage which we had created, and deprive the Turks of anything of possible value to them.
This is the end of the story of Gallipoli, so far as the Army Corps is concerned, and now we turn our energies to gathering up our details from all over the Island, to sorting out Units, forming camps, refitting and standing by the next orders. What they will be no one knows. May be Helles or Salonika, or France or Cairo or the Canal.
- Lamaro Brothers Confectioners in Summer Street publish the following public notice in the Leader:
To the Public of Orange.
OWING to a mistaken idea as to our nationality, we now take the opportunity to inform our kind customers and the public of Orange, that we are Italians, and we have the honor and are proud to hoist the Allies’ flags. Thanking you for your kind support, and wishing all a Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year.
Yours faithfully,
LAMARO BROS.,
Summer St., Orange.
Image courtesy Leader
