This article is about Baby 700 Cemetery, ANZAC and is one of a number of articles I have written about Gallipoli. I have also written guides to help you research soldiers who served in the British Army during the First World War:

• Guides to Gallipoli
• Guides to Researching Soldiers who Served with the British Army

Baby 700 Cemetery, ANZAC

The Baby 700 Cemetery, Gallipoli is named after the hill on which it is situated on the Sari Bair range between Russell’s Top and Battleship Hill. The hill was initially believed to be 700 feet (213 metres) in height, though in actual fact it was only 590 feet (180 metres). Baby 700 should have been occupied by the 3rd Australian Brigade on the opening day of the landing, but a strong Turkish counterattack drove ANZAC forces from the hill. Despite further attacks later in the campaign, Baby 700 was never reoccupied by ANZAC forces. The Baby 700 Cemetery was created after the war by concentrating graves found in the surrounding area. Unfortunately, due to the passage of time, only 43 of the 493 burials are identified. The Baby 700 Cemetery also contains ten special memorials to Australian soldiers who are believed to be buried there. Of the 43 identified casualties, the majority lost their lives in the opening week of the campaign.

One of the special memorials is to Sergeant Edric Doyle Kidson who was serving with the 12th Battalion, Australian Imperial Force when he was killed. Kidson was last seen on top of Baby 700 Cemetery and this fact is recorded in his epitaph ”Reached The Farthest Objective”. Notice how Kidson’s date of death is recorded as occurring between 25 and 28 April 1915. Due to the chaos of the landing, it was not always possible to ascertain when a soldier was killed, though Kidson almost certainly died on the 25 April 1915. You can read his service record by clicking here: Edric Doyle Kidson Service Record.Also commemorated by a special memorial at the Baby 700 Cemetery is Captain Joseph Peter Lalor, also of the 12th Battalion, Australian Imperial Force. Lalor was the grandson of Peter Lalor, who led Australia’s only armed revolt, the Eureka Rebellion. Lalor was a colourful character and had previously served in the French Foreign Legion and carried a family sword into battle, which was lost on the day of the landing. Lalor was killed as he rose to lead the men of the 12th Battalion in a charge, calling out ”Come on the 12th”. You can read Lalor’s service record online: Joseph Peter Lalor Service Record. Tragically, Joseph Lalor’s son, Peter Bernard Lalor, was killed in Italy during the Second World War and is buried in the Bari War Cemetery.