Susan and Glenn Sorko have spent the past six years living in Osoyoos. Susan Sorko’s grandfather Walter Henry West left his home in Australia as a young man to fight for his country in the famous battle at Gallipoli near Turkey during the First World War. This Saturday, April 25 will mark the 100th anniversary of the beginning of one of the bloodiest battles in Europe during the war. Sorko is seen holding a book about her grandfather’s heroic life published by her sister several years ago. (Keith Lacey photo)
Susan and Glenn Sorko will be filled with emotion on Saturday as the 100th anniversary of the landing on Gallipoli is remembered around the world.
Susan’s grandfather, Walter Henry West, was a young Australian soldier who participated in the raid, which to this day stands as the greatest loss of human life in the history of Australia and New Zealand.
April 25 will mark the 100th anniversary of the landing on Gallipoli in 2015.
Susan Sorko was born and raised in Australia. She met her husband while living in Vancouver and they have been married for 28 years. Susan moved from Australia to Vancouver just over 42 years ago.
They moved to Osoyoos to retire six years ago.
In Australia, the ceremony being organized to commemorate the landing on Gallipoli is called Anzac Day. Ceremonies will be held in towns and cities across Australia and around the world to acknowledge the service of Australian veterans.
The Gallipoli campaign took place between April and December of 1915 in an effort to take the Dardanelles from the Turkish Ottoman Empire – an ally of Germany and Austria during the First World War.
Over 33,000 allied and 86,000 Turkish troops died in the eight-month campaign, which achieved none of its objectives, said Sorko.
“A total of 8,709 brave young Australian men lost their lives through action, wounds or disease,” she said. “Fortunately, my grandfather wasn’t one of them … but he did lose a lot of his good friends and fellow soldiers and his life was forever altered because of his participation of Gallipoli.”
The Gallipoli peninsula is located in Turkish Thrace, the European portion of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles’ straits to the east.
“To mark this most important anniversary, a dawn service will be held in Gallipoli at 5:30 a.m. on April 25 with more than 10,000 people in attendance,” she said. “There were so many Australian residents that wanted to attend that they had to hold a national lottery.”
West’s daughter Geraldine West (Palmasino), who is Susan Sorko’s aunt, will be the only family representative taking part in this Saturday’s ceremony, she said.
Her grandfather was 25 years of age when he enlisted and joined the 4th Brigade, 15th Battalion and departed from Australia on board the Ceramic.
The landing on Gallipoli peninsula took place at dawn on April 25, 1915 and West was in the second boat to land on the shore, she said.
In less than one day 16,000 men had landed. By nightfall, more than 2,000 had been killed or wounded.
Her grandfather suffered a bullet wound to one of his hands not long after arriving and was sent to a field hospital to recover.
After healing, he returned to the front lines, she said.
‘My grandfather was there for eight long months and didn’t suffer any more injuries after his hand injury,” she said. “But after Gallipoli, he moved on to France to continue fighting and ended up losing his left eye.”
Sorko and her husband made the visit to Gallipoli last September.
“I just had to go,” she said. “I had read and heard so much about my grandfather and I knew I had to visit this place before I died. It was a very emotional trip and I’m very glad I went.”
After returning to Australia after the war, her grandfather settled on a homestead provided by the federal government in a town called Cobar in New South Wales and ended up marrying Ruby Maud Murphy and raising eight children.
He lived until age 85 and died in Sydney, Australia.
Sorko’s sister Patricia, who still lives in Australia, has written a portrait about her grandfather called “The Story of David West” that several generations of family members have read proudly over the past five years, she said.
Glenn Sorko travelled across Australia last year with his nephew and learned a lot about his wife’s grandfather and his proud military history.
Susan Sorko said the massive loss of Australian life at Gallipoli is still difficult to digest and she’s pleased that the Australian education system continues to educate young people about this terrible tragedy and how many lives were lost.
She remains “exceptionally proud of my grandfather” and his contributions on the battlefield and as a loving family man.
“I’m obviously very proud of what he accomplished in his life,” she said. “War is very difficult and far too many young people lose their lives, but my grandfather was fortunate to get out of that horrible battle alive and went on to live a long and productive life.
“I’m looking forward to honouring him and all those Aussies who died in that battle on April 25.”
KEITH LACEY
Osoyoos Times
Henry West is pictured with his wife Ruby Maud Murphy. (Photo supplied)
