Geoff Harvey – Shell Green Ruse

GEOFF HARVEY

Shell Green Ruse

Acrylic on board

60 x 190cm

Under the dominance of the Sphinx on December 17^th 1915, just 2 days before the final evacuation of Gallipoli a cricket game was stage by the Aus. Light horsemen at Shell Green.  Its sole purpose was to reassure the Turks that it was business as usual in the allies’ camps. But as history has revealed it wasn’t.

The allies were busily withdrawing from their trenches and over 5 nights from 15^th to 20^th December most of the troops plus their supplies were silently and efficiently withdrawn. By the evening of the 20^th the Anzacs had successfully left Gallipoli with “hardly a casualty”.

It was by far the best planned & executed operation of the entire campaign. And the now famous cricket game played a pivotal role in this plan.