Studio portrait of Major General Sir William Bridges KCB CMG. Photographer: Alice Mills, Melbourne. (AWM A02867)

“Anyhow, I have commanded an Australian Division for nine months…”

We can only surmise as to the mental processes of Maj. General Bridges as he slipped in and out of consciousness. He may have remembered his life experiences and those closest to him, memories of time spent with his family and friends around Sydney’s foreshores, in particular his posting to Middle Head.

‘Anzac, the landing 1915’ by George Lambert, 1922 shows the landing at Anzac Cove, 25 April 1915. The painting depicts the Australian soldiers of the covering force (3rd Infantry Brigade) climbing the seaward slope of Plugge’s Plateau which overlooks the northern end of Anzac Cove. The view is to the north, towards the main range. The yellow pinnacle is “The Sphinx” and beyond is Walker’s Ridge which leads to Russell’s Top.

At nightfall on April 25, ANZAC Divisions clung hard onto ridges above the landing beach. Hopes of embarking on a grand adventure were fast evaporating. Marching through the streets of Constantinople, a disappearing dream. Maj. Gen. Bridges had to make a decision. To stay and fight or evacuate…

Valentine William Kelly — a slim, dark-haired draper from Victoria — was 25 when he signed up for the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) in July 1915. His parents James and Emily Kelly lived in Mosman at a house named “Alda” in Calypso Avenue.

Local philatelist Andrew Brockett recently came across some poignant postal covers that tell something of his story.

Many Mosmanites were “doing their bit” closer to home as members of the military, voluntary workers, entertainers and fund raisers.

One of the most prominent of these was Annie Alethea Evans who was widely known and referred to as simply Miss Evans. She was active in a number of voluntary capacities and as Commandant of the No 8 Mosman Red Cross Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD), established and ran the Anzac Buffet from late 1915.

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the dedication of the HMAS Sydney Memorial Mast at Bradleys Head, Mosman. The ceremony took place on 24 November 1934, attended by thousands who watched from land and sea.