Peter and Elizabeth Pidgeon wrote: >I have the service file of one Richard Thomas COOKE. He was a member of the >23rd Battalion (3rd reinforcements). - and would later lose his life on the >Somme in 1916. The fate of many of the original 23rd Battalion, I'm afraid. Some 476 men of the 23rd were killed or wounded in just two weeks. >I would like some advice regarding interpreting some of his >service file please. > >Part of his file reads: > >Embarked at Melbourne per H.M.A.T. "Anchesis" on 26/8/15. I believe this to >be an error and should be ANCHISSES. Would anyone agree? Yes. One company of the 23rd travelled on the ill-fated Southland, which was torpedoed en route to Gallipoli. >16/10/1915 he was "taken on strength" at place - ANZAC - Is this Anzac >Cove - Gallipoli? Anzac meant the Cove and the Corps but also the entire position itself. That is what is meant here. The physical place where this occurred could have been on the beach but given the date more likely in one of the gullies. Ocean and Brighton Beaches were in use at this time as well as Anzac Cove. >The 23rd Battalion was already there. > >This is followed by > >10/1/1916 Nom Roll Disembarked ex Mudros ALEXANDRIA - Was this in Egypt? Yes. Alexandria was the main port in Egypt used by the forces at Gallipoli, and the main base of the expedition. Mudros was the forward port on the Greek Island of Lemnos.