03/07/2026
One place we nearly always visit on my tours is the hilltop HQ of Field Marshal Liman von Sanders outside the town of Bolyair (Bulair in English). During the Crimean War this was the staging area of the French and British forces that came to the aid of the Ottomans. The Bulair Line comprised of three forts. The central or Merkez Fort was later strengthened under the rule of Abdul Hamid the 2nd. But it's local history goes further into history. In 1354 the Byzantine (or Eastern Romans) were under pressure from the Serbians attacking through Thrace. To save Constantinople they employed the rising Ottomans to face off with them. An Ottoman prince landed on the European side and met with the Byzantines and made a deal. Constantinople was spared but the Ottomans from this day forth had never left Europe.
Back to WW1............1915
It was believed that von Sanders was sure that when the much publicised invasion of Turkey would take place on the beaches of the Gulf of Saros. The hilltop provided a strategic view of both the Aegean Sea and of the Dardanelles.
On the night before the landings at Helles and Anzac. They employed the services of 'world renowned' long distance swimmer Bernie Freyberg. He stripped naked and lathered himself with grease and proceeded to swim over 2 miles to the Bulair shoreline. He was in possession of a bag full off skyrockets, grenades, and flairs. He ran up and down the beach, a one-man invasion force. When he had used all of his goodies he slipped back into the ocean and was only by luck picked up around 2 miles out at sea. Did he succeed in fooling the old German? Not sure, but he did earn a VC for the action.
The Crimean period fortress is the only one in Turkey that does not face directly out to sea. In 1915 there were no shots fired in anger here. It's always a great place to begin any Gallipoli story and visit. We visit the tired and aged gun emplacements and always do the subterranean walk into the tunnels that divided the gun emplacements, their shelter.
It's also a great place to talk about the ill-fated AE2 which lies north of the entrance to the Dardanelles.
Not many people who come to visit us at Gallipoli get this unique opportunity.
