New chapter for Kiwi heroes of Gallipoli

Richard Stowers.

Stories of bravery to be published a century on from two of the most important battles.

When Richard Stowers published his first book about the Gallipoli campaign in 2005 he knew he had more to say.

He decided to follow up Bloody Gallipoli with a book focusing solely on New Zealand's Anzac heroes, timing the release with the centenary of the 2015 landings.

Heroes of Gallipoli: The Gallantry of New Zealanders on Gallipoli will be released in August to coincide with two of the most significant battles our Anzac troops faced during the eight-month campaign - Chunuk Bair and Hill 60.

Stowers' book details the bravery and distinguished service of men and women of the 1st echelon of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force during the campaign.

He was inspired to write the book due to a "disparity" between gallantry awards issued by Australia and New Zealand to servicemen. Just one New Zealand Anzac was awarded the Victoria Cross - Cyril Bassett - compared with Australia's nine.

"Our casualties were roughly in the same proportion, yet when it came to hand out awards it didn't seem so," Stowers told the Herald.

"We were denied gallantry awards by Lieutenant-General Alexander Godley. He actually expected the officers to perform gallantly as a matter of course and didn't think they had to be rewarded."

Stowers hopes his new book will reveal the real heroes of Gallipoli.

Bloody Gallipoli has become known as one of the most comprehensive and accurate accounts of the campaign. Stowers hopes Heroes of Gallipoli will be seen in the same light.

The Hamilton man is a graphic designer by trade but his interest in history, especially military history, was behind his foray into writing.

"I am really interested in the personal stories of the individual soldiers, where they are talking about their experiences," he said.

"Every excitement, success, frustration, relationship, tragedy - all the moments of war and peace."

Stowers has been to Gallipoli a few times and has a very personal connection to the battlefields. His great uncle Frederick Stowers died there.

"He is buried there and it's nice to have a grave there - to have somewhere to go rather than just a name on a panel.

"It's very moving to be at Gallipoli. It's hard to believe there was a war there. It's overgrown and most of the trenches have disappeared.

"Even Anzac Cove is so different now to the landing photos, due to erosion."

He spent 10 days at Gallipoli in 2011 touring the battlefields, ridges and gullies.

"It really gives you a strong understanding of what it was actually like," he recalled.

"One thing you learn about Gallipoli when you do that is that the Anzacs were always looking up. Never at any stage were they looking down on the Turks. They were always looking up, they always had the disadvantage."

Heroes of Gallipoli is published by John Douglas Publishing in Christchurch. Copies can be pre-ordered by emailing publishing.johndouglas@xtra.co.nz.