Australian Army Museum of Western Australia > Records

World War 1, Europe, Turkey, Gallipoli, Watson Pier, 1915

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1915

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Overview

Stores at "Watson Pier" on Anzac Beach

Historical information

After the landing at Gallipoli, the sappers were tasked to construct a pier in Anzac Cove that was long enough to bring larger vessels alongside, to make resupply easier for the soldiers. They named it “Watson Pier” after Lieutenant Stan Watson, the officer in charge of the working party that built the pier. To celebrate the completion of the pier, the Sapper Officers asked to hold a dinner but approval was not forthcoming from headquarters. The date was 18 June 1915, the 100th Anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo, so the request was resubmitted as a dinner to commemorate this historical event and approval was quickly given! The tradition of the Royal Australian Engineers Waterloo Dinner was born and it remains the annual formal dinner for the engineer corps, held to mark 18 June each year.

In 1911, the Australian Corps of Signallers had been absorbed into the Engineers as the RAE Signal Service. In recognition of the officer who led the construction of the pier, Lieutenant Stanley Watson, a signals officer within the Royal Australian Engineers, an officer of the Royal Australian Signals Corps attends each dinner as a guest.

Details

Registration number

cwa-org-32-P1900.843

Item type

Photographs

Themes

War and Conflict
War and Conflict > World War 1

Year

1915

Australian Army Museum of Western Australia

Organisation Details
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