Aiming to knock Turkey out of the war the British then decided to stage an amphibious lodgement at Gallipoli and following a period of training and reorganisation the Australians were included amongst the British , Indian and French forces committed to the campaign . The combined Australian and New Zealand Army Corps ( ANZAC ) — commanded by British general William Birdwood — subsequently landed at Anzac Cove on the Gallipoli peninsula on 25 April 1915 . Although promising to transform the war if successful , the Gallipoli Campaign was ill @-@ conceived and ultimately lasted eight months of bloody stalemate , without achieving its objectives . Australian casualties totalled 26 @,@ 111 , including 8 @,@ 141 killed .