Lieutenant General Sir William Birdwood, the commander of the Anzac Corps, swimming in the nude at Anzac Cove. Birdwood’s headquarters were in Anzac Gully directly in the hills behind Anzac Cove and ‘Birdie’ regularly went for a swim amongst the other soldiers. This photo appeared in the Australian press and led to an increase in Birdwood’s parcel mail from that country. The story goes that when he excitedly opened these parcels anticipating perhaps a cake or chocolates instead they contained bathing trunks from shocked readers! [AWM G00401, more online]

Read more on Birdwood in the April issue of The Southern Yarn.