Anzac Day Special: Captain Ivor Margetts, Gallipoli to Pozieres

Ratbags & Roustabouts

To mark Anzac Day, we hear the story of Hobart teacher Captain Ivor Margetts, who led his men into battle at Gallipoli during WWI, surviving the whole campaign in the Dardanelles Strait, only to be killed at the very start of the Battle of Pozieres.

Known as Margo to his mates and Captain Ivor to his descendants, Ivor Margetts was a teacher and AFL player living in Hobart when Australia joined the war in 1914.

Eager to do his bit for his country, Ivor set sail, first for training in Egypt, then for Gallipoli. He was in the 12th Battalion, made up of soldiers from Tasmania, South Australia and Western Australia. They were some of the first troops to land at Anzac Cove in Turkey at 4am on April 25, 1915, and Ivor, amazingly, managed to survive many close calls throughout the entire Gallipoli campaign.

He kept a diary of his experiences, but it was his detailed letters home, full of tales of horror and triumph and told with a typical Aussie larrikinism, that give a first-hand glimpse into what life at Gallipoli was like.

In this special Anzac Day episode, I tell his story, and read excerpts from his letters, many which have never been heard before.

Hosted by Marion Langford. Follow on Instagram or check out the website at ratbagsandroustabouts.com. Do you know a story that the history books forgot? Let us know about it!