He is remembered

Beach Cemetery also known as Hell Spit was used from the day of the landing on Gallipoli and overlooks the southern point of Anzac Cove. It is here that you can find 391 Commonwealth servicemen of the First World War buried or commemorated, including Cyril Burdeu.

There is very little on his service record to tell us of his movements, he was promoted to Corporal before he embarked from Melbourne in October 1914 and spent several months in Egypt training before embarking for Lemnos, then Gallipoli.

The Unit War Diary for the 2nd Field Artillery Brigade is an honest record of their landing and records Corporal Burdeu's fate, just two weeks later.

 "Corporal Burdeu, C.A. killed by shrapnel while sitting in dug out at 'phone"

We know that the artillery unit landed at Gabe Tepe at 11:30 AM on 26 April 1915, troops, guns and horses went ashore amongst plenty of gun-fire and shelling. The infantry troops already ashore assisted them to drag the guns up the awkward slopes and asked them "why hadn't they come yesterday?"

We are very privileged however, to be able to remember Cyril Burdeu because his brother Clive who also served, donated Cyril's collection of photographs and his service medals to the State Library of Queensland.

The photographs taken in Egypt and in the trenches of Gallipoli are stunning examples of soldier-photographers who wanted to record their experiences and the mates they served with.

Now being preserved for everyone to enjoy and remember, they are available via the Library's OneSearch catalogue.

During the commemoration of the Centenary of the First World War, it would be wonderful if anyone who is going to Gallipoli in 2015, could visit Beach Cemetery and look for Cyril Andrew Burdeu's plot I.D.5 and let him know ... he is remembered.

• OM65-30, Cyril Andrew Burdeu Papers and Photographs, State Library of Queensland
• Edwards, Glen. Corporal Cyril Andrew Burdeu 1000
• Discovering Anzacs
• War Unit Diary