This picture is one that regularly keeps coming back in all kinds of Gallipoli histories, probably because it is a bit strange, to say the least. The caption that usually comes with it says something like : "Four big condensors for the dis-tillation of sea-water at Ari Burnu." Hardly enough to satisfy one's curiosity, but certainly an incentive to try and find out more about these mysterious devices of which no remains seem to be left nowadays.

A closer look at the picture can make us a little wiser, but not very much. A few observations might be useful though :

- The condensors were obviously built by the Anzac forces : they were the ones who were in constant need of more drinking water than was locally available. As the Turks could draw their supplies from the numerous wells inland, they had no use for these devices.

-  If the condensors were located in Anzac territory, then the photo was clearly taken after the campaign, as there is at least one Turkish soldier in it. This might also explain all the rubbish at the bottom of the picture.

- If the distillation process depended on a constant supply of sea-water, the condensors must have been close to the water, preferably on the beach.

- The caption "at Ari Burnu" should not be taken too literally. As a matter of fact, the term was used for there entire territory between Brighton Beach in the south and North Beach in the north.

- There is a concrete wall at the right hand side of the condensors, obviously built as a kind of protection against incoming artillery shells. The only direction these could come from was Gaba Tepe, which might then imply that our strange devices were situated somewhere inside Anzac Cove. If they had been at North Beach for instance, the wall would have been at the left side against shells coming from Nibrunesi Point at Suvla. Moreover, a wall at the right side would have been useless, because of the protection offered by Ari Burnu .

The main question remains unanswered then : "Where exactly were they in 1915 ?"