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CONTENTSPreface

DardanellesorGallipoli?

Chapter1 GallipolianOverview

ANZACLANDING

Chapter2 SoldiersLives

SCIMITARHILL

Chapter3 GettingStarted

DEATHANDTHEFLIES

Chapter4 ResearchingBritishSoldiersandSailors

LANDINGONGALLIPOLI

Chapter5 ResearchingUnits

WARDIARY,2NDBATTALION,SOUTHWALESBORDERERS,245APRIL1915

Chapter6 TheRoyalNavy

Chapter7 ResearchingDominionandIndianTroops

Chapter8 VisitingGallipoli

Bibliography

PREFACEThereisnootherwaytoputit.Gallipoliwasadisasterfrombeginningtoend.Onpaperatleast,thecampaignshouldhavebeenwinnable,butintheeventtheonlythingthatwentwell was the final evacuation. The reasons why it was such a disaster have long beendebated by historians, and include poor commanding officers, insufficient training andpreparation,alackofresourcesammunition,hospitalbedsandevenwaterandalsoalackofwilltosucceed.Therewerealsomanymissedopportunitiesandalotofbadluck.

Overall,thecampaignshowedhowtheBritishand,toanextent,theirFrenchallieshadfailedtograsptherealitiesofmodernwarfare.ThelandingsatAnzacCoveandVBeachon25AprilandtheattemptstobreakoutfromAnzacinearlyAugustwereundoubtedlyheroicbut,withoutadequateartilleryfiretodestroyTurkishpositions,flexibleleadershipby junior officers and proper preparation, they proved extremely costly in lives andmaterielandultimatelytheyfailed.IttooktwomoreyearsofbitterlossesontheWesternFrontbeforetheAlliedcommandersworkedoutawaytowin.

Whicheverwayyoulookat thecampaign, theheroismandthefortitudeof theAnzacand the Tommy on the ground, who endured dysentery, drought and disaster withremarkablefortitudeandgreathumour,areundeniable.ConditionsherewereeverybitasbadasanywhereontheWesternFront,andsometimesevenworse.

This short book is designed to help people researching the men and the units whofought at Gallipoli. It does not go into detail about the battles or the strategies of thecommanders,astherearenumerousbooksthatdothistoagreaterorlesserdegree.Alistisgiveninthebibliography.Instead,thisbookisarrangedbysectionsofferingguidanceon researching the service personnel, the units and the actions themselves. There isconsiderableoverlapbetweenthesections,soreadersmayneedtostudythemalltoobtaina fullpicture. Inaddition, therearesectionsconcerning life in the trenchesandofferingguidance for tourists, describing the key cemeteries, museums and other importantattractions.

AnAustralianfieldgunbatterytakingabreak.BritishplanswereseverelyhamperedbythelackofartillerytodestroyTurkishpositions.

If possible, readers should really visit theDardanelles to see at first handwhere thefighting took place.Here, perhaps evenmore than on theWestern Front, the sacrificesmade by theBritish, theAustralians and all the othermen on both sides can be betterappreciated.

TDARDANELLESORGALLIPOLI?

he campaign at Gallipoli is sometimes referred to as the Dardanelles campaign.Althoughthereissomeoverlap,Gallipolicanbetakentorefertothoseeventsthat

tookplaceonland,andDardanellestothelesswellknowneventsatsea.ThisishowIuse these terms in this book. However, contemporary papers often refer only to theDardanelles,soinsearchingformaterialyoumayneedtolookunderbothterms.AminorfurthercomplicationisthattheAlliedforceswerepartofaMediterraneanExpeditionaryForce(MEF),andoccasionallyrecordsmaybefoundunderthisheading.Byendof1915theMEFhadalsobecomeresponsiblefortheAlliedforcesinSalonikaand,later,aroundthe Suez Canal. Initially Lord Kitchener, the Secretary of State for War, wanted theMediterraneanExpeditionaryForcetobecalledtheConstantinopleExpeditionaryForce,untilSirIanHamilton,theForcecommander,pointedoutthatthenamewastoomuchofagive-away,notinginhisdiaryIbeggedhimtoalterthistoavertFatesevileye.

TheTurksdescribethewholesorryfarragoastheBattleofanakkaleortheanakkaleSavai.

FChapter1

GALLIPOLIANOVERVIEWromthestartthecampaigninGallipoliwasamistake.Itwaslaunchedinhasteandwith insufficient preparation: it tookbarely amonth toplan and arrange themost

ambitious amphibious landing in British history since the equally ill-fated CrimeanExpeditionof1854.AndtheTurkswerewellveryawarethataninvasionwasimminent.This meant that the Allied commander, Sir Ian Hamilton, rarely had the advantage ofsurprise and formulated his plans on scant information. The latest maps available, forexample, dated from the 1890s and gave no real idea of the lie of the land. MostinformationaboutthelandingbeachescamefromobservationbyofficersonboardRoyalNavy ships severalmiles away.Admiraltydocuments atTheNationalArchives containmanydrawingsmadebyofficers.

AnillustrationfromtheGraphicshowingtheGallipolipeninsulaasseenfromtheair.Theridgednatureoftheterrainisimmediatelyapparent.

AreliefmapoftheGallipolipeninsula.Theterrainheavilyinfluencedthenatureofthefighting.

Equallyimportantly,inbothLondonandParisthecampaignwastreatedasasideshowandkeptshortofmenandarmaments.ThiswasnothelpedbyHamiltonsdeferentialandoptimisticnature,whichmeantthathedidnotpresshardenoughforwhatwasneeded.

Sir IanStandishMonteithHamilton, then aged 62, had had a long and distinguishedcareerinarmyserviceduringtheBoerWarandinIndia.Butheprovedadisappointmentintherealitiesofmodernwarfare,andthefailingsoftheGallipolicampaigncaninlargemeasure be placed on his shoulders. According to George H. Cassars biography of

HamiltonintheOxfordDictionaryofNationalBiography:

He had personal charm, integrity, more experience of war than any of hiscontemporaries,intellectualdetachment,andphysicalcourage.Hisflawswerenotasvisiblebuttheyprovedfatal.Helackedmentaltoughness,basiccommonsense,andsufficientruthlessnesstodismissanincompetentsubordinate.Heunderestimatedtheenemy,acardinalsininwar,andhisexcessiveoptimismfrequentlycrossedintotherealmofwishfulthinking.Whileitwastheoreticallysoundtorefrainfrominterferinginfieldoperationsonce inprogress, itwasunwise toadhere to thatprinciplewhensubordinateswereunprovenor inadequate.Theplain truthwas that throughout theGallipolicampaignheneveractedlikeacommander-in-chief.

IntheendtheonlythingthatwenttoplanwastheevacuationintheearlydaysofJanuary1916,whichwasbrilliantlyexecuted.

GeneralSirIanHamilton,wholedtheMediterraneanExpeditionaryForceformuchofthecampaign.Thereisstill

considerabledebateabouthoweffectivehewasastheforcescommander.

ButwhyGallipoli?Evenatthetimeitseemedapuzzlingchoice.Thereasonlayhundredsof miles away on the Western Front, where the war had settled down to a bloodystalemate. The British were attracted by the idea that by opening another front theGermanswouldbeforcedtodivertresourcesawayfromtheWesternFront.

Atthestartof1915WinstonChurchill,theFirstLordoftheAdmiralty,persuadedtheCabinet to send a fleet to force a passage through the Dardanelles with the object ofcompellingTurkeys surrender and thus helping beleagueredSerbia andRussia. Turkeyhad joined thewar onGermanys side in November 1914. TheWarOffice soon cameunderheavypoliticalpressuretosendtroopstoassistthefleet.LordKitchener,theBritishMinister of War, asked Hamilton to command the military force, explaining that theAdmiraltywasconfidentthatitsshipscouldgetthroughthewaterwayunaided,inwhichcasehethoughtitlikelythatConstantinoplewouldsurrender.Heexpectedthearmysrolewouldbelimitedtolandingpartiestodestroyanyhiddengunsthatmightimpedeprogressto a successful occupation of Constantinople. But he made it clear that if the navyencounteredunforeseenobstacles,Hamiltonwasto throwhisfull forceintoclearingtheway.HavingenteredontheprojectofforcingtheStraits,Kitchenerremarked,therecanbenoideaofabandoningthescheme.Kitchenerspartingwordssummedupthereasonsfortheoperation:Ifthefleetgetsthrough,Constantinoplewillfallofitselfandyouwillhavewonnotabattle,butthewar.

On paper the omens looked good. The Turkish army was not highly rated: it hadrecently been beaten in two short wars in the Balkans and had just lost amajor battleagainsttheRussiansinEasternAnatoliainJanuary1915.BritishtroopsinEgyptweretoldthat:Turkishsoldiersasarulemanifesttheirdesiretosurrenderbyholdingtheirriflebuttupwards and by waving clothes or rags of any colour. An actual white flag should beregardedwiththeutmostsuspicionasaTurkishsoldierisunlikelytopossessanythingofthat colour.The fighting skills and resourcefulness of JohnnieTurkwould come as ashock.

Yet,takingtheDardanelleswasstillachallenge.TheStraitsareprotectedbythehillyGallipoli peninsula to thenorth, andby the shoresofAsiaMinor to the south. In1915fortresses well positioned on the cliff-tops guarded the shipping lanes. As visitors toGallipoliwill testify, thepeninsula itself ishardly an idealplace either to landonor tofight over. Beyond the narrow bays and escarpments at Cape Helles, where theDardanellesmeettheAegeanSea,alowplainrisesbehindtheseashorevillageofSedd-el-Bahr and stretches north to the inland village of Krithia (now Alitepe). Beyond itcrouchesAchiBaba,adeceptivelyunimposinghillwithabroad-breastedsummitjusthighenoughtocommandaviewofboththeAegeanandtheDardanelles.Furthernorthonthewesterncoastlinethelandtakesonawilderaspect.Sheercliffsscarredwithdeepgulliesand ravines sweep down almost to thewaters edge and tower up to rugged heights offormidablegrandeur.Inlandtherearedeepgullies(callednullahsbytheBritish)dried-upwatercoursesthatbecometorrentsafterrainandnarrowrazor-edgedridges.Muchofthe vegetation is thorny, impenetrable scrub, although to theBritish observers on navalshipsin1915ithadlookedlushandgreen.DescribingthehillsnortheastofAnzacCove,

the locationofAustralian,NewZealandandBritish attacks in earlyAugust, theBritishofficialhistorynotes:

Noaccountoftheoperationscanhopetoconveyanyadequateideaoftheextremedifficulties of the undertaking if the reader does not first try to visualise thebewilderingnatureof thecountry through the troopswere tomarch.Thespursandgullies are so contorted, so rugged and steep, and so thickly covered with denseprickly scrub, that their passage is difficult enough in peacetimeBut inAugust1915theonlyavailablemapswereveryinadequateandthosearduousrouteshadtobetraversedatnightbyheavilyladenmenwhowereharassedbyaninvisibleenemyandledbyguideswhothemselveshadverylittlerealknowledgeoftheground.

TheareaaroundCapeHellesatthetipofGallipoli,showingthebeacheswheremanyofthelandingstookplaceon25April1915.

Alarger-scalemapshowingVandWbeachesandthepositionsinthedaysafterthelandingson25April.

AplanshowinghowBritishunitswouldlandonthebeachesaroundCapeHelles.(TNAWO95/4311)

DuringFebruaryandMarchseveralattemptsweremadebytheBritishandFrenchnaviestoforcetheStraits.Thefirstattacktookplaceon19February.Despitepoundingtheouterfortresses,poorAlliedgunnerymeantthattheBritishandFrenchattackprovedineffectiveinthefaceofanefficientTurkishdefensivesystem,althoughmoredamagewasdonethanthe Allies realised. A renewed bombardment the following week was similarlyunsuccessful. In particular, the Allied guns could not effectively silence the Turkishmobilebatteriesthatpoureddownshellfirefromtheheights.Almostamonthlater,on18March, naval forces attempted to force their way through the 2-mile-wide NarrowsbetweenGallipoliandAsiaMinor,buthadtoabandontheattemptwhenthreeshipswerelost in a previously unknownminefield. The disaster was observed by Hamilton, whoconcludedthatthenavycouldnotgetthroughwithoutthearmyshelp.

Intensive preparations were made to land troops at Cape Helles on the tip of thepeninsula,andfurtherupasadiversionaryfeint.VastnumbersofshipswerepurchasedinharboursacrosstheMiddleEastandfreshtroopsarrivedinEgypt, includingmenoftheAustralianandNewZealandArmyCorps (ANZAC)whowereactuallyon theirway toFrance.

InthemeantimetheTurksnaturallyalsomadepreparations.AsameasureoftheextentofGermaninfluenceoverTurkishpolicy, regionalcommandwasplaced in thehandsofGeneralLimanvonSanders,theheadoftheGermanmilitarymissioninConstantinople.

LimansentGermanandTurkishtroopstostrategiclocationsaroundGallipoli.TheBritishobservedtheTurkishpreparations.Tell-talestreaksofnewlyturnedearthshowedthattheywere digging trenches, and banks of new barbed wire caught the sun. After onereconnoitringtrip,HamiltonruefullywrotetoLordKitchenerthatGallipolilooksamuchtoughernuttocrackthanitdidoverthemapinyouroffice.

ThefirstBritishtroopslandedonthepeninsulajustbeforedawnon25April1915.TheAlliedExpeditionaryForce consisted of eighty-four ships in total, carrying 75,056men(including 30,638 Australians and New Zealanders under the command of GeneralWilliamBirdwood),togetherwiththemenofaFrenchdivision,16,481horsesandmules,and3,104vehicles.

TurkishshellslandingoffWBeachafewdaysaftertheAlliedlandings.

The previous night the Royal Naval Division had mounted a diversionary attack atBulairatthenorthernendofthepeninsula;aflatarea,andmuchclosertoConstantinople,it looked like a natural place for any invasion to take place. Liman von Sanders wasconvincedthatthiswaswheretheBritishwouldlandinstrengthandittookadayforhimtorealisehismistake.Itwas,inthewordsofLynMacdonald,hisfirstandonlygaffeofthecampaign.

Themainthrustoftheattackfocusedonfivebeaches(namedS,V,W,XandY)alongHelles Point andwas carried out bymen of the 29thDivision, whowere ferried fromRoyalNavy ships positioned amile or so off the coast. Some two thousandmenwerekilledduringthefirstday.FurtherdownthepeninsulatroopswerestreamingashoreonthebeachesaroundCapeHelles.Here,atVBeach, theTurkswerewelldug in in thecliffsabovethebeachandonlyopenedfireasthearmadaofsmallvesselscarryingtheBritishtroopsdrewclosetothebeach.AstheBritishlanded,theyweremowndownbyTurkishfire.ColonelWilliams,whowas supervising the landing, noted in hiswar diary: 9am.Verylittledirectedfireagainsttheship,butfireimmediatelyconcentratesonanyattempttoland.TheTurksfiredisciplineisreallywonderful.Fearwewillnotlandtoday.

TurkishshellslandingamongBritishshipsoffCapeHelles.

Brigadier General Cecil Aspinall-Oglander, the official historian of the Gallipolicampaign,describedthelandingonVBeach:

Whentheboatswereonlyafewyardsfromtheshore,Hellwassuddenlyletloose.Atornadooffiresweptovertheincomingboats,lashingthecalmwatersofthebayaswithathousandwhips.Devastatingcasualtiesweresufferedinthefirstfewseconds.Someoftheboatsdriftedhelplesslyawaywitheverymaninthemkilled.Manymoreof theDubliners [RoyalDublinFusiliers]werekilledas theywadedashore.Other,badlywounded,stumblinginthewaters,weredrowned.

Whenalmostathousandcasualtieshadbeenlost,itwasagreedtocalloffthelandinguntilnightfall.ButfortherelativeweaknessoftheTurkishforcesonthesouthernpeninsulawhere the landings at S and Y beaches were unopposed the whole Allied operationmightwellhavebeenthrownbackintothesea.

RearAdmiralR.W.Wemyss,whowas incommandof thenavalforces,described thelandingsatWBeach:

thefire,thoughnotquitesomurderousasonVBeach,wastremendous.Inspiteofthis,alltheboatslanded,andtheLancashireFusiliersjumpedoutofthemonlytomeetwhatappearstobeanalmostimpassablewireentanglement,intheirattemptstopasswhichtheleadingmenwerenearlyallkilled.

Watchingthisincident,asIwas,fromtheforebridgeoftheEuryalus,itseemedasthough the impossible hadbeenperformed, for beforemanyminutes hadpassed itbecameclearthatthebeachwasgained.Icannotconceivethatithaseverbeenthelotofanybodytowitnessafinerexhibitionofdashandheroism.Theboatscrewswhoshowedequalspiritweremuchknockedabout,butinallcasesmanagedtogettheirboatsback,althoughsometimeswithnotmorethantwomenabletopullanoar.

LancashireLanding(WBeach),wheremenfromthe1stLancashireFusiliersattemptedtolandintheearlyhoursof25April.NofewerthansixVictoriaCrosseswereawardedforactsofheroismduringthelanding.

OfthethousandLancashireFusilierswholanded,sixhundredlosttheirlives.

The landingswere supported by a dawn attack 15miles to the north bymen of theAustralian andNewZealandArmyCorpsunderGeneralWilliamBirdwood.ThebeachswiftlybecameknownasAnzacCove,orjustAnzac.Unfortunately,thetroopslandedatthewrongbeach,aswiftcurrenthavingcarriedthemamilenorthoftheirintendedtarget.Bythetimethiswasrealised,itwastoolatetogoback.CaptainHerbertKenyonoftheRoyalArtillerywasamongthefirstwaveoftroops:

Itwasabouteightortenyardsfromthewatersedgetothefootofthehillsandwealldoubled in under the bank and then we went after the others, shouting, yelling,cursing,tumblingdownandtrippingoverbushesandholes.Itwasimpossibleforthementoclimbintheirkitsotheychuckedthemastheyscrambledup.

Soon the Turkish guns started firing on the beach and on the men who were eitherclamberingupthecliffsideorhadalreadyreachedthetop.Everywheretherewaschaos.

TheAllied shipswereunable to fire theirgunsagainst theTurkishpositions for fearofhittingtheirowntroops.Duringthedaysomeninehundredmenlosttheirliveshere.

Afterthelandings,littlewasdonebytheBritishtoexploitthesituationand,apartfromafewlimitedadvancesinlandbysmallgroupsofmen,mosttroopsstayedonorclosetothebeaches.TheattacklostmomentumandtheTurkshadtimetobringupreinforcementsandrallythesmallnumberofdefendingtroops.

Havingestablished,atgreatcost,twobeachheadsatAnzacandCapeHelles,Hamiltondetermined to extend theAllied position in the south,with attacks directed towards thevillageofKrithia(nowAlitepe).Threesuccessiveoperationswerelaunched,allofwhichwere thrownbackbyLimans increasingly effectiveTurkishdefence force. Ironically, asmallnumberofBritishtroopshadactuallyenteredthevillageon25April,butwithdrewbecausetheyhadnoorderstotakeKrithia.Hadtheyremainedthere, it is likelythat theGallipolicampaignwouldhavebeensuccessful.

By4Mayitwasclearthatwithouttroopreinforcementstherewasnohopeofvictory.Several months of intense trench warfare ensued. Such were the conditions on thepeninsulathatalmostnolocationwassafefromenemybombardmentorsnipers.Artillerysupportwasalsoineffective.AnearlylessonfromtheWesternFronthadbeentheneedforsufficient guns to pound enemy positions and demoralise their troops.AtGallipoli thisonlyrarelyhappened, inpartdue toammunitionshortages.LieutenantColonelGrantofthe RoyalArtillery later grumbled that: It was amistake to conquer the Turkswith 8Howitzers [heavy guns] and little ammunition. The Royal Navy battleships possessedsufficientlypowerfulguns,but itwashard for their gunneryofficers topinpoint targetsandtherewastheconstantworrythattheymightendupshellingtheAlliedgroundtroops.On9MayBrigadierCunliffe-Owen,whowasinchargeoftheAnzacartillery,wrote:itmustbeunderstoodthatnavalgunscannotfireonenemysgunsclosetoour[Anzac]line.It istoodangerousbecauseallfirefromshipsisbycompass,asthemapisnotaccurate.

Attempts to use aircraft to observe the effectiveness of artillery barrages were alsofrustrated,inpartbecauseveryfewplaneswereavailable,butamoreseriousproblemwasthe lack of communication between the observers and the ships. Pilots complained thataftertheyhadflowntotherightpositionandgiventhereadysign,therewasadelayofanhourortwobeforetheshipopenedfire.Thentheshipwouldeitherfireslowlyorsimplyleave, generally to avoid counter-fire from the enemy. In addition, the aircraft oftenexperiencedmechanical difficulties and therewas an acute shortageof air observers.Apost-warreportonGallipoliconcludedthat:Itisclearlyprovedthatthefireofshipsgunscannotbeconsideredanadequatesubstituteforwell-organisedsupportoffieldorheavyartilleryonland.

Back in London, the Cabinet was becoming increasingly desperate for accurateinformationaboutthesituationintheDardanelles.AttheendofJulySirMauriceHankey,SecretarytothegovernmentsDardanellesCommittee,wassenttoinvestigate.ScramblingupGullyRavine,he found that propersanitation is impossible inplacesas theTurkishdead lie in heaps, the smell being bad, while the thought of masses of flies in such

conditionsmakesthefleshcreep.Oneofthebeacheswasreallyratherhorrible.Aduststormragesforagreatpartofmostdays,thesunisintenselyhot,ofshadethereisnonethefliesareexecrable,andworstofall,theTurksshellatfrequentintervals.Hankeywas,however,particularlyimpressedbytheAnzacs:

Their physique is wonderful and their intelligence in high order. Harassed bycontinuousshelling,livinginintenseheatcompelledtocarrytheirwaterandmostoftheirsuppliesandammunitionbyhand400feetupthehillsanddeprivedofanyrecreationexceptoccasionalbathing, theyarenevertheless in thehighest spritsandspoilingforafight.

Infact,theAustraliansandNewZealanderswereprettyfedupwiththedietandwiththemonotonyofeverydayexistencewithno rest to look forward to.Onemangrumbled toColonelGeorgeBeith, 24thBattalionAIF, that If I could get off this bloodyplace IdvolunteertoscrubouttheMelbourneexhibitionbuildingwithatoothbrush.

Theretrievalandburialofthedeadlyingoutinnomanslandbetweenthetwosetsoftrenchesprovedparticularlydifficult.NearAnzacashortarmisticewasheldon19Mayfor this purpose. Likewise, the war diary of the 2nd South Wales Borderers for themorningof3Maynotedthat:Turkishburialpartiesundercoverofawhiteflagsearchedthegroundinfrontoftheimmediatefront.WeaccordinglyalsosentoutpartiestoburytheTurkishdead,ofwhom therewasagreatquantity just in frontofour right flank. [WO95/4311]

On6August1915 freshBritishandFrench troops landedonA,BandCBeachesatSuvlaBayinanattempttobreakthedeadlock.SuvlaBaylayadozenmilesorsonorthfromHellesontheAegeansideofthepeninsula.Onpaperitseemedideal,beingflatandwideenoughtoallowBritishandFrenchforcestodisembarkeasily,andwithfewTurkishdefences.Theoperationtooktheformofathree-prongedattack:adiversionaryactionatHelles,whichwascuttoshredsbyTurkishartillery;amovementnorthwardsfromAnzacCovetowardsSariBair,whichlayhalfwaytoSuvla;andthecentrepieceoftheoffensive:alandinginforceatSuvlabyfreshdivisionsunderGeneralSirFrederickStopford.TheideawasforStopfordsforcestolinkupwiththetroopsatAnzacCoveandmakeacleansweepacrosstheGallipolipeninsula.

TheareaaroundAnzacCoveandSuvlaBayonthewestofthepeninsula,wheremuchofthefiercestfightingtookplace.

TheviewfromaRoyalNavyshipofthelandingsatSuvlaBayon6August1915.

The landingsatSuvlaBayachieved total surprise andStopfords initialprogresswasalmostunopposed.However, thewideroffensiverapidlylostmomentumastheresultofindecisionbythecommandersandtheirfailuretopresshomethebattle.

Stopfordhadbeenrecalledoutofretirementandhadhadnoexperienceofcommandingtroopsinbattle.Healsohaddeepdoubtsabouttheplanthathadbeenagreed.Andworstof all, he had little idea about what was going on because he changed hismind aboutmovinghisheadquarterstoSuvlaandinsteadremainedonboardashipstationedoffthecoast.Hisinactivityandcomplacencyforcedhisremovalinmid-August,butbythenthedamagehadbeendone.According toNigelSteel, authorofGallipoli (1999): Stopforddidnotbelieveinthepossibilityofsuccess,andsodidnotdrivehismentofulfil it.Heallowed the failure in which he believed to come about. Rather more succinctly,WikipediadescribeshisperformanceincommandasoneofthemostincompetentfeatsofgeneralshipintheFirstWorldWar.

It probably did not help that the troops available for the landing hardly inspiredconfidence.Theofficialhistorian,BrigadierAspinall-Oglander,graphicallydescribedXICorpsasbeinglikeamotorcarwhosehurriedassemblyhadonlybeencompletedbytheinclusion of spare parts of various different makes Doubtless before using it forimportantworkSirIanHamiltonshouldhavetestedit.Buthehadnospace[todoso].Nosoonerwasthecarset inmotionthanits inherentfaultsbecameapparent.Hamiltonlatercommentedthatthecombinationofoldgeneralsandnewtroopswasfatal.

Sir Maurice Hankey, who went ashore on 8 August, found that: A peaceful scenegreetedus.Hardlyanyshells.NoTurks.Veryoccasionalmusketry.Bathingpartiesaround

theshore.Therereallyseemedtobenorealisationoftheoverwhelmingnecessitiesforarapidoffence,ofthetremendousissuesdependingonthenextfewhours.MeanwhiletheAnzacswerebeingtornapartastheyattemptedtobreakoutofAnzacCovetomeetupwithIXCorps,inaccordancewiththeoriginalplan.TurkishmachinegunfirecutswathesthroughtheAustraliansandNewZealanderswhoattemptedtocrossthepinnaclesofSariBair andRhododendronRidge. From the tops of these hills the troops could see SuvlaBay.

British troops toowere soon in the thick of the action.At 6pm on 8August Sir IanHamilton finally arrived at Suvla. He was appalled by the lethargy he found andimmediatelyorderedanattackonarangeofhillsafewmilestotheeastofthebay,inthehope that success would lead to a British breakout into the flatter country beyond.However, the two days delay since the landings had allowed the Turks to move theirforcesfromthenorthandbythetimetheBritishassaultonthehillsbeganatdawnonthe9th,theTurkswerestreamingdowntomeetthem.

Among theBritishforceswas the6thBattalion,EastYorkshireRegiment.Partof theNewArmy,whichhadbeenraisedintheautumnof1914fromthefloodofvolunteerstothe colours, it had been designated the regiments pioneer battalion, responsible fordiggingtrenches,makingrepairsandbuildingroads,andalthoughthemenhadhadsomemilitary training itwasnot expected that thebattalionwould see action.Butdue to theveryheavycasualties inotherunits, itwasdecided touse the6thBattalionasanormalinfantrybattalion,despiteitsinexperience.Onthemorningofthe9ththeEastYorkshiresbegan to clamber up Tekke Tepe hill. Confusion resulted in Lieutenant Colonel HenryMoore,thebattalionscommandingofficer,takingonecompanyforwardandleavingthethreeothercompaniestofollowonassoonastheycouldbeputinorder.Thefirstpartyinitiallytookthehill,butallofthemwerethenkilledorcaptured(eyewitnessesreportedthatMoorehimselfwasbayonetedbyaTurkishsoldier).Theothercompaniesattemptedto advance but came under withering fire and were forced to retire. For that day thebattalionscasualtiesweregivenas13officerskilled,woundedormissing,78menkilledandanother104wounded.ThefailureoftheBritishtotakethehillsmeantthattheAllieslastpossiblestrategicmovehadbeenthwarted.

Afewweekslater,on21August,the6thBattalion,nowsome12officersandabout500men strong, joined an attack on W Hills, part of the Battle of Scimitar Hill, whichdeveloped into the largest land battle of the campaign.At 3pm, under cover of a navalbarrage,twobattalionswentintotheattack.The6thBattalionwasinsupport,butitsmensoon found themselves in action. Advancing, they took several Turkish trenches. Oncetheyhadachievedtheirobjective,theirordersweretowaittoallowreinforcementstopassthroughtheirpositiontomakeafurtheradvance.Thebattalionremainedinpositionunderheavyfirealldayandintothenightbutnoreinforcementscameandbythenextmorningthemenwereexhausted,andrunningoutoffood,waterandammunition,Inevitably,theirposition was soon overrun by the Turks. What was left of the battalion retired to itsoriginalposition.Duringthisactionthebattalionlost8officerskilledorwounded,and22menkilled,128woundedand49missing.

The6thBattalionhadarrivedatSuvlaBaywith26officersandabout800men.BytheendofAugustnofewerthan21officersand198menhadbeenkilledaquarterofthebattalionsstrength.

As autumn arrived, the campaign ground to a halt and settled into an uncomfortableform of trench warfare. This was a disastrous state of affairs for the Allied forces.Momentum slowly drained away from the campaign as an uneasy stalemate emerged.Inevitablytherewasageneralsenseoffrustration.AccordingtoMajorH.C.B.WemyssoftheRoyalSignals:

Extreme heat with dust and flies, very limited fresh water and no cover reducedmensstamina,whileicyblizzardslaterondiscoveredanyweaknesses.Variationsinshelling and snipingmade one day differ from another. No rest areas existed. Nohouses,nocanteens,noleaveoranyprospectofit,andirregularmailsfromhomesotimerolledon.[CAB45/230]

Heavy rain in the autumn followed by snow turned the once dry-as-dust trenches intomuddy quagmires, and conditions for the men deteriorated yet further. Clem Attlee, acompany commander in the South Lancashires, bullied his men into staying alive byinsistingonregularexerciseandfairlyfrequentissuesofrum,whiledysentery,frostbiteanddrowningdecimatedtheothercompaniesinthebattalion.

Confidenceintheoperationwasdwindling,particularlyastheFrenchwerereluctanttodivertattentionawayfromthebattlesinFrance.ItdidnothelpthattheBritishandFrenchwereplanningtosupporttheirSerbianalliesbylandinginSalonika.ToHamiltonsgreatdismay,sometroopsweredivertedawayfromGallipoliandsent toSalonika.Asitwas,Hamilton was already facing increasing criticism from London as grim news of theexpeditionreachedhome,alongwithcomplaintsofhismismanagementofthecampaign.

LondonandParisbegantosuggestthattheAlliedforcesshouldbeevacuated.Hamiltonretaliatedbyestimatingthatcasualtiesinanysuchevacuationwouldrunatupto50percent: a startlingly high figure. On 11 October Hamilton was summoned to London toappear before the politicians andmilitarymen of theDardanellesCommittee; he neverreturnedtoGallipoli.

Hamilton was replaced by Sir Charles Monro, who had previously commanded theThirdArmyon theWesternFront.HewasaskedbyLordKitchenertoreport fullyandfranklyonthemilitarysituation.Monroconsultedhisdivisionalcommanders,whowereunanimous that theirmenwere in no fit state to take the offensive. Indeed, they fearedtheywouldnotbeabletosurviveasustainedTurkishonslaught,inpartbecausemostofthemenwere tooweakphysically toputupmuchofafight.Monro thusrecommendedevacuationassoonaswaspracticable.WinstonChurchill,however,laterviewedMonrosachievementwithasomewhatjaundicedeye:hecame,hesaw,hecapitulated,hewrote.However,MonrowasprovedtoberightandChurchillwrong.

InLondon,onlyKitchenerremainedunpersuaded,anddecidedtoseethesituationforhimself.Bravingthewinterstorms,hearrivedatGallipolion10November.Onceashore,Kitchenerdidnot take long tomakeuphismind.StandingwithGeneralBirdwoodata

posthighaboveAnzac,heputhishandonthegeneralsarmandsaid:ThankGod,Birdie,Icametosee this formyself.Youwerequiteright. Ihadno ideaof thedifficultiesyouwereupagainst.Acceptingtheinevitable,herecommendedevacuationon15November,overridingsuggestionsbythenavythattheybeallowedtoattemptanothernavalassault.

IttooktheWarCabinetuntil7Decembertofinallycommittoevacuation.ButbythentheAlliedtroopswereseverelyaffectedbythewinterweather.On12Novemberaseverestorm had flooded many dug-outs and washed away stores, and previously drywatercourses became raging torrents, drowning many men. Hundreds more died ofexposure.ThetroopsatSuvlawereworstaffectedastherewaslittleshelter.FortheirparttheTurkswereequallyhitbythestorm.

The rain could be torrential. The weekly report of the Royal Naval Division for 21Decembercommented:

Athunderstormandheavyrainlastnightdidmoredamagethanamonthsshelling.Inmanyplacestrenchesandcommunicatingtrenchesareimpassableandeverywheremudrendersmovementslowanddifficult.Thishasseriouslyinterferedwithworksinprogress,everysparemanbeingrequiredtoassistindrainageandnecessaryrepairs.[ADM137/3086]

Fortunately when the evacuation began, there was a long spell of fine weather. Some83,000menand186guns,plusstores,weresuccessfullytakenofffromAnzacCoveandSuvlaBaybetween10and20December.Theevacuation fromHelles tookplace a fewdayslater,between28Decemberand9January1916.

MenwaitingatSuvlatobeevacuated.TheevacuationinDecemberandJanuarywasundoubtedlythemostsuccessful

partofthewholesorrystory,withonlythreemenlost.

ANZACtroopsengagedinatrainingexercise.ContemporarycaptionssaidthatthemenweregoingoverthetoptochargeaTurkishpositionjustbeforetheevacuation,butthemensdressanddemeanoursuggestthiswasnotthecase.

The evacuation operation was easily the most successful element of the entirecampaign,with the lossof just threemen.Painstakingeffortshadbeenmadetodeceivethe Turks into believing that the movements of the Allied forces did not constitute awithdrawal. However, there is some evidence to suggest that the Turks knew perfectlywellwhatwashappeningbutwerecontentfortheevacuationtotakeplacebecausetheirtroopswereinalmostasbadacondition.

TheDeputyQuartermasterGeneralWalterCampbellsummarisedthedifficulties:

Aretirementinthefaceofanenemyonlandwhereyouhaveplentyofroomisaverydifficultandcriticaloperationbutunderthecircumstanceshere,whereoneisbangupagainstyourenemy,andwhereyouhaveabsolutelynoroomtoswingacat,andalsohavetoembarkinsmallcrafteverysingleman,gun,animalsandstoresonabeachwhichisundertheenemysgunfire,andofwhichtheyknowtherangetotheinchyoucan imaginewhat adifficult anxious job it is.Wehavenotonly theenemy tocontendwith,butatanymomentasouth-westwindmightblowup.

The stores and kit which remained behind were either destroyed or booby-trapped.AccordingtoCompanySergeantMajorWilliamBurrowsoftheAnzacs:

Before the last of us left, all the available ammunition and bombswere collected.ThesewereburiedandonacrossstuckintothegroundwasthefollowinginscriptionTotheMemoryofPrivateBulletRIP.ThatwastopreventtheTurksfrombecominginquisitiveanddigginguptheammunitionandthebombs.

VariousstratagemswereusedtoconcealthewithdrawalfromtheTurks.Ingeniousdevicestofiregunsautomaticallyweredevised,whilethemensfeetweremuffledtodeadenthenoiseas they left their trenches,andon thebeaches theymaintainedstrict silencewhilewaitingtobetakenoff.SapperEricWatternwasoneofthelasttoleave:

Thelastdaywasratherqueer.Onewouldfeelverymuchthesamesensationonbeingleft behind alone in a house that had been ones home after the family and thefurniturehadgone.TwoFrench75snearourcampwereverysuccessfullytryingtopretendthat theywereabatteryoffourgunsAteasmuchaswecouldpossiblytackle,touseupthesurplusgrub,andspentahappyeveningopeningbullyandjamtins and chucking them down a well, also biffing holes in dixies and generallymuckingupanyserviceablearticles.

Afteraperiodofrestthebesttroops,notablytheRoyalNavalbattalionsandtheAnzacs,were sent to theWestern Front, where they distinguished themselves in very differentconditionsontheSomme.TheothersspenttherestofthewarinPalestine,MesopotamiaandSalonika.

It is hard to believe that anything good came from the landings inGallipoli and theresulting eight months of misery. A number of authors have argued that the campaigncould have been successful had sufficient resources been available. The future BritishPrimeMinisterClementAttlee,who served as a junior officer atGallipoli, believed itsfailurewasduetothemyopicconcentrationbytheAlliedHighCommandontheWesternFront.And theAustralian official historianCharlesBeanmade this telling point in theconclusiontohisaccountoftheinvolvementoftheAnzacsatGallipoli:TherealstaketheopeningofcommunicationwithRussia, thecrushingofTurkey,and the securingofalliesintheBalkanswasworthplayingfor,providingthatitwasattainablebythemeansemployed;butnothingcouldjustifytheinitiationoftheenterprisebymeanswhichcouldnotattainthegoal.

AFrench.75guninactionnearCapeHelles.TheFrenchsuppliedbothshipsandlargenumbersoftroops,buttheircontributionisoftenoverlookedbyhistorians.

But thereweremoreproblems than justa lackof resources.TheBritishcommanderswereunimaginativeandcautious,anddidnotmakethebestuseoftheresourcesavailableto them. Peter Hart points to the woeful operational planning and the inability to takeadvantageofanylocaltacticaladvantages:

This endemicmilitary incompetence at command and staff levelwas then lethallycombinedwithtroopsthathadlittleornoexperienceofmodernwarfarein1915.Thelessonwasclear:rawcouragewasnotenoughtocombatbolt-actionrifles,machineguns, trenchsystems,barbedwireandaboveallartillery.AmateurismwasdoomedandtheBritishArmyneededamoreprofessionalapproachifitwastotriumphintheGreatWar.

In all, some 56,707 British, Australian and French men lost their lives, and another124,000 were wounded. But lessons were learnt about seaborne landings that wouldultimatelyproveinvaluablethirtyyearslateronD-Day.

Inparticular,theAustraliansandNewZealandersprovedthemselvesasafightingforce

second to none, leading to an increased sense of national pride. The miserableperformanceoftheirBritishcommandersbegantosowdoubtsinthemindsofpoliticiansand theirelectoratesbackhomethat led to increasingdemandsfor theirgovernments tohaveabiggersayinthedirectionofthewar.

TheAllieshadthegreatadvantageofsurprise, initiallyon25AprilandthenatSuvlaBayinearlyAugust,butitwasanadvantagethatwassoonsquandered.Ontheotherhand,the Turks had good defensive positions and benefited from short supply lines. BySeptember,however,astalematehadarisenthatwasasdeeplyentrenchedasthatontheWesternFront.Neithersidehadtheresourcestodefeattheother.Soforthecommanders-in-chiefinLondon,ParisandBerlin,Gallipolisoonbecamejustanothersideshowusinguppreciousresourcesfornorealbenefit.

ANZACLANDING

Ellis Ashmead-Bartlett was one of the few war correspondents who coveredGallipoli.Hisdispatchespraisedtheprowessandbraveryofthetroops,particularlytheAnzacs,buthebecamemoreandmorecriticaloftheirleadershipandwhathebelievedwasthefutilesacrificeofsomanymen.HavingcomeashoreinGallipoli,hewas almost immediately arrested as a spy andwas detained for a short periodwhilehiscredentialswerechecked.

APRIL 24th. Throughout themorning there were scenes of unwonted activity inMudrosBay.Thewarshipschangedtheiranchorageandtookupfreshstations,andthecrowdedtransportsslowlymadetheirwaytotheentranceoftheharbour.At3p.m.ourboatsbroughtthe500menofthe11thAustralianInfantryonboardforthelasttime.Numberedsquareshadbeenpaintedinwhiteonthequarter-deck,andoneachoftheseacompanyfellin.Themenwerethendismissedandmadetheirwayforward to themess decks. The hospitable British tars handed over their limitedaccommodation to thenewcomers,whowere tobear thebruntof theattack.At5p.m., our force, the Second Division of the fleet, consisting of the Queen[Elizabeth],Prince of Wales,London, andMajestic, with four transports bearingtroops, and the covering ships Triumph, Bacchante, and Prince George, slowlysteamedoutofthebay.Aswepassedthroughthelonglinesofwaitingtransports,our bands played the national anthems of all the Allies, and deafening cheersgreetedourdeparture.ItwasthemostmajesticandinspiringspectacleIhaveeverseen, butwithal therewas an atmosphere of tragedy, of life and hope and joy, asensethatwewillneverseeanothersunsinktorest.

Theweatherwasbeautifully fine,andwhenwehadcleared theentranceof thebaywe turnedourbacksonGallipoliandsteamedduewest topass round the farsideof the islandofLemnos, en route for a secret rendezvousonlyknown to theAdmiral.Itispainfullyobviousthatwecanonlyeffectalocalsurprise,becausetheTurks,inSirIanHamiltonsownwords,knewoftheexactcompositionofhisforcebeforehe ever leftEgypt, andnow theymust have learnt from their aviators andspies, scatteredamongst the islands, thatourpreparations are complete.Theycanalsocalculateonourstrikingbetweenthewaningoftheoldmoonandtherisingof

thenew.

Atsixoclock theAustraliancontingent fell inononesideof thequarter-deck,and the crew of the London on the other. Captain Armstrong read Admiral deRobecksproclamationwishingsuccesstoallranks.Hisplacewasthentakenbytheshipschaplain,whoconductedashortservice,and,asheutteredsolemnprayersforvictory, the men stood with bowed and bared heads. The Australians were thentakentothemessdeck,whereahotmealwasservedouttothembythecrew;then,afterasmoke,theyturnedintoobtainsomerestbeforedawn.

ItwasthelastsleepformanyabravewarriorfromDownUnder.

At seven oclock dinner was served in the wardroom, where the Australianofficerswereentertainedasourguests.Everyonefeignedanunnaturalcheerfulness,thewinepassedround,notawordwassaidofwhatthemorrowmightbringforth,yetoverthepartythereseemedtohoverthedreadangelofdeath;afterthistragicrepastwesurrenderedourcabinstoourDominionfriends,andsnatchedsomesleepin the wardroom chairs. At sunset all lights were extinguished, and we steamedslowlythroughthenighttoanunknowndestination,andtoanunknownfate.

APRIL25th.At1a.m.thefleetcametoadeadstopandallonboardwereroused.Ivisited themessdecks,andwatched theAustralian troopshavinga finalhotmealbeforefallingin.Theywereascalmasifabouttotakepartinaroutemarch.At2a.m.themenfellinbycompaniesonthenumberedsquares,ofwhichIhavealreadyspoken.BoatshadmeanwhilebeenloweredandattachedtothesteamtrawlerwhichhadtowedthreeextrapinnacesfromMudrosinadditiontoherown.

Therewas only a faint sheen from the stars to light up the dramatic scene ondeck.ThissplendidcontingentfromAustraliastoodthereinsilence,astheofficers,hurrying from group to group, issued their final instructions. Between thecompaniesofinfantrywerethebeachparties,whosedutyitwastoputthemashore.Lieutenantsinkhaki,midshipmennotyetoutoftheirteensinoldwhiteducksuitsdyedkhakicolour,carryingrevolvers,water-bottles,andkitsalmostasbigasthemselves,andsturdybluejacketsequippedfortheshore.At2.30a.m.thepinnacetowedtheboatsalongside,andtheAustraliansclimbeddownthewoodenladders.Thankstotheconstantrehearsalstherewasnoconfusion,noovercrowding,andnota singlemishapoccurred.The tows thenwentastern, eachbattleship trailing fourbehindher.At3a.m.,thefleetbegantomoveslowlytowardstheshoreuntil,alittleafter4a.m.,thedistantsilhouetteofthecoastbecamevisibleforthefirsttime.At4.30a.m.theQueen,London,PrinceofWales,andMajesticwereinlineaboutthreethousandyardsfromtheshore.Thesignalwasthengivenforthetowstocastoff,andmake theirway to thebeach. Itwas still verydarkandeachpinnace, towingfourboats,lookedlikeagreatsnakeasitslowlyforgedahead.

We,whoassembledonthebridgeoftheLondon,werenowtopasssomenerve-racking minutes of suspense which seemed like hours. Very slowly the twelvesnakes of boats steamed past the battleships, the gunwales almost flush with thewater,socrowdedweretheywithkhakifigures.Toouranxiouseyesitappearedas

if the loads were too heavy for the pinnaces, that some mysterious power washoldingthemback,thattheywouldneverreachtheshorebeforedaybreak,andthuslosethechanceofasurprise.Thedistancebetweenthebattleshipsandtheboatsdidnotdiminish,butonlybecauseweweresteamingveryslowlyinafterthem,untilthewatergraduallyshallowed.

Every eye and every glasswas fixed on the grim line of hills in our front, soshapeless,yetsomenacinginthegloom,themysteriesofwhichthoseintheboats,lookingsofragileandhelpless,wereabouttosolve.Notasoundwasheardfromtheshore and no light was seen; it appeared as if the enemy had been completelysurprised,andthattheAustralianswouldlandwithoutopposition.Thestarsabovethesilhouetteofthehillswerefrequentlymistakenforlights.Onthebridgeasharp-eyedsignalmansuddenlycalledouttheresalightonthestarboardbow,butafterabriefexaminationitwaspronouncedtobeastar,andthisnauticalastronomerturnedawayinconfusion.

The progress of the boats was indeed slow, dawn was now breaking, and wefearedtheywouldneverbeabletolandinthedarkness.Atlastsomethingdefinitedidhappen.Preciselyat4.50a.m.theenemyshowedanalarmsignal,whichflashedfor tenminutesand then fadedaway.Thenext threeminutespassed inbreathlessanxiety,forwecouldonlyjustdiscerntheoutlineof the tows,whichappearedonthe beach. At this moment seven destroyers conveying the rest of the coveringtroopsglided through the intervalsbetween thebattleshipsand followed theboatsinshore.

At4.53a.m. therecameaverysharpburstof rifle fire fromthebeach,andweknewthatourmenwereatlastatgripswiththeenemy.Thesoundcameasarelief,for the suspense of the prolonged waiting had become intolerable. The fire onlylastedforafewminutes,andthenafaintcheerwaswaftedacrossthewater.Howcomfortingandinspiringwasthesoundatsuchamoment!Itcameasamessageofhope,foritsmeaningwasclear:afootholdhadbeenobtainedonthebeach.

At5.23a.m.thefireintensified,andwecouldtellfromthesoundthatourmenwereinaction.Itlasteduntil5.28andthendieddownsomewhat.Itwasimpossibletoseewhatwashappening,althoughdawnwasbreaking,becausewewerelookingdueeastintothesun,slowlyrisingbehindthehills,andtherewasalsoahazeoverthesea.

Throughouttheafternoonthefightingcontinued,andtheLondonwascontinuallyreceiving signals tobombardpositions,where theTurkswerevigorouslypressingtheAustraliansbacktothefirstlineofhillstheyhadseizedatdawn.Itbecamemoreand more obvious that the Dominion troops were extremely hard pressed. Thewounded were brought off the shore in boats and pinnaces, in a never-endingstream, and the accommodation on the single hospital ship, allotted to Anzac,speedilygaveout.

Asusual,withthestartofallBritishexpeditions,themedicalarrangementsweretotally inadequate tomeet the requirementsof thehour.Optimismhadminimised

our casualties to the finest possible margin, but the Turks multiplied them at analarming rate. Apparently there was no one in authority to direct the streams ofwoundedtoothershipswhereaccommodationcouldbefoundforthem,andmanyweretakenonboardthewarships.Finally,orderscamethatthewoundedweretobesentonboard those transportswhichhadalreadydischarged their landingparties,anddoctorswouldbesentaboardtolookafterthemuntiltheyreachedsafety;manysuccumbedwhomightotherwisehavebeensaved.

TheboatsreturningtotheLondonallbroughtthesametaleofthingsgoingbadly,heavycasualties,thebeacheschokedwithwounded,whocouldnotbemoved,whilethe enemys attack showed no diminution in strength or persistency. About 9.30p.m.,oneofourpinnacescameoffforfuelandwater,andIwasabletoreturninhertothebeach.Westeamedinclosetotheshoreunderwhatappearedtobeakindofhailstormcausedby thebullets striking the sea.Fortunatelymost of this firewashigh,andIfoundsomecoverundertheshelterofthehills,whenIhadlandedonthenarrow beach, some thirty yardswide. I climbed ashore over some barges in thesemi-darknessamidstasceneofindescribableconfusion.Thebeachwaspiledwithammunitionandstores,hastilydumpedfromthelighters,amongwhichlaythedeadandwounded,andmensoabsolutelyexhaustedthattheyhadfallenasleepinspiteofthedeafeningnoiseofthebattle.Infact,itwasimpossibletodistinguishbetweenthe living and the dead in the darkness. Through the gloom I saw the ghost-likesilhouettesofgroupsofmenwanderingaround inacontinuousstreamapparentlygoingto,orreturningfrom,thefiring-line.

Onthehillsabovethereragedanunceasingstrugglelitupbytheburstingshells,andthenightairwashummingwithbulletslikethedroningofcountlessbeesonahot summers day. Nevertheless, this little stretch of beachwas so angled that itprovidedahavenofrefugeifaprecariousone.

EllisAshmead-Bartlett,UncensoredDardanelles(Hutchinson,1928)

Menofthe11thDivisionembarkonshipsatLemnosinpreparationforthelandingsatSuvla.

CChapter2

SOLDIERSLIVESonditions on Gallipoli were never good. In part this was due to the fact thateverythinghad to be imported fromEgypt or even fromBritain.Even thewater

that was so vital in the hot summer months had to arrive by sea. Matters were notimprovedbythepoorsanitaryconditions,whichinevitablyledtodebilitatingoutbreaksofdysenteryandotherdiseasessuchastyphoid.

SUPPLYINGTHETROOPS

Allsuppliescameinbyshiptooneofthebays.Initially,supplyshipsweremooredoffthecoast,butthethreatofGermansubmarineattacksfromMayonwardsmeanttheyhadtounloadeverythinginLemnos60milesawayandthensmallvesselswouldferryitallto the coast. Tens of thousands of items, including food rations, other supplies andmunitions, arrived each day. And once it had arrived on the beaches, it all had to bephysicallymovedbyhandorbycarttowhereitwasneeded.OnavisittoAnzac,SirIanHamiltonfoundmenstaggeringunderhugesidesoffrozenbeef;[and]menstrugglingupcliffswithkerosenetinsfullofwater.

WithgreatdifficultydepotswereestablishedatHellesandthenatSuvla.Indeed,bythewintertheyweresowellstockedthattheyhadenoughreservestolastthetroopsatleastamonthincaseofemergency.HaroldThomasoftheArmyMedicalCorpsdescribedSuvlainhismemoirs:

Besidesthehospitaltentsperhapsthemoststrikingfeaturesofthelandscapeweretheenormousdumpsofammunitionandrationsmountainsofbullybeef,andbiscuitstowered up foursquare to the sky; nearby were dumps for kinds of stores, onepatheticpilebeingformedofdeadmenskit,haversacks,water-bottles,brokenrifles,andalltheflotsamandjetsamofthebattlefield.

AnaerialobliquephotographoftheSuvlaBeachareashowingthehospitalsandstoresareaswhichwereconstructedintheweeksafterthelandings.

Evenso,somethingsremainedinshortsupply.Inparticular,itwashardtofindwoodforuseinfires.MajorB.G.Wellerwrote:

Woodwassoscarcethatitwaswiththeutmostdifficultymencouldcollectenoughscrapstomakeasmallfiretoboilwaterfortheirissueoftea.Thisledtoacuriousfact.Itwasnoticedthatmenonthepeninsulainvariablywalkedwiththeireyesgluedtotheground.Thereasonwassoonapparent.Theyformedahabitofalwayslookingforanyscrapofwoodoranythingthatwouldburn.Usedmatcheseven,wereeagerlypickedupandstored.[WO95/4291]

FOODANDDRINK

Foodwasplentiful ifmonotonous,butwaterwasoften invery limitedsupply.This isaconstituent complaint found in memoirs and in oral history interviews with survivors.EvenaftersixtyyearsLieutenantR.LaidlawremainedcriticalofthearrangementsmadetosupportthetroopsduringtheBattleforGullyRavinea2-mile-longdryvalleyonthewesternsideofGallipolion28June:

Wehadplentyofammunition,broughtupearlierbutmostofthemenhaddrunktheirwaterduringthestrenuousdayandwerenowverythirstyandthirstisnotapleasantthing,especiallywhenyouareservinginasandyandhotcountry.Allalong

thetrenchIcouldhearcriesofwater,waterandwatertherewasnoneTherewasnoneevenforthewoundedmenandsomehowIfailedtogetanymessagethroughtothedestroyerswhentheirboatcameashoretopickupthewounded.

DISEASEANDSANITATION

After Turkish bullets, the most serious killer of men was the tinymicrobe that causesdysentery.Thediseaseoccurswhensanitationispoor,aswasthecaseatGallipoli.EvenasrecentlyastheBoerWarithadbeenamajorkillerofsoldiers,butitwasnotaseriousproblemontheWesternFront,wherestrictmeasuresweretakentoensuregoodsanitationinthetrenchesandpropercareforthoseunfortunateswhocontractedthedisease.

Amajorproblemwasthelackoffreshwaterforthetroops.Heretwowatercarriersbringprecioussuppliesthroughasupporttrench.

Theauthoritieswerewellawareof theneedfor latrinediscipline,butGallipoliwasabattlefieldwhere every inchwas fought over, so therewas not the space, let alone thedisinfectants,toprovidepropersanitation.Eventoiletpaperwasinshortsupply.

Little effort was made to control dysentery. The priority for medical aid was thosewoundedinbattle.Aswellastheappallinglatrines(wherethediseasebred),thefoodwaspoor.ClementAttleedrilycommentedinhismemoirsthatdysenterywasacomplaintforwhichourdietofbullybeef,biscuitandteawithoutmilkwasnotverysuitable.At theendofJulyCaptainAttleehimselfcontracteddysentery:hewascarriedunconscioustothebeachandsenttoMaltatorecover.

SergeantH.KeighleyoftheRoyalArtillerycommentedthatdysentery

wasthebiggestscourgewehadonGallipoliIgotdysenteryverybadly.Ihadntthestrengthtogoupanddownthecliff,acrosstheravineandupthehilltogettotheMedicalOfficer(hewasontheotherside)andintheendIlosttwoorthreestones.Itwas dreadful! I practically had to sleep alongside the latrines, my tummy had somuchtrouble.

Somemenwere affected so severely that they fouled themselves, thusundermining thesenseofself-worththatisvitaltogoodmorale.

Another scourge that veterans remembered to their dying days was the flies, whichinitially emerged from the putrefying corpses in no mans land to make mens lives alivinghell.GunnerDudleyMenaud-LissenburgoftheRoyalFieldArtillerywrotethat:

Wewereinvadedbymillionsofflies.Therewasnoescapefromthesebeastlyinsects.Theyswarmedaroundeverywhere.DrinkingandeatingwasarealnightmareandIavoided no matter how hungry I was the rice pudding, which was served upfrequentlymixedwith currants and dehydrated fruit. Itwas difficult to distinguishcurrantsfromflies.Theylookedalikeinthisrepulsivemixture.Immediatelythelidwastakenoffthedixietheflieswouldswarmdownandsettleontheriminaclusterandmany of themwould fall into the puddingThe ceilings of our bivouacs, awaterproofsheet,wasblackwithfliescrawlingovereachotherandfallingontopofoneasyoutriedtorest.

Inaddition,deadsoldiersbecamearealproblem.Therewereseveralunofficialtrucestoalloweachsidetogatherbodiesfrombetweenthetwofrontlinesinnomansland.Butinparticularlyhard-foughtbattlesthiswasnotalwayspossible.AtHill60FrancisTwistletonoftheOtagoMountedRiflesfoundthatinthetrenchinwhichhewasstationedinmanyplacestheparapetandparadoswasmadeupofdeadmen.Turksofcourse:thestenchwasappalling.IfeltasthoughIcouldscrapethesmellofthedeadmenoutofmymouthand throat and stomach in chunks. Hewas forced to report sick, although hewas notactuallysick,becausehecouldkeepnofooddown:Iseemedtoliveonthesmellofdeadmenanditwasaveryhardweek.

Lessofaproblembutstilldeeplyunpleasantweretheinfestationsoflice,whichlivedintheuniforms.OntheWesternFrontthereweredelousingcentres,whichkilledthelice,buttherewasnoequivalentintheDardanelles,somenspenthourafterhourtryingtokill

theliceandtheeggstheylaid.

ByOctoberthehealthofthemenhadreachedsuchalowpointthattheircommanderswereseriouslyworriedthattheywouldbeunabletoeffectivelyrepelanyTurkishattacks,letalonemountanyfurtheroffensiveoperations.AsPeterHartnoted,thestrengthofthearmywas literallybeing leachedaway. Itwasperhaps fortunate then thatconditions intheenemyslineswerealmostasbad.

RESTANDRECREATION

Perhaps surprisingly, itwas not all bad. In commonwith soldiers through the ages, themen tried tomake thebestof theircircumstances. In themidstof the torrential rainsoflateOctober,PrivateErnestLyedescribedhissection:

ByrightsIsupposeweshouldhaveallbeenmiserable,forwewerewetthroughandvery cold.The younger ones talked of the feeds theywere going to have (I had acravingforhotmuffinswithpilesofsteamingbutter),whiletheolderonestalkedofthe pints they would drink when they got back to their favourite pub. Someonestarted a songwhichwas taken up by all of us, until youwould have thoughtwehadntcareintheworld.

Duringthesummerafavouritepastimewastocooloffinthesea,althoughevenheretherewasthechanceofbeinghitbyastrayTurkishshell.Mostmenthoughtitworththerisktofeelcleanagain.

SCIMITARHILL

On 21 August the war journalist Ellis Ashmead-Bartlett observed the doomedBritishattackonScimitarHill.Thiswasthelastmajorbattleonthepeninsula.BynowAshmead-Bartlettwasbitterlydisillusionedwithhowthecampaignhadbeenconducted.

Suddenlyat3.15pmthebombardmentswitchedofftheenemyslinesandpassedonto his artillery positions and communications. South-east ofChocolateHill I sawlong lines of our infantry (the 34thBrigade of the 11thDivision) advance to theattackof theTurkish lines in theBiyukAnafartavalley. Immediately themachinegunsonChocolateHillconcentratedontheparapetsoftheenemystrenchestokeephisinfantryundercover.ButtherangewasratherlongandIdonotthinktheTurkssufferedmuch.Infact,whenthe34thBrigadewentforwardIcouldseetheTurkishsoldiersstandingfullyexposedabovethetopoftheirsand-bagstofireonourlines.The 34th did capture one trench, but this seemed to be the extent of the successgainedinthisquarter.The32ndand33rdBrigadesofthe11thDivisionshouldhavesupported this attack, but immediately after the start the line seemed to convergetowards Hill W, on the lower spurs of which masses of our men remainedthroughout the afternoon, apparently quite unable to advance further. Here theywereexposedtoawitheringfirefromthetrenchesonHillW,andalsofromthosein the plain. I could follow the movements of small numbers of troops rushingforward only to be shot down and this disorganised mixture of battalions neverregainedanycohesion,andsufferedmanycasualties.

The advance of our infantry caused the Turkish artillery to switch offmost oftheir guns fromChocolateHill to this new target, and itwaspossible toobtain abetterviewofwhatwaspassing.Sometimeafter3.30myattentionwasattractedbya sudden rush of our infantry (the 87th Brigade of the 29thDivision, 2nd SouthWalesBorderers, 1stK.O.S.B.s [KingsOwn ScottishBorderers], 1st InniskillingFusiliers, and 1st Border Regiment) up the north-west slope of Scimitar Hill.Rushingwith incredible speed through the smouldering scrub, thismass of khakifigures reached the bare sand-covered glacis near the top, charged right over itregardlessofshellsandbullets,anddisappearedintothetrenches.

FromChocolateHill it looked as if the hill had beenwon, but only for a fewminutes. Suddenly the Turkish artillery swept the crest of Scimitar Hill withshrapnel,theshellsburstingincessantly,untilawhitecanopyenvelopedthesummit.Iwatched someof our infantry chase theTurks down the reverse slope, but theywere eitherkilledor forced to retire from the fire fromanother trenchor redoubtbeyond,theexistenceofwhichwasunsuspected.Thetremendousconcentrationofshrapnelwastoomuchfortheshatteredbattalions.SoonIperceivedkhakifiguresleapingfromthetrenchesanddashingforcovertothescrubfromwhichtheyhadjustemerged.Thewholebaresurfaceof theglacisremaineddottedwithourdeadandwounded.

Meanwhile, another attack suddenly developed up the south-west slope ofScimitarHill. (It was the 86thBrigade of the 29thDivision, Royal Fusiliers, 1stMunster Fusiliers, 1st Lancashire Fusiliers, and 1st Dublin Fusiliers). Thesebattalions, on leaving the trenches and entering the bush, found themselvesintermingledwiththemenofthe11thDivision,whoshouldhaveadvancedagainsttheTurkish trenches in theBiyukAnafartavalleymore to the right, but theyhadgraduallyedgedoff to the left toobtaincover from the fire from theTurks in thevalley,andwerenowinscatteredgroupsallroundScimitarHill.

Whentheleadingbattalionofthe86thBrigadeattemptedtocontinueitsadvance,itwasapparentlyjoinedbymanymenofthe11thDivision.Isawadensemassofinfantry,innosortofformation,surgingslowlyupthesouth-westslopeofScimitarHill.Theconfusionwasawful,and,toaddtoit,atthismomentthescrubbegantoblazeagain.Thedisorganisedsoldiersvanishedamidst thedensecloudsofsmokeandflame,andshortlyafterwardsreappearedonthebare,yellowglacis.OnceagaintheTurkishartilleryopenedupwith salvoesof shrapnel.Themasswavered, thenbroke,andmenstreamedbackdownthehill,leavingthesummitstillmorethicklystrewnwithdeadanddying.Iwatchedthewoundedendeavouringtocrawlbacktocover,iftheydidreachthescrub,theyperishedintheflames.

Infact,ScimitarHillwasnowfairlyablaze.Theattackhadfailedlamentably,butwasnotyetover

Theonly reinforcementwhichhad reached thePeninsula sinceAugust6thwasthe 2ndMounted Division under General Peyton, which had arrived from Egyptwithout theirhorses. Itwas, throughout theafternoon,held inreservebehindLala

Baba and now, when the attack of the 29th Division had finally failed, de Lisledecidedtothrowitintotheconflict.

Itwassometimeafter4.30p.m.whenmyattentionwassuddenlyattractedbytheTurkish gunners lengthening their range and concentrating their fire on the SaltLake.OnmovingtotherearofChocolateHill,Isawamassofmenadvancinginartillery formation across the lake. The Turkish batteries plastered the gallantYeomenwithshrapnel,causingsomecasualties,buttheyneverlosttheirformationandkeptsteadilyonuntiltheyobtainedcoverbehindChocolateHill.

Herethe2ndBrigadeunderLordLongfordmovedtowardsthelefttoapositioninfrontofScimitarHill.Itsadvancewasslow,hamperedbytheburningscrubandtheconfusedjumbleofmenofthe29thand11thDivisions,whohadbeendrivenoffthesummit.

The1stBrigadeunderGeneralWigginseemstohaveremainedbehindChocolateHillwithout orders, and to have takenbut small part in the engagement.The 4thBrigadeunderGeneralTaylormovedtothesupportofthe11thDivisionintheplainsouth-east ofChocolateHill, and the 3rdBrigade underGeneralMcKenna,V.C.,alsomoved to the south, but seems to havebeenheld in reserve. Itwasnearly 7p.m., and nightwas already setting in,when the 2ndBrigade reached the foot ofScimitarHill.

Thencamethefinalsceneofthistragicday.Itwasalmostimpossibletoseewhatwas happening through the gathering gloom and smoke, only relieved by theburstingshellsandflames.Justasdarknesssettledoverthescene,Idistinguishedamassofmensurgingonceagaintowardsthesummitofthisdreadfulhill.Ihavenoidea who took part in this final advance. Probably the Dorsets and YeomanryBrigadewerejoinedbytheremnantsofthe29thandmenofthe11thDivisionswhowerelyinginthescrubatitsfoot.Themobsurgedupwards.Theroaroftheguns,thecrackleof therifle fire, theburrof themachineguns,was incessant,and thentheseblurredkhakifiguresdisappearedinthedarknessandsmokeandwerelosttoview. Once again we thought that the hill had been won. But in reality it wasimpossibletoholdthecrestunderthewitheringfireofshrapnel,rifle,andmachineguns.Thewholepositionwasevacuatedduringthenight.Notayardoftheenemystrencheshadbeentaken.

Ileftthebattlefieldat8p.m.,strippedbare,withnothingleftbutmytrousersandshirt.Itcameaboutinthisway.About5.30,theTurkishartilleryfireonChocolateHillhavingdiminished,Iendeavouredtosetupmycinemaabovetheparapetofthepartly destroyed trench to get some pictures of the wonderful panorama of theshellfireandburningscrub.Thegunnerswereonmelikeaflash.Icouldnotbelievethattheycouldhavepickedupatargetsoquickly.Oneshellwhizzedpastmyheadandstuckinthebackofthetrenchwithoutexploding.Thencameanother.Isawabrightflashandfoundmyselfintotaldarkness.Istruggledtogetclearbutrealisedthat I was buried. Shortly afterwards a spot of light appeared and I becameconscious that Iwasbeingdugout.Mybenefactor turnedout tobeasoldierwho

hadseenmymishapandwhoimmediatelyrantomyassistance.Ifoundthefuseofa high explosive shell lying on my legs but I had not received a scratch. Mybelongings did not fare sowell.Owing to the heat, I had taken offmy coat andplaceditbesidemewithmysmallcamera,walking-stick,fieldglasses,andwater-bottle.Theywereprobablyblowntosmithereens,and,inanycase,disappearedforever.Theinfernaloldcinema,ofwhichIwasnowheartilytired,thecauseofallmytroubles,had,ofcourse,survivedandIwasreluctantlycompelledtodragitbacktocamp.

EllisAshmead-Bartlett,TheUncensoredDardanelles(Hutchinson,1928)

AsapatthetopofShrapnelValley.ThevalleywasthemainrouteupfromthebeachareatotheAnzacfrontlineontheridge.

TChapter3

GETTINGSTARTEDhis chapter offers basic guidance for readers interested in researching eitherindividualsoldiersortheunitsinwhichtheyservedinGallipoli.

ONLINERESOURCES

There are four major data providers with significant First World War content online:Ancestry, Findmypast, Military Genealogy and The National Archives. Ancestry(www.ancestry.co.uk) isundoubtedly thebestplace tostart. It isasubscriptionsite:youpayforayearsunlimitedaccesstothedata.Ifyouarenotalreadyasubscriber,itisworthtrying the free fourteen-day trial. Alternatively, access is free at many local libraries.However,Ancestryisoflittleuseifyourinterestisnotprimarilygenealogical.WiththeexceptionoftheMedalIndexCards,muchthesamematerialisavailableonFindmypast(www.findmypast.co.uk),althoughitalsohasoneortwouniqueresourcesofitsown.Atthe time of writing (2014) the Military and Naval Archives website(www.NMarchives.com), from Naval & Military Press is about to launch, promisingaccess toanumberofFirstWorldWarresources, includingwardiariesandmedalrolls.TheNationalArchivesprovidesonlineaccess to service records formenwhoserved intheRoyalNavyandtheRoyalAirForce,andforthefewwomenwhojoinedtheservicesduringthewar.ThereisalsotheForcesWarRecords.ItishardtoknowexactlywhatisavailablefortheFirstWorldWar,butitisunlikelyitwillhaveanyofthekeydatabases.

Not everything is online by anymeans. Particularly if you decide to do an in-depthstudyofan individual,or researchaparticularunitoraction,youwillprobablyneed touseoriginalpapers,lettersandfilesthatareonlytobefoundinanarchive.Ifyouwanttoknowmore aboutwhat archives are and how to use them, a series ofQuickAnimatedGuidesisavailableatwww.nationalarchives.gov.uk/records/quick-animated-guides.htm.

Therearethreemajortypesofarchivewithsomeoverlapbetweentheirholdings.Themost important is The National Archives (TNA) in Kew, which has almost all thesurvivingserviceandoperationalrecordsforthethreeservicesplusmuchelsebesides.Inthis book any records mentioned are held by The National Archives (TNA) unlessindicatedotherwise.Thereisanexcellentwebsitewww.nationalarchives.gov.ukwhichwill helpyou find the recordsyou are looking for andprepare for avisit. Inparticular,Research Signposts, and the more detailed Research Guides, explain the records verysimply.Findthematwww.nationalarchives.gov.uk/records.

TherecordsthemselvesaredescribedviatheDiscoverycatalogue,whichlistsallelevenmillion documents available for researchers at Kew. The descriptions are often prettygeneral,butshouldbegoodenoughforyoutoworkoutwhicharelikelytobeusefultoyou.

Regimentalandservicemuseumsandarchiveshaverecordsrelatingtotheirparticular

regiment or service. The big service museums are the Imperial War Museum (for allservices),theNationalArmyMuseum,theRoyalNavalMuseum(officiallytheNationalMuseumoftheRoyalNavy(Portsmouth)),andtheRAFMuseum.

Inaddition,most regimentshave theirownregimentalmuseumandarchive,althoughtheirarchivesareincreasinglylikelytobefoundat theappropriatecountyrecordoffice.These archives may include collections of regimental orders, personal papers andphotographs, war diaries (which may duplicate those at Kew), regimental magazines,registers and records which TNA for one reason or another did not want. All thesearchives have very different collections, so you may strike lucky or go away almostempty-handed.Mostwelcomevisitors,butyouusuallyhavetomakeanappointment.TheArmyMuseumOgilbyTrustmaintainsaverygoodwebsite(www.armymuseums.org.uk)thatlinkstomuseumwebsitesandprovidesdetailsaboutindividualregimentalmuseums.

Service and regimentalmuseumsdonot have any service records: these are either atTNAor,formenwholeftaftertheendof1920,withtheMinistryofDefence.

Countyarchives (or recordoffices)arealso likely tohavesomematerial,particularlyrelatingtotheimpactofthewaronlocalcommunities.Afewhavetheregimentalarchivesdepositedbythelocalregiment.Theremayalsoberecordsoflocalterritorialregiments,whichprovidedmanyofthetroopswhofoughtatGallipoli.

There are also many more specialist repositories ranging from the British Library,which is comparable toTheNationalArchives in sizeand importance, to companyandhospital archives. With the exception of the British Library, which has records of theIndianArmy, theyarenot likely toholdmuchdirect informationabout thecampaign inGallipoli.

To find the addresses, websites and other contact details of all British (and someoverseas) archivesvisitARCHONwww.nationalarchives.gov.uk/archon where thereare links to individual archiveswebsites. For regimentalmuseums, however, itmay beeasiertogoviawww.armymuseums.org.uk.

Therearetwonationaldatabasesshowingwhichrecordsareheldwhere.TheNationalRegister of Archives (www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/nra) offers broad descriptions ofparticular collections of records held at archives across the United Kingdom this isparticularlyusefulifyouarelookingtoseewhethertherearepapersforanindividualorcompany.Inaddition,AccesstoArchives(www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2a)offersmoredetailed descriptions of the holdings ofmany archives inEngland.Thismight bemoreuseful insearchingforgenericreferences toGallipolior theDardanelles,rather thanforthe records of an individual. There is also an equivalent for Wales(www.archivesnetworkwales.info), while in Scotland the Scottish Archive Networkprovidessomethingsimilaratwww.scan.org.uk.

Using online catalogues can be tricky, particularly those provided by local recordoffices,soifthereareanyinstructionsitisagoodideatoreadthembeforeyoustart.Ingeneral,themoreinformationyoutypein,themoreitwillconfusethesearchengine,sotrytokeepitsimple.

DEATHANDTHEFLIES

In thisextract fromTheSecretBattle (1919),SirAlanHerbert describes life in atrench:

Therewasagreatmuddleinfront.Troopsoftwodifferentbrigadeswerehopelesslyentangled in the shallow trenches they had taken from the Turks. They had fewofficersleft,andtheirstaffshadthemostimperfectimpressionsofthewhereaboutsoftheirmangledcommands.Sothesunwaswellupwhenwefinallytookovertheline;thiswasindefianceofalltradition,buttheTurkwasshakenanddidnotmolestus.Themenwhopassedusontheirwaydowngrimlywishedusjoyofwhattheyhad left; their faceswerepaleanddrawn, fullof loathingandweariness,but theysaid little; and the impressiongrew that therewas somethingup therewhich theycouldnotevenbegintodescribe.Itwasastill,scorchingmorning,andaswemovedontheairbecameheavywithasickeningstench,themostawfulofallsmellsthatmancanbe called to endure, because it preyedon the imagination aswell as thesenses.Forweknewnowwhatitwas.

WecameintoaTurkishtrench,broadandshallow.InthefirstbaylaytwobodiesaLowlanderandaTurk.Theylaywheretheyhadkilledeachother,andtheywerevery foul and loathsome in the sun. A man looked up at them and passed on,thinking,GladIhaventgottostayhere.Inthenextbaytherewerethreedead,allEnglishmen;andinthenextthereweremoreandhethought,Itwasahotfightjusthere. But as hemoved on, and in each succeeding bay beheld the same corruptaftermath of yesterdays battle, the suspicion came to him that this was no localhorror. Over the whole front of the attack, along two lines of trenches, theseregiments of dead were everywhere found, strung in unnatural heaps along theparapets,or sprawlinghorriblyhalf into the trench so thathe touched themashepassed.Yetstillhecouldnotbelieve,andateachcornerthought,Surelytherewillbenoneinthisbay.

Butalwaysthereweremore;until,ifhewerenotcarefulorverycallous,itbegantogetonhisnerves,sothatatthetraverseshealmostprayedthattheremightbenomorebeyond.Yetmanydidnotrealizewhatwasbeforethemtilltheywerefinallypostedinthebaystheyweretogarrisonthreeorfourinabay.Thentheylookedup at the sprawling horrors on the parapet and behind them just above theirheads, and knew that thesewere to be their close companions all that swelteringday,andperhapsbeyond.

Theregimentwehadrelievedhadbeentooexhaustedbytheattack,ortooshort-handed,toburymorethanafew,andtheTurkishsnipersmadeitimpossibletodoanythingduringtheday.Andsowesatallthescorchinghoursofthesun,ormovedlistlesslyupanddown,tryingnottolookupwards.

Buttherewasahideousfascinationaboutthethings,sothatafterafewhoursamancametoknowthebodiesinhisbaywithasickeningintimacy,andcouldhavetoldyoumanydetailsabouteachof them their regiment,andhowthey lay,andhowtheyhaddied,andlittlethingsabouttheiruniforms,amissingbutton,orsome

papers,oranoldphotographstickingoutofapocket.

Allof themwerealivewithflies,andatnoonwhenwetookoutourbreadandbegan to eat, the flies rose in a great black swarm and fell upon the food in ourhands.Afterthatnoonecouldeat.Alldaymenwerebeingsentawaybythedoctor,strickenwithsheernauseabythefliesandthestenchandthethingstheysaw,andwentretchingdownthe trench.Tokeepawaytheawful reekwewentaboutforalittle in the old gas-helmets, but the heat and burden of them in the hot, airlesstrenchwasintolerable.

Theofficershadnodug-outs,butsatundertheparapets,likethemen.Noofficerwent sick; no officer could be spared; and indeed we seemed to have a greaterpowerofresistancetothisordealofdisgustthanthemenallnightwelabouredattheburyingofthebodies.Itwasbadwork,everymanwhocouldbesparedtookhispart,carelessofsleeporrest,solongasheshouldbutsostrongwasthehorroruponusthatwecouldnotsitforanotherdaywiththosethings.Butwecouldonlyburyhalfof themthatnight,andall thenextdaywewentagain through that lingeringtorment.And in theafternoonwhenwehadorders togoup to thefront lineafterdusk for an attack, we were glad. It was one of the very few moments in myexperience when the war correspondents legend of a regiments pleasure at theprospectofbattlecametrue.Foranythingwaswelcomeifonlywecouldgetoutofthattrench,awayfromthesmellandtheflies,awayfromthosebodies.

IChapter4

RESEARCHINGBRITISHSOLDIERSANDSAILORS

nthissectionwelookat thebasicrecordsyoucanusetoobtainageneralpictureofyourancestorsservice.

Around half amillionmen served at some stage at Gallipoli or in the neighbouringwaters,andalthoughsomerecordsaremissingyoushouldbeabletofindsomethingabouteachofthem.However,exactlywhatisavailablecannotbepredictedwithanycertainty,although there ismoreabout the infantryand thosewhowerekilledordiedofwoundsthanaboutmenwhoservedinsupportingoccupations.

Allthemenwerevolunteers.Somehadbeensoldiersinthepre-wararmy,suchasthemen of the 1st Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers, who led the landing onVBeach on 25April and suffered terrible casualties in doing so. Others were members of the prewarTerritorialForce,orreservistswhohadbeenrecalledtothecoloursontheoutbreakofwar.Many,however,hadvolunteeredintheearlyweeksofthewarandjoinedoneofthenewbattalions that were urgently formed to cope with the flood of youngmen desirous offightingtheKaiser.

Fewof theAnzacs, for example, had anypreviousmilitary experience,whichmakestheirachievementsallthemoreremarkable.Takethestretcher-bearerJohnSimpson,whoachievedrenownthroughcarryingwoundedAnzacsonadonkeyintheearlydaysofthelanding;hehaddesertedfromaBritishmerchantnavyshipandtrampedaroundAustralialooking forwork before enlisting on 23August 1914 in Perth. LikemanyBritish-bornvolunteershehadjoinedupsothathecouldgetfreepassagetoBritaininordertoseehisfamily.

GETTINGSTARTED

Beforeyou start your researchyouneed tobe reasonablyconfidentof the soldiers fullname,theregimentorarmheservedwith,andhisservicenumber(ifhewasanordinarysoldier or non-commissioned officer).Otherwise it is very easy to start researching thewrongperson.

Ifyouhavehismedals,theinformationshouldbestampedontherimorreverse.Itmayappearonany familypapers, suchas letters anddiaries,ormayevenbewrittenon thebacksofphotographs.Familystoriescanalsohelp,althoughgeneral statements suchashewasatGallipoliorhewasinthetrencheswhenhewasburiedbyanexplosionareobviouslynotveryuseful.Evensotheymayofferaclue.

MEDALINDEXCARDS

Everyservicemanandwoman(aswellasafewcivilians)whosawserviceoverseaswasentitled to two campaign medals: the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. Inaddition,menwhoservedoverseas,includingofcourseatGallipoli,before31December1915wereentitled to the1914/15Star.Eachmedalwasembossedwith themansnameandrankandnumbercurrentatthetimeofhisdischarge.

ThereareseveraldesignsofMedalIndexCard,buttheyshouldalltellyou:therankthemanheldattheendofhisservice,regimentalnumbers(otherranksonly)andtheunitsheservedin,andthemedalstowhichhewasentitled,togetherwiththeplaceonthemedalroll where details are to be found. In addition, the card should give the theatre ofoperationsinwhichhefirstsawservice.InmostcasesthecardwillbemarkedGallipoli(orBalkans),orpossiblythecode2B.ThedategivenshouldbethedaythathelandedonGallipoli (that is, between 25April 1915 and 8 January 1916), but if an earlier date isgiventhenitmaybewhenthemanarrivedinEgyptorcameviatheWesternFront.

Theremaybeadditional informationsuchashisdateofdischarge (or thedateofhisdeathinaction),anygallantrymedalshewasawarded,perhapsanotethathewasentitledtowear theoak leaf emblemon theVictoryMedal forbeingMentioned inDespatches,usually abbreviated to EMB (for emblem), and whether he was discharged to the ZReservein1919thatis,hecouldberecalledintheeventoftheresumptionofhostilities.

The Cards are available online at both Ancestry (British ArmyWWI Medal RollsIndexCards)andviaTheNationalArchiveswebsite.Ofthetwo,Ancestryoffersbyfarthebetterreproductionincolourandprovidesbothsidesofeachcard,whichoccasionallyincludes the address to which the medals were sent. In addition, summaries providingdetails of the unitswithwhich aman served and his regimental numbers are availablethroughFindmypastandtheLivesoftheFirstWorldWarprojectfreeofcharge,althoughtheyarentallthateasytofind.Detailsareavailableat:www.livesofthefirstworldwar.org.

ThemedalrollsthemselvesareatTheNationalArchivesinseriesWO329andonlineatwww.NMarchives.com.Theyareprobablynotworthconsultingastheonlyadditionalinformationyouarelikelytofindistheinfantrybattalioninwhichhewasservingatthetimeofhisdeathordischarge.However,thismayhelpyoufindtheappropriatebattalionwardiary.

SILVERWARBADGE

YoumayalsocomeacrossacardfortheSilverWarBadge.Asmall,circularlapelbadgemadeofsterlingsilver,itborethekingsinitials,acrown,andtheinscriptionsForKingand Empire and Services Rendered. The SilverWar Badge provided former soldierswithsomeformofidentificationtoshowthattheyhadfaithfullyservedKingandCountrybeforetheirhonorabledischarge.MedalrollsarealsoavailableonAncestry,buttheyarenotveryinformative.

SERVICERECORDS:OTHERRANKSANDNON-COMMISSIONEDOFFICERS

Service records can be a key resource in tracing an individual serviceman, supplyingdetailsofpostings,woundsandsickness,andperhapssomefamilydetails.Unfortunately,however,lessthanathirdofservicerecordssurvive.Theremainderweredestroyedduring

theBlitz.

Individual files contain awide variety of documents,which can be informative if attimesalittlebewildering;withalittlepracticeandpatienceyoushouldbeabletodecipherthe formsandbuildupan intimateportraitof the individual.Theycertainly repayclosestudy.

Notwofilesarethesame.Someareverydetailed,withavarietyofforms,lettersandotherpaperwork,butinothercasesyoumayfindonlyamansattestationformorperhapsamedicalrecord.Ofparticular importanceis theattestationformthatwascompletedbythe individual on enlistment. This indicates when and where a man enlisted and wasdischarged,andgivesotherpersonaldetailssuchascivilianoccupation,homeaddressanddate of birth. It usually appears at the beginning of a service record. Files for pre-warregular soldiers, part-timemembersof theTerritorialArmy,or reservists recalled to thecoloursincludetheirpre-warattestationformsanddetailsoftheirpre-warservice,whichmightoccasionallygobacktotheBoerWarorearlier.

TheotherdocumenttolookoutforisFormB103/1CasualtyFormActiveService.Despitethename,itincludesfarmorethaninformationonwoundsandhospitalstays.Itcouldalsotellyouaboutpromotionsthroughtheranks(anddemotionsifappropriate),andlisttheunitsheservedin;itmayindicatewhenhewentoverseasandwhenhereturnedtoBritain tobedischarged; itmayprovidedetails of anymedical treatments received andperhaps notes of any disciplinary offences (generally for drunkenness, petty theft orignoringanofficersorder).Youmayalsofindthedateandreasonfordeath.

If aman died during his army service, theremaywell be correspondence and formsabouthiswillandpersonaleffects,aswellasperhapslettersfromhisnextofkinseekingmoreinformationaboutthecircumstancesofhisloss.

What these records do not do is to tell you very much about any fighting he wasengagedinoranygallantrymedalshemayhavereceived,norcantheyofferanyrealideaabouthislifeinthearmy.However,youcanusethewardiariestoobtainthisinformation.

TheseservicerecordsareonlineatbothAncestryandFindmypast.Theservicerecordsofmenwhocontinuedtoserveinthearmyaftertheendof1920arestillwiththeMinistryofDefence.Fulldetailsareavailableatwww.veterans-uk.info.

OFFICERSSERVICERECORDS

Survivingservice recordsareatTheNationalArchives inseriesWO339andWO374.About85percenthavesurvived.Inpractice,thereseemstobelittledifferencebetweenthetwoseries.Thereisjustonefileforeachofficer,andtheyarenotonline.

Atsomestagetherecordswereweededandmuchmaterialwasdestroyed.Recordsformenwhosurvivedaregenerallylessfullthanthoseformenwhodiedinaction.Evenso,theremay be correspondence concerningmoney, length of service and pensions, ratherthandirectlyaboutanindividualswarservice.Ifanofficercamethroughtheranks,thenthere should be his original enlistment document and recommendations from hiscommandingofficer.Ifamandiedduringhisservicetherearelikelytobepapersrelating

to the administration of hiswill and dispersal of his effects, aswell as correspondencewiththenextofkin,whowereoftendesperatetodiscoverthecircumstancesoftheirson,brother or husbands death.The files of bothCaptainClemAttlee andLieutenant JohnStillcontainmedicalboardreportsasbothmenhadbeeninjuredduringthecourseoftheirservice.

OfficersarelistedintheArmyLists.Theseprovideaneasywaytoconfirmwhetheranancestorwasanofficerornot,becausetheListsincludeeveryonewhowascommissioned,giving details about which regiment or unit he was with, his rank and when he waspromoted to it. They are available online at the Internet Archive at www.archive.org,althoughtheyarenotparticularlyeasytouse.Thecommercialgenealogicaldataprovidersmay offer the occasional copy. In addition, complete sets can be found in the OpenReading Room at The National Archives and at the IWM, the British Library and theNationalArmyMuseum.

TheLondonGazetteisthegovernmentsofficialnewspaper.Itincludesannouncementsof the appointment of officers and any subsequent promotions, togetherwithwhen andhow they were discharged. The surnames and initials of individual officers are given,together with their regiment and the date of the promotion (even temporary ones).Inevitably, publication may have taken place months after the event, but the date thepromotionwasgrantedisalwaysgiven.Abriefreasonforaresignationisoftengiven.TheLondonGazettehasbeendigitisedand isonlineatwww.thegazette.co.uk.The indexing,however,israthererratic.

IdentifyingMilitaryUniforms

Youmayhavephotographs showing the soldier/s you are researching inuniform.As well as providing a direct link to the past, such photographs can tell yousomethingabouthisservicethroughtheinsigniaandbadgesshown.

Officers and other ranks wore differently designed uniforms, and it is alwaysclearwhichwaswhich.Officers uniformswere better tailored, andofficerswererarelyseenwithoutatie.Ordinarysoldiersworecoarsertunicsandtrousers(kilts,ofcourse, in the Highland regiments). Noncommissioned officers wore downwardpointing chevrons (one for a lance corporal, two for a corporal and three for asergeant)on eacharmabove the elbow. (They shouldnotbe confusedwith long-servicestripes,whicharefoundbelowtheelbow.)

Eachregimentandcorpshaditsownbadgewornonthecaporasbuttonsonthejacketandtunic.Afewareverydistinctive,suchasthemountedgunfortheRoyalArtilleryor the flaminggrenadeof theGrenadierGuards,butmostat firstglancelookverysimilar.

Therearevariousguidestohelpyoudecipheryourphotographs.ThebestbooksareNeilStorey,MilitaryPhotographsandHowtoDateThem(CountrysideBooks,2010) and Robert Pols, Identifying Old Army Photographs (Family HistoryPartnership, 2011). For regimental badges, see Ian Swinnertons Identifying YourWorldWar I Soldier from Badges and Photographs (Family History Partnership,

2004) and Peter Doyle and Chris FostersBritish Army Cap Badges of the FirstWorld War (Shire, 2010). Probably the best general introduction to interpretinguniforms is provided by Chris McDonald at www.4thgordons.com/I-Spybook%20of%20Uniforms1.2.pdf. There are several rather unsatisfactorywebsites thatmayhelpyouto identifyregimentalbadges; thebest isprobablytheBritish Armed Services and National Service site atwww.britisharmedforces.org/index.php

CASUALTIES

Justover700,000BritishmenandafewdozenwomenwerekilledduringtheFirstWorldWar andmany hundreds of thousandsmore received some form of medical treatment.During the Gallipoli campaign nearly 60,000 Allied troops lost their lives and over120,000werewoundedinsomeway.

WoundedmenlyinginGullyRavine.TheravinewasthecentreofamajoractionattheendofJune1915.

Thiscanbebrokendownasfollows:

On theOttoman side, therewere56,643deaths and107,007menwounded. In addition11,178menweremadeprisonersofwar.

Each of the 46,909 British and Commonwealth deaths is commemorated by theCommonwealthWarGravesCommission.TheCommissionmaintainscemeteries in150countriesacrosstheworld.Youcanfindmoreaboutitsworkanditshistoryonitswebsite:www.cwgc.org.

Therearethirty-onecemeteriesontheGallipolipeninsula:sixatHelles(plustheonlysolitary grave: that of Lieutenant Colonel Charles Doughty-Wylie VC, Royal WelchFusiliers), four at Suvla and twenty-one at Anzac.Many of those killed in action, andthosewho died on hospital ships andwere buried at sea, have no known grave. Thesemens names are recorded on one of five memorials to the missing: the Lone PineMemorial commemorates Australians killed in the Anzac sector, as well as NewZealanderswithnoknowngraveorwhowereburiedatsea,whiletheLonePine,Hill60andChunukBairMemorialscommemorateNewZealanderswhodiedatAnzac.Thereisalso amemorial at Twelve Tree Copse Cemetery commemorating the New ZealanderskilledintheHellessector,whileBritish,IndianandAustraliantroopswhodiedtherearecommemorated on the Helles Memorial at the tip of Cape Helles. This is the largestmemorial,with21,000namesinscribedonpanelsarounda30-metre-highobelisk.Thereare twomoreCWGCcemeteries on theGreek island ofLimnos.Thiswas the hospitalbasefortheAlliedforcesinGallipoliandmostofthemenburiedherewerethosewhohaddiedoftheirwounds.

AdatabaseofwardeathsisalsoavailablethroughtheCWGCwebsite.Itisoneofthekey resources for FirstWorldWar research and is very easy to use.You can search byname,regimentorcemetery,andfiltersearchesbyservice,nationalityoryearofdeath.

Foreachindividual theregisterwill tellyou: thenamethatappearsonthegravestone(generally,butnotalways,amans fullname); thedateofhisdeath;hisage (ifknown)

and nationality; his rank, service number (if appropriate) and the unit to which hebelonged;andthecemeteryandplotnumberwhereheisburiedor,formenwhohavenoknowngrave, theplaqueontheappropriatememorial tothemissingonwhichhisnamehasbeenengraved.

TheAquitaniawasapre-warAtlanticliner,whichwasconvertedintoahospitalshipduringtheDardanellesCampaign.ShecarriedseveralthousandsickandwoundedmentohospitalsinMaltaorevenbacktoEngland.

Inaddition, theremayalsobeabriefnoteaboutamansparentsorwife,anyspecialinscription chosenby the family for his grave, andperhapswhether hewas attached toanotherregimentatthetimeofdeath.ForCaptainOwenDayofthe2ndHampshires,whowas killed on 6August, there is a note that hewas the son ofArthur JamesDay andGeorgiana,hiswife,of17,ArchersRd.,Southampton.Thisadditional informationwassuppliedbythefamilyastheCommissioncontactedrelativestogivethemtheopportunityto add personal details. The Commission is currently digitising its archives, and someadditionalinformationshouldbeonlinebythetimethisbookispublished.

TheexactlocationofagraveinanyCommonwealthWarGravesCommissioncemeteryisindicatedaftertheentrybyaseriesoflettersandnumbers.TheinitialRomannumeralindicates the plot,while the rowwithin that plot is specified by a capital letter and theindividual grave by a number. Thus II B 28 indicates plot II, row B, grave 28. In theregisters of cemeteries that are not divided into plots, the row is indicated by a capitalletterfollowingtheentryandthegravebyanumber.ThusD12indicatesRowD,Grave12.

It is possible to obtain photographs ofwar graveswithout visiting the cemeteries bycontactingTheWarGravesPhotographicProject(http://twgpp.org).Thewebsiteincludes

anindexwhichallowsyoutoseewhetherthereisalreadyaphotographofthegraveyouareinterestedin.Ifthereis,youcancallupalowresolutionimageofthegravestone(orentry on the appropriate memorial for men who have no known grave). You can alsoobtain a high resolution image of the stone for a donation. They recommend a veryreasonable3.50.Moredetailsare,ofcourse,onthewebsite.

SOLDIERSDIEDINTHEGREATWAR

A littlemore informationcanbe found in theSoldiersDied in theGreatWardatabasesavailable throughbothAncestryandFindmypast.This listwasoriginallycompiledafterthe Armistice by the War Office. Soldiers Died contains additional details to thoseprovidedbytheCommonwealthWarGravesCommission,notablytheplaceanddateofenlistment and home address. Sometimes a birth place is given, as well as a briefdescriptionofhowtheydied,usuallykilledinaction,butsometimesdiedofwounds.

ROLLSOFHONOUR

Onephenomenonthataroseoutofthewarwastherollofhonour:apublishedlistofthedeceased (andoccasionallyothergroupsof servicemen such asprisonersofwar).Rollsare often available for workplaces (including local councils and railway companies),chapels and small communities. They are definitely worth looking out for, although inmost cases the information they contain can as easily be obtained from theCommonwealthWarGravesCommissionorSoldiersDiedintheGreatWardatabases.

There is no nationwide set of these rolls, although the Imperial War Museum andBritish Library almost certainly have the largest collections. Archives and local studylibrariesmayhavecopiesofrollsfortheirarea.AnumberhavebeenrepublishedbytheNaval&MilitaryPress(www.naval-military-press.com).

There are several national rolls. Entries for some 26,000 officers and other ranks(including 7,000 photographs) were collected and published in 1917 by the MarquisMelvilledeRuvigny,anotedgenealogistof theperiod.De