Northumbrian Gunner: January 2022

Tuesday 18 January 2022

Tuesday 4 January 2022

South Shields Gallipoli Memorial

Situated on the Little Haven Beach is a memorial plaque to remember the men from Tyneside who fought and lost their lives during the Gallipoli Campaign.

Gallipoli Memorial
South Shields Little Haven

This included those lost from the Royal Navy, the Royal Naval Division, the British 10th, 11th and 29th Divisions, and ANZACs, Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. All would have contained men from Tyneside.

Gallipoli Memorial
South Shields Little Haven

In February 1915, the Royal Navy tried to force passage through the Dardanelle's in order to threaten Constantinople and hopefully force Turkey out of the war.

Gallipoli and the Dardanelles

The operation began on the morning of 18 March 1915 when an Allied fleet, comprising of 18 battleships supported by cruisers and destroyers, started to bombard Turkish coastal defences located at the narrowest point of the Dardanelles.

Allied Fleet in the Dardanelles

As they forced passage, the French battleship Bouvet struck a mine sinking in two minutes. British Battleships also succumbed to mines, HMS Irresistible and HMS Ocean were sunk and HMS Inflexible damaged.

Dardanelles Action of March 18th 1915

The operation failed, and it was decided to send ground troops to seize Gallipoli. The initial landings took place on the 25th April 1915. The ANZAC troops landed on the west of the peninsular, British troops on the southern beaches around Cape Helles. Amongst those British troops were men of the Royal Naval Division.

ANZAC Landings 25th April 1915.

The initial assault failed to penetrate the Turkish defences and as on the Western Front, the fighting developed into trench warfare. Both sides launched assaults with little gain. Casualties mounted over the months from the battles, made worse by those lost to disease.

From the CWGC database, 245 ordinary ranks (OR) casualties of the Royal Naval Division with naval numbers preceded by Tyneside can be identified as being commemorated on the Gallipoli Peninsular. The losses ranged from 2nd May 1915 to 7th January 1916. The biggest loss of life was 4th June 1915, when 109 RND OR's were lost. This was during the Third Battle of Krithia when an attempt was made to seize objectives that were planned to be achieved on the first day of the landings. As on the first day, the assault failed.

RND go over the top

Amongst RND officers killed in Gallipoli was Lieutenant Commander Wallace Moir Annand from South Sheilds who was killed on the 4th June 1915 in the Third Battle of Krithia. He had married Dora Elizebeth Chapaman before the war and her brothers served in the 4th Northumbrian (County of Durham) Howitzer Brigade Royal Field Artillery. Lt. Cdr Annand's son, who he never met, Richard Wallace Annand, would be the first recipient of the Victoria Cross in World War Two. The VC was awarded for actions whilst serving with the Durham Light Infantry in Belgium 1940.

Lt. Cdr. W.M. Annand RND

The 8th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers and the rest of the 11th (Northern) Division landed at Sulva Bay at the beginning of August 1915 as part if IX Crops.

This was a fresh offensive following the failure of the Krithia campaign. During August 1915 British troops tried to dislodge the Turks, but failed. Over that month 8NF lost over 200 men. The Fusiliers remained till they were evacuated in January 1916 by which time they had lost further men.

Sulva Bay landings

Gallipoli Campaign

One notable casualty served with the Australian Medical Corps. John Simpson Kirkpatrick known as "the man with the donkey", became a national hero in Australia for his bravery in rescuing wounded soldiers using a donkey to transport them back to aid posts.

Kirkpatrick was born in South Shields, joined the Merchant Navy in 1909, and made his way to Australia. John Simpson Kirkpatrick had served with the Territorial Force in South Shields. A Gunner with the 4th Durham Battery, part of the 4th Northumbrian (County of Durham) Howitzer Brigade Royal Field Artillery.

He was killed on 10th May 1915.

Northumbrian Gunner - John Simpson Kirk Patrick

Gallipoli Sun Set
Photo credit: Kevin Del Rosario

The campaign was a disaster, the allied troops evacuating the Peninsular in January having sustained 300,000 casualties (nearly 57,000 killed) for no gain. The Turks sustained over a quarter of a million casualties, with a similar number killed.