Gallipoli - Dardanelles - Army Chaplains

[John_Hartley]

42nd Division history records the senior Anglican chaplain as the Rev D Fletcher and S Jones as non-Anglican. Whether of 1915 vintage though, I don't know.

John

[Audax]

Rev John Kenneth Best MA

IWM hold an Outstanding collection of letters, diaries, photographs and other material covering his service as a Territorial Force Army Chaplain in the First World War while attached to the 1/3rd East Lancashire Brigade RFA (42nd Division) in Egypt (September 1914 - April 1915) and at Gallipoli (May - September 1915), and then on the Western Front with the 13th and 14th Battalions, York and Lancaster Regiment (94th Infantry Brigade, 31st Division), June 1916 - September 1917, at 94th Brigade Headquarters, September - December 1917, and with the 4th Battalion Grenadier Guards (4th Guards Brigade, 31st Division), March 1918 - March 1919, containing much detail about his work as a padre, especially conducting funerals, and with many excellent references to Army life in the front line, civilian conditions in Egypt, Frae and Germany (1919) and harrowing descriptions of the sights and sensations of the fighting on the Suez Canal, at Gallipoli and in France, with specific reference to the Third Battle of Krithia (June 1915), the Battle of the Somme (1916) and the German offensive on the Lys (April 1918); also papers relating to his service as a chaplain during the Second World War, principally while attached to SHAEF (November 1944 - June 1945) at Versailles, France and, from May 1945, in Frankfurt, Germany, with details of civilian conditions and VE Day thanksgiving services.

[Audax]

Reverend Charles Ivo Sinclair Hood

Also in the IWM Documents collection:

Photocopy of a ts transcript (24pp) of a diary, October - December 1915, describing his service as a chaplain attached to the 54th Division at Anzac/Suvla, Gallipoli first with the 2/1st East Anglian Field Ambulance, then the 1/3rd East Anglian Field Ambulance and finally the 162nd Brigade including his embarkation from Plymouth, his visits to Malta and Lemnos, his routine work helping the sick and wounded, organising services and burials, and censoring letters, the increasingly bad weather culminating in the great storm late in November, preparations for evacuation in December and his journey to Egypt via Lemnos, with references to meeting Australian soldiers on his journey out returning to Gallipoli after being wounded, his pre-war acquaintance with many of the East Anglian soldiers in the 54th Division and the work of the Welsh Horse miners on Hill 60, together with photocopies of two lightly annotated map sheets of Sari Bair and Suvla

Reverend Hood died of wounds in Belgium aged 31 years on 15th April 1918.

[John_Hartley]

I've come across a Rev Edwin Thomas Kerby M.C. who has connection with 6th Manchesters at some point in the War (and conducts a memorial unveiling ceremony for them in 1921)

Has anyone come across him and can confirm if he might have been their chaplain at Gallipoli?

John

[Audax]

From the London Gazette.

CHAPLAINS DEPARTMENT or THE TERRITORIAL

FORCE.

Church of England.

The Reverend Edwin Thomas Kerby,

M.A., to be a Fourth Class Chaplain to the

Territorial Force, ranking as Captain.

Dated 10th March, 1914.

Awarded the Military Cross in 1916. Twice mentioned in despatches.

1915 Army List shows him as Chaplain to 7th Manchesters

[John_Hartley]

Thanks for that, Audax.

It seems as though he must have been working across the Brigade at Gallipoli. There's a mention of him in "With the Manchesters in the East" (the first volume of the 7th's history):

"....nor could a Brigade have had a more gallant and untiring padre than Capt E T Kerby.....Kerby must have said the burial service over the graves of nearly a thousand Manchesters at Gallipoli"

[JoMH]

Major (Chaplain 3rd Class) The Reverend William GRANT, Wellington Mounted Rifles, Killed in action at Hill 60, Anzac, on 28 August 1915, aged 56.

Colonel (Chaplain 1st Class) John Aldred LUXFORD, Wellington Battalion, Died of illness in New Zealand, on 28 January 1921, aged 67.

Rev Charles James Hamilton Dobson. Initially with Otago Mounted Rifles, later with 2nd Batalion Auckland Regiment on Western Front where he earned the MC.

"Men of Faith and Courage" tells the story of Charles Dobson being with Chaplain William Grant when the latter was killed at Hill 60.

I have managed to get Charles Dobson's File (what's left of it) from Archives New Zealand. As soon as I can, I will post the file on GWF to enlist some help in interpreting it. Will post to this thread as well if you like, though the file gives little information before 1916.

JH

[Audax]

Joanna,

I have read 'Men of Faith and Courage,; so would be interested if you could post to this thread as well.

A

[JoMH]

Joanna,

I have read 'Men of Faith and Courage,; so would be interested if you could post to this thread as well.

A

Audax,

Will post Charles Dobson's file as soon as possible. Having trouble getting the new computer to talk to the old scanner at the moment...

Joanna

[k.skinner]

Audax,

Going off on a bit of a tangent but just in case you haven't seen it there is a fascinating article on the Rev. Noel Mellish. VC. MC. in the latest issue of the WFA's Bulletin magazine,

Regards Keith.

[Audax]

Audax,

Going off on a bit of a tangent but just in case you haven't seen it there is a fascinating article on the Rev. Noel Mellish. VC. MC. in the latest issue of the WFA's Bulletin magazine,

Regards Keith.

Thanks Keith, hadn't heard about the article until now.

A

[Audax]

RC Chaplains

1st Australian Division

1st Brigade Fr E McAuliffe

2nd Brigade Fr J Hearn

3rd Brigade Fr J Fahey

NZ and Australian Division

4th Brigade Fr S Power CM

NZ Brigade Fr P Dore

1st Canterbury Bn Fr J J McMenamin

1st Wellington Bn Fr R Richards

1st Light Horse Brigade - Fr J D Murphy

2nd Light Horse Brigade - Fr M Bergin

3rd Light Horse Brigade - Fr D F McGrath

Others in the Cairo / Alexandria area

Fr D A Brennan

Fr T Cambell CSSR

Fr W Close

Fr W Devine

Fr T J King

Fr E O'S Goidanich

[mattgibbs]

Revd Charles Leslie Halifax Beardmore - Gallipoli May 15th to October 16th. M.I.D but not sure what for.

Info from MIC

[mattgibbs]

Also from MIC's

George Ignatius Boniface attached 53rd Division, AChD 4th Class - theatre first served in declared Sulva Bay 12-10-15

Henry Colville Montgomery Campbell MC MID - Gallipoli 3-10-15

Frederick Henry Campion - Gallipoli 17-7-15

Edward Wellesley Colley MC - Gallipoli ?-9-15

D T Conway MC - Gallipoli ?-10-15

[grantmal]

A report, by F J Miles, from the 'Other Protestant Denominations' War Diary [AWM4 Class 6/4] on activities at Anzac/Lemnos:

"......The chaplains were specially named not to leave their ships, so they did not land then. They were engaged in tending the wounded as they were brought from the shore. Mr Miles took charge of the [something] of the improvised operating room on the Galeka and worked at one time for three days throughout without a break. They subsequently landed and worked with their own units in particular, but because of the great needs and the shortage of padres, with all troops in the Anzac section right on until the evacuation in December, except as specially stated below, and apart from the fact that the 2nd Infantry Brigade to which Mr Miles belonged, was sent to participate in the attack on Krithia, Cape Helles (May 8), necessitating Mr Miles going there for a brief period. It is not easy to place on record what the padres did at Anzac and one is heavily handicapped because one knows one's own work so much better than it is possible to know the work of others. Yet the writer saw a great deal of the working of the others and would place on record that anything he may write here of his own work could be just as freely written of [something] the others, and the more emphatically of chaplain William McKenzie. During the middle months of the period we worked on an average 16 hours per day. There were periods when we could not bury during the day times. Bodies were collected in the mortuary in Monash Gully during the day and brought down from there after 10 PM and buried in the Shrapnel Gully Cemetery between 10 PM and 2 AM. Burials in this and the other cemeteries were frequently interrupted and burial parties were withdrawn by the chaplains until the firing of the enemy ceased. During the period May to August the work was carried out without a break. Voluntary services on Sunday evenings and sing songs on week evenings were carried on after dark, as the Turks did not send shells over after night had closed in. These were most successful and excellent results were realised. Chaplain Miles conducted a Holy Communion service in a gully off Shrapnel Gully every Sunday morning for 10 Sundays, attended by an average of 50 communicants. To reach the "quiet" place where the service was held a small hogs back in full view of the Turkish Chessboard had to be crossed. The Turkish snipers were always busy and almost every day men were hit while crossing this spot yet not once was a man wounded when going to this service. The frontline trenches were visited every day by these padres; most of the daylight hours were spent in visiting various units; censoring and correspondence occupied a good deal of time. Together with all others at Anzac the padres who lived with their units were constantly under fire and had many remarkable escapes. Mr Miles was wounded, being struck on the head by a 5lb piece of a 6 inch shell, the force being broken by its having to carve its way through the overhead camouflage of his dugout on June 28, but at his own request was not evacuated. In the month of July Mr MacKenzie took his tour of seven days visitation of the hospitals at Lemnos. Mr Miles should have gone in June but as he was administering to a large number of reinforcement in a camp, a New Zealand chaplain went instead. [something] chaplains were regularly stationed in the hospitals at Lemnos at the end of August. We Gallipoli chaplains spent seven days each in [something] visiting the sick and wounded there. In July when the intense heat and other bad conditions brought a plague of flies and an epidemic of diarrhoea and dysentery, Mr MacKenzie suffered from the latter very badly: he was so weak that he could scarcely walk, yet he persisted in "carrying on." The present writer cannot adequately praise the fine spirit that was manifested by this chaplain and his special grit at this time. In September when the 1st Brigade left the Peninsula for a rest at Sarpi Camp Mr MacKenzie went also in from Lemnos he was given four weeks’ leave to proceed to Egypt. Apart from this one break this chaplain had no rest or change throughout the occupation of Anzac. On August 2 Mr Miles was ordered to proceed to Lemnos for a week’s hospital work. On the 5th the senior chaplain, Rev MacPhee, sent word that as there would be many casualties he must use his judgement as to returning at the end of the seven days. No relief came -- nor could come -- [something] the wounded [something] the Aquitania was converted into a temporary ambulance carrier. 3000 wounded were placed on board, many of them New Zealanders and Australians. There was no chaplain so arrangements were made by wire with Corps Headquarters and Mr Miles was sent on board. He travelled to Southampton and back, rejoining his unit which was resting at Lemnos, and with it returned to Anzac. Troops at Anzac were in [something] straits early in August owing to the scarcity of water. Mr Miles was asked by the staff of the GOC, line of control, to undertake to collect and dispatch water to Anzac. A motor boat was placed at his disposal and on August 5 he scoured Mudros Bay, visiting many warships of the mercantile marine. From some he procured empty petrol tins, from one he obtained 300 [something], a working party of artillery men [something] another made plugs for these, [something] made for filling water receptacles was obtained from [something] vessels. At 5 PM the Clacton sailed to Anzac Cove with a load of water, as the result of the day's work. The chaplain was heavily thanked by the GOC and by General [something],.......

The Rev T Robertson, Congregationalist, arrived at Anzac on May 15. He worked with his unit, the 2nd Light Horse Brigade, and when the Rev MacPhee was senior chaplain and subsequently when he was away ill, he did duty in addition with the 3rd Infantry Brigade. He covered a wide sweep of work, never sparing himself, rendering exceptionally fine service. For a couple of months he lived with the 3rd Infantry Brigade, rejoining his own unit on September 23. He was evacuated to the 1st AGH with PUO on October 6, sent to Australia for three months on December 4. He wore himself out with [something] and devoted work. The boys spoke of him as the historical preacher because he so constantly linked up past history of peoples and places to which present circumstances linked our troops. It is generally to be regretted that so fine a chaplain should have been lost to our service owing to overwork during the hot and [something] months at Gallipoli when we were [something] shorthanded."

Good on you,

Grant

[Audax]

Thanks Matt & Grant,

Rev. Henry Colville Montgomery-Campbell,

temp. Chapln., 4th Cl., A. Chapln. Dept. Awarded the Military Cross for service at Gallipoli:

'For conspicuous gallantry and good work during operations. He went out under heavy fire into " No Man's Land " by daylight

to help the wounded lying there. His cheerful disposition and devotion to duty under trying circumstances, has gained him respect and confidence of the Brigade.'

London Gazette 22.9.1916

Henry Campbell was a Church of England clergyman and bishop of London from 1956-1961. He was born on 11 October 1887 and educated at Malvern and Brasenose College, Oxford. After a period of study at Wells Theological College he was ordained in 1910, his first post being a curacy at Alverstoke. After distinguished wartime service he held incumbencies at Poplar, Hackney, Hornsey and St George Hanover Square. These lead in time to his elevation to the episcopate: firstly as Bishop of Willesden , and then successively Kensington[, Guildford and finally London, through which he became a Privy Councillor. A modest man, he said of his Bishoprics

"Sometimes you need a man like me- one who is no figure in public life and no scholar- but simply and solely a Father in God who goes round the parishes visiting the chaps: the only thing I am any good at"

He died on Boxing Day 1970 after contracting bronchial pneumonia after fracturing his thigh during a power cut

[CGM]

Audax

The Rev. Pierrepont Edwards 1/5th Suffolk Regiment did such good work in charge of a volunteer stretcher-party that he was awarded the Military Cross. This was on the 12th August when 11 Officers and 178 N.C.O.'s and men were killed, wounded or missing.

Ray

While searching the East Anglian newspapers I came across an article about a talk the Rev. C. Pierrepont Edwards MC gave, at St Peters Church Sudbury, about his experiences in Gallipoli and Egypt.

The talk lasted about 2 hours and then a collection was made, for the Suffolk Prisoners of War Fund, which amounted to over £7.

If it's of interest, I'll go back and copy the whole article - the journalist's recollections of the talk.

Edited to add the date of the talk was September 18th 1916.

CGM

[kevin]

Maybe of interest The Western Front Forum, Chaplin to the Forces By our Good Friend Dave aka mruk.

Regards Kevin

[liverpool annie]

Maybe of interest The Western Front Forum, Chaplin to the Forces By our Good Friend Dave aka mruk.

Regards Kevin

I just came across your post Kevin ... and want to say a big Thank you for guiding me to Mruk's threads .....

I have been looking for a particular priest for years ... and there he is ... right there !!

I got goosebumps !

Thanks again !

Annie

[redescort]

While searching the East Anglian newspapers I came across an article about a talk the Rev. C. Pierrepont Edwards MC gave, at St Peters Church Sudbury, about his experiences in Gallipoli and Egypt.

The talk lasted about 2 hours and then a collection was made, for the Suffolk Prisoners of War Fund, which amounted to over £7.

If it's of interest, I'll go back and copy the whole article - the journalist's recollections of the talk.

Edited to add the date of the talk was September 18th 1916.

CGM

CGM

I would appreciate a copy of the article if it's not too much trouble.

Ray

[JoMH]

Hello CGM,

If you wouldn't mind, I would appreciate of copy of the article on Rev Pierrepont Edwards' talk as well. I will PM my e-mail address.

Joanna

[CGM]

Hello Ray and Joanna,

I am very happy to do that, but I'm afraid it won't be possible until the middle of July, as I am away this weekend and then the following weekend I'm off for a couple of weeks holiday.

It'll be the first job as soon as I get back.

Best regards

CGM

[JoMH]

CGM,

That's very generous of you - and I don't mind waiting! PM on it's way.

Joanna

[CGM]

PM received, thank you.

[videre]

I'm not sure if you're interested in Canadian chaplains as well, but I have the names of a few who served with hospital units in the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force.

Harry Arthur Frost (Methodist)

Major T.J. Thompson (Presbyterian)

Captain Adolph Gustav Kuhring (C. of England)

Father Peter M. O'Leary (R. Catholic)

All four are mentioned multiples times in a book written by a Canadian Nursing Sister ("Lights Out"). I don't have the publication information available at the moment, but can get it. They served with the Number 3 Stationary Hospital on Lemnos Island.

The following are also listed as members of the MEF in Duff Crerar's "Padres in No Man's Land" but I don't have any further information about their service in the Mediterranean. I do have some further information about some of the Anglicans.

Hugh James Allen (C. of England)

George Hubert Andrews (C. of England)

Joseph Arts (R. Catholic)

Samuel Moore J. Compton (Presbyterian)

Robert Booker Day (C. of England)

John George Gibson (Methodist)

Edward Earnest Graham (Methodist)

Onesime Lacouture (R. Catholic)

Alfred Edward Lavell (Methodist)

Joseph Oscar Lizotte (R. Catholic)

William F. McConnell (Presbyterian)

Joseph William MacDonald (C. of England)

Donald Macpherson (R. Catholic)

Julian Paquin (R. Catholic)

Robert Penfold (Salvation Army)

F. C. Piper (C. of England)

Charles Walter Shelley (Presbyterian)

William Hamilton Sparks (C. of England)

Thompson Walton (Salvation Army)

B.L. Whitaker (C. of England)

George David Whitaker (C. of England)

Edward Hudson Young (C. of England)