Lieutenant Thomas Edward Best, 8th D of W

[leanes-trench]

Can anybody provide me with any information about Lieutenant Thomas Edward Best of the 8th Duke of Wellington's, who was killed in action at Gallipoli on August 9, 1915? I have the CWGC information, but can't find anything else. A place of birth, anything, would be helpful.

Thank you,

Pat

[River97]

Pat,

Here is a copy of his MIC.

Cheers Andy.

[mmm45]

http://www.yorkshireindexers.co.uk/forums/...mp;linkuserid=0

Hes on Leeds University War Memorial which ties in with his mums Chapeltown Rd Address in Leeds off the MIC.

Also on Leeds Roll also available on the above site. http://www.yorkshireindexers.co.uk/forums/...p=5469#post5469

Quick look on 01 census a possible??? living in Sheepscar Leeds, Dad from Osmotherley mum from Driffield.

Ady

[Tony Lund]

So far as his battalion is concerned, it was a very confusing time, and there does seem to be a few different versions of events. The 8th Battalion, Duke of Wellington’s West Riding Regiment, was part of the 32nd Infantry Brigade in the 11th Northern Division.

On June 28th, the 8th Battalion’s men embarked on the SS Aquitania at Liverpool. They were quite lucky to get to Gallipoli at all; at 6 a.m. on July 4th a torpedo was reported to have missed their ship by a matter of yards. On July 10th they entered Mudros Bay on Lemnos Island, and on Sunday July 11th at 3:30 a.m. they were ordered to leave the ship and make camp on the Island.

At 8 p.m. on Thursday July 22nd, the battalion embarked on the SS Rowan and sailed to Imbros Island, arriving at 6 a.m. on the 23rd. On Saturday 31st training for the landing at Suvla Bay began in the afternoon, first by embarking onto destroyers, then disembarking onto lighters, then landing on the beach and charging up the hillside. This was repeated again after dark. From Imbros they embarked on the destroyers at 4:30 p.m. on Friday August 6th, and during that night the battalion landed at Suvla Bay, Gallipoli.

The Suvla landing was made by the IX Corps, commanded by Lieutenant General Sir Frederick Stopford and including the 11th and 10th Divisions. The 11th Northern Division was commanded by Major General Frederick Hammersley, and comprised the 32nd, 33rd, and 34th Infantry Brigades. The 32nd Infantry Brigade was commanded by Brigadier General H. Haggard and consisted of the 8th Battalion, Duke of Wellington’s West Riding Regiment, 9th Battalion, Prince of Wales’s Own West Yorkshire Regiment, 6th Battalion, Alexandra, Princess of Wales’s Own Yorkshire Regiment, and the 6th Battalion, York & Lancaster Regiment. The 10th Division was commanded by Lieutenant General Sir Bryan Mahon.

The troops had the use of an early type of landing craft with a ramp at the bows, these became known as Beetles. They were capable of carrying up to 500 men, and were towed to the landing grounds by destroyers. Half the men were in the Beetles and half on the ships. The Beetles then sailed to the beach with the first wave of men and returned to the ships to collect the second half, which included the 8th Battalion, Duke of Wellington’s West Riding Regiment.

The battalion disembarked from the destroyers on to the Beetles, some of which could not get right up to the beach. Some men had to wade ashore from about one hundred yards out. Barbed wire in the water caused problems as the men came ashore under fire from the defenders. The men were dressed in fighting order and carrying haversacks which were marked with a white patch to assist the navy’s gunners in identifying the British troops. White armbands were also worn to help the men identify friend and foe in the dark.

Food was carried in the form of two days’ iron rations, and a full water bottle. Each man also carried 200 rounds of ammunition, but the 32nd Brigade Headquarters had ordered that it:

“Wishes especially that men are warned that water will have to last until tomorrow night. Iron rations may have to last four days. Magazines shall not be charged until daylight. No firing until then. Bayonets only to be used. Men to be informed that if firing is heard it is the Australians attacking.” Consequently the men went into action with their rifles unloaded.

The 32nd Infantry Brigade Headquarters also wrote on the morning of the landings: “Salt Lake nearly dry. The Cut between the lake and the sea reported dry. It is S shaped, sides sheer and about 15 feet deep. An easier passage can possibly be found by using the bed of the lake.

“9th West Yorkshire Regt. and 6th Yorkshire Regt. will be conveyed in Lighters and disembark about 10 p.m. Immediately they are landed they will clear the beach and rendezvous about 100 yards east of the landing place. The 6th Yorkshire Regt. will then move off and seize LALA BABA, cutting the telegraph wire and despatching one company to piquet the South Shore of the Lake. 9th West Yorkshire Regt. will follow the 6th Yorkshire Regt. As soon as LALA BABA is secure the 6th Yorkshire will send out a patrol to get in touch with the 34th Brigade.

“After disembarking the 9th West Yorkshire and 6th Yorkshire, the Lighters will proceed to the Destroyers and embark the 8th West Riding and 6th York & Lancaster Regt. who will after disembarking follow the two leading battalions to Height 10. As soon as the brigade has assembled on Height 10 it will advance east parallel to the Anafarta Road.”

At 10 p.m., the 11th Division began the assault by landing the 32nd and 33rd Infantry Brigades at B Beach, south of Nibrunesi Point. Two companies from the 6th Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment, attacked the small hill near the beach called Lala Baba. The 8th Battalion’s war diary states:

“August 6th: Embarked on Destroyers at about 16:30. Left Imbros about 2000. Landed under fire at Suvla Bay about 2400. Moved off in the rear of the Yorkshire Regiment to Lala Baba.” Lala Baba was held by a Turkish company from the 1st Battalion, 31st Infantry, this company fell back to Chocolate Hill, another small hill near the beach, which was taken the next day.

After Lala Baba the next objective was Hill 10, but this proved to be difficult to find in the dark, and by now the units involved were becoming scattered and officers were having trouble identifying their positions and finding their objectives. Hill 10 was eventually found and taken only after sunrise. The 8th Battalion’s war diary states that they were heavily engaged during August 7th, and incurred heavy losses. Later in the day Brigadier General H. Haggard was severely wounded at 13:30 p.m., and the 32nd Brigade was then placed under the temporary commander of Lieutenant Colonel J. O’B. Minogue, and later taken over by Brigadier General A. G. Dallas.

By August 8th, Sir Ian Hamilton, Commander of British Forces on Gallipoli, was becoming extremely worried by the lack of progress towards the high ground at Suvla, and insisted that an attack on the surrounding hills be made immediately; consequently, at 6:30 p.m., the 32nd Infantry Brigade was ordered to advance to the Tekke Tepe Ridge. The brigade was not as concentrated as the generals believed, and there was a delay while the four battalions were brought together; then the march in the dark proved difficult and the brigade did not finally reach all their objectives until 4 a.m. the following morning, August 9th.

Unfortunately, Turkish reinforcements had reached the ridge just before them, and the 32nd Brigade’s attack was repulsed. The 8th Battalion’s Commanding Officer, Colonel Horace James Johnston DSO was killed. No water had been issued yet, Sergeant E. Miles later wrote: “Well, it rained on Monday night [August 9th], and I’m not ashamed to say that I laid out in it with pleasure; after getting wet through, I took my clothes off and wrung the water out into my mess tin and had a hearty drink. It was lovely, although considerably dirty. The remainder of the water I put in my water bottle.”

I will check the war diary and post it tomorrow, but the main diary does not say much. Unfortunately the supplementary information given by the National Archives with the diary is hand written and so faded that it is unreadable. I asked the regimental museum if they had a better copy but they did not even know it existed, so I gave them a copy of mine.

Tony.

[leanes-trench]

So far as his battalion is concerned, it was a very confusing time, and there does seem to be a few different versions of events. The 8th Battalion, Duke of Wellington’s West Riding Regiment, was part of the 32nd Infantry Brigade in the 11th Northern Division.

On June 28th, the 8th Battalion’s men embarked on the SS Aquitania at Liverpool. They were quite lucky to get to Gallipoli at all; at 6 a.m. on July 4th a torpedo was reported to have missed their ship by a matter of yards. On July 10th they entered Mudros Bay on Lemnos Island, and on Sunday July 11th at 3:30 a.m. they were ordered to leave the ship and make camp on the Island.

At 8 p.m. on Thursday July 22nd, the battalion embarked on the SS Rowan and sailed to Imbros Island, arriving at 6 a.m. on the 23rd. On Saturday 31st training for the landing at Suvla Bay began in the afternoon, first by embarking onto destroyers, then disembarking onto lighters, then landing on the beach and charging up the hillside. This was repeated again after dark. From Imbros they embarked on the destroyers at 4:30 p.m. on Friday August 6th, and during that night the battalion landed at Suvla Bay, Gallipoli.

The Suvla landing was made by the IX Corps, commanded by Lieutenant General Sir Frederick Stopford and including the 11th and 10th Divisions. The 11th Northern Division was commanded by Major General Frederick Hammersley, and comprised the 32nd, 33rd, and 34th Infantry Brigades. The 32nd Infantry Brigade was commanded by Brigadier General H. Haggard and consisted of the 8th Battalion, Duke of Wellington’s West Riding Regiment, 9th Battalion, Prince of Wales’s Own West Yorkshire Regiment, 6th Battalion, Alexandra, Princess of Wales’s Own Yorkshire Regiment, and the 6th Battalion, York & Lancaster Regiment. The 10th Division was commanded by Lieutenant General Sir Bryan Mahon.

The troops had the use of an early type of landing craft with a ramp at the bows, these became known as Beetles. They were capable of carrying up to 500 men, and were towed to the landing grounds by destroyers. Half the men were in the Beetles and half on the ships. The Beetles then sailed to the beach with the first wave of men and returned to the ships to collect the second half, which included the 8th Battalion, Duke of Wellington’s West Riding Regiment.

The battalion disembarked from the destroyers on to the Beetles, some of which could not get right up to the beach. Some men had to wade ashore from about one hundred yards out. Barbed wire in the water caused problems as the men came ashore under fire from the defenders. The men were dressed in fighting order and carrying haversacks which were marked with a white patch to assist the navy’s gunners in identifying the British troops. White armbands were also worn to help the men identify friend and foe in the dark.

Food was carried in the form of two days’ iron rations, and a full water bottle. Each man also carried 200 rounds of ammunition, but the 32nd Brigade Headquarters had ordered that it:

“Wishes especially that men are warned that water will have to last until tomorrow night. Iron rations may have to last four days. Magazines shall not be charged until daylight. No firing until then. Bayonets only to be used. Men to be informed that if firing is heard it is the Australians attacking.” Consequently the men went into action with their rifles unloaded.

The 32nd Infantry Brigade Headquarters also wrote on the morning of the landings: “Salt Lake nearly dry. The Cut between the lake and the sea reported dry. It is S shaped, sides sheer and about 15 feet deep. An easier passage can possibly be found by using the bed of the lake.

“9th West Yorkshire Regt. and 6th Yorkshire Regt. will be conveyed in Lighters and disembark about 10 p.m. Immediately they are landed they will clear the beach and rendezvous about 100 yards east of the landing place. The 6th Yorkshire Regt. will then move off and seize LALA BABA, cutting the telegraph wire and despatching one company to piquet the South Shore of the Lake. 9th West Yorkshire Regt. will follow the 6th Yorkshire Regt. As soon as LALA BABA is secure the 6th Yorkshire will send out a patrol to get in touch with the 34th Brigade.

“After disembarking the 9th West Yorkshire and 6th Yorkshire, the Lighters will proceed to the Destroyers and embark the 8th West Riding and 6th York & Lancaster Regt. who will after disembarking follow the two leading battalions to Height 10. As soon as the brigade has assembled on Height 10 it will advance east parallel to the Anafarta Road.”

At 10 p.m., the 11th Division began the assault by landing the 32nd and 33rd Infantry Brigades at B Beach, south of Nibrunesi Point. Two companies from the 6th Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment, attacked the small hill near the beach called Lala Baba. The 8th Battalion’s war diary states:

“August 6th: Embarked on Destroyers at about 16:30. Left Imbros about 2000. Landed under fire at Suvla Bay about 2400. Moved off in the rear of the Yorkshire Regiment to Lala Baba.” Lala Baba was held by a Turkish company from the 1st Battalion, 31st Infantry, this company fell back to Chocolate Hill, another small hill near the beach, which was taken the next day.

After Lala Baba the next objective was Hill 10, but this proved to be difficult to find in the dark, and by now the units involved were becoming scattered and officers were having trouble identifying their positions and finding their objectives. Hill 10 was eventually found and taken only after sunrise. The 8th Battalion’s war diary states that they were heavily engaged during August 7th, and incurred heavy losses. Later in the day Brigadier General H. Haggard was severely wounded at 13:30 p.m., and the 32nd Brigade was then placed under the temporary commander of Lieutenant Colonel J. O’B. Minogue, and later taken over by Brigadier General A. G. Dallas.

By August 8th, Sir Ian Hamilton, Commander of British Forces on Gallipoli, was becoming extremely worried by the lack of progress towards the high ground at Suvla, and insisted that an attack on the surrounding hills be made immediately; consequently, at 6:30 p.m., the 32nd Infantry Brigade was ordered to advance to the Tekke Tepe Ridge. The brigade was not as concentrated as the generals believed, and there was a delay while the four battalions were brought together; then the march in the dark proved difficult and the brigade did not finally reach all their objectives until 4 a.m. the following morning, August 9th.

Unfortunately, Turkish reinforcements had reached the ridge just before them, and the 32nd Brigade’s attack was repulsed. The 8th Battalion’s Commanding Officer, Colonel Horace James Johnston DSO was killed. No water had been issued yet, Sergeant E. Miles later wrote: “Well, it rained on Monday night [August 9th], and I’m not ashamed to say that I laid out in it with pleasure; after getting wet through, I took my clothes off and wrung the water out into my mess tin and had a hearty drink. It was lovely, although considerably dirty. The remainder of the water I put in my water bottle.”

I will check the war diary and post it tomorrow, but the main diary does not say much. Unfortunately the supplementary information given by the National Archives with the diary is hand written and so faded that it is unreadable. I asked the regimental museum if they had a better copy but they did not even know it existed, so I gave them a copy of mine.

Tony.

I realize I run the risk of unnecessarily swelling some heads, but you guys are GODS! Thank you! And I've subscribed to Yorkshire Indexers. Great stuff there.

Remember, I am always willing to help with information about Gallipoli casualties, just ask.

Regards,

Pat the Eternally Grateful

[Tony Lund]

Here is the rather uninformative war diary from the 6th - 9th August. The last time I looked at these pages I did not have that marvellous new invention called reading glasses. I am surprised at how much difference it has made, but unfortunately most of the supplementary notes that are most interesting to me are still a problem to read.

War Diary 8th West Riding Regt.

Formal Diary - August 6th: 4:30 Embarked for landing unhindered at Suvla Bay.

Supplementary notes - August 6th: Embarked on destroyers at about 16:30. Left IMBROS about 2000. Landed under fire at SUVLA BAY about 2400. Moved off in the rear of the Yorkshire Regt to LALA BABA.

Formal Diary - August 7th: Heavily engaged in night and during day. Heavy losses.

Supplementary notes - August 7th: About 0200 the Regt was ordered to move across the narrow strip of the Salt Marsh and help to occupy Hill 10.

Formal Diary - August 8th: On beach resting.

Supplementary notes - August 8th: The Regt moved up in support of the West Yorkshire Regt on the line SULAJIK, KUCHUK, ANAFARTA OVA, at dusk we were ordered to move up to the left of the West Yorkshire Regt and dig in.

Formal Diary - August 9th: In action. Heavy losses. Lt. Col. H. J. Johnston wounded and missing.

Supplementary notes - August 9th: This is the start of three pages that are a problem to read, but action appears to start at 0400.

There does not seem to be any names mentioned other than Colonel Johnston in any of these documents.

Tony.