Charles Bean and the mysterious Lt Kitchen at Hill 60

[gilly100]

Hi All

In Vol 2 of the OH of Australia in the War of 1914-18 (Gallipoli) page 737 there appears a footnote regarding a Capt W Saunders MC of the 10th Hampshire's and a Lt Kitchen of the Connaught Rangers, being the 5th CR.

This all regarding the fighting at and around Hill 60 on 21 August 1915. It would appear that Bean has his man 'Kitchen' of wrong rank and name spelling as well as regiment, the likely officer being Captain CE Kitchin of the 4th South Wales Borderers.

After perusing the SWB, 5th CR's unit histories and some correspondence from the then CO of the 5CR's to Aspinall Oglander in Feb 1931, Lt Col Jourdain, it is quite clear that parties (around 2 platoons) of 5th CR's under a Lt AJW Blake later assisted the New Zealand Mounted Rifles to hold the first trench won on the lower south and south west slopes of Hill 60. Blake was KIA in this fighting.

However, Captain Kitchin, OC C Coy of the 4th SWB, then in reserve at Damakjelik Bair, were also sent forward to assist the NZMR's on the right end of their trench. Some 60 odd men went forward (all that was left) and helped hold the line. Kitchin was slightly wounded but stayed on.

Jourdain, in his correspondence to Aspinall Oglander, was quite indignant that Bean had got much of the Hill 60 fighting wrong, in that no 10th Hampshires came over to the left after dark, and that it was one of his companies of 5CR's that took Susak Kuyu further north west of Hill 60, and not a Gurkha unit. Gurkha records claim otherwise. More on the Hampshire's another day! He was also angry about a 'Lt Kitchen' of the 5th CR in his help of the New Zealander's.

So, getting back to Capt CE Kitchin. He gave great service to the 4th SWB throughout the war, being MID for Gallipoli, having first served briefly at Helles, northern Anzac, Suvla, then back to Helles before the evacuation there. Then he went on to serve in Mesopotamia with some distinction. He was badly WIA, rose to command the battalion, was awarded the DSO , the Russian Order of St Ann (3rd Class) and MID another 4 times. Quite a soldier it seems.

Just one small yarn from Hill 60!

Ian

[gilly100]

Adding a little now on the 10th (Service) Battalion, Hampshire Regt of the 29th Brigade, 10th (Irish) Division. Following the ops around Sari Bair, this unit had been reduced to 5 officers and 330 OR's by the time its men went in to action at Hill 60 on 21 August. Following the 13th and 14th Bn's AIF on the right of the line in their assault on Hill 60, and going in either 3 or 4 lines (war diary says 3 lines, unit history says 4), the men got badly cut up by enfilading fire, one report stating that only one other rank made it to the other side of the dere, where the surviving Australians were getting dug in. Those that did not get across and survived were later called upon, around 7.30pm (four hours after the charge) by Brig Gen Russell to move round to the left flank in support of the NZMR's. Lt and Q/Master WJ Saunders was then briefly in command of the men on the unit's major being wounded in the charge.

While Lt Col Jourdain CO 5 Connaught Rangers insisted in later years to Aspinall Oglander for the OH, that at no time did the 10th Hants ever move to the left, it appears that Bean, Aspinall Oglander, the 29th Brigade HQ and 10th Hant's war diaries declare otherwise. Jourdain claimed it was some of his men from D Coy that moved well north and found Susak Kuyu unattended, the Gurkhas of the 2/10th not yet having made the ground. This is possible if the timelines all match, and if given that the men of D Coy did not stay in that position for long. The only man who appears to have recorded anything about this northward move by men of D Coy, 5 CR's is one Sgt McIlwain, whose diary mentions a party of men reaching a stone house beyond a tomato field. Perhaps this is the Green Patch farmhouse, which was south of Susak Kuyu. According to the 29 Brigade HQ war diary, this stone house was later reinforced by half the remaining battalion of 10th Hant's, while also mentioning there was a 600 yard gap from this stone house out to the left where a small party of Gurkhas were located, this possibly being Susak Kuyu.

Anyway, the search goes on. If anyone with an interest in the 10th Hampshire, the 4th SWB or 5th CR's, and has access to letters or diaries regarding Hill 60, it would be a good thing to hear from you. Thanks must go to the GWF members who have already assisted, especially on Jourdain and McIlwain.

My point is, I have loads of Australian and a good few NZ'er accounts for Hill 60, but finding Brit and Indian first hand accounts appears a somewhat forlorn hope. Dead keen to balance this story as evenly as possible.

Given the 5CR's attacked the Kabak Kuyu wells (south west of Hill 60) at 3.40pm, and that the 10th Hant's are recorded as advancing north up the sunken road(close to Kabak Kuyu) around 9.30pm, it is possible that the 5th CR's had already pulled back to the wells and others moved to support the NZMR's. Others were employed digging through a CT to the trench captured by the Otago and Canterbury Regts (NZMR).

As for Lt and QMaster WJ Saunders, he was awarded the Military Cross and was MID for his work at Gallipoli. This was the 'garralous' quartermaster Lt Col Jourdain was referring to in his correspondence to Aspinall Oglander. We already know Kitchin was 4th SWB and he too fought alongside the NZ'ers. The then CO of the Otago's (Grigor) recorded in Reveille in the 1930's that he was much taken with the SWB and their efforts in bomb throwing, depsite having had little or no training in such warfare.

Cheers

Ian

[michaeldr]

Ian,

There's an excellent full page portrait photograph of Captain & Quartermaster W J Saunders MC in 'Gallipoli' by Col. Michael Hickey, published by John Murray, London, 1995, ISBN 0-7195-5550 7

The photograph is credited to the Regimental Collection, Serle's House, Winchester.

regards

Michael

see also

 

[gilly100]

Thanks Michael for the tip. Shall see what I can do about that. A photo with permission to use would be good if nothing else.

Cheers

Ian

[gilly100]

The tip to the Regimental collection at Serle's House was excellent Michael. Got the photo and some biographical info on Saunders.Another GWF member gave some LG info on his MC and it had to have been for Gallipoli.

Thanks to all who assisted on this little dig. Saunders can now appear in another book!

Cheers

Ian

[michaeldr]

Ian,

you're certainly getting about a bit; good for you

I see from the WD that Saunders was putting in reports at one stage as Acting Adjutant: a man of many parts. I look forward to seeing the book in due course and learning more.

I also hope to get to Hill 60 this September with Steve (Krithia) and TGA's 'Hidden Gallipoli' tour

all the best

Michael

[gilly100]

Yes, Saunders did the lot it seems, QMR, Adjutant and acting CO.

Enjoy the trip Michael. Pea green with envy am I!

Regards

Ian

[gilly100]

Returning to Captain Kitchin 4th SWB. I have uncovered some correspondence between CEW Bean and CG Powles, the latter of whom was the Brigade Major for the NZMR's at Gallipoli. It seems Powles was pretty impressed with our man Kitchin as well, although he also thought he was of the 5th Connaught Rangers, and perhaps where from Bean got it wrong originally. Powles, writing to Bean:

I wonder if you have any notes of a Lieut Kitchen of, I think, the Connaughts, who very gallantly assisted in holding the NZ trench on the night August 21/22nd. He was a very brave officer, and was an inspiration to all near him."

Now I definitely need to find a photo of this man.

Cheers

Ian