List of names mentioned in Gallipoli diary - mainly officers in RND

[DLM]

I have just about finished transcribing my great-grandfather's 1915 diary. He was with the Royal Marines and it covers camp at Blandford Forum; passage via Malta and Lemnos to Egypt; time at Alexandria, Port Said and Kantara; passage via Skyros to landing at ANZAC on April 29th, various actions concluding with evacuation on January 8th 1916.

Below I have listed out 50 or so names mentioned in the text so that anyone who happens to be researching these men (and one woman) will hopefully find this post in a search result. If you would like to see the section of the diary referencing a particular name, send me a PM including your email and I will send it on.

In the list below I have written out what I believe to be the full name and rank of the men involved, but please bear in mind that for some of them my level of confidence is low.

Asquith : possibly : Lt Commander Arthur Melland Asquith, RNVR

Backhouse : Captain Oliver Backhouse, R.N. (Commodore, Second Class).

Barker : possibly : Ty/Major Godfrey Barker, RM (res)

Bendyshe : possibly : Lieutenant Colonel Richard Nelson Bendyshe (Res.) R.M.L.I.

Birdwood : possibly : General William Riddell Birdwood, Commander Australian and New Zealand Army Corps

Bligh : possibly : Ty Lieutenant Edward Henry Swinburn Bligh, RNVR

Boyd-Wilson : Lt Col John Boyd Wilson, Officer Commanding, 7th Battalion The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)

Brooke : possibly : Sub Lieutenant Rupert Brooke, RNVR.

Brooke-Short : possibly : Captain C. Brooke-Short, R.M.L.I

Burmester : possibly : Captain Rudolf Miles Burmester, RN

Campbell : possibly : Commander Victor Lindsey Arbuthnot Campbell, Royal Navy

Campbell : possibly : Lieutenant-Commander Sir J. H. Campbell

Collet : possibly : Flight Lieutenant Charles Herbert Collett

Cox : possibly : Major-General Sir Herbert Vaughan Cox, Commander 29^th Indian Infantry Brigade

De Robeck : possibly : Vice-Admiral John Michael De Robeck, Commander of the Allied Fleet in the Dardanelles

Doughty-Wylie : possibly : Lillian, wife of Lt-Colonel Charles Doughty-Wylie VC

Dunfee : possibly : Colonel Vickers Dunfee, Commanding Officer, 2/4 (City of London) Battalion, the London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers)

Egerton : possibly : Ty Lt Commander W M Egerton, RN

Erskine : possibly : Brigadier-General J. F. Erskine, Commanding Officer 155^th Brigade

Evelegh : possibly : Lt Colonel Edmund Evelegh, RM

Farrow : possibly : Ty Sub Lieutenant Edwin Farrow, RNVR

Fawcett : possibly : Squadron Commander Henry Fawcett, RNAS

Festing : possibly : Ty Major Maurice Festing, RMLI

Fleming : possibly : Possibly Staff Surgeon A. F. Fleming, RN

Freyberg : possibly : Lieutenant-Commander Bernard C. Freyberg, RNVR

Godfrey : possibly : Captain Harry Rowlandson Godfrey, R.N

Godley : General Sir Alexander John Godley, commander of the New Zealand and Australian Division

Grover : possibly : Major John Grover, RM

Guildford : possibly : Colonel Lord Guilford, East Kent Yeomanry

Hamilton : possibly :: General Sir Ian Standish Monteith Hamilton, Commander Mediterranean Expeditionary Force

Herford : possibly : Ty/Lieutenant Bernard H Herford, RM

Holbrook : possibly : Lieutenant Norman Douglas Holbrook

Hunter-Weston : Major-General Aylmer Gould Hunter-Weston, commander of the British 29^th Division

Huntingford : possibly : Major Walter L. Huntingford, R.M.A

Jermain : possibly : Ty Lieutenant Phillip Jermain, RM

Kenny : possibly : Ty/Sub Lieutenant Bernard W Kenny, RNVR

Keyes : possibly : Commodore Roger John Brownlow Keyes, RN

King : possibly : Commander H. D. King, RNVR

King : possibly : Lieutenant-Commander (temporary Commander) Henry Douglas King

Lathbury : possibly : Captain George Pinckard Lathbury, R.M.L.I

Lawrence : possibly : Major-General the Hon. H. A. Lawrence, Commander, 52nd Division

Lister : possibly : Ty Lieutenant Charles A Lister, RM

Luard : possibly : Lieutenant Colonel Frank W Luard, RMLI

Matthews : possibly : Colonel (Second Commandant) Godfrey Estcourt Matthews, RMLI

Maxwell : possibly : Temporary Lieutenant-Colonel W. L. Maxwell (Captain, 127th Baluchis, serving with RM HQ staff)

McCay : possibly : Colonel J. W. McCay – commander of the 2^nd Australian Brigade

McNicoll : possibly : Colonel Walter Ramsey McNicoll, commander of the 6^th Battalion, 2^nd Australian Brigade

Methuen : possibly : Field Marshal Paul Sanford Methuen, 3rd Baron Methuen

Monash : possibly : Colonel John Monash, commander of the Australian 13^th Infantry Brigade

Moxham : possibly : Lieutenant James F Moxham, RM

Mullins : possibly : Lt Col G H J Mullins, RM

Nicholls : possibly : Adjutant General (Lieutenant-General Sir William Charles Nicholls)

Ollivant : possibly : Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel A. H. Ollivant, Royal Artillery. (RND staff)

Paris : Colonel (temporary Major-General) Archibald Paris, R.M.A.

Parsons : possibly : Lt Commander Raymond S. Parsons, RNVR

Primrose : possibly : Captain R. C. Primrose, RNVR

Pym : possibly : Lt Col J B Pym, RMLI

Quilter : possibly : Ty/Lieutenant Colonel John A. C Quilter, RM

Richards : possibly : Captain Walter H P Richards, RMLI

Richardson : possibly : Ty Lieutenant-Colonel G. S. Richardson, (Major) New Zealand Staff Corps. (RND Staff)

Rugg : possibly : Ty Captain L. H. Rugg, RM

Russell : possibly : General Andrew Hamilton Russell, Commander of the new Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade

Saumarez : possibly : Major (temporary Lieutenant-Colonel) Richard James Saumarez, R.M.L.I.

Saunders : possibly : Temporary Major M. Saunders, Royal Marines (Captain, Indian Army).

Sketchley : possibly : Ty Major Ernest Frederick Powys Sketchley, (Captain) R.M.L.I.

Stroud : possibly : Lt Col Edward James Stroud, RMLI

Teague : possibly : Captain John C J Teague, RMLI (res)

Trotman : Colonel (temporary Brigadier-General) Charles Newsham Trotman, R.M.L.I

Tupman : possibly : Major John A. Tupman, RMLI

Vyvyan : possibly : Captain Arthur Vyell Vyvyan, R.N. Beachmaster at ANZAC

Waller : possibly : Ty/Lieutenant Commander Thomas A H Waller, RNVR

Wallingford : possibly : Captain Jesse Alfred Wallingford, Auckland Infantry Battalion

Wells : possibly : Lieutenant-Commander N. F. Wells

Wilberforce : possibly : Ty Major William Wilberforce, RMLI

Wilson : possibly : Ty Lieutenant Colonel Leslie Orme Wilson, RMLI

Wilson : possibly : Ty Major Francis Stuart Wilson, (Capt) RM

Other names mentioned:

Bettleheim

Blake (East Kent Yeomanry)

Burrows

Carey

Davies

Dickens (2/4 London Regt)

Duthie

Fairfax

Grace

Holmes

Lucas

Montague

Morris (2/4 London Regt)

Nelson

Nicholson

Parker

Riley

Westerman

[seaJane]

"Fleming : possibly : Possibly Staff Surgeon A. F. Fleming, RN" - I almost certainly have other references to Staff Surgeon Fleming, should anyone be interested. That said, I'd be interested to hear what your great-grandfather said about him, DLM.

(Not to be confused with Captain Alexander Fleming, RAMC, of penicillin fame).

[DLM]

]"Fleming : possibly : Possibly Staff Surgeon A. F. Fleming, RN" - I almost certainly have other references to Staff Surgeon Fleming, should anyone be interested. That said, I'd be interested to hear what your great-grandfather said about him, DLM.

(Not to be confused with Captain Alexander Fleming, RAMC, of penicillin fame).

seaJane, two mentions of that name, both in contexts that tie in with him being a doctor.

During April:

Sun 18th Ap - Church in forenoon. Went on shore after lunch. Explored ruins – found very interesting remains of temple. Dined with Fleming in Somali – pleasant dinner, got tortoise from captain of Somali.

And again during May:

Tues 4th May Still on plateau and had fairly peaceful day. Sir A Godley sent for me after morning and told me I should have to take over left section of defences from NZ tomorrow. Arranged to go up first thing in morning. Called on Fleming on beach. Heard Brooke-Short wounded both legs with shrapnel. Back to make arrangements for tomorrow.

[horatio2]

Can we assume your GGF was an officer in Chatham Battalion RND? A name would help.

[DLM]

Apologies Hoatio2, I do have a tendency to forget to mention things that are obvious to me.

His name was David Mercer. He was commander of 1st R.N. Brigade R.N.D.

Thanks, David

[horatio2]

Nelson could refer to Nelson Battalion or to Lt Cdr Edward NELSON RNVR, of Hood Battalion but who later commanded Nelson Battalion just to confuse things.

[horatio2]

Holmes - possibly Major Frank Holmes RM, RND Divisional Train (Senior supply officer). MiD at Gallipoli.

[horatio2]

Parker - could this be Lance Corporal WR Parker VC RMLI? He won the VC at Anzac under General Mercer's command.

[horatio2]

Riley - possibly Lieutenant TN Riley RM, RND Engineers. DSC at Gallipoli.

[michaeldr]

Dickens (2/4 London Regt)

A photograph (Batt. history pub.1919) of a group of officers at Floriana, 2^nd May 1915, shows a Lieut. R. C. Dickens

However, in the text he appears as DICKINS

and to confuse matters further, there was a second officer with that alternative spelling

L. A. Dickins

The latter was seriously wounded on 21^st December 1915.

“Lieut. Dickins [Machine Gun Officer] was in the trenches with Lieut-Col Tupman, the Brigade-Major, when shrapnel burst over them. Lieut Dickins was severely wounded in the head, and was evacuated off the Peninsula, but Lieut-Col Tupman was only slightly wounded and he did not go off duty.”

On recovery (?) Dickins transferred to the 3^rd Res. London Regt in Feb. 1917 and was Attached to Aldershot Command, Labour Corps, Sept. 1917. In Feb 1918 he relinquished his commission [Captain] on account of his wounds.

…...................................

Morris (2/4 London Regt)

Probably Captain H. Morris who was wounded 20^th October 1915;

“At 7.30am the Battalion moved out from its rest bivouac and proceeded by small parties to the Eski Lines, a reserve line of trenches.

On the march up to the trenches the following casualties took place;

Capt. H. Morris – wounded.......”

1916-17 he was O.C. Convalescent Camp, Alnwich, then Adjutant to 4^th Batt. Devon Vol. Regt. April 1917 to July 1918. Capt Morris had previously served in the SA war and received the “South African Medal (4 clasps)”

or possibly, Private F. Morris who also served at Gallipoli, Southern Egypt and France. Listed as KiA at the Somme 1^st July 1916 (serving with 1^st/4th Batt. London Regt.)

David - If you can give me the specific dates for the diary entries then I will see if anything in the Batt. history links up

Good Luck

Michael

[seaJane]

I'm rather pleased to discover that the Journal of the Royal Naval Medical Service (JRNMS) has finally made it to archive.org!

These volumes (linked below) include the text of Sir Arthur Gaskell's History of the Medical Unit of the Royal Naval Division from its inception to the Evacuation of Gallipoli. It's in five different parts, and I can't seem to get the search engine to work on it yet, but there are several mentions of Staff Surgeon A. Fleming. If you want to check the page numbers more specifically then the index with an archive search option is here: http://www.jrnms.com/1920-1929/. Some issues on the jrnms.com site already have direct links to archive.org - the whole set-up is still being built and will doubtless improve as time goes on.

https://archive.org/details/JRNMS_VOL11_1925

https://archive.org/details/JRNMS_VOL12_1926

[horatio2]

Montague - possible Captain The Hon. Lionel S Montagu DSO RM. RND Staff Officer.

[DLM]

Dickens (2/4 London Regt)

A photograph (Batt. history pub.1919) of a group of officers at Floriana, 2^nd May 1915, shows a Lieut. R. C. Dickens

However, in the text he appears as DICKINS

and to confuse matters further, there was a second officer with that alternative spelling

L. A. Dickins

The latter was seriously wounded on 21^st December 1915.

“Lieut. Dickins [Machine Gun Officer] was in the trenches with Lieut-Col Tupman, the Brigade-Major, when shrapnel burst over them. Lieut Dickins was severely wounded in the head, and was evacuated off the Peninsula, but Lieut-Col Tupman was only slightly wounded and he did not go off duty.”

On recovery (?) Dickins transferred to the 3^rd Res. London Regt in Feb. 1917 and was Attached to Aldershot Command, Labour Corps, Sept. 1917. In Feb 1918 he relinquished his commission [Captain] on account of his wounds.

…...................................

Morris (2/4 London Regt)

Probably Captain H. Morris who was wounded 20^th October 1915;

“At 7.30am the Battalion moved out from its rest bivouac and proceeded by small parties to the Eski Lines, a reserve line of trenches.

On the march up to the trenches the following casualties took place;

Capt. H. Morris – wounded.......”

1916-17 he was O.C. Convalescent Camp, Alnwich, then Adjutant to 4^th Batt. Devon Vol. Regt. April 1917 to July 1918. Capt Morris had previously served in the SA war and received the “South African Medal (4 clasps)”

or possibly, Private F. Morris who also served at Gallipoli, Southern Egypt and France. Listed as KiA at the Somme 1^st July 1916 (serving with 1^st/4th Batt. London Regt.)

David - If you can give me the specific dates for the diary entries then I will see if anything in the Batt. history links up

Good Luck

Michael

Michael, thanks, you seem to be spot on - these are the texts:

(December) - Tues 21st Went up before breakfast to see relief of the French sector by Hood. Extraordinary bit of trench, all up and down hill and parapet pretty poor. Back to breakfast. Tupman went up in afternoon and was wounded in face and neck by shrapnel which came through parapet of M.G. emplacement and burst inside. Lt Dickens of 2/4 London badly wounded. Very heavy rain in afternoon and trenches got flooded out. Men had horrible time – signal dug out of Drake collapsed and killed one operator. Parapets fell in good bit and altogether men had a very bad time.

(October) - Wed 20th Started relieve trenches. Capt. Morris 2/4 London RF wounded by shrapnel on way up. Still very grey and overcast. Men got badly shelled going up. 2nd Brigade went down about 5.30. Very cold raw night.

[michaeldr]

Carey is probably

Lieut-Col A. B. Carey RE (CRE of the RND 21 Aug 1914 – 26 May 1916)

After the storms of mid-November Col Carey was in charge of the rebuilding of the of the piers at W Beach and from 25th December 1915 'all work on piers and quays and breakwaters was under the orders of Lieut-Colonel A. B. Carey, CRE Naval Division' [from The History of the Corps of Royal Engineers Vol.VI]

[michaeldr]

Davies could be

Lieut-General Sir Francis John Davies KCB., GOC VIII Corps from 8th August 1915

edit to add a photograph see http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205248832

Edited 6 August , 2015 by michaeldr

[michaeldr]

Fairfax is probably

Commander W. G. Ramsay Fairfax CMG, DSO, RN

prior to the RND he had served afloat;

Douglas Jerrold in his 'The Hawke Battalion' also notes that Fairfax had been a 'Yeomanry Captain and an explorer, while his outside interests ranged from divorce law reform to company finance.'

second in command of Hawke Battalion, then its commander from October 1915 (Col Wilson being invalided to Egypt)

Command of Howe Battalion in France;

later still commanded a brigade of tanks

[additional details from Jerrold's 'The Royal Naval Division']

[michaeldr]

Nicholson could be

Sub-Lieutenant Nicholson RNVR of Hawke Battalion's 'D' Company, 13^th Platoon

invalided 15^th July 1915

possible (?) nick-name 'Long'

details from Jerrold's 'The Hawke Battalion'

[michaeldr]

Further to my post No.10 above

in https://archive.org/stream/warhistoryof4thb00grim/warhistoryof4thb00grim_djvu.txt DICKINS is the spelling given for both of these two officers

[michaeldr]

Captain H Morris (2/4th Londons) as seen in the group photograph previously mentioned in post No.10 above

[michaeldr]

Fairfax is probably

Commander W. G. Ramsay Fairfax CMG, DSO, RN

prior to the RND he had served afloat;

Douglas Jerrold in his 'The Hawke Battalion' also notes that Fairfax had been a 'Yeomanry Captain and an explorer, while his outside interests ranged from divorce law reform to company finance.'

The Naval Who's Who 1917 has some further details of Commander W. G. A. Ramsay-Fairfax's earlier career

“served in South Africa, 1902, as Captain, 30^th Batt. Imperial Yeomanry, with rank of Captain in the Army (Medal with Clasp). Bronze medal of the Royal Humane Society, 27^th April 1904, for gallantly jumping overboard from HMS Mohawk, in the Gulf of Aden, and saving a stoker who, being a lunatic, had thrown himself from the ship.”

edit: see also http://lsars.org.uk/bronz04s.htm

Ramsay-Fairfax, W.G.A., Lieut. HMS Mohawk. Case 33240

On the 27th April 1904, S Turner, who had been confined as a lunatic, slipped from his keeper and threw himself overboard from HMS Mohawk in the Gulf of Aden. Ramsay-Fairfax jumped from the ship and kept him afloat till they were picked up. The locality abounds with sharks.

Edited 1 August , 2015 by michaeldr

[The Owlman]

Congratulations SJ

Thanks for your efforts on the RND MU - well worth the wait and very useful material.

Regards

Owlman

[michaeldr]

David,

Ellis Ashmead-Bartlett has lots of refs to his visiting his old friend Bettleheim at Helles

eg: http://acms.sl.nsw.gov.au/_transcript/2014/D24757/a6833.html

but identification of this character still evades me for the present

Good luck

Michael

edit I:

found him - Captain Bettelheim, the official interpreter

see https://archive.org/stream/uncensoreddardan00ashm/uncensoreddardan00ashm_djvu.txt

note change in spelling

edit II:

Also mentioned by Aubrey Herbert in his 'Mons, ANZAC & Kut' [see http://www.gwpda.org/wwi-www/Mons/mons2.htm ]

“I met a friend, Bettelheim, nicknamed "Beetle," whose life had been one long adventure. When last I had seen him he had been an official in Turkey, and in a rising had been dragged from his carriage on Galata Bridge in Constantinople by the mob, with his companion, the Emir Arslan. Emir Arslan was torn to pieces, but "Beetle," with his marvellous luck, escaped.”

edit III:

The London Gazette has a couple of mentions of a Captain H Bettelheim – a somewhat unusual name, so it could well be him

ATTACHED TO HD.-QR. UNITS. Asst. Prov. Marshal.—(Graded for purposes of pay as a Staff Lt., 1st Cl.)—Lt. G. E. Sebag Montefiore, 21st Lrs., and to be secd., vice temp. Capt. H, Bettelheim. 29th July 1916.

GENERAL LIST. The undermentioned relinquish their commns. on completion of service : — Temp. Capt. H. Bettelheim, 23rd Dec. 1919, and retains the rank of Capt.

edit IV:

There are several snippets to be found on the WWW regarding

a Henri (Beetles) Bettelheim

who was born in Constantinople c.1860

He went to South Africa and was involved in mining

and in 1888 became the Turkish Consul in Johannesburg

He later got into serious trouble for being involved with the 'reformers' and the Jameson Raid

By the time of the South African war (1899) there was a Captain Bettelheim who commanded a unit called French's Scouts (see http://www.angloboerwar.com/unit-information/south-african-units/334-frenchs-scouts ) and was given a MiD by Lord Roberts

The NA hold a file on a Major Henry Bettelheim see http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C1079424?descriptiontype=Full&ref=WO+339/25513

Post Great War there was an H Bettelheim of 73 St James's Street, London, who wrote to W S Churchill on 8^th Oct 1922 enclosing a French pamphlet offering solutions to the Turkish/Greek conflict

Nothing certain, but it all looks very much like the same man mentioned in the diary and quite a character he must have been too

Good luck

Michael

[seaJane]

Congratulations SJ

Thanks for your efforts on the RND MU - well worth the wait and very useful material.

Regards

Owlman

Thank you. Efforts were all my colleagues', so can't really take the credit.

sJ

[michaeldr]

David,

re Burrows

I wonder if this could be Surgeon Peter Burrows Kelly RN who was on the River Clyde on 25th April 1915

I see from Philip's post here

that he signed himself P. Burrows Kelly, and others may have used only the first surname?????

regards

Michael

[michaeldr]

David,

Thanks again for your message

A further thought on the name Davies – see post No.15

One other possibility is the naval flyer, Richard Bell Davies who was awarded the VC for his rescue of G F Smylie

see https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/29423/supplement/86

regards

Michael