Nelson Battalion June 1915

[GraemeClarke]

Morning,

 

Struggling to find the above War Diary on the N.A. (Gallipoli)

 

Can anyone post a link, please.

 

many thanks,

 

Regards,

 

Graeme

[horatio2]

Sorry, Graeme. There is no Nelson Bn diary for Gallipoli.

The closest is the 1st Bde war diary, of which Nelson was one Bn,  https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4557444  It cannot be downloaded from Kew but is available on Ancestry.

I have a few Nelson odds and sods from Gallipoli. What are you after?

Edited 21 June , 2020 by horatio2

[GraemeClarke]

Hi Horatio2,

 

That explains my problems. Was it lost at the time or since ??

 

Was after the WD for 6 June 1915.

 

Many thanks for replying

 

Regards,

 

Graeme

[Ron Clifton]

3 minutes ago, GraemeClarke said:

That explains my problems. Was it lost at the time or since ??

The RND was under Admiralty control until July 1916, so whatever war diaries they kept before that date will be in ADM137 (if indeed they have survived at all). There was never a diary in WO95 for the earlier period.

 

Ron

[horatio2]

ADM 137/3065 has the Nleosn BEF diary for July 1916 onwards = the same as WO 95.

[horatio2]

49 minutes ago, GraemeClarke said:

Was after the WD for 6 June 1915.

From the RND divisional diary (5 June):

‘Nelson Bn effected junction with Manchester Bde right 150 yards west of Nullah in Trench F.11 and dug in under heavy fire to RND left and secured the line.’

 

From 1^st Brigade diary:

‘Lt Col Evelegh left about 8pm and arrived at Manchester HQ about 9.30 pm.  Sent a report to BHQ received at 11pm.  On receipt of this GOC 1^st Bde saw GOC RND and Nelson were ordered to dig in and connect right flank of Manchesters with RND firing line asap [as soon as possible].  This was done during night 4/5.  The Manchester right, about 150 yards west of where F11 crosses nullah, and the right of Manchester old firing line was connected by a trench.  To accomplish this the Nelsons had to attack the Turks in F11 near nullah.  This Bn was also under close fire from the Turks during the time they were digging in, which they did successfully by daylight.’   And on 3rd Krithia in general:

‘The result of the general attack was the RND section remained on the same line as before, on its old front, while the Nelson Bn connected its left by a manned trench with the right of the Manchester Bde, and also held about 150 yards of the trench on left of RND section as a support to the new trench which had been made during the night.’

 

Douglas Jerrold's "The RND" Chapter VIII has more comment = https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.523461/page/n155/mode/2up

 

The new trench was named Nelson Avenue.

 

 

Edited 21 June , 2020 by horatio2

[GraemeClarke]

Hi Horatio2,

 

Cannot thank you enough,

 

Regards,

 

Graeme

[michaeldr]

2 hours ago, horatio2 said:

Nelson were ordered to dig in and connect right flank of Manchesters with RND firing line asap [as soon as possible].  This was done during night 4/5.  The Manchester right, about 150 yards west of where F11 crosses nullah, and the right of Manchester old firing line was connected by a trench.  To accomplish this the Nelsons had to attack the Turks in F11 near nullah.  This Bn was also under close fire from the Turks during the time they were digging in, which they did successfully by daylight.’ 

 

Graeme,

 

I have an interest here as this time/date is when my grandfather was wounded while with the Nelsons

A good friend with 'Manchesters' connections sent me this map which I believe comes from their WD

It may be of interest

 

[michaeldr]

I walked over this ground in March 2015. 

Modern agriculture and drainage mean that the Small Nullah has disappeared (at least I could not trace it)

However the Kanli Dere (Achi Baba Nullah) is still very much in evidence

One of the worst problems for the Nelsons must have been the fact that the ground ahead rises slightly

Likewise the ground on the opposite bank of the Kanli Dere, both of which must have made this

2 hours ago, horatio2 said:

To accomplish this the Nelsons had to attack the Turks in F11 near nullah.

particularly difficult, especially with fire coming in from two sides

[horatio2]

Michael's map and personal recollection of the fighting ground are very helpful.

Graeme specifically asked about 6 June. The overnight digging, under close fire, of Nelson Avenue was completed on 5 June when 'C' Coy Hawke came forward to help. The Hawkes were sent back on orders of GOC 1st Bde on 6 June, leaving the Nelsons to fend off Turkish attacks on the new trench. The Nelsons came out of the line on the evening of 7 June. They had lost 34 ORs and 4 officers in the action.

Edited 21 June , 2020 by horatio2

[GraemeClarke]

Morning,

 

Many thanks for the additional information.

 

Regards,

 

Graeme