Donkeys in Gallipoli

[Sgt Stripes]

When Donkeys were unloaded in Gallipoli did they go to Depot or were they just collected and sent to various Battalions or locations. If there was a depot for donkeys does anyone know its location also  when the peninsular was evacuated were the donkeys evacuated or put down or simply left.

Edited 12 August , 2020 by Sgt Stripes

[MaureenE]

If you are  also interested in mules, there were four Mule Cart Corps, Indian Army, at Gallipoli, each consisting of ten troops of 108 mules and 50 carts with 60 drivers each. The total strength of a corps was 650 men and 1086 mules. "Before embarking a large number of mules and horses were shot in their standings to prevent them from falling into the hands of the enemy".

https://web.archive.org/web/20140221014448/http://www.hcindia-au.org/pdf/The Indian Army at Gallipoli 1915.pdf

 "The Indian Army at Gallipoli 1915" condensed from a paper presented by Sqn Ldr Rana TS Chhina (Retd) at a conference organised by the Australian War Memorial in August 2010. Website of the High Commission of India in Australia, now an archived page.

 

Cheers

Maureen

[Sgt Stripes]

Hi Maureene. I should have added Mules to my post. Must have been very heart breaking for the men who shot them. Got to say I couldn't do it. Many Thanks for this information. 

Edited 12 August , 2020 by Sgt Stripes

[michaeldr]

As mentioned by Maureen, the mule was a much more common animal at Gallipoli, probably due to its greater load bearing potential.

As well as the Indian units, there was the Zion Mule Corps who were in action at Helles from the afternoon of the 26^th April 1915.

Where you do come across mention of donkeys is at Anzac with the story of Simpson. His first donkey (and perhaps the others) was picked up by him (also on the 26th) it having been abandoned by its Greek driver [per Tom Curran's book 'Across the Bar' they were primarily employed to distribute kerosene tins of water]

 

At the evacuation the following animals were brought off:

SUVLA

horses – 392

mules - 2262

donkeys – 30

HELLES

horses – 956

mules – 2733

[Animals abandoned (or destroyed) at Helles – 508]

 

Below is the order relating to the animals at Helles

quote:

Headquarters,

8th Army Corps,

6th January, 1916.

Secret. 0/424/16.

DESTRUCTION OF ANIMALS.

Units will destroy all, or as many as they possibly can, of the horses and mules which are left here on the last night. This should be done by getting rid of a small number on the last afternoon and the remainder at dusk that evening. Care must be taken that it is done in a humane way; as far as possible, officers who know how to do it should be told off for the purpose, and a revolver used in preference to a rifle. Care must also be taken that it is not done near the front so as to alarm the enemy with a lot of firing. The Senior Veterinary Officer has been told to issue instructions to all concerned.

(Signed) Brig.-General,

D.A. and Q.M.G., 8th Army Corps

 

The above info is gleaned from The Mitchell Report (REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE APPOINTED TO INVESTIGATE THE ATTACKS DELIVERED ON AND THE ENEMY DEFENCES OF THE DARDANELLES STRAITS)

 

I do not have figures for animals at the evacuation of Anzac

 

Edited 12 August , 2020 by michaeldr

[kenf48]

The OH notes that at the end of November 1915 alongside the men and guns to be evacuated there were:-

3000 animals at Suvla

2,368 animals on Anzac

and at Helles 5,718 British and 3,501 French animals.

 

The evacuation at Suvla-Anzac was divided into stages and most of the animals evacuated during the 'intermediate' stage.  The OH records by the end of the 'intermediate' stage only 'a handful remained'. 

Interestingly right up until the last the mules played their part, the men on the beach parties were ordered to simulate normal activity so the carts were driven 'round and round like a stage army', and after dark to 'produce the customary sound of jingling ration convoys', empty carts were sent up the line.

The official figure for animals evacuated is given as 4,695  horses and mules. The OH notes that at Suvla,'Not a single casualty was suffered on the final night,and not a wagon gun, horse, mule or donkey was left ashore."

 

At Anzac twenty mules and fifty donkeys,'needed to the last moment', were left ashore.  The OH does not indicate whether or not they were killed.

 

The evacuation at Helles is discussed at length in the OH which records in summary notes '3,689 horses and mules were evacuated ...of necessity 508 mules which could not be embarked were shot before departure'.  Most of the animals that were withdrawn from there were embarked during the earlier stages of the evacuation.

 

Ken

sorry for any duplication but Michael posted while I was typing.

[kenf48]

As an aside there was a feature known as 'Mule Gully' and there is a photograph in the NZ Archives

 

https://nzhistory.govt.nz/media/photo/mule-gully-gallipoli

 

 

 

[michaeldr]

3 hours ago, kenf48 said:

As an aside there was a feature known as 'Mule Gully'

 

Also seen here in this lovely water colour by L F S Hore MC 

https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/mule-gully-nov-1915-leslie-hore/wgH92c9Ac_Ul_g?hl=en

[Sgt Stripes]

Fantastic painting and photograph. Many thanks for the information provided .

[Rockturner]

A good source of information would be The Official History of the War - Veterinary Services by Blenkinsop and Rainey if you can obtain a copy. You will find Chapter 10, p.106 - 125 of greatest interest. 

In the case of Anzac it appears the first mules ashore were with the 7th Indian Mountain Battery who landed on Brighton Beach at 10.30am on 25 April.

3.700 mules, together with 1,750 water carts, were provided for Anzac and Suvla, in addition to 950 mules already at Anzac. General Birdwood also purchased locally 100 small donkeys and saddles for the purpose of carrying water.

A few hours after landing the Australian engineers sank two tube wells at he mouth of Shrapnel Gully. The following day twenty shallow wells were sunk which yielded 20,000 gallons daily, and troughs for 800 animals were immediately erected.

Work was relieved considerably at the end of April with the arrival of the Indian Mule Corps and Zion Mule Corps, which were very heavily worked. At Anzac and Suvla similar action was taken and some units made ideal lines by digging - in under the edges of the cliffs. 

The strength of animals at Suvla and Anzac on 4 December 1915 was:- Anzac 1845 mules and 56 donkeys.

The total evacuated between 8 and 20 December 1915 was 3,752 mules and 44 donkeys.

Killed or missing 200 mules and 40 donkeys.

All surviving animals at Suvla were evacuated. A number of Indian Mule Cart Corps mules stated to be 56 and some donkeys were not evacuated from Anzac. A few animals were killed or wounded at Kephalos by aeroplane bombs while awaiting ships for transfer to Egypt. 

The animal strength [horses and mules] at Helles on 29 December 1915 was:-

2,801 mules and 1,495 horses.

Evacuated between 29 December 1915 and 9 January 1916 was a total of 3,389 animals, while 907 were either destroyed,, missing or abandoned.

If you are interested in mule equipment there is some interesting information and sketches in The Handbook of the  10 - PR Jointed B.L. Gun 1914 printed by HMSO. Feel free to PM me should you need any specific information, if I have if to provide,

taking into consideration that my focus is Anzac.

Rockturner.

 

[michaeldr]

As well as the Anzac feature mentioned in posts 6 & 7 above, the mules also lent their name to trenches at Helles:

Western Mule Trench and Gurkha Mule Trench on Gully Spur, and Eastern Mule Trench on Fir Tree Spur

[Bryn]

From State Library of NSW:

 

[Bryn]

Another one, also from the General Chauvel collection, SLNSW: 'Mule Transport on Anzac Beach' [North Beach]. There are also shots of mules and horses being unloaded from transports onto the beaches, etc.

 

Edited 15 August , 2020 by Bryn

[Sgt Stripes]

Fantastic and informative information. Many Thanks for sharing . 

Edited 15 August , 2020 by Sgt Stripes

[CSMMo]

I wonder how many of the hundreds (?) highland ponies that journeyed to this far land from Scotland as the prime movers for the mountain guns of the Argyll and Ross & Cromarty batteries were accounted for and as what? Donkeys? Horses?  There was even one born on the peninsula (long story). When 2 guns from each of the batteries were landed on 25 April, one transported the guns up the hill to provide fire support for 1st Essex and several were commandeered at the landing site on W Beach to carry ammunition and water to the soldiers pushing the line farther away from the beach. (The photo shows them in training in the UK)

Mike Morrison

[WARS AND PEACES MINIATURES]

Good evening ,

Gallipoi , a fantastic sujet.

Thank very much.

Jean-luc