July-Sept 1915 Balkans - POW

[harneyn]

A great uncle served:

Regiment: West Yorkshire Regt. (Prince of Wales's Own)

Unit Text: 9th (Yorkshire Hussars) Bn

Service # 10684

July-Sept 1915 Balkans - POW

Service dates and medals found at the National Archives.

He was a repatriated POW... and died later of service related injuries, and is buried at Selby, Yorkshire. Noted as served in Balkans.

I cannot find any info on where he would have fought or been captured. The Regiments are formed into others - and in trying to follow the paths - it is always to France, not Balkans.

Any ideas for me?

TIA

Ann

[michaeldr]

Ann,

It looks as if your great uncle served at Gallipoli

Per Ray Westlake’s “British Regiments at Gallipoli”

See pages 37 - 39

The Prince of Wales’s Own (West Yorkshire Regiment)

9th (Service) Battalion

Sailed from Liverpool on ‘Aquitania’ 1.30.pm 3rd July 1915

Arrived Lemnos 7.00 am 10th July

To Gallipoli 6th August landing at ‘C’ Beach, Suvla 10.00 pm

Involved in attacks on Lala Baba Hill, Scimitar Hill and Chocolate Hill

Regards

Michael D.R.

[harneyn]

Thanks!

I did find those dates, but wondered about the Balkan reference. I am not really familiar with that part of the world, but did not think it would be referenced as the Balkans??

I also cannot find any reference to POW's...

Cheers,

Ann

[michaeldr]

Ann,

Sorry that I can’t explain why the 1915 record keepers used ‘Balkans’ in this case

But they did, & hopefully someone else knows exactly why

Regarding casualties

Westlake has two sets of relevant figures for this battalion and this period

11th Aug – 88 other ranks missing

22nd Aug – 43 other ranks missing

While Westlake is correct to add the caveat that the majority of the missing were afterwards reported killed, some of these men would inevitable have been made PoWs by the Turks

Regards

Michael D.R.

[SimonM]

Hello All,

I have had several references to MICs referring to 'Balkans'. My own Great Uncle is listed as having been in the Balkans in sep 1915, which can really only mean Gallipoli (he was North'ld Fusiliers, presumably 8th Bn - sorry, no Burnt Record exists) or possibly the Aegean Islands (Imbros etc). Someone else rang me after reading Under the Devil's Eye to ask how his father (RA) could be in the Balkans in April 1915 when the Salonika Force landed in Oct 1915. The evidence would suggest that the term "Balkans' was used to cover not only the mainland but the Aegean and Gallipoli Peninsula too.

Hope this helps

Simon Moody

[steve fuller]

The evidence would suggest that the term "Balkans' was used to cover not only the mainland but the Aegean and Gallipoli Peninsula too.

Hope this helps

Simon Moody

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

"2b Balkans" is always Gallipoli, hence part of the overall Balkans military theatre.

Mudros & Imbros (amongst others) were Allied controlled islands used for varying purposes - for example Mudros was the "entry point" for soldiers landing at Suvla Bay, Gallipoli from 6 August 1915. A last stop to reorg etc. before going into the front line?

I imagine the location of the peninsular itself, coupled with the objectives that taking the penisular would have opened up to the allied forces led to its inclusion in that theatre? Cant say ive read that anywhere though, so nothing more than an opinion ...

[michaeldr]

Quote :

“Mudros & Imbros (amongst others) were Allied controlled islands”

Steve,

Mudros was the large bay on the island of Lemnos which was a natural harbour and provided the allies with a base. Other islands used by the allies during the Gallipoli campaign were Imbros and Tenedos

The 9th West Yorks arrived at Lemnos on 10th July 1915 and disembarked on the 11th when they were sent to bivouacs on the western side of Mudros Bay

On 22nd July 1915 they were shipped from Lemnos to the island of Imbros where they camped at ‘C’ Area, Kephalos Camp. They were inspected by Sir Ian Hamilton on 24th July 1915.

On 6th August they were shipped in Lighters ‘K5’ and ‘K6’ to ‘C’ Beach, Suvla, on the peninsula

Regarding the relationship between geography and records

I wonder if it was the case that the writing-up of the records was so far behind the activity on the ground that, by the time they got around to dealing with this theatre, the Gallipoli campaign was already winding down and the Balkans was becoming the principle area of activity here. So it became the ‘name’ for this group of theatres [All guess-work]

Regards

Michael D.R.

[harneyn]

Thanks to all for the answers here. I have spent the day searching round on some of the names and places mentioned.

I have found reference to the 9th West Yorkshires...

The Suvla landing was to be carried out by IX Corps, consisting of the 10th (Irish Div.), 11th (consisting of 32nd, 33rd and 34th Brigades) and 53rd Divisions.

http://www.iwm.org.uk/upload/package/2/gal...s/SuvlaLand.pdf

...In the event, the leading battalions of the 32nd Brigade (6th Green Howards and 9th West

Yorkshires) and 33rd Brigade (7th South Staffordshires and 9th Sherwood Foresters) landed

south of Nibrunesi Point without a casualty by 10 p.m. on 6 August.

...At Nibrunesi beach, the landing went like clockwork. The lighters cast off from their towing destroyers at 8.10 pm and approached the beach in excellent weather and sea conditions. In an hour they had discharged two battalions and were returning to the destroyers to load the next wave. This wave landed before midnight, after which the lighters landed the troops carried aboard the supporting cruisers. By 1.30 am, the troops were ashore with their guns

and horses and the cruisers...

For all my reading I find only two references to POW's at that time:

the Sandringham Missing Battalion 12 August 1915

Captain A.G. Coxon and 2nd. Lieutenant W.G.S. Fawkes were both wounded during the advance of 12 August 1915.

http://homepage.tinet.ie/~tipperaryfame/vanished.htm

They were taken as prisoners by the Turks and held in prison until after The Armistice in 1918.

and

Australians:

http://www.awm.gov.au/stolenyears/ww1/turkey/index.asp

I shall persevere. I have learned lots!

Ann

[michaeldr]

Lieutenant John Still was captured at Gallipoli by the Turks while serving with the 6th East Yorkshires at Suvla Bay in August 1915. Was a prisoner-of-war for over 3 years. His poems were written in captivity on 10 sheets of paper concealed in a hollow walking-stick. Published Poems in Captivity, 1919 and A Prisoner in Turkey, 1920 by The Bodley Head and it may be possible to find these through your library

Your own regiment has a history which is currently on offer from the Naval & Military Press;

‘WEST YORKSHIRE REGIMENT IN THE WAR 1914-1918’

Author: Everard Wyrall

Format: 2002. N & M Press reprint. Two volumes (first pub 1924/1927) 870pp Maps

Category: General Military History The Great War 1914-1919 Regimental & Divisional Histories NMP Publication

ISBN:

1843422107

Price:

£48

To my mind this seems quite expensive, however it may be available through your local library, which might also be able to get Ray Westlake’s useful book for you

Regards

Michael D.R.

[harneyn]

Thanks for the references. Everything I learn is valuable!

Anyone have Volume 1 of Wyrall?

Ann