Where is Kaijik Aghala and what happened there?

[Jessica Smith]

Hi 

I’m new to the Forum.

My Great Grandfather Harry Street was a sergeant in 1/4 bn Norfolk Regt. 
Assume he arrived on the RMS Aquitania to Suvla Bay.

He died 22 Sept 1915

The war diary transcription from elsewhere on here says:

22 Sep 15 KAIAJIK AGHALA 

No diary entry - Casualties 2 

I guess he was one of the 2, but nothing else is said. There’s a marker stone in 7th Field Ambulance Cemetery but I’m not sure if that’s just a marker or his actual remains. 

I would like to know how to find out where Kaiajik Aghala is and, as there’s nothing in the war diary, would there be any other reports or sources that might have described what happened to him?

If anyone could help or advise that would be wonderful, thank you. 

 

[WhiteStarLine]

Hi Jessica and welcome to the forum.  One of the Gallipoli experts will let you know of the significance of this place.  Cheers, Bill

 

[Jessica Smith]

What a wonderful map! I’d heard a bit about Hill 60 but didn’t realise it was that same spot.  Thank you so much Bill

[michaeldr]

13 hours ago, Jessica Smith said:

Assume he arrived on the RMS Aquitania to Suvla Bay.

The battalion arrived at Lemnos on the Aquitania

however he would have arrived at Suvla on either the Osmanieh or the Minnetonka - see the WD of 1/4th Batt Norfolk Regt [WO 95/4325 (file 394)]
5 August 1915: arrived Lemnos
… … … … … 
9 August: c.1am disembarked from HMTS Aquitania & re-embarked on SS Osmanieh
                    3pm Osmanieh departed from Lemnos
                    6pm arrived Imbros
10 August: 1.20pm departed (Imbros)
                   3.30pm arrived (Suvla Bay)
                   from 6pm Troops disembarked from Osmanieh. A-B (3 platoons C. Coy.)
11 August:  6pm D Coy. + (1 Platoon C Coy.) disembark from Osmanieh
… … … ...
16 August:  3pm  officers & 156 O.R. Arrived from HMT Minnetonka (These were left behind on  Aquitania to form first reinforcements)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

13 hours ago, Jessica Smith said:

I would like to know how to find out where Kaiajik Aghala is

You have the general area from Bill's very helpful maps above

More specific detail can be taken from the WD of the 5th Suffolks with whom the Norfolks exchanged places, each doing a few days at a time in the firing line, and constantly swapping places.

NB: Caveat - The trench is referred to in the WDs as Norfolk Trench, and I'm guessing that it is the same trench that is here shown as Norfolk Street. Look particularly at the bump in that trench immediately above "aia" in Kaiajik Dere.

I think that may well be what we see in the top RH corner of the sketch map (dated 16 September1915) which appears in the Suffolks' WD  

 

from from the WD of 1/4^th Batt Norfolk Regt [WO 95/4325 (file 394)]

15 September: 8.30pm Regt moved to Rest Camp at Kabak Kuyu …
20 September: 7pm Regt moved to Kaiagak Aghial, & C & D Companies went into trenches
                         relieving 1/5th Suffolk Regiment
23 September: A & B Cos relieve C & D in trenches
 

13 hours ago, Jessica Smith said:

There’s a marker stone in 7th Field Ambulance Cemetery but I’m not sure if that’s just a marker or his actual remains. 

See the CWGC document here https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/605687/h-street/#&gid=1&pid=1

This indicates that he is presumed to be buried in this cemetery, though the marker will not necessarily be above his actual remains. It also indicates that he Died of Wounds on the 22nd September 1915 (though when he was actually wounded is not given). We can speculate that as he is remembered not at Hill 60 Cemetery, but at the 7^th Field Ambulance, then before he died he may well have been evacuated from the front line into medical care.

 

Note that all-in-all, there's quite a bit of guess-work here, none the less, I hope that it helps

regards

Michael

Edited 10 September by michaeldr

[Jessica Smith]

Thank you very much Michael - those maps are fantastic. 
The letter from his Captain (and employer back in Thetford) Captain Burrell to my great grandmother said that he was shot in the head by a sniper. I know there were a lot of snipers but also wonder if that was said to everyone to diminish any worry of suffering. 

I have just tracked his record on Forces Records and one page says 'Buried in Norfolk Cem Anzac about 2 1/4 miles NNE of Anzac cover. So his remains were at least buried and either remain there or were moved to 7th Ambulance Cem at a later date. 

I thought he was in Company G - which is the label on an old photo - but looks as though there were only companies A-D so not sure which he would have been in. I assume he must have been in C or D relieving the Suffolks if he died on the 22nd. 

 

[michaeldr]

14 minutes ago, Jessica Smith said:

I have just tracked his record on Forces Records and one page says 'Buried in Norfolk Cem Anzac about 2 1/4 miles NNE of Anzac cover. So his remains were at least buried and either remain there or were moved to 7th Ambulance Cem at a later date. 

If he was first buried in Norfolk Cemetery, then yes, post war those burials there were concentrated into the 7th Field Ambulance Cemetery.

You will also note from the CWGC table linked to earlier, that he was buried by the Rev. C P Edwards

Edited 10 September by michaeldr

[rob carman]

On 22 September, 1917 Sgt Harry Street, 424, G Coy in 1914 and D Coy after Jan 1915, 1/4 Bn, Norfollk Regt was Killed in Action:

 "I was with Sgt Harry Street when he got killed. He got killed by a sniper through one of those iron plates. There was a shell burst not far off and Harry, he put this plate to one side….and he got hit right in the head." Pte John ‘Jack’ Edward LOCK, pre-1914 G (Thetford) Coy, 1/4th Bn, Norfolk Regt, oral history collected by Lock's family

 In 1901 or earlier he was a member of G (Thetford) Coy, 4th Volunteer Bn, Norfolk Regt.  I have a note that his number was 2857 but this seems too high.   In 1901 Corporal Street volunteered for service attached to 2nd Bn during the 2nd Anglo-Boer war. Harry Street, 6782, 2nd Volunteer Service Coy is listed in the digitized QSA Medal rolls.  He received 5 clasps, Cape, Orange Free State, Transvaal, 1901, 1902.  He was promoted to Sgt during his time in South Africa.  He remained with the territorials after returning.  By about 1913 or before he would have had 12 years of service that qualified him for the Territorial Efficiency Medal.  He was renumbered in 1908 as 424.  He was was still serving in 1914.  His loss to the battalion was significant.  

 Jessica, if you have a photo of him in uniform please would you post it.

Edited 10 September by rob carman
removed background

[Jessica Smith]

50 minutes ago, rob carman said:

On 22 September, 1917 Sgt Harry Street, 424, G Coy in 1914 and D Coy after Jan 1915, 1/4 Bn, Norfollk Regt was Killed in Action:

 "I was with Sgt Harry Street when he got killed. He got killed by a sniper through one of those iron plates. There was a shell burst not far off and Harry, he put this plate to one side….and he got hit right in the head." Pte John ‘Jack’ Edward LOCK, pre-1914 G (Thetford) Coy, 1/4th Bn, Norfolk Regt, oral history collected by Lock's family

 In 1901 or earlier he was a member of G (Thetford) Coy, 4th Volunteer Bn, Norfolk Regt.  I have a note that his number was 2857 but this seems too high.   In 1901 Corporal Street volunteered for service attached to 2nd Bn during the 2nd Anglo-Boer war. Harry Street, 6782, 2nd Volunteer Service Coy is listed in the digitized QSA Medal rolls.  He received 5 clasps, Cape, Orange Free State, Transvaal, 1901, 1902.  He was promoted to Sgt during his time in South Africa.  He remained with the colours after returning.  By about 1913 or before he would have had 12 years of service that qualified him for the Territorial Efficiency Medal.  He was renumbered in 1908 as 424.  He was was still serving in 1914.  His loss to the battalion was significant.  

 Jessica, if you have a photo of him in uniform please would you post it.

Oh wow! That is amazing. Thank you so much! I'm glad it was actually a sniper and so quick. I have a few pics so I will post them up. 
He first joined up 15/4/91 no 2847 on his attestation paper but according to his service record was medically discharged for heart valve disease.
Obviously with the war in South Africa they were less fussy about the medical situation and he is once again signed up (no 6782) in March 1900 and serves in South Africa and then as you say stays in the Reserves/Militia? not sure of the correct term until war breaks out again. 
The pictures attached are of Harry, a memorial picture of his family with him inserted - my grandmother is the seated figure on the right beneath his insert, and a sadly rather poor scan from a kind relation of him at Holkham Camp before the outbreak of War. 

 

[rob carman]

Thank you.  The date and number will be useful.

Here is Cpl Street snipped from a photo of the 2nd VSC, Mousehold Heath, 16 March 1901, just before leaving for South Africa.  The original is NWHRM : 5275.5 and is part of the Norfolk Museums Collection.

 

[Jessica Smith]

2 hours ago, rob carman said:

On 22 September, 1917 Sgt Harry Street, 424, G Coy in 1914 and D Coy after Jan 1915, 1/4 Bn, Norfollk Regt was Killed in Action:

 "I was with Sgt Harry Street when he got killed. He got killed by a sniper through one of those iron plates. There was a shell burst not far off and Harry, he put this plate to one side….and he got hit right in the head." Pte John ‘Jack’ Edward LOCK, pre-1914 G (Thetford) Coy, 1/4th Bn, Norfolk Regt, oral history collected by Lock's family

 In 1901 or earlier he was a member of G (Thetford) Coy, 4th Volunteer Bn, Norfolk Regt.  I have a note that his number was 2857 but this seems too high.   In 1901 Corporal Street volunteered for service attached to 2nd Bn during the 2nd Anglo-Boer war. Harry Street, 6782, 2nd Volunteer Service Coy is listed in the digitized QSA Medal rolls.  He received 5 clasps, Cape, Orange Free State, Transvaal, 1901, 1902.  He was promoted to Sgt during his time in South Africa.  He remained with the territorials after returning.  By about 1913 or before he would have had 12 years of service that qualified him for the Territorial Efficiency Medal.  He was renumbered in 1908 as 424.  He was was still serving in 1914.  His loss to the battalion was significant.  

 Jessica, if you have a photo of him in uniform please would you post it.

 

8 minutes ago, rob carman said:

Thank you.  The date and number will be useful.

Here is Cpl Street snipped from a photo of the 2nd VSC, Mousehold Heath, 16 March 1901, just before leaving for South Africa.  The original is NWHRM : 5275.5 and is part of the Norfolk Museums Collection.

 

 Thank you so much for all your help. I hadn't even really started trying to figure out his Boer War service as I don't really know much about it.
Do you know where I could find anything about what ship they sailed on or what they did in SA?
I'm sharing all this with my sister and niece in the States and we're all so grateful. 

[rob carman]

On 16 March 1901 the 2nd Volunteer Service Coy sailed for South Africa aboard the Kildonan Castle.  In command was Cpt AWM Atthill (2 VB) who went on to write a history of the Company:  "From Norwich to Lichtenburg via Pretoria; being some personal experiences with the 2nd Norfolk Volunteer Active Service Company in South Africa, 1901-2" by Captain A. W. M. Atthill, M. V. O., together with extracts from letters written by Colin G. Cubitt between June and December, 1901. Atthill, A. W. Maunsell. Norwich, A. E. Soman, 1909.  This is illustrated, though the images are a bit blurry.  It is available online, free of charge, from the HathiTrust.  At one point it was accessible only within the US.  Its just over 14,000 kb.

Where are you family in the States?  I live in Virginia.

[michaeldr]

8 hours ago, rob carman said:

At one point it was accessible only within the US. 

If you live outside of the US, then sometimes you can get around this by using a VPN and then choosing a location in the US