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Remembered Today:

12th & 15th August 1915 attacks, 10th & 11th Divs


steve fuller

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Hey Gallipoli Pals

Wander if anyone could help me out a little?

Im putting a small piece together for my site re the 15 August action, focused on the 5th Beds (surprise!!!).

Would be really grateful if anyone could point me to a site etc that would give me a summarised couple of paragraphs about the 2 actions from the perspective of the 10th & 11th Divisions please?

Certainly dont wanna steal any limelight etc, just after something I can use to summarise the actions leading to 15th August, AND the 10th Divisions casualty rates for 15th August to complete the picture. Westlake gives the info but I dont want to misunderstand or misrepresent it at all.

Cheers

Steve

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Would be really grateful if anyone could point me to a site etc that would give me a summarised couple of paragraphs about the 2 actions from the perspective of the 10th & 11th Divisions please?

Was the 11th Division actually doing anything on these two dates? I've just looked at several regimental histories for 11th Div battalions and they practically all say the same - "nothing significant".

To quote from the Battalion history of 11/Manchesters (which has more to say about these dates than most of the others)..."the 12th was spent in improving our position, and endevouring to combat the activities of the enemy snipers. Later the Battalion, less "S" Company, was relieved... and went to reserve trenches in rear of HETMAN CHAIR..." and on the 15th ..."Save for sniping,the 15th was very quiet on our front, and on this day we were subsequently relieved by the 9th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers, and the battalion returned to the reserve trenches...". The 9/LFs mention nothing significant either.

The 11th Div's day came on the 21st.

Dave.

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Hi Steve,

Send me a PM with your email and I'll scan the relevant pages from The Tenth Irish Division at Gallipoli by Bryan Cooper.

Regards,

Liam.

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Dave - my apols, must have misread the web site that I thought said the 11th were involved in landings & 12th August actions. Ooops!

Liam - will do mate, thank you.

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This is a snip from CRA 10th division diary for the 15th.

It doesn't really answer the question but it may be of interest.

Stuart

post-6041-1120686286.jpg

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Hi Steve

You might find this of interest, it comes from a Doc ref WO/95/4325, and I only have a part of it so I don't know the author.

"All througgh the afternoon of the 15th August, a fight had been taking place on the rif=dge of Karagol Dagh and between 4 & 5 o'clock it had developed into a hand to hand encounter.

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Sorry Steve this got left off

The ridge which was held by units of the 10th Division with their line advanced as far as a point known as Jephsons Post. At 4 o'clock the 163rd Brigade received orders to proceed to the assistance of the 10th Division and the 8th Hants were detailed to lead the way.

The call for assistance from Jephsons post was urgent, and the Brigade Commander was forced to send his Brigade across exposed country in full view of the Turks and parallel to the firing line. From the shelter of hill 10 to the foot of Karakol Dagh, lay flat open ground of nearly a mile in length without any cover.

The Brigade Commander himself was present and supervised the movement of the Brigade. The Companies were ordered to move across the open ground in lines of eight men in extended order with the flank to the enemy, being about 100 yards between the lines. This singular order made the advance unnecessarily slow, resulting in the tail of the Brigade arriving at Jephsons post hours after the fight had ceased. It also had a bad effect on the men waiting their turn to advance, and watching the advance of their comrades in front. On this occasion it was that two Companies of the 8th Hants refused to move and were eventually sent to the beach.

The Turks who had a clear view of the movment of the Brigade, immediately opened with a well placed schrapnel fire, and caused a number of casualties. There were few if any casualties from rifle fire, owing to the distance from the firing line. On reaching the slopes of the hills the men came under cover of the ridges, but on reaching the summit were met by a heavy schrapnel fire.

The shells were bursting at a height of only a few feet above the ground and an unfortunate Rifleman of the 8th Hants had an arm carried away by a shell which did not explode until it had gone another 50 yards.

As the Battalion moved along the ridge, they could see the fight still going on in front of them, but before the leading files could join in, the Turks retired about 100 yards into a strong point and the action ceased. No effort was made to follow them as no one realised the importance of occupying further ground along the ridge. The men of the 10th Division were probably at that time too exhausted to make another advance, and the 163 Brigade were far too few to be of much assistance. There was also a scare that ammunition was running short.

As the evening came on, it was arranged that the 10th Division should be relieved and that the 8th Hants should hold a line from about 200 yards from the crest of the hill down to the sea shore. One Battalion of the Norfolks was to hold Jephsons Post and the hill between the post and the 8th Hants and the other two Battalions in support further along the ridge some two or three hundred yards in the rear. A destroyer H.M.S. Beagle, closed in to a position in line with Jephsons post. She was out of range of rifle fire, but close enough in to be clear of artillery fire. The only time she was hit by a shell was when she moved out to sea.

There you are Steve, and yes my Battalion DID have a mini mutiny!!!

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Thanks to Chris & Stuart, lovely stuff chaps :D

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... an unfortunate Rifleman of the 8th Hants had an arm carried away by a shell which did not explode until it had gone another 50 yards.

Hi Gareth

Cheers for that mate.

Thats interesting. Someone sent me the same story but that the Hants were watching the Bedfords advance on the open plain below them. The reference to the "mutiny" is covered too, but the text said it was as a result of them watching the Bedford boys. Same phrases & that they were sent to the beach too.

"An eyewitness from the 8th Hampshire Battalion reported that a brigade of 54 Division had to advance across a mile of open ground toward the ridge and were subject to heavy shrapnel fire, with one unfortunate soldier having an arm carried away by a shell which did not burst for another 50 yards." Referenced as p160 of "Gallipoli" Tim Travers, not that i have it, so cant confirm Im afraid. Hmmmn, the fun of history eh mate?!!

Will pm you about the 54th too - just got back so catching up a bit!!

Steve

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Hi Steve,

            Send me a PM with your email and I'll scan the relevant pages from The Tenth Irish Division at Gallipoli by Bryan Cooper.

Regards,

Liam.

All recieved with my thanks Liam. Youre right, a heartbreaking read. :(

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