Guest Hussar Posted 21 August , 2003 Share Posted 21 August , 2003 Re the aircraft question, The navy sent the British 3rd Naval Air Squadron under Commander Samson. This squadron possessed 18 aircraft but only two BE2s and three Maurice Farmans were suitable for bombing and spotting work. Ark Royal's crew cleared a vineyard on Tenedos to create a 600 metre long airstrip and anti-aircraft guns were emplaced around it. The submarine threat soon forced Ark Royal to return to Kephalos where she served as an aircraft depot ship. On 12 June 1915 a newer, faster carrier, the Ben-My-Chree arrived, carrying two scout and three Short seaplanes. The Shorts were equipped as torpedo bombers. I don't know about an Italian ship but a collier, the River Clyde, which was converted into a landing ship by cutting openings in its sides and adding gangplanks also served as a small arms ammunition depot, water condensing plant, dressing station and a breakwater. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Pete Wood Posted 28 August , 2003 Share Posted 28 August , 2003 No. 3 Squadron RNAS was renamed No 3 Wing RNAS on the 21st June. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Simon Walker Posted 6 September , 2003 Share Posted 6 September , 2003 Thanks everyone. I just came across an item in Michael Hickey's "Gallipoli" which runs "The entire force amounted to a bayonet strength of 25,000 and the supporting artillery consisted of 95 guns, ranging from a few antique mountain guns to FOUR LARGE NAVAL GUNS BROUGHT ASHORE BY THE FRENCH." Page 163, describing the attack at Helles on 6 May. Any thoughts? Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muerrisch Posted 6 September , 2003 Share Posted 6 September , 2003 Re. the Arm.list query, it will not be "Army List", as the most senior rank I have ever seen listed is Warrant Officer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Mackenzie Posted 6 September , 2003 Share Posted 6 September , 2003 Simon. The French pre-dreadnought battleship Massena was hulked in 1915 and later scuttled off Cape Helles in November 1915. I believe that ships of this type had 4 large guns. There is therefore a possibility that these guns came from the Massena. However, this is purely conjecture on my part. Neil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Simon Walker Posted 16 September , 2003 Share Posted 16 September , 2003 Hi Neil, Good idea, but unfortunately the 24cm guns are referred to in an entry pre-dating November (the author of the diaries was repatriated in October 1915). Damn! Sounded promising, too! Anyone got a French contact who is obsessed by matters naval in the Great War? Regards Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edward_N_Kelly Posted 16 October , 2003 Share Posted 16 October , 2003 A Few comments in italics May 12th. Am given the job of starting Ledgers by Lieut. Kirby, who arrived here on the 10th. Richardson and I have practically kept the record work & the issues going, between us. [presumably book-keeping of equipment & supplies?] ************************************************************** Correct. Manual ledgers would have been maintined of stores issued and received into whatever depot he was maintaining Tue. June 1st S. Sergt. Barford (Arm. list) killed by a shell. [Army List, i.e. a regular soldier?] ************************************************************** Could this have been an Armourer (modern "gun plumber") ? Sunday, Septr 12th. Two 6 inch L. S. guns were landed last night and are on the beach ready to be taken up to the positions that have been prepared for them on the right hand side of the gully. [what does L S stand for?] ************************************************************** L/S = Land Service Oct. 19th Note: The entries from 13th. to 20 were probably made somewhere about the 22nd. I have a confused idea that I noted down some few facts on an F S message pad in pencil and I think I must have embodied those notes in the diary when I regained strength. was probably unable to get at the AB136. [F S – Field Service?] ************************************************************** FS does indeed equal Field Service. For the life of me I cannot remember the Field Message Book' s AB (Army Book) number. AB136 ?????? Edward Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greenwoodman Posted 16 October , 2003 Share Posted 16 October , 2003 A bit of follow-up on the artillery pieces. "History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery Forgotten Fronts" Shows that the French had 2 x 240-mm Siege Guns as part of their corps artillery. (p.42 MEF Orbat). This Orbat seems to be dated early August, and also mentions separately 4 French naval guns. As regards the 6" guns, "In October one section (2 x 6-inch guns) of 43rd Siege battery RGA also arrived and came into action at Gully Beach............" is mentioned on p.54. And p.55 has a table of deployment of guns showing 2 x 6" at Helles, while 11 x 6" howitzers were split between Anzac and Helles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Simon Walker Posted 17 October , 2003 Share Posted 17 October , 2003 Thank you, Edward and Greenwoodman. I think I'm getting there now... Edward, the AB136 is indeed Army Book 136, the diaries are written in two of them. They are 7 x 4.5 inches, hardback, covered in khaki fabric. They're marked ARMY BOOK 136. Books. -------- 136 -------- 42 on the front. The paper inside is feint ruled. The F S message pad must be something different. Sounds like it would be something that perhaps included (sorry, I'm waffling)... probably a tear-off pad of forms with stuff like who the message is from & who it's to... Thanks for the stuff on the artillery, Greenwoodman. Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaeldr Posted 10 December , 2003 Share Posted 10 December , 2003 Simon, How are you getting on with the diary? I have just received my copy of Huw and Jill Rodge's latest addition to the Battleground Europe series, 'Helles Landing - Gallipoli.' I have not finished reading it yet but I have come across a map which I do not recall seeing before and thought that it might be useful to you. It gives the hinterland behind W Beach indicating the positions of such features as: Ordnance Depot, ASC Stores, Airfield, 17th Stationary Hospital etc etc including where the Horse Manure pile was. In case its new to you as well see copy att Regards Michael D.R. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartinWills Posted 10 December , 2003 Share Posted 10 December , 2003 I believe that a sanitary unit serving at Gallipoli prepared a very detailed map of the W Beach hinterland and I have seen a spledid aerial photo (in Keyes memoirs?) of W & V beaches which show some of this area and which would seem to indicate that the area marked up as being the "AIRFIELD" was partly occupied by huts. In any event the airfield had been dispensed with well before the Dec. date of the map above. It was only in use for a short while and was susceptible to "Asiatic Annie" which meant that it was soon disused other than for a period in late summer/early autumn when a dummy plane attracted (and survived) an amazing number of Turkish shells. Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaeldr Posted 11 December , 2003 Share Posted 11 December , 2003 Martin, How are you keeping, Judging by the type faces involved I think what we have here is a 1915 map with modern notations. Yes you are right that if they have dated their map December 1915, then it would have been more helpful to add either the word Dummy or Target to Airfield. However with all the caveats, I think it gives a good idea of the layout which [in the case of ASC and Ordnance Dumps] I do not suppose can have changed much over the months. The att pic from the IWM may have been the one you were thinking of. If you take the head of the nullah as your ref point then [always supposing that X does indeed mark the spot of the airfield] I don't think that the Rodges are too far out with their positioning, having in mind the general nature of their map Any chance of our seeing the map/pic you refer to? Very best regards Michael D.R. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest gav Posted 12 December , 2003 Share Posted 12 December , 2003 Sunday, June 13th. One of our 'planes fell into the sea through engine trouble in the afternoon; the pilot & observer were taken off by a T.B.D & the plane was towed to the beach. [any information on this event welcome]. This could be a plane flown by Cmdr Richard Bell-davies VC. through my research I have found he landed a plane on the sea near imbros and had it towed back to shore. However, the report I read said it sank before it got there. If anyone has info about this I'd love to hear it. I'm trying to research Richard Bell-Davies as his VC win is straight out of a boys own adventure story Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Dunlop Posted 12 December , 2003 Share Posted 12 December , 2003 At the start of the war, the French had the M1884 24cm artillery piece. It was initially used in coastal defences and fortresses. Subsequently, the M1884 was given a 'rudimentary ground platform carriage'. It was upgraded to the Mle 84/17. Information from 'Allied Artillery of World War One'. None of my sources indicate whether any of these beasts were shipped to Gallipoli. Robert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Simon Walker Posted 24 February , 2004 Share Posted 24 February , 2004 Thanks everyone. I've been out of circulation for a while, so I apologise for my laxity. I'll mend my ways, I promise. All contributions were very helpful. The diaries contain a couple of sketch maps that tie up extremely well with the map and photograph above. They are quite detailed, showing individual tents in some cases, and even the names of the occupants... Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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