Gallipoli

[Rosemary Clarke]

I'm researching Sgt John Robins who was shot at dawn 2 January 1916 on Gully Beech, shortly before the evacuation. He was serving with the 5 Wiltshires, who had arrived in the area in July 1915.

I have the war diaries for 5 Bat. but could anybody recommend any personal accounts that would help me to complete a picture of conditions during those times, please?

Many thanks.

Rosemary

[Guest Ian Bowbrick]

Have you contacted the Regimental museum?

Interestingly the Essex Regimental museum have some personal diaries concerning the Gallipoli campaign. Might be worth a call.

Ian

[Rosemary Clarke]

Have you contacted the Regimental museum?

Interestingly the Essex Regimental museum have some personal diaries concerning the Gallipoli campaign. Might be worth a call.

Ian

Thanks for that, Ian.

I have been in touch with the The Wardrobe, the museum for the Wiltshire Regiment but not on that particular matter - will pursue it.

Rosemary

[MartinWills]

Rosemary,

Can I suggest for general reading you try Peter Liddle's "Men of Gallipoli" which uses much personal experience material drawn from what is now the Liddle Collection at the Brotherton Library at the University of Leeds.

Another fascinating personal account is Gallipoli Diary by John Gillham, which gives a good feel for his time at Helles.

Another useful source of information and accounts is the "RND magazine" which was published until recently by Len Sellers and includes much info and personal accounts, principally on the RND at Gallipoli and elsewhere.

There is also a Turkish account available in english but as this covers time above the ANZAC beaches which is probably of less interest.

Australian sources are probably of less interest (given your brief) but several can be found by looking at the awm shop (www.awm.gov.au)

John Hargreaves (Field ambulance man) account "At Suvla Bay" is a fascinating account of his time at Suvla and may also be of interest, though it is hard to find.

Martin

[Rosemary Clarke]

Martin

Plenty there to keep me occupied, thank you for such a full list. The Len Sellers connection is of particular interest, given the subject-matter.

Thank you again.

Rosemary

[Matthew King]

The Imperial War Musuem Website has some pdf files on Conditions on Gallipoli which are very good, I must recommend the page on the Conditions on Hill 60, it has recorded accounts of the trenches from the soldiers.

http://www.iwm.org.uk/online/gallipoli/suvlahill60.htm

There are a few accounts on the web page I am currently writing, they are from letters and newspaper clippings so aren't that detailed due to censorship but might be of interest.

http://www.geocities.com/zippy_king2002/

Matt

[MartinWills]

Matthew manages to shame me and remember that which I carelessly forgot and suggest the IWM pages on Gallipoli (the whole "on-line" exhibition is well worth browsing). Well done Matthew!

Another volume I had forgotten is that of Joe Murray of the RND published as Gallipoli as I saw it and re-issued in paperback as Gallipoli 1915. Joe's recollections are as clear as you could wiish for and he has a reputation for being as accurate as anything.

The book reviews threads also include my very recent write up of Glory is no Compensation which uses the author's father's recollections and other material to outline the activities of the Border Regiment at Gallipoli. It is a very good read.

Martin

[michaeldr]

I have the war diaries for 5 Bat. but could anybody recommend any personal accounts that would help me to complete a picture of conditions during those times, please?

Rosemary,

Do you have a copy of Ray Westlake's "British Regiments at Gallipoli"?

In his accounts of many of the regiments, he refers to their sufferings during the late November storms: these same storms which must have had a bearing on Sergeant Robins' health

eg: under The Prince of Wales's Volunteers (South Lancashire Regiment) 6th (Service)Battalion, he refers to Capt.H. Whalley-Kelly's recording that during the three-day blizzard, units at Suvla suffered over 5000 cases of frost-bite and more than 200 men were drowned or frozen to death. Whalley-Kelly also mentions an unofficial truce.

Even if Westlake's book does not provide enough detail for you, it may however help to point you in the direction of diaries and papers that do.

Best of luck with the research

Michael D.R.

[john w.]

Currently I am on my way back steasming through the Med, having been to a number of ports of call... one of which was Kusadasi in Turkey, whilst not Gallipoli, it lies about 150 miles due south. The day was a hot one and the landscape very barren. I thought of the campaign and the length of time that the soldiers were there.

All I can say is it must have been like hell on earth...

John

[Bryn_Hammond]

The IWM Sound Archive has a full catalogue of Gallipoli interviews - some of which were used by Peter Hart and Nigel Steel for their book 'Defeat at Gallipoli'. The IWM Collections database will allow you to look for details of the particular units/places you are interested in ( see www.iwmcollections.org.uk ) and also allow you to search the documents archive.

The printed catalogue of the interviews is available from the Sound Archive direct. Their details are available on the IWM main web site.

[Rosemary Clarke]

Matt, Martin, Michael and Bryn

Thank you all very much for all the suggested material available both on and off-line.

Incidentally, The Wardrobe, the museum for Wiltshire, Berkshire and Gloucester Regiments has all WW1 war diaries available on-line, which has been of enormous help in my research.

There is also now an on-line, searchable database for members of the Wiltshire Regiment (WW1 and prior) with more facilities to follow.

Rosemary

[MartinWills]

Rosemary,

You tantalise us with the promise of on-line war diaries and more - and then don't post the URL!!!!

For the record it is http://www.thewardrobe.org.uk and looks to be excellent.

Martin

[Rosemary Clarke]

Rosemary,

You tantalise us with the promise of on-line war diaries and more - and then don't post the URL!!!!

For the record it is http://www.thewardrobe.org.uk and looks to be excellent.

Martin

Martin

Sorry to tantalise - it's been a long day!

The website certainly lives up to expectations and really sets the standard as far as I'm concerned.

Rosemary

[Geoff S]

Rosemary,

Perhaps whils't not in your brief. It is worth noting that the 5th Wiltshires spent time at the Anzac region from Aug 2nd to Sept 5th 1915 for the assault on Chunuk Bair. Sgt John Robins may well have been involved if he arrived at the peninsula in July 1915.

You may like to read some account of that action. My suggestions as follows;

The Story of Anzac- Vol 2 - Chapter XXIV by C.E.W. Bean

The New New Zealanders at Gallipoli-by Waite, Part III- The attack of Augist 8.

Official History of the War- Military Operations- Gallipoli, Vol 2, by Aspinall-Oglander, Chapter XXII- The Turkish attack at Chunuk Bair.

Gallipoli The New Zealand Story by C Puglsley, Chapter 10- The Battle for Chunuk Bair.

Unfortunately, it is very tragic reading. But it gives some details of K's New Army troops at Gallipoli (including the 5th Wiltshires).

Regards

Geoff S

[Rosemary Clarke]

Unfortunately, it is very tragic reading. But it gives some details of K's New Army troops at Gallipoli (including the 5th Wiltshires).

Geoff

Many thanks for the reading list and further information.

The whole Gallipoli episode makes for tragic reading and the fate of Sgt Robins, a good soldier executed for disobeying an order when extremely unwell, really takes the biscuit, so to speak.

Regards

Rosemary

[Moonraker]

To reply, 21 years later, to the OP's original request.

[BillyH]

Nice spot after 21 years Moonraker. Unfortunately the original poster has not been on the GWF since 2016 but the tag might just alert her   @Rosemary Clarke

BillyH.

Edited 1 January by BillyH