KIA at the Dardenells

[Milner]

Can anyone help me, do you have any information on the 11th London regt. (Finsbury Rifles) my great uncle JHC Davis was KIA on 9th Sept 1915 at the Dardenells and is buried at 7th Field ambulance cemetary. The story passed down the family is that he was killed during a beach landing. Are there any war diaries for that day, any information would be useful.

Thanks Phil

[PBI]

Hello Phil,My Grandfather James Ford Also served in The 11th Londons (Finsbury Rifles) and was at Gallipoli,and took part in the landings at Suvla.I think from your relatives Name of Davies that we might be related somewhere along the line..i will exlplain all if i can,its a long story !!!!

[Hywyn]

Phil

My understanding is that the main landing was at Suvla early on in August.

My interest is in the Royal Welsh Fusuiliers who took part.The 11th London Regt however were not in the same Division as the RWF so may I suggest that you make a note of the other battalions in their ( the 11ths' )brigade i.e 162th of the 54th Division and have a look for the War Diaries of those battalions that may be on line at National Archives?

There's plenty of threads already about the inland push.Try putting Kiretch Tepe in the search function. Steve Fuller seems to be one of the experts in that area. Also put in 11th London Regiment to bring up some more.

Hywyn

[steve fuller]

Thanks Hywyn - setting me up for a fall here mate!!

The Finsbury Rifles were in the 162 Brigade of the 54th Division that landed at Suvla morning of the 11 August 1915. They were all mauled on 15-16 August taking Kidney Hill whilst the 10th Div attacked along the Kiretch Tepe Sirt. The 11th Btn lost 9 Officers and around 350 other ranks during the attack - all three Territorial Btns (Bedfords, 10th & 11th Londons) lost around the same. My web site has a story on the battle but focused more on the 5th Bedfords if you want to have a nose.Its here - http://bedfordregiment.org.uk/id16.html Theres a nice bit about Lt Harding of the 11th Londons in it, so hope it helps a little.

By the 9th Sept, the Brigade were in the Northern ANZAC sector, opposite Sandbag Ridge. The 11th Londons held the line between the 4th and 11th, swapping with the Bedfords.

Rifleman 2656 John Henry Charles Davis was KIA on the 9th September rather than dying from wounds or illness (which was very common n Gallipoli), so i suspect he was killed during shelling, sniping or maybe a small raid. He lived in Islington and enlisted London. He is remembered at the 7th Feild Ambulance cemetery that served the sector, so it looks like he was hit and unfortuately his body was not recovered.

So he survived a nasty battle, only to be killed in the trenches 3 weeks later bless him.

[Milner]

Thanks all for the information. Steve your website was very informative, these men certainly had a tough time of it. My great uncle was one of triplets, one died as a baby, John was KIA, and the other was my grandmother (mother side) who lived to be 95.

PBI ref. family connections, the spelling is Davis not Davies, but they maybe knew each other. They lived in 1901 just off the Caledonian road Islington.

Thanks all once again.

Phil

[PBI]

Hi Phil,sorry i typed in the wrong spelling of your forbears name,my mum says that there is a definite connection to islington on her Mums side of the family.Incidentally there is a Family member called George Davis buried at Heilly station in the Somme area,he died of wounds,i wonder if this is another relative,i have the photograph of his original grave taken in 1916.Mums dad was evacuated from Gallipoli in late August 15 suffering from Dysentrey and Malutrition.The unofficial name of the 11 Londons was THE BUNHILL PISSERS,as their drill hall was at 130 Bunhill Row,London,EC1....I remember Grandad always felt sorry for the Turks,as he said the poor devils had only Oranges to live on while they were in the line,he had the greatest respect for them as brave Soldiers.I only wish that i had paid more attention to Him when i waas younger as he would often sit me on his knee and sing old soldiers songs,then tell me a few stories,then as a`finale would roll up his Trouser legs and show me the Bullet wounds he sustained at 3rd Gaza.They dont make them like Him anymore.

Warm Regards PBI.

[Guest JWS]

Hallo Phil.

From the CD "Soldiers Died Great War" it appears that the first casualties for the Finsbury rifles

were on the 15/8/1915, but I do not know if this was during the day of the beach landing.

Your John Davis appears to be the only Finsbury rifleman killed on the 9th Sep (inc officers).

Mike.

[Milner]

I have his mic and it states that he landed in Egypt 10/8/1915. What I don't know is if the whole regiment landed at Suvla Bay on the same day or if they came over at different times.

Phil

[steve fuller]

The Galipoli MICs are the dates they landed on Mudros, which was an Island that was the entry point to the peninsular. The Btn landed on the Suvla beaches the morning of 11 August alng with the rest of the Brigade other than the 4th Northamptons who were a week later.

However ...

If his MIC said specifically "Egypt", the Battalions left a cadre of around 100 men at Alexandria that they called on late August, so he MAY have been in the cadre & as a result missed the 15th August battle.

Other snippets - the Btn sailed from Liverpool on the Aquitania on the 30th July & the Brigade ended up as a convoy off of France. stopped at Malta for a day & eventually arrived in the region around the 6th August.

Hope this helps?

[Hywyn]

Steve

Do you know which vessels the RWF were on?

Hywyn

PS Did you the diaries come through?

[steve fuller]

Hi Hywyn

The diaries came through great thanks. Havent had the chance to read them yet, but ...!! Thanks

From Westlakes book:

1/6th RWF's At Rushden (my current home!). Left Irchester 13th, arrived Devonport & boarded Caledonia, sailing the 14th. Gibralter 17th to 18th. Malta 21st to 22nd. Alexandria 25th to 26th. Lemnos 26th to 28th. Mudros 28th to 8th August. Imbros 8th, then to Suvla on the morning of the 9th, landing at C Beach. Ill photo the pages & mail them to you Hywyn. Makes a good read ...

The 1/5th RWF's left Higham Ferrars (just up the road from me), entraining at Irchester (even closer to me!) on 13th July, embarked onto Caledonian & sailed 14th. Stoped off at gibralter on the 17th, sailed again 19th. Malta 21st, leaving 22nd. Alexandria 25th, left 26th. Lemnos 26th, left 28th. Mudros 28th, disembarked 30th & to bivvies. Embarked on the Rowan to Imbros 8th August & to Suvla 4.30am on the 9th. Landed C beach 6am.

1/7th RWF's at Rushden. A & D Co to Devonport 14th July, boarded City of Edinburgh & sailed 15th. B & C Cos got to Devonport 16th & sailed on the Huntsend and Ulysees. Arrived Alexandria 28th. Sailed to Port Said on the 1st, arrived Mudros 7th, To Imbros 8th. Landed C Beach mornig of the 9th.

Re the 6th, which I know is your interest. The book cites Lord Silsoe's book "Sixty Years A Welsh Territorial"as saying the Btn was initially passed unfit for oversees service, mainly due to the men's teeth apparently! Mass extractions were done at the last minute & dentures ordered, arriving at Suez a year later incredibly. He also personally made the nominal roll, listing some 800 men (200 of which were called Jones!). Fantastic stuff eh?! May be worth seeing if the library can get a copy?

Hows that mate? Cover it all?!!

[Milner]

Steve

This is really useful information as I am writting up the family history. I have attached a copy of his mic does say Egypt, so as you say maybe he was one of the one hundred men to join later. I wonder if its possible to find out for sure. Any idea's anyone..

Thanks again

Phil

mic.doc