Friendly fire deaths on Gallipoli

[ZackNZ]

Hi there members

At Chunuk Bair on 9 August 1915 in the attack to capture the heights two Statham brothers were killed allegedly by friendly fire at exactly the same time either from the Royal Navy or from howitzer batteries inside the old Anzac lines – my question of forum members is how likely is this to have happened and what is the likelihood of it being the navy given the flat trajectory of their guns? Where were the Turkish guns at this time? Members may recall that a similar allegation was made with respect to the death of Lieut Colonel Malone (Wellington Infantry Battalion.)

Zack

[Bryn]

Seems more than just an allegation:

'About 5 a.m., while the Turkish attack upon them was still at its height, three high-explosive howitzer shells, coming from the right rear, burst among them, one exploding in the front trench on the left, wrecking the trench, and killing the gallant Major Statham together with his brother beside him, as well as Sergeant-Major Porteous and six or seven men. The shells almost certainly came from one of the howitzer batteries inside the old Anzac lines. (Bean Vol. 2 p692-693).

Killed at dawn, 9th August:

'One shell had killed Statham, another officer and 7 or 8 men - shell came definitely from behind us.' (Bean, diaries, No. 32 p11).

'A letter home from Sgt. Cecil Allison (later Lieut., died of wounds, Palestine, 1917): 'To aggravate matters some of our own high explosive shells fell short and burst in amongst us.' (Andrews p127).

As for Colonel Malone, there are at least three different versions of his death:

'Towards 5 p.m., the shelling seemed to have ceased and Lieutenant-Colonel Malone and Major Schofield stood up together in the trench with the idea of looking over the ground and deciding the dispositions of the troops to be maintained during the night and where the men of the Auckland Regiment might most profitably be employed. Just at this moment, the Turk fired his last salvo and the gallant Colonel fell with a ball through the head while Colonel [sic] Schofield received a ball through the lung.' (Cunningham p74 - 75).

'Malone was talking to another officer at his HQ on Sunday afternoon when one of our own shells killed him.' (Bean, diaries, No. 32 p13). 'Small front Turkish trench was used by Col. Malone as HQ on left.' (p17). [diagram p10].

Killed by allied naval gunfire. (Phillips et al p68).

[ZackNZ]

Thanks Bryn I've read your refrences - but where were the Turkish guns at this time?

Zack