40 replies to this topic

[high wood]

Here is the transcript of a letter sent by 2nd Lieutenant Walter Evan Evans of the 8th (Pioneer) Battalion, The Welsh Regiment to his father. The letter is undated and the envelope has not survived. It makes interesting reading and I will be adding footnotes as I discover more about the events described.


                                                                                                                                   No. 1. Convalescent Home
                                                                                                                                   Backbay
                                                                                                                                   Alexandria
                                                                                                                                   Egypt

My dear Pater,

Since I arrived here I have had several long talks with the adjutant, who is quite affable down here, and I have gradually been piecing together what happened to us on the 8th of August. Before I saw him I only knew about what had happened around me and had only a rough surmise about what happened in other parts, most of this furnished by Tommies who I discovered later really knew practically nothing about it.

We went up from Mudros on the Wednesday (August 4). Bashford, who was, and I think still is, at the Ordnance depot there, came ashore to see me in the afternoon but I had already gone. We started about 3 in the afternoon and had a very dull voyage till it began to get dark. The boat was very small and nothing to eat was provided by the boat people barring water which came in useful making tea. However when it was dark, it became more interesting. The shelling of Achi Baba was plainly seen and was very interesting to watch. Everynight a destroyer steams in and bombards the place at the same time playing her search lights on it. One could see very well the flashes of the guns and then the flashes of the bursting shells and also the path traversed by the shells through the air. Really taken all round an ordinary night’s bombardment far excels any Crystal Palace firework show. What with the flashes of searchlights, guns, shells and rifles. However these are nothing in firework display when compared with the star shells sent up by both sides in the trenches. These are rather after the style of the good old rocket; for they burst in the air and give out many coloured lights which shine very brightly and taking a long time descending show up the opposite trench and also if there’s anything interesting on. These latter are a great nuisance when you are working between the Turkish and our own trenches and you have to be continually on the lookout for them so that you can go to earth as soon as they go up.

Well we arrived at Anzac about 10 in the evening and as soon as the lighters came off the first half battalion began disembarking. There was a continual crackle of musketry going on all the time but very little shellfire. A few shells landed on the beach between the landings of the two half battalions but whilst the actual landing was taking place all was quiet.

You must not mix our lot up with the people who carried out the new landing at Sulva Bay several days later. After we landed at Hell Spit we marched along Brighton Beach for about 15 minutes when we turned up Canterbury Gully and branched off from there to Shrapnel Gully. About halhway up this we halted and made our bivouac. It was now beginning to get light so we had very little sleep that night. We were about 600 yards from the beach and about the same distance from our firing line. We could easily see our support trenches at the top of the gully and in fact stray bits of shell meant for them kept falling amongst our troops. We had a very scrappy breakfast and then learnt from our neighbours, some Australians; the special points to be noticed and avoided in the gully. It was most essential to keep down in the gully for the Turks always sent over a few shells if they ever saw three or four men wandering about. This is their usual custom and proves that they must have abundance of ammunition.

I with several others crawled up in the late morning and had a look through glasses at the Turkish trenches about 800 yards distant. Shrapnel Gully was so called because of the quantity of shrapnel which was always flying about in it. We, however, being higher up the gully that usual get far less of it than they do lower down. Still there is a very nasty gun called “Beachy Bill”, a 4.7, which fires right across us and into us from the direction of Gaba Tepe. I was pleased to hear that the navy put this gun out a few days after I left for it was this gun that did all the damage on the beach. Another very annoying gun was a 75 mm, which had been captured from the Serbians I think in the last war. This gun did a lot of damage in our gully and it was a fragment of one of its shells which hit me that afternoon.

Between 3 and 4 every afternoon the Turks cease shelling for that is their hour of prayer and eating. We were in Shrapnel Gulley all day Thursday and Friday during which time there were several casualties especially when men went to fetch water. The water tanks were regular death traps for the Turks knew exactly where the water tanks were and at what hour men went to draw water and so shelled accordingly. During Thursday the beach was very heavily bombarded and two naval commanders killed and several men. A water lighter was sunk and a picket boat badly damaged. Owing to this water lighter having being sunk there was a great scarcity of water because there was only one other lighter available and they wouldn’t let that come near the coast because they were afraid that it would be sunk also.

About 10 o’clock Friday morning the C.O. collected us and explained to us the general scheme of what was to happen during the next few days. In the afternoon we received news that the Turks had discovered that there was a large number of troops in our gully and that they were going to shell us out of it.  The order went round to lie very low in the dug outs.  I had quite a good dug out and we escaped damage although there were several casualties amongst the battalion.  The day before our company mess had occupied the dug out of the brigade headquarters but we were turned out in the middle of the night.  On Thursday evening, there was a very pretty fight between two aeroplanes but neither was brought down and we were very nearly exterminated by the nose of a shell which fell in our dug out and went through two sandbags.

Friday evening we fell in about 9.30.  Every man carried pick and shovel and 300 rounds of ammunition.   We left our packs in Shrapnel Gulley under a guard which was nearly exterminated a few days later by an 8 inch shell which exploded amongst and blew one man in half and wounded several others.  ….. scattered bits of these men over the packs and so many had to be destroyed.  

We started that evening about 10 and marched towards the beach but about half-way down we turned north into Canterbury gulley where we halted for sometime.  During this time several shells fell amongst us and the adjutant and Yates were buried and I and several others partly buried by a large ‘football’ which luckily didn’t explode.  A ‘football’ is a large round ball, 18 inches in diameter, with a large handle at each end fired from a trench mortar.  A large number luckily do not explode.  

We pushed on along the beach all night until we came to Fisherman’s Hut.  There we turned eastwards away from the sea up the Chailak Dere.  The Turks were held in check by the fire of two monitors which were about 5 miles out at sea. During this night the landing at Sulva had taken place. We halted at 4 and had a few hours rest and also a small drink. We were then on ground which had been Turkish the day before. We moved up this gully, the Chailak Dere, in the wake of the New Zealanders to whom we were attached. About midday the C.O. who was in front, going along too fast, came under fire and was shot in the eye. His left eye was taken out but I hear that the sight of his other eye was not affected.

We moved farther up the gully that day and arrived about 5 in the afternoon at the bottom of Rhododendron Ridge. We were troubled a great deal in the evening by snipers of which there is a great number. Down in the gullies notices and sometimes men are placed to warn you of the danger. Sometimes you come to a spot where there is a Tommy who will cheerfully tell you that 17 have been shot there today. So hoping you are not going to be the 18th you dash across; low, you will hear a bang and a bullet strike the earth behind you.

The attack was advertised for 6.15 Saturday evening but was postponed as the troops at Sulva had not advanced as quickly as we had done. When it was dark we went up to the top of the spur and started digging a trench on the forward slope. We could see Turks on the opposite slope but they never troubled us beyond making us a little anxious. Another very annoying thing was every 15 minutes a cruiser out at sea would throw his searchlight onto us and show us up so that everybody was obliged to take cover. We stayed up on top until about 2.30 am Sunday morning when we went back to our bivouac and received the cheering news that we was to stand to at 3.30 and attack at 4.15. No orders came until about 3.45 and when they were being given out it was time to fall in.

The general scheme was for the attack on Chanak Bair.

Front line          7th Gloucesters         Wellington Battalion

                         Reserves                  8th Welsh


8th Welsh scheme.

                      A coy                         B coy               Each coy in line.
                          I                                 I
                    200 yds                       200 yds
                          I                                 I
                    C coy                          D coy

When we arrived on top of Rhododendron Spur and passed over our own trenches there was about 500 yards of open country before one reached the foot of Chunuk Bair. The Wellingtons went over this in the dark and lost very few in the attack itself. The Gloucesters hung back and lost heavily through this. We going up in the light lost very heavily before we even reached the top of the hill. When we got on to the top of the ridge we found many of the Gloucesters lying down there. We pressed on through them and so became disorganised as some men got through faster than others and some stayed behind. When we were through, Captain Gwyer and myself, we went to the right and got down into the Sari Bair. I then had with me about 20 men of my platoon and about 30 others belonging to different companies and some of the Gloucesters. We advanced up the Sari Beit and then wheeled to the right. You can see my track on the sketch map. Captain Gwyer was killed by a shell when quite close to me. I went on and we lay down at the top and covered the right flank as well as we could. I had been hit in the leg going up and some time after was hit in the shoulder. I crawled down the Sari Beit about 10 in the morning to look for a dressing station but was unable to find one and was obliged to stay there till it was dark. The summit of Chunuk Bair was taken but they were driven off and we held the captured Turkish trench. When this was taken no dead Turk was found in it thereby showing us that during our bombardment the Turks kept out of their forward trenches and only came into them again when the assault was delivered.

Attached Files

•  Gwyer.jpg   95.32K   0 downloads

[high wood]

New Zealanders and Welsh hung onto this trench all day inspite of heavy bombardment and bombing. The Auckland Mountain Rifles (sic) went up as reinforcements in the afternoon and found about 100 men there. These were relieved in the night by the 5 Wilts who lost the place on Tuesday morning and were driven back to the Western end of Rhodedendron Spur where we started from Sunday morning and where they still are. They were obliged to abandon all their wounded and that is why there are so many missing. The wounded in the gully remained there all day, many dying, and in the evening when it was dark all who were able ran back over the hill to where our bivouac was Saturday night. I tripped over a telephone wire going up and fell down the hill again so was obliged to start over again. Many were shot going over by stray bullets and shells. I got to the dressing station and left my kit there because there being very few stretchers I should have to make my way to the beaches as best as I could. I arrived on the beach and managed to get off about 3 in the morning on the last boat to the hospital ship. There were quite a number killed on the beach whilst I was there. Some of the wounded who could not walk were brought in that night but it was a difficult job and there were few men so many were not discovered either that night or Monday night and it was impossible after Monday night because all that ground was lost.

There was a lack of generalship and orders and it was foolish to attack Chunuk Bair and leave Battleship Hill alone; it was a miracle that anybody came out of it alive.

Still we can't tell what was in Hamilton's mind so we will not criticise, but the whole thing was a box up and the men never really had a chance.

Hope this will catch the mail.

Good luck

Evan.

P.S. That paragraph about Comley and Yates was all rot; the man who wrote it must have a vivid imagination.

[SteveJ]

Very interesting- the 8th Welsh are (for some strange reason) a pretty forgotten outfit, so this posting is well worthwhile!

SteveJ.

[michaeldr]

HW,

Thank you for posting your transcript of the letter; I look forward to following this thread as it develops

I will be adding footnotes as I discover more about the events described - I don't know if you want any help on this, but as it happens last evening I was looking at our forum Pal, Steve Newman's book 'Gallipoli then and now' and recalled seeing a photograph (page 122) of Commander Cater's original grave marker with the date 5th August.
"During Thursday the beach was very heavily bombarded and two naval commanders killed and several men."
The writer has confirmed that the death was on the Thursday (5th) as indicated by the original grave marker; however the CWGC (and the headstone also shown in Steve's book) give the date of death as the 7th

CATER, EDWARD HOWELL
Initials: E H
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Commander
Regiment/Service: Royal Navy
Unit Text: H.M.S. Lord Nelson
Date of Death: 07/08/1915
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: II. G. 5.
Cemetery: BEACH CEMETERY, ANZAC

I have had a quick look at the Naval History Net but cannot see another Commander who might have been killed on the beach that day: see http://www.naval-history.net/xDKCas1915-08Aug.htm

best regards
Michael

[high wood]

HW,
I will be adding footnotes as I discover more about the events described - I don't know if you want any help on this.

Michael,

I will gladly accept your help (and anyone elses) in adding any extra flesh to the bones of this thread. I much appreciate the information about Commander Cater. I am wondering if it is best to add the information into my original post or enter the information into a file off line and repost it later when we more information.

As to there being two commanders killed, I wonder how accurate Walter Evan's account is as he would probably only have known about naval casualties as secondhand information.

Many thanks,

Simon.

[high wood]

Extracts from the sketch map.

Attached Files

•  Let_1.jpg   61.51K   6 downloads
•  Let_2.jpg   71.37K   3 downloads

[More Majorum]

Simon,

Many thanks for putting up the transcript of Lt Evans account of the fighting to take Chunuk Bair, 6th, 7th & 8th August 1915.
He has certainly left a most descriptive account of the advance by the 8th Welch Regiment, and this adds greatly to the ANZAC history of August Offensive.
If you have not already done so, you should read the history of the advance as put down by C.E.W. Bean in the Official History of Australia In The War of 1914-18.
Volume II, Chapter XXIV, CHUNUK BAIR - THE CLIMAX IN GALLIPOLI.
Page 666 onwards.
This chapter will give you a good rounding to all the various units involved in the attack on Chunuk Bair.

With my concentration on the 3rd Light Horse Brigade as a part of the NZ & A DIV I can add little to the endeavours of the 8th Welch Regiment, but the following snipet from what I have recorded of the 8th L.H Regiments time at Gallipoli might be usefull as an addition to Charles Bean's narrative -

27-8-1915 (Friday) – Lt Merv Higgins with a party of men manned the post at Camel’s Hump, during the day they saw a party of Turks in no ordered formation coming down Sazli Dere. The troopers opened fire on them and the Turks turned and ran back. Lt Higgins, looking through his field glasses observed that the men had no arms and he ordered his troops to cease-fire.  It would appear that these men were actually the survivors of the 5th Wiltshire Regiment, who had been driven off Chunuk Bair when the Turks counter attacked on the 10th August. The Wiltshire’s had holed up in Sazli Dere for a fortnight before attempting to retire back down the valley to the Australian lines. They were eventually wiped out by the Turks, with only seven men surviving and being rescued by the New Zealanders.

Look forward to seeing more information from the British soursces being put up.

Jeff

[high wood]

Jeff,

many thanks for your input which makes interesting reading. The attack on Chunuk Bair is a new area of research for me as I mainly concentrate on the Western front. At this stage I am doing a lot of background reading about the Gallipoli campaign before I begin to research the 8th battalion, Welsh Regiment's part in the attack in depth. An initial trawl through SDGW indicates that the battalion had 153 men killed in action on the 8th August, 1915 and many more died of wounds in the following days.

Simon.

[zacknz]

Simon

If you’d like to know some more about Chunuk Bair then I strongly recommend you read No Better Death - the Great War Diaries and Letters of William G Malone, edited by John Crawford with Peter Cooke Published by Reed, 2005 in association with the New Zealand Defence Force to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the Gallipoli campaign.  This book reproduces previously unpublished correspondence and images generously provided by Malone's descendants.  

Malone was arguably the best leader of men on Gallipoli and had the best strategic view of the campaign but sadly was too late - thanks to military incompetence - to carry it out earlier than the successful assault on Chunuk Bair on 8 August 1915.  Malone was killed later that day.  

I hear that someone in New Zealand is writing a book on Chunuk Bair.

I for one look forward to its publication.

Zack

[Bryn]

Thanks for the diary Simon - very interesting.

The following is from 'to What End Did They Die' (Walker, 1985) regarding Commander Cater:

'He was the Beach landing officer at Anzac from May until the time of his death, responsible for directing incoming barges and superintending the Anzac Beach Parties. He was killed when rushing along the pier to steady the crew of a small boat which had been hit by enemy fire. Killed in action 5th August 1915 (7th August 1915). Comm., Beach Cemetery.'

Note the two dates of death. The real date (5th) and the official IWGC date (7th).


There was a New Zealand play, "Once on Chunuk Bair", which was made into a movie, "Chunuk Bair". The New Zealand aspect is covered very well also in Chris Pugsley's 'Gallipoli the New Zealand Story.'

[The Plummed Goose]

and :

…, I should like to pay a tribute to one of the men whom I admired most at Anzac Cove.  He was not an Australian; he was a British naval officer, Lieut-Commander Kater.  I think that he was the senior Naval Landing Officer.  That title may not have been the correct one, but he was in fact responsible for all small craft coming in and going out of Watson’s Pier. It can be said with confidence that many hundreds of Australians who saw and heard him at work, admired his efficiency and sang-froid.  His coolness under fire set a wonderful example and he seemed to bear a charmed life.
He was known amongst the Australians as “The bloke with the Eye-Glass”.  Many British officers
wore monocles, but Kater’s was what would be known now as a  king size one.  The black silk ribbon attached to it was much wider than those normally used.  There was a current story of some Australian soldiers who put their identity discs in their eye-sockets as they approached a British officer who was wearing a monocle.  The officer looked at them, removed his glass, threw it in the air, and caught it neatly in the socket of his eye. “Do that, you blighters”, he said.I have no evidence that Kater was the officer concerned, but that is the kind of thing which he might well have done, although he would have used a stronger word than blighters.

"These Things Happened", (Melbourne 1975), F.F. Knight, p. 159-160

Also seebeach cemetery

[michaeldr]

Simon,

I hope that the att. map from the OH will add to the understanding of 2nd Lt Evans' above sketch
It includes most of the places mentioned in his letter
For the scale, then see the lettering Hell Spit - from the beginning of the letter H to the end of the foot of the t is equal to one quarter mile

[michaeldr]

And this is how the Official Historian [Brig-Gen C F Aspinall-Oglander CB, CMG, DSO, psc] recalled the same events when writing in 1932

[high wood]

Michael,

that is a stirring account of the action. It also shows how accurate Walter Evans was in his summary of the action. Many thanks for posting the information.

Simon.

[grantmal]

re: Cmdr Cater -- from the diary of John Corbin, 1st CCS [AWM PR00176]:

"Thursday 5th August
.... the usual stores have been coming in all day and the fire on the beach is hellish.  A picket boat [got a] hole in her and the crew tried to bolt.  The officer of the watch is a prime idiot and cur and was hiding.  Cater went out to restore order and make the asses run the sinking boat ashore.  Just as he had done this a burst of shrapnel got him and Cowan and I rushed down and met him coming in.  He was lying on a stretcher and I said "Old chap, where did you get it?"  He replied, "I don't know, I want Corbin." I said "That's all right, I'm here" and he groped for my hand and we rushed him along.  He was unconscious in three minutes and dead in 15.  One of the best, bravest and most efficient men I've ever met.  His little wife isn't 26 yet and lost her only brother in Flanders about 14 days ago.  He was to have us to stay with him and visit us in Australia next year with his wife.  Jolted me pretty badly.  Damned the Turk and damn Ian Hamilton and his s..... staff."

Good on you,

Grant

[high wood]

Grant,

thank you for posting. I am pleased that so many accounts exist that confirm elements of lieutenant W E Evan's account particularly about the damaged picket boat.

Cater sounds to have been a remarkable man, does anyone out there have a photograph of him?

Simon

[michaeldr]

Until someone comes up with a photograph, preferably one with the famous eye-piece in place
then this is the original grave marker as referred to in post No.4 above
see http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_yjrapX9MuRc/Rpzt...+Cdr+EH+%2B.jpg

[Ozzie]

Cater - Chapter XXIV  Page 551 Volume I – The Story of ANZAC from the outbreak of war to the end of the first phase of the Gallipoli Campaign, May 4, 1915 (11th edition, 1941)

http://www.awm.gov.au/histories/first_worl...p?levelID=67887

Kim

[michaeldr]

Simon,
There is a War Diary covering this period and it was drawn upon by Ray Westlake when he wrote his 'British Regiments at Gallipoli' - see age 158

"Strength – 26 officers, 749 other ranks. Moved 10 pm (6th Aug. 1915) via Anzac and Beach Road to Chailak Dere to support attack on Chunuk Bair. To bivouacs on Rhododendron Ridge (7th). Moved forward in support of attack (8th) – 'A' and 'B' Companies in first line, 'C' and 'D' second. First wave came under fire from enemy on both flanks. War Diary notes that Battalion deployed … "but were gradually shot down and dispersed by machine gun fire." Party under Major Yates continued forward and took up positions on slopes of Chunuk Bair. War Diary records heavy casualties from fire from rear. Enemy made repeated counter attacks throughout day. Major Yates's party (25 men) retired after 9 pm to Rhododendron Ridge. Casualties – 4 officers killed, 9 wounded, 4 missing; 4 other ranks killed, 154 wounded, 266 missing."

regards
Michael

[high wood]

Michael,

many thanks for posting the war diary extract.

Simon.

[michaeldr]

Quote: "However when it was dark, it became more interesting. The shelling of Achi Baba was plainly seen and was very interesting to watch. Everynight a destroyer steams in and bombards the place at the same time playing her search lights on it. One could see very well the flashes of the guns and then the flashes of the bursting shells and also the path traversed by the shells through the air."

I must admit to looking at the naval aspects of this action for the first time now, so all my comments here are open to correction by those better informed than myself.

At this point parts of the Naval force were split into three squadrons; one to cover each of the fronts, Helles, Anzac and Suvla. The 2nd Squadron covered the Anzac sector and was led by Captain The Hon A.D.E.H. Boyle in the Bacchante. His squadron included four monitors (Havelock, Humber, M3 and M20) on the right flank, while on the left were the Endymion (an old cruiser fitted with bulges) a small monitor (M15) and two destroyers (the Chelmer and the Colne)

Reading Evans' account [The shelling of Achi Baba was plainly seen and was very interesting to watch. Everynight a destroyer steams in and bombards the place at the same time playing her search lights on it.] I think that he might have run the Helles and the Anzac bombardments together into one story.  He may well have seen the navy fire on Achi Baba as he sailed across from Mudros, but the destroyer using its searchlight and firing at the same time each night probably refers to the action of the Anzac squadron.

From 'Naval Operations, Vol.III' page 92
"…the Colne for several nights before the assault turned her searchlight on the post (No.3 Old Post) and then bombarded it for ten minutes. After a short interval she did it again, always at the same time, 9.20 to 9.30, till the Turks seemed to have acquired the habit of retiring into cover as the hour approached. Needless to say, it was also the hour the assault was to be made. At the appointed moment, with the guns of the Colne still covering the sound of their steps, the New Zealanders moved forward in the dark shadow that fringed the beam of the search light. Half of them crept up the bush-covered spur on which the post stood, and then the moment the guns stopped and the search light was switched off they sprang up out of the scrub, to find the redoubt empty."



Quote: "The attack was advertised for 6.15 Saturday evening but was postponed as the troops at Sulva had not advanced as quickly as we had done. When it was dark we went up to the top of the spur and started digging a trench on the forward slope. We could see Turks on the opposite slope but they never troubled us beyond making us a little anxious. Another very annoying thing was every 15 minutes a cruiser out at sea would throw his searchlight onto us and show us up so that everybody was obliged to take cover. We stayed up on top until about 2.30 am Sunday morning when we went back to our bivouac and received the cheering news that we was to stand to at 3.30 and attack at 4.15. No orders came until about 3.45 and when they were being given out it was time to fall in."

The bothersome search light here could have been from either the Bacchante or the Endymion. Just to confuse matters, the latter ship is also shown as carrying troops to Nibrunesi Beach (Suvla) but having delivered the men there she must then have returned to the Anzac front, as she is also given as using her 6-inch guns "smothering Battleship Hill with lyddite."
edit: While the Endymion was bombarding Battleship Hill, the Bacchante was using her 9.2's on Chunuk Bair and given that Evans was on Rhododendron Spur (between Chunuk Bair and the sea) then it is more likely that the search light was from the Bacchante - but this is just a guess on my part

regards
Michael

Edited by michaeldr, 04 June 2009 - 06:38 PM.

[michaeldr]

quote: On Thursday evening, there was a very pretty fight between two aeroplanes but neither was brought down

Scaps like this tend not to be recorded in the official histories, and this dog-fight was no different in that respect.
This is what the Turkish General Staff's 'Brief History… …' has to say about that period of the campaign
…The (1st Air) company performed 51 hours of battle flights during these clashes that lasted for four days with the other four planes it had. They could retaliate the enemy planes only with carbines and pistols; despite this very fact none of the Turkish planes were shot down during the clashes."

Nikolasen & Yilmazer in their 'Ottoman Aviation 1909-1919' note that the four planes available at this time to the 1nci Tay.Böl. [1st Air Company] were Rumplers, and that the first armed Albatros C.I arrived in the theatre only on 10th September 1915 – "From the middle of July the airwar over Gallipoli had started to take a more savage turn when it became the norm for British aircraft fitted with machine-guns to fire upon the Turkish aircraft. As a stop gap measure, Turkish air crew in their unarmed craft, were issued with rifles and there were several instances when shots were exchanged. Fortunately the new Rumplers, much faster than the enemy aircraft, could usually evade at will."


regards
Michael

[michaeldr]

Quotes;
"During Thursday the beach was very heavily bombarded and two naval commanders killed and several men."
I wonder how accurate Walter Evan's account is as he would probably only have known about naval casualties as secondhand information.

Simon,

This does not reflect on Evans, as one of the naval officers wounded in this incident has an account which is only a little more detailed and in the case of Commander Cater, less accurate, as he is only given as wounded - the fog of war
"By the last day of July everything was ready for what the military
commander-in-chief has since called "this most pregnant operation."
Alas, between that date and August 5th, which was the second night
of the disembarkation, the naval beach party lost all their officers but
one sub-lieutenant. The commander was wounded first, then one of the
lieutenants, then the first-lieutenant (now in charge) was killed, and
finally the other lieutenant was wounded."
from 'The Naval Review' Vol. IV, page 318; the article is titled 'Anzac – Impressions of the landing and 14 weeks work on the beach' and can be downloaded here http://www.naval-review.org/issues/1916-2.pdf


regards
Michael

[high wood]

Michael,

thank you for your thoughts about Walter Evan's accuracy. I do indeed think that it was the fog of war and as the man himself wrote, "I had several long talks with the adjutant,----and I have gradually been piecing together what happened to us on the 8th of August. Before I saw him I only knew about what had happened around me and only had a rough surmise about what happened in other parts".

I imagine that there must have been many accounts of the action extracted from private soldiers' letters published in local Welsh newspapers at the time. It would be good to read some of these to see if they add anything in the way of detail.

Simon.

[michaeldr]

Hope this will catch the mail.
Good luck
Evan.
P.S. That paragraph about Comley and Yates was all rot; the man who wrote it must have a vivid imagination


Simon,

Have you any idea at all as to what Evans was referring too here with respect to Yates? Is there a missing newspaper account perhaps?

best regards
Michael