Current Information:

Age-26

39, Dudden Hill Lane, Willesden

Gallipoli 1915

On 25 April, British, Australian and New Zealand troops landed on the Gallipoli peninsula. The plan was that these forces would soon defeat a demoralised Turkish army, knock Turkey out of the war, open up the Mediterranean to the Russian navy and threaten Austro-Hungary from the south. None of these things were achieved despite nine months of hard fighting in terrible conditions. The Turkish soldiers were much tougher fighters than they had been given credit for and they were of course fighting an invasion of their homeland. The terrain, a series of steep rocky ridges and deep gullies made the fighting much more difficult  and during the hot summer of 1915, the flies arrived in biblical proportions. Another seven British divisions were sent to Gallipoli during the year but little or no progress was made. In the end, a new Commander was appointed and plans to evacuate the entire force were drawn up. By January 1916, all British, Australian and New Zealand forces had left Gallipoli, leaving behind only the dead, over 56,000 of them.

After the Second Battle of Krithia, fought between 6th and 8th May, 1915, the 1^st Lancashire Fusiliers battalion of 86 Brigade, 29^th Division remained in the support line, where they were subjected to Turkish artillery and sniper fire resulting in the death of George Lewis on 9th May. They were finally relieved on 13th May.