Current Information:

Age-29

48, Elliott Road, Chiswick

SDGW-BASHFORD

Gallipoli 1915

On 25 April, British, Australian and New Zealand forces 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. It was a heroic failure.

By July, 1915, and after much fierce fighting, stalemate had set in at Gallipoli both at Cape Helles where the British and French had landed and at Anzac Cove where the Australian and New Zealand Corps were unable to break out of their beach head. Fresh troops were needed and they were on their way in the shape of four divisions from Britain and things were put on hold until they arrived.

The plan for August was for a landing at Suvla Bay to the north of Anzac Cove whilst at the same time, the ANZAC Corps, reinforced by some of the new British troops would effect a breakout from Anzac Cove and establish a line across the peninsula. Whilst this was going on the troops in the south at Helles would stage a number of diversionary attacks. But it all went horribly wrong and much of the reason for this can be explained by inadequate planning and leadership. Nobody seemed to know what they were supposed to be doing and Lieutenant-General Stopford, in charge of the Suvla landings was particularly out of his depth. The landings at Suvla failed to link up with the forces at Anzac and the breakout from there did not happen despite valiant efforts by all concerned. The loss of life on all fronts was again enormous. L.A. Carlyon’s excellent book “Gallipoli” gives a superb yet chilling account of the events.

53rd Division began landing at Suvla Bay on 9th August, 1915 with the 2/10th Middlesex battalion of 160 Brigade coming ashore at C Beach where they were initially employed in beach duties such as unloading supplies and salvage work. Things changed on the following day when 2/10th Middlesex were detailed to join 158Brig for an attack on the Anafarta Spur and Scimitar Hill.  At 6am on 10th August the attack began with the troops advancing over country which offered little cover and having to contend with shrapnel fire. This got fiercer the further forward they went and the addition of rifle and machine-gun fire made things even more difficult. This, combined with very hot weather, a shortage of water and the scrub on the hill side catching fire, brought the attack to a standstill. The only thing to do was dig in and consolidate what gains they had made and although some of 2/10th Middlesex tried again in the afternoon, no further progress was made. The battalion suffered many casualties during this operation, one of whom was William Bashforth.