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Enlisted-Woolwich

Gallipoli 1915

On 25 April, British, Australian and New Zealand forces landed on the Gallipoli peninsular . 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 an heroic failure.

By the middle of June 1915, there had been three attempts at Helles to capture the village of Krithia and the heights of Achi Baba beyond it and all three had failed at great cost of human life. Future plans now revolved around fresh divisions arriving from Britain but that was still six weeks off and in the meantime it was a matter of holding the line and through a series of small attacks and raids trying to undermine, often literally, the Turkish positions.

On 10th June, 1915, the 1st Border battalion of 87 Brigade, 29th Division undertook a small scale attack on the enemy lines from their trenches near White House, south-east of Gully Ravine and captured two hundred yards of communication trench. During the night of 11th-12th June, the Turks counter attacked and retook their trench but a party of men from 1st Border, led by Reginald Moore, charged forward and once again captured it. This small action resulted in the death of Captain Moore and twelve other ranks, including Frank Ward.