Current Information:

Age-40

9, Cranley Place, South Kensington

Gallipoli

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.

On 1st May, 1915 the 42nd Division, made up of Territorial Army units, began arriving at Helles. 125 (Lancashire Fusiliers) Brigade were the first ashore and the only brigade to see action during the 2nd Battle of Krithia. Between 11th May and 16th May, 8th Manchester, 127 Brigade were in the front line between Fir Tree Wood and Gulley Ravine during which time Percy Johnson was killed.