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Age-18

18, Nursery Road, Brixton

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.

During the night of 6/7th August, 11th Division landed at Suvla when 32 and 33 Brigades came ashore on B Beach, south of Nibrunesi Point. The beach was undefended and one company of the 6th Yorkshire battalion of 32 Brigade moved to a position on the southern edge of the Salt Lake while another company cleared the small knolls near Nibrunesi Point. The other two companies, supported by 9th West Yorkshire, attacked and captured a small hill called Lala Baba, making it the first assault of a New Army unit in the whole war. On the morning of 7th August, 6th Yorkshire moved north across the bay to take up positions near Hill 10, which had finally been captured. Their day was accompanied by sniper fire and some shrapnel but most of their casualties came from the attack on Lala Baba.

Reorganised by the morning of 8th August, 32 Brigade began an advance to the line Sulajik-Anafarta Ova and 9th West Yorkshire and the 6th Yorkshire battalions occupied Scimitar Hill without meeting serious opposition. If 32 Brigade had then pushed on, W Hills (Ismail Oglu Tepe), a position of prime importance, could have been taken as Turkish reinforcements had still not arrived. Once again there was some sniper fire and shrapnel to contend with as they made their way forward and there were some casualties. Frederick Isaac was killed on 8^th August.