The Lancashire Landing Cemetery

Helles - The Lancashire Landing cemetery

The strength of the battalion at the landing was 25 officers and 918 men.  On 26th April their battalion strength was 15 officers and 411 other ranks.  The remainder was either killed, wounded or missing, a total of 517 casualties or 55%.  However, their actions were to become legend.  W beach became known as Lancashire landing out of the profound respect for what those men had achieved that day.  The Lancashire Fusiliers, at the end of the campaign, left behind 1.816 men on the Gallipoli Peninsula and have the most names at the Helles memorial to the Missing, a total of 1,329.

"Helles Landing", (Barnsley 2003), Huw & Jill Rodge, p. 100

On 6th April, Ian Hamilton inspected the 86th & 87th Brigades of the 29th Division in Alexandria which led to an euphoric diary entry shortly afterwards : There was a strong wind blowing which tried to spoil the show, but could not – that infantry was too superb!  Alexander, Hannibal Caesar, Napoleon – not one of we don’t win, I won’t be able to put it on the men.

His entry in May, shortly after the second battle of Krithia, given a totally different picture : We are now on our last legs.  The beautiful battalions on the 25th April are wasted skeletons now; shadows of what they had been.

"Gallipoli Diary" - Volume I, (London 1920), Ian Hamilton, p. 83 & 207

Over sixty men of the Zion Mule Corps had been wounded and fourteen killed, Private Y. Rotman and Private Bergman being buried at Lancashire Landing Cemetery, Gallipoli, and privates Bardin, Halimi, Kirshner, Wertheimer and Zaoui - all of whom died of wounds -  in Chatby Jewish Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery, Alexandria. The remaining seven have no known graves and although their names so far appear on no memorial, they will be included on the Helles memorial in due course.

The night of the 4th/5th June was spent by the VIII Corps in clearing the battlefield and placing the new line in a state of defence.  The task of getting the large number of wounded down to the beach was particularly arduous and high praise is due to the stretcher-bearers and regimental doctors, who were working all through the afternoon and the following night and day.  Special recognition is also due to the infantry transport personnel, the Indian mule cart drivers, and the Zion Mule corps for their untiring energy in this action-bringing up ammunition close to the forward positions and carrying back the wounded under heavy fire.

"Military Operations: Gallipoli", Volume II, (London 1929), Brigadier-General Cecil F. Aspinall-Oglander, p. 53-54.

Ellis Ashmead-Bartlett was on board the Majestic when it sank on 27th May May 1915; so was William Henry Body: Ashmead survived, Body didn't :

It was 6.40 when I was aroused by men rushing by me, and someone trod on, or stumbled against, my chest.  This awoke me, and I called out, “What’s the matter?” A voice replied from somewhere, “There’s a torpedo coming.” I just had time to scramble to my feet when there came a dull heavy explosion about fifteen feet forward of the shelter deck on the port side.  The hit must have been very low down, as there was no shock from it felt on deck.  The old Majestic  immediately gave a jerk towards port, and remained with a  heavy list; then there came a sound as if the contents of every pantry in the world had fallen at the same moment, a clattering such as I had never heard, as everything loose in her tumbled about.  I could tell at once that she had been mortally wounded somewhere in her about.  I could tell at once that she had been mortally wounded somewhere in her vitals, and felt instinctively she would not long stay afloat.  …  The Sea was crowded with men swimming about and calling for assistance.  I think that many of these old reservists, who formed the majority of the crew, had forgotten how to swim, or else had lost faith in their own powers.

"The uncensored Dardanelles", (London 1928), Ellis Ashmead-Bartlett, p. 113-114

Flight Commander Charles Herbert Collet –R. N. A. S.- 3rd Wing was victim of an unfortunate accident as we can read in a report by Geoffrey Bromet :

He left the aerodrome to take spare engine parts to the commander (*), who had landed in Suvla, & when at 185 feet his engine failed.  The wind was strong and the gusts very bad over the Kephalo cliffs &, when making a turn to land again, he lost control of the machine & came to earth with a fearful crash, as the result of a nose dive & side slip.

The machine caught fire before the Pilot could be rescued he had been burnt beyond recognition Death resulted half an hour afterwards.  His passenger, an E.R.A., broke his thigh & suffered severe burns (this : trying to rescue his officer)

 transcribed from "Gallipoli, 1915-Pens, Pencils and cameras at war", (London 1985), Peter H. Liddle, p. 100

News was received on Wednesday by Mr and Mrs Arnold Ogden, of 84, Hill Street, Ashton, that their son Private Sidney Ogden, of the 1/9th Manchester Regiment, Territorials, had died of wounds received on June 20th.

The sadness of the news was heightened by the fact that Mr and Mrs Ogden had only just recovered from the shock, which they experienced on receiving the official intimation that their son, Private Harry Ogden, in the same battalion, had died from wounds sustained on June 6th.(death date was 19th June). Both youths, for Sidney was only 17 years of age, and Harry, a year or two older, worked as piecers at the Guide Bridge Spinning Co. Another brother, Private William Ogden, is serving in the 2/9th battalion at Hayward’s Heath.

The article published in "The Ashton Reporter" on 10th July 1915 - transcribed by Linda Corbet.

We wandered round the beach a bit to see various people, and I packed up my things to go out and spend a night or wo with them in reserve. While doing this I got a note from the L.F.’s, with the sad news that poor Major Adams had just been shot as they were getting ready to come out of the trenches.  It was a great blow.  He seemed to have made up his mind that he was going to be killed, but had been so much more cheerful when I had seen him the week before, after having come safely through the first bad week.  However, the last words he said to me, as the regiment returned to the firing line, were, “You will write to my wife if

I get pipped ?” He gave me her address.  I am glad it was an instantaneous death. Well, the C.O. asked me to bury him, so I rode back …

… When we got to the cemetery at six, it was to find that he had been buried some hours before by H. , so I just said a few prayers over the grave, and went with the two majors to see about a piece of ground being railed off to serve as a L.F. burying place, where some day a memorial might be erected above the beach where they made their famous landing.

"With the Twenty-ninth Division in Gallipoli", (London 1916), Reverend O. Creighton, p. 88-89

On 25th April, 1915, three companies, and the Headquarters of the 1st Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers, in effecting a landing on the Gallipoli Peninsula to the West of Cape Helles, were met by a very deadly fire from hidden machine guns which caused a great number of casualties. The survivors, however, rushed up to and cut the wire entanglements, notwithstanding the terrific fire from the enemy, and after overcoming supreme difficulties, the cliffs were gained and the position maintained. Amongst the many very gallant officers and men engaged in this most hazardous undertaking, Capt. Willis, Serjt. Richards, and Private Kenealy (*) have been selected by their comrades as having performed the most signal acts of bravery and devotion to duty.

"The London Gazette“, No. 29273, 24th August 1915.