THE IRISH CONNECTION - GALLIPOLI

BY M. O’RAHILLY

DEDICATED TO THOSE WE HAVE FORGOTTEN.

THE GALLIPOLi CAMPAIGN WAS FROM THE OUTSET ILL CONCEIVED AND PLANNED. IT WAS A POLITICAL DECISION RATHER THAN A MILITARY ONE AND WHETHER WITH THE BENEFIT OF HINDSIGHT THIS MAKES ANY DIFFERENCE, IS OPEN TO QUESTION. ON PAPER THF LANDING PROBABLY MADE SENSE, IN REALITY. IT WAS A NIGHTMARE FOR THE TROOPS AND A DISASTER BOTH POLITICALLY AND MILITARILY.THE CAMPAIGN WAS UNDERTAKEN IN THE HOPE THAT RESOURCES WOULD BE MOVED FROM THE WESTERN FRONT TO COMBAT THE INVASION. WHAT REALLY BEAT THIS INVASION WAS THAT”ll SET OUT AS A SEABORNE ONE, LED BY OFFICERS WHO HAD LITTLE UNDERSTANDING OF THE UNIQUE NATURE OF THIS TYPE OF OPERATION, HENCE THE DISPROPORTIONATE LEVEL OF CASUALTIES SUFFERED. IN THE MIDDLE OF ALL THIS THERE WERE A NUMBER OF IRISH REGIMENTS INVOLVED,AND LIKE THEIR COUNTERPARTS ON THE WESTERN FRONT,GREATLY DISTINGUISHED THEMSELVES. IN THIS PAPER I HOPE TO OUTLINE THE PART THESE TROOPS PLAYED IN THIS ILL-FATED CAMPAIGN.

THE LANDING

THE IRISH REGIMENTS PLAYED A CRUCIAL ROLE IN THE LANDING OPERATIONS. THEY INVOLVED THE 1st MUNSTERS AND lst DUBLIN FUSILIERS IN THE 86th. BRIGADE AND THE 1st INNISKILLINGS IN THE 87th BRIGADE, ALL FORMING PART OF THE 29th DIVISION. THE HARDEST PART OF THE ATTACK WAS ON BEACHES “V” AND “W”. BOTH OF THESE BEACHES WAS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE IRISH UNITS. THE PLAN WAS SIMPLE IN APPROACH, THE TROOPS WERE TO BE TOWED TO THEIR DISEMBARKING AREAS IN SMALL BOATS. UNFORTUNATELY. THE TURKISH UNITS WERE WELL DUG IN AND WAITING. AS DISEMBARKATION TOOK PLACE, THE TURKISH GUNS OPENED FIRE AND FROM THAT MOMENT THE FATE OF MANY AN IRISH SOLDIER WAS SEALED. THERE WAS LITTLE COVER TO BE HAD ON THE BEACHES AND IN ADDITION TO THE ENEMY FIRE MANY SOLDIERS WERE DROWNED, CAUSED WHEN THE LIGHTERS MOVED,PITCHING THEM IN THE SEA WITH THEIR HEAVY PACKS. THE INTENSITY OF THE FIRE CANNOT SE IMAGINED, THEY HELD THE: HIGH GROUND AND HAD SUPERIOR FIELDS OF FIRE. SOLDIERS’WERE CUT DOWN BEFORE THEY COULD LAND ON THE BEACH, 0R WHEN THEY WERE IN THE WATER THE ENEMY FIRE WAS RELENTLESS, ONLY OCCASIONALLY ABATING WHEN ALLIED NAVAL FIRE WAS EFFECTIVE. AS NIGHT FELL ON THE FIRST DAY, THE IRISH UNITS HAD SUFFERED HORRENDOUS CASUALTIES AND WERE BARELY HOLDING THE BEACHES. WITHOUT THE NAVAL FIRE THINGS COULD HAVE BEEN A LOT WORSE FOR THE REMAINING TROOPS. TO BEST APPRECIATE THE SITUATION, IT 1S DESCRIBED IN THE FOLLOWING WORDS:

‘WHEN THE DAY DAWNED, THE SURVIVORS OF THE LANDING PARTY WERE CROUCHED UNDER THE SHELTER OF THE SANDBANK; MOST OF THEM HAD BEEN FIGHTING ALL NIGHT ; ALL HAD LANDED ON THE CORPSES OF FRIENDS . NO RETREAT WAS POSSIBLE.’ NOR WAS IT DREAMED OF, BUT TO STAY THERE WAS HOPELESS’: JOHN MASEFIELD.

THE CAMPAIGN

IN ADDITION TO THE REGIMENTS PREVIOUSLY LISTED WHO WERE INVOLVED IN THE LANDINGS, OTHER IRISH REGIMENTS WERE MOVED TO THIS THEATRE OF WAR AND FORMED THE 10th DIVISION, COMMANDED BY SIR BRYAN MAHON. THE REGIMENTS ARE LISTED BELOW BY BRIGADE. IT 1S INTERESTING T0 NOTE THE MAKE-UP OF THESE BRIGADES, THE 31st WAS ENTIRELY DRAWN FROM ULSTER COUNTIES.

29th BRIGADE 30TH BRIGADE
5th ROYAL IRISH 6th & 7th ROYAL DUBLIN FUSILIERS
6th ROYAL IRISH RIFLES 6th & 7th ROYAL MUNSTER FUSILIERS
6th LEINSTER REGIMENT
5th CONNAUGHT RANGERS.
31st BRIGADE
5th & 6th ROYAL INNISKILLING FUSILIERS
5th & 6th ROYAL IRISH FUSILIERS.

NOTE : THE 5th ROYAL IRISH (29th BDE ) WAS TRAINED TO ACT AS THE PIONEER BATTALION FOR THE DIVISION. THE 29th RECEIVED THE 10th HAMPSHIRES IN PLACE OF THE ROYAL !RISH.

AFTER BASIC TRAINING IN IRELAND AND ENGLAND THEY WERE INSPECTED BY THE KING IN HACKWOOD PARK ON THE 28th OF MAY AND FINALLY MOVED INTO ACTION IN JUNE. THE INITIAL PLo5N WAS TO SUPPORT THE 11th DIVISION BUT WAS CHANGED INSTEAD TO SUPPORING THE AUSTRALIANS AT ANZAC. THE LEINSTERS WERE ORDERED TO SUPPORT THE NEW ZEALANDERS AT RHODODENDRON SPUR. IN AUGUST THE IRISH RIFLES FORMED PART OF A THREE COLUMN ATTACK FORCE UNDER THE COMMAND OF GENERAL SALOWIN TO ASSAULT CHUNUK BAIR. THE RIFLES LOST THEIR WAY AND DURING THIS TIME WERE ATTACKED AND SUFFERED HEAVY LOSSES, PARTICULARLY IN THE OFFICER RANKS. THE CONNAUGHT RANGERS WERE MOVED TO COVER THE RIFLES WITHDRAWAL AND RECOVERED ALL THE WOUNDED THEY COULD FIND ON THE SUMMIT. MEANWHILE, AT SUVLA BAY, THE 11th DIVISION LANDED ON THE 6th AND 7th OF AUGUST WITHOUT SERIOUS OPPOSITION. THIS DIVISION HAD SIX BATTALIONS OF IRISH SOLDIERS FROM THE 30th AND 31st BRIGADES. THEY LANDED AT NIBRUESI POINT WITH ORDERS TO ASSEMBLE UNDER LALA BABA AND ORDERS TO ATTACK, BUT LARGE NUMBERS OF THE TROOPS WERE LANDED ON THE WRONG BEACH THEREFORE DELAYING THESE ORDERS FOR SOME TIME. ONCE FULLY ASSEMBLED, THE UNITS MOVED TO THEIR OBJECTIVE. THE 6th INNISKILLINGS AND 5th IRISH FUSILIERS MOVED FORWARD FIRST AND THE 6th IRISH FUSILIERS AND 7th DUBLIN FusILIERS WERE MOVED IN RESERVE OF THE ATTACKING FORCE.

THE ASSAULT WAS CARRIED OUT IN TRADITIONAL FASHION. AFTER A BOMBARDMENT WITH HEAVY ARTILLERY. THE TROOPS ATTACKED UPHILL THE OBJECTIVE WAS ACHIEVED WITH TERRIBLE COST TO THE IRISH UNITS AND AS NIGHT FELL RESERVES WERE BROUGHT UP TO BOLSTER THE DEFENCES ON THE HILL. THEY HELD ON UNTIL ORDERED TO RETREAT, OWING TO THEIR EXPOSED POSITION AND ALSO LACK OF SUPPORT. A SHORT TIME LATER THE 10th DIVISION WAS BROKEN UP, ONE BRIGADE REMAINING AT ANZAC AND SIX BATTALIONS POSTED ON OR NEAR CHOCLATE HILL. THE REMAINING THREE BATTALIONS, TWO OF MUNSTERS AND ONE ROYAL IRISH RGT.. REMAINED UNDER THE COMMAND OF SIR BRYAN MAHON, HE HAD LANDED WITH THEM AND HE NOW ORDERED THE MUNSTERS TO ADVANCE.

ON MOVING FORWARD THEY ENCOUNTERED THE 11th MANCHESTERS. WHOM THEY PASSED. AND ATTACKED A STRONGHOLD WHICH, ONCE CAPTURED, THEY CALLID AFTER THEIR LEADER, “JEPHSONS POST”, NO GAINS WERE MADE AFTER THIS POINT. THE ROYAL IRISH RGT MOVED IN TO SUPPORT THE MUNSTERS AND LATER THE 5th INNISKILLINGS JOINED THEM. WITH THE ABANDONMENT OF CHOCOLATE HILL ALL ACTIVITIES WERE SWITCHED TO KIRETCH TEPE SIRT. AFTER A FEW DAYS REST ON THE BEACH THE MUNSTERS, ROYAL IRISH AND STH INNISKILLINGS JOINED OTHER UNITS UNDER SIR BRYAN MAHON AND REFORMED THE 10TH DIVISION, MAKING UP NINE BATTALIONS IN ALL.

ON THE 25th AUGUST THE 10th WAS ORDERED TO ATTACK. IN THE INITIAL STAGES SLOW PROGRESS WAS MADE BUT WITH THE COMBINED EFFORTS OF THE MUNSTERS AND THE DUBLINS. THEY ACHIEVED THEIR OBJECTIVE THINGS WERE NOT EASY ON THE LEFT FLANK OF THE ATTACKING FORCE - HELD BY THE 5th INNISKILLINGS. BY THE TIME tHEY HAD REACHED THE ENEMY THEY HAD LOST NEARLY ALL OF THEIR OFFICERS AND MEN, BUT SOME GROUND HAD BEEN WON AND RESERVES WERE RUSHED UP TO SUPPORT THE ATTACKING BATTALIONS. COUNTER ATTACKS BEGAN ALMOST AT ONCE, WITH, DEVASTATING EFFECT, AND GRADUALLY IRISH LOSSES BEGAN TO TELL, THEY WERE FORCED TO RETREAT. THE: 5th AND 6th ROYAL. IRISH RIFLES WERE RELIEVED, NOT BY FRESH UNITS, BUT BY UNITS WHICH HAD MOVED BACK TO REST, SO DIRE WAS THE SITUATION. AT THIS STAGE, WiTH LITTLE MUNITIONS OR MEN, THE POSITION WAS CLEARLY UNTENABLE AND THEY WERE ORDERED TO RETREAT.

BY THE END OF SEPTEMBER. THE CAMPAIGN AT GALLIPOLI WAS ALL BUT ABANDONED. THE 10th DIVISION MOVED TO LEMNOS, THE 29th BRIGADE GOING FIRST. AND THE ENTIRE PROCESS WAS COMPLETED BY MID OCTOBER. AT THE START OF THE CAMPAIGN 15.000 IRISHMEN HAD LANDED— 2000 WOULD NEVER LEAVE THE DARDANELLES. THEY DIED NOT ONLY FROM ENEMY FIRE.BUT ALSO FROM THE HEAT, LACK OF FRESH WATER AND FROM BEING INADEQUATELY EQUIPPED MORE DISPIRITING FOR THE ENLISTED MAN WAS THE COMPLETE UNDERESTIMATION BY SENIOR BRITISH OFFICERS OF THE ABILITIES OF THE TURKISH ARMY.

AT THE START OF THE CAMPAIGN THE BRITISH HAD ESTIMATED THAT THEIR LOSSES WOULD BE ABObT 5.000 MEN. IN TOTAL 34.000 COMMONWEALTH TROOPS WERE KILLED. OF WHOM 27.000 ARE BURIED IN UNIDENTIFIED GRAVES OR WHOSE BODIES WERE NEVER FOUND. THE IRISH DISTINGUISHED THEMSELVES IN ALL ASPECTS OF THIS CAMPAIGN. THIS IS NOT BORNE OUT IN OFFICIAL DECORATIONS, AS PRACTICALLY ALL THE OFFICERS WERE KILLED. THEIR MEN’S FEATS OF GALLANTRY WENT UNRECORDED. GENERAL SIR IAN HAMILTON WROTE IN HIS DIARY: WE ARE ON OUR LAST LEGS. THE BEAUTIFUL BATTALIONS OF 25th APRIL ARE WASTED SKELETONS NOW. SHADOWS OF WHAT THEY HAD BEEN. THE THOUGHT OF THE RIVER OF BLOOD. AGAINST WHICH I PAINFULLY MADE MY WAY WHEN I MET THESE MULTITUDES OF WOUNDED COMING DOWN TO THE SHORE, WAS UNNERVING.

GRANIA’S COLLAR

IN A LITTLE PICTURESQUE PUBLIC HOUSE JUST ONE MILE OUTSIDE THE TOWN OF NEWMARKET ON FERGUS IN THE COUNTY OF CLARE. WE FOUND GRANIA’S COLLAR. THE: PROPRIETOR, MR JEROME TIERNEY. WAS ONLY TOO DELIGHTED TO LET ME EXAMINE THE COLLAR AND SAID THAT IT HAS BEEN IN HIS FAMILY’S POSSESSION QUITE A LONG NUMBER OF YEARS NOW. THE INSCRIPTION READS: GRANIA “PRESENTED TO 49th INFANTRY BRIGADE 7th AND 8th (5) BATTNS. ROYAL INNISKILLING FUSILIERS AND 7th AND 8th(S) BATTNS. ROYAL IRISH FUSILIERS.BY MR THOMAS RYAN,18TH JUNE 1915. GRANIA (PRONOUNCED,GRAWNYA) WAS THE IRISH WOLFHOUND MASCOT OF THE 49th INFANTRY BRIGADE.