Bloody Gallipoli, Richard Stowers Has Created a Highly Readable and Often Tragic Account of This Doomed Campaign from the New Zealand Perspective
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IN RECENT YEARS, as the last veterans of the Gallipoli battles have faded away, there has been increasing interest in this First World War campaign. This resurgence has been demonstrated by a wealth of new books on the subject, mostly from the Australian and British viewpoint. With Bloody Gallipoli, Richard Stowers has created a highly readable and often tragic account of this doomed campaign from the New Zealand perspective. This is a book that clearly and concisely sets out New Zealand’s involvement from the first declaration of war until the final evacuation of the Gallipoli Peninsula. Detailed within are the battles that have long haunted New Zealand military history such as the Daisy Patch, Hill 60 and of course Chunuk Bair. Drawing on personal diaries and reproducing many never-seen-before photographs, this book is bound to appeal to a wide range of New Zealanders, from military history buffs to family researchers. One of the treasures of this book is the detailed casualty lists that for the first time allows the reader to comprehend, day by day, battle by battle, the enormous sacrifice New Zealand towns and communities made in supporting Great Britain’s efforts to “knock Turkey out of the war”. This book provides new insights into a campaign that 100 years on shows no sign of losing its poignancy to new generations of New Zealanders, and serves to reinforce the contention that our nationhood was first forged on the hills and ridges of Bloody Gallipoli. Hugh Keane, Military Historian WAIOURU MEMORIAL ARMY MUSEUM WAIOURU Private Dick Henderson of the New Zealand Medical Corps and his donkey. The photograph was the basis of Moore-Jones’ watercolour painting titled The Man with the Donkey. For the fallen They went with songs to the battle, they were young, Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow. They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted, They fell with their faces to the foe. They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old, Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning, We will remember them. Laurence Binyon (1869-1943) A favourite backdrop in Egypt. At far right is Captain Wood and second from right is Captain ‘Yorkie’ Smith, both of the Auckland Mounted Rifles. DICK DRUMMOND COLLECTION Driver Frederick (Freddy) John Stowers (5/267), Divisional Train, New Zealand Army Supply Corps. Freddy arrived on Gallipoli on 13 November 1915, dying of wounds just five days later. It is believed he was wounded while carrying ammunition to the front-line trench. He is buried in Embarkation Pier Cemetery close to North Beach. Cover: Portion of the Gallipoli section of the First World War stained-glass window, St Andrew’s Church, Cambridge, New Zealand. First published 2005 by David Bateman Ltd This updated edition published 2017 by Richard Stowers, Hamilton, New Zealand [email protected] ISBN 978-0-473-36884-5 Copyright © Richard Stowers, 2017 Many of the photographs used in this publication originate from Richard Stowers’ extensive collection of military photographs sourced, scanned, restored and archived over the decades from soldiers’ albums and collections. Many of the originals have since been donated to the Auckland Museum. This book is copyright. Except for the purpose of fair review, no part may be stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including recording or storage in any information retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher. No reproduction may be made, whether by photocopying or by any other means, unless a licence has been obtained from the publisher or its agent. Printed by Printing.com, Wellington Contents Author’s note 6 Sentenced to death 226 Foreword 7 Life after Gallipoli 228 A look at Gallipoli 8 Daily deaths 230 Serving king and country 16 The New Zealand dead 252 The Battle of the Landing 32 Prisoners of war 360 Dead Man’s Ridge 54 Honours and awards to New Zealanders 362 Daisy Patch 61 Recommendations 395 First blood for the Mounted Rifles 75 New Zealand cemeteries and memorials 397 Cease-fire on Anzac 84 Places on Gallipoli familiar to the New Zealanders 398 Disaster at No. 3 Outpost 89 Gallipoli slang 403 New Zealanders take over Courtney’s and Quinn’s 96 Select bibliography 404 Holding the line 107 Index 406 Break-out from Anzac – the August Offensive 121 Unconquerable on Chunuk Bair 144 Maps Under Turkish counter-attack 169 The Dardanelles 31 Mounted Rifles attack Hill 60 180 Trench layout and positions on Anzac 53 More trench warfare 196 Daisy Patch, Helles, 8 May 63 First talk of evacuation 204 Turkish attack on Russell’s Top, 19 May 77 The great blizzard 208 Quinn’s Post, 4-5 June 100 Evacuation of Anzac 213 Turkish positions captured on night of 6-7 August 135 Return to Gallipoli in 1918 219 The Apex, 8 August 144 New Zealand’s contribution 220 Chunuk Bair, 8-9 August 148 A dirty existence 223 Hill 60, 27 August 189 Bully beef and biscuits 224 For a while the war is forgotten. New Zealanders and Australians relax on a hot summer’s day in Anzac Cove. WAIOURU MEMORIAL ARMY MUSEUM Author’s note any people gave invaluable assistance during my groundwork, research and writing of Bloody Gallipoli, the New Zealanders’ Story. M I once again gratefully thank Jennifer Smith for her meticulous editorial skills, and Hugh Keane for his specialist interest, knowledge and support. Special thanks to the late Wayne McDonald for my initial inspiration, and the Ven. Geoff Crawshaw of Cambridge for the foreword. Thanks also to Judy Ferri, Rose Young, Kevin and Mary Lewis, Windsor Jones, Dolores Ho, Brenton Beach, Faith Goodley, Laeonie Gallahar, the late Bill Meldrum, Rufus Wallingford, Ian Condon, Clive Squire, Max Edge, Terry Shattock, Grayson and Maureen Finlayson, Aubrey Sandford, Andrew Fletcher, Nina Lewis, Allie Thompson, Ron Lambert, Christine Whybrew, Kyle Leota, Dick Drummond, Phil Horne, Phil McKinnon, Geoff Oldham, Paul Farmer, Raewyn West-Hill, Craig Brown, Tracey Borgfeldt of David Bateman Ltd, the AUTHOR’S COLLECTION crew from the Waiouru Memorial Army Museum, the Thames RSA, National Trooper Leonard Simpson, Wellington Archives, Puke Ariki of New Plymouth, and many others. Mounted Rifles, was killed in action A special appreciation to my wife Gill for her understanding and tolerance on Chunuk Bair on 9 August, aged 24 years. Simpson, who grew up of my strange behaviour and ludicrous hours in bringing this book to in Feilding, was one of 2779 New completion. Zealanders who died from service on Gallipoli. I’m especially indebted to all the soldiers who, in their wisdom, recorded events on Gallipoli in the hope that they wouldn’t be forgotten and that their stories would be shared by future generations. At every opportunity I have included their stories verbatim so as to preserve their poignant experiences. Without their foresight, this book would not exist, so Bloody Gallipoli is for them. Bloody Gallipoli is the story of New Zealanders who served on Gallipoli, especially those who gave their lives for an emerging nationhood. I have tried to give a just and full history of the New Zealanders’ efforts on Gallipoli, rather than have their stories lost in the numerous tomes of British and Australian histories. In the Daily deaths section, I have recorded all New Zealand deaths during the period of 25 April to 20 December 1915, giving the reader an insight into the day-to-day carnage suffered by the New Zealanders. To make it easier for readers to identify different locations on Anzac, I have used names of locations that they later became known by, especially for events during the first few weeks on Anzac. There is confusion as to the exact name of the Anzac position immediately opposite the Turkish position at the Nek. The trenched position has been recorded as both Russell’s Top and Walker’s Ridge, which includes Walker’s Top. On maps, Walker’s Ridge seems to end where it joins Russell’s Top with the latter adjoining the Nek, but many written accounts indicate Walker’s Ridge continues to the Nek. This confusion is apparent during the Battle of the Landing when many Anzac casualties were recorded as happening on Walker’s Ridge, but in actual fact occurred on Russell’s Top. Occasionally in the book I have used the term ‘Kiwis’, knowing that although the word was probably not in everyday use on Gallipoli, New Zealand soldiers were certainly known by the name later in France. Every effort has been made to obtain reliable and accurate information for this book. I assume no responsibility or liability for any factual errors, omissions or inaccuracies that may appear in the book. This book complements Chris Pugsley’s excellent and ground-breaking Gallipoli, the New Zealand Story. However, Bloody Gallipoli provides further biographical detail and comprehensive appendices. There are still thousands of untold stories of Gallipoli, many of which will have died with our gallant New Zealanders. Richard Stowers 2005 6 Foreword lthough I was born at the beginning of the Second World War, I have heard the stories A from many old soldiers over my forty years of Ordained Ministry. Often, men who had not shared their stories of war would unload them in their last days. These were the men who came home from World War One. But there are also so many New Zealanders who did not return. It is wonderful that Richard has put all his research, skill at writing, and general love of the history of this time, into this book.