Impression sketch
of Gallipoli evacuation.
Without hint to
any kind of disastrous campaign,
Came Press
announcement of troops situated
At Gallipoli, in
retirement from Anzac and Suvla
Bay - released
8.25 p.m. from War Office source.
A given strategy stated
the to need to move away
From Peninsula of
Gallipoli, to other operational
Spheres - the
scheme possibly already decided by
Kitchener as he
landed North Beach, 13 November.
With arrival by
boat at 1.40 p.m. the Field Marshall
And commander in
Chief of the British Army had
Travelled, to see
for himself the Gallipoli Peninsula;
There to assess
the theatre of war against Turkish.
The distinguished
figure stood, his recognisable
face, topped in
the wearing of a red cap - walked
Along the pier amid
Generals - soldiers in every
Direction ran to
see him, in a soldier's welcome.
When two hours
passed Kitchener in company,
Moved amid the
Australian trenches to survey
Turkish lines -
from a decision with commanders
Of seniority, deciding
on evacuation of Gallipoli.
Factors he had
seen and heard discussed,
Were to be
difficulties during winter storms
To supply the
peninsula - furthermore would
Be little gained
against the Turks strongholds.
Even with more
artillery and more reinforcements,
Attacks had been
locked into impossible situations.
In the decision
was the problem of the evacuation;
A plan taken on
by Lt. Col Charles Brudenell White.
The first phase
began while awaiting London
Word, approving
Kitchener's plan - in order not
To alert the
Turks were set hoax and deceptions -
With late
Novembers' silent stunts of Anzac lines.
Without snipers
or artillery fire they hoped Turks
Believed
preparations were underway for winter -
That silence was
not a withdrawal - to continue
The irregularity
of fire the Turkish would expect.
Next the
intermediate phase; soldiers On Anzac
Would be reduced,
but still to hold off a chance
Of a full week
Turkish attack - reduce to 26000
From 41000 in 2
days, in fact just left 20277.
While the
withdrawal would be from Anzac Cove,
Many soldiers
departed from the piers at North
Beach - under
darkness endless movements
Of Maltese,
Egyptians and British Labour corps.
Beside the
flickering flares, that lit Walkers Ridge
And Williams'
Pier, ammo carried on Indian gharies,
With loads
carried in carriages down small railways;
Between hill 60
and Walkers Ridge moved a line.
The Indian Mule
Cart Corps large loads, pulled
By the mules, in
union moved silently even passed
Close to coast of
Snipers Nest - if anywhere, there
The Turks might
hear - but mules in silence moved.
As eyewitness
said no sound made of hoof or foot,
Only the odd
clink of a chain, as the long black
Serpent line passed
close at 1000 metres - to fool
That Turkish
presence of their evacuation chain.
As November ebbed
into December, secrecy
Of the evacuation
plan was so well concealed,
Reality was only
apparent by mid month - ordinary
Soldiers finally
realised the undergoing process.
Anzac men felt at
odds in sorrow to leave dead
Comrades - friends
to lay in Anzac cemeteries -
Many mates of the
dead spent last moments there
To ensure their graves
were left well tended.
Time came and
last departed to HMS Grafton;
Day of 19
December, under continual activity
With p.m.
distractions of Helles attack - as dusk
Fell, rear guards
fell back from 10,000 soldiers.
1500 left; but by
4 a.m. 20 December a handful
Of men waited on
North Beach, there by 4.10 a.m.
Colonel Paton
ended the wait for any stragglers;
In complete
silence the evacuation was concluded.
by Jamie Mann.
Anon.,1915. Retirement
From Suvla and Anzac - Troops removed - Insignificant Losses - 'Another sphere
of Operations'. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 21 December. P.9. Col.4. Available at:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12056748/Daily-Telegraph-December-21-1915.html
[Accessed: 21 December 2015].
Mann, J., 2015. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal
communication, 21 December 2015).
#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #WW1centenary #worldwarone
#worldwaroneremembered #WW1Gallipoli
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