LIEUTENANTS JOSEPH BAGNALL LEE AND ALFRED TENNYSON LEE AND THE 6TH BATTALION ROYAL MUNSTER FUSILIERS AT SUVLA BAY GALLIPOLI AUGUST 1915.
WITH THE OUTBREAK OF WAR IN AUGUST 1914, IT WAS DECIDED PRINCIPALLY BY LORD KITCHENER, SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WAR. THAT THE BRITISH ARMY WOULD HAVE TO BE MASSIVELY EXPANDED. NOW BEGAN THE ENORMOUS TASK OF CREATING A ‘NEW ARMY’ WHICH WOULD ULTIMATELY END UP WITH THIRTY DIVISIONS.
INITIALLY, ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND VOLUNTEERS WERE REOUIRED AND ON AUGUST 21st. 1914 AN ARMY ORDER, NUMBER 324, WAS ISSUED FOR THE FORMATION OF THE FIRST SIX OF THESE DIVISIONS. ONE OF THESE WAS TO BE THE IOth (IRISH) DIVISION, WHICH INCLUDED IN ITS 30th BRIGADE THE: 6th AND 7th (SERVICE) BATTALIONS OF THE ROYAL MUNSTER FUSILIERS. ALSO IN THE 30th BRIGADE WERE THE 6th AND 7th (SERVICE) BATTALIONS OF THE ROYAL DUBLIN FUSILIERS, ALL COMING UNDER THE COMMAND OF BRIG-GEN. L.L. NICOL.
BOTH OF THE R.M.F. BATTALIONS WERE FORMED AT TRALEE DEPOT IN AUGUST AND TRAINING BEGAN AT ONCE AT THE CURRAGH. THE OFFICERS WERE TO BE MADE UP OF BOTH RETIRED REGULAR OFFICERS AND YOUNG MEN WHO WOULD BE GIVEN TEMPORARY COMMISSIONS. AMONGST THESE WOULD BE TWO OF MY GRAND UNCILES; TEMP, LIEUTENANT JOSEPH BAGNALL. LEE AND HIS BROTHER TEMP. LIEUT. ALFRED TENNYSON LEE. BOTH OF THE 6th BATTALION R.M.F. AND COMMISSIONED THROUGH TRINITY COLLEGE DUBLIN, O.C.D. IN SEPTEMBER, 1914. JOE, AGED 27, WAS THE ELDER BROTHER AND HAD BEEN A SUCCESSFUL BARRISTER-AT-LAW.AND HAD PUBLISHED TWO BOOKS ON THAT SUBJECT.
WHILST OFFICER STRENGTH WAS SOON REACHED IT WAS MORE DIFFICULT TO OBTAIN RECRUITS FOR THE OTHER RANKS AND WARNINGS WERE GIVEN THAT IF NOT ENOUGH IRISH RECRUITS HAD ENLISTED BY MID- SEPTEMBER 1914.THEN THEY WOULD HAVE TO BE AUGMENTED BY SURPLUS ENGLISH TROOPS. HOWEVER, SOME OF THESE WERE TO BE SONS AND GRANDSONS OF IRISH MEN WHO HAD SOUGHT WORK IN ENGLAND IN THE YEARS BEFORE. THERE IS NO DOUBT, HOWEVER. THAT MANY BATTALIONS OF THE IOTH DIVISION HAD AT LEAST SOME TRANSFERS FROM ENGLISH REGIMENTS.
DURING SEPTEMBER, TRAINING BEGAN IN EARNEST AT THE CURRAGH. AT FIRST, MOST OF THE MEN HAD NO UNIFORMS OR WEAPONS AND THROUGH OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER TRAINING CONSISTED OF ROUTE MARCHES, TRENCH DIGGING AND MUSKETRY TRAINING. JUNIOR OFFICERS WERE EDUCATED IN THE DISCIPLINE OF LEADERSHIP. THE G.O.C. OF THE 10th (IRISH) DIVISION WAS LIEUTENANT GENERAL SIR BRYAN MAHON, A GALWAY MAN WHO HAD BEEN COLONEL OF THE 8th HUSSARS WHO RELIEVED THE SIEGE OF MAFEKING IN THE BOER WAR.
AT THE END OF APRIL 1915. THE 10th DIVISION WAS READY TO LEAVE FOR BASINGSTOKE IN HAMPSHIRE FOR FURTHER TRAINING, BUT NOT BEFORE A DIVISIONAL COMBINED OPERATION ON THE CURRAGH PLAIN WAS HELD. EIGHT INFANTRY BATTALIONS, THREE ARTILLERY BRIGADES AND THE ROYAL ENGINEERS. SIGNALS AND CYCLISTS TOOK PART IN THIS GAME, IT WOULD NOT BE A GAME MUCH LONGER.IN MAY THE WHOLE DIVISION WAS CONCENTRATED AT BASINGSTOKE AND TRAINING INTENSIFIED. ON MAY 28th THE KING AND QUEEN INSPECTED THE DIVISION AND ON JUNE 1st LORD KITCHENER REVIEWED THE TROOPS. IT WAS OBVIOUS AT THIS POINT THAT THE DIVISION WOULD SOON BE ON ITS WAY, BUT TO WHERE? ON JUNE 27th, 1915, THEIR DESTINATION WAS REVEALED-GALLIPOLI.
THE DARDANELLES CAMPAIGN, LARGELY CONCEIVED BY WINSTON CHURCHILL.TO DIVERT GERMAN RESOURCES FROM THE WESTERN FRONT WHICH WAS IN A STALEMATE POSITION AND TO HELP THE RUSSIANS, WAS AT THIS STAGE ALREADY A TERRIBLE FAILURE. THE ORIGINAL LANDINGS IN APRIL HAD COST MUCH IN HUMAN TERMS AND HAD ACHIEVED LITTLE. THE TURKS, WITH ALL THE ZEAL OF A PEOPLE DEFENDING THEIR HOMELAND HAD HALTED THE ALLIED ADVANCE VIRTUALLY ON THE BEACHES. THE 29th DIVISION. WHICH INCLUDED THE 1st INNISKILLING FUSILIERS, THE 1st ROYAL DUBLIN FUSILIERS AND THE 1st ROYAL MUNSTER FUSILIERS HAD ALL BUT BEEN WIPED CUT. AT “V” BEACH A COLLIER, THE RIVER CLYDE WAS BEACHED AND FROM ITS SIDES 0UT BURST THE DUBLIN AND MUNSTER FUSILIERS. THEY WERE CUT DOWN. THE SEA RUNNING RED WITH IRISH BLOOD. EVEN TO-DAY. EIGHTY YEARS LATER, TO VISIT “V” BEACH AND ITS ADJOINING CEMETERY IS A VERY MOVING EXPERIENCE FOR AN IRISH PERSON.
THE TWO R.M.F. BATTALIONS LEFT FOR LIVERPOOL ON JULY 9th 1915. WHERE THEY EMBARKED ON THE LINER MAURETANIA AS PART OF THE 10,000 TROOPS OF THEIR DIVISION FOR THE DARDANELLES. ON JULY THE SHIP REACHED HER DESTINATION, THE ISLAND OF MUDROS. IT NOW TRANSPIRED THAT NEW LANDINGS ON THE GALLIPOLI PENINSULA WOULD BE EFFECTED BUT THIS TIME FURTHER UP THE COAST, TO THE NORTH/WEST OF ANZAC AT A PLACE CALLED SUVLA BAY AND ON THE NIGHT OF 6th AND 7th AUGUST, IN CONJUNCTION WITH OTHER ATTACKS FROM ANZAC AND HELLES, THE 10th IRISH DIVISION WENT INTO ACTION FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME. CONTROVERSIALLY, THE DIVISIONS 29th BRIGADE HAD BEEN DIVERTED TO THE ANZAC SECTOR, WHERE THEY WERE TAKEN UNDER THE COMMAND OF THE 11th DIVISION. OVER THE YEARS THERE HAVE BEEN MANY QUESTIONS ASKED AS TO WHY THE DIVISION WAS BROKEN UP BEFORE THE LANDINGS, SUFFICE IT TO SAY THAT WHEN THE NOW FURIOUS G.O.C. LIEUT. GENERAL MAHON ARRIVED, HE FOUND HIMSELF ENTERING INTO ACTION WITH ONLY FOUR BATTALIONS UNDER HIS COMMAND, TWO OF THESE BEING THE 6th AND 7th MUNSTERS. AT 11am ON AUGUST 7th THE 6th RMF LANDED TO THE EAST OF GHAZI BABA PEAK FROM THE LIGHTER ‘HAZEL’ AND WAS THE FIRST ASHORE. THEY, IMMEDIATELY CAME UNDER SHELL FIRE AND THEY ALSO FOUND THE BEACHES SOWN WITH MINES. THE ORDER FOR THE 6th AND 7th MUNSTERS WAS TO CLIMB KIRETCH TEPE SIRT RIDGE AT ITS WESTERN END, TO PUSH FORWARD ALONG THE CREST AS FAR AS POSSIBLE AND TO MEET UP WITH THE 11th MANCHESTERS. THE 6th RMF ADVANCED AS BEST THEY COULD OVER VERY DIFFICULT TERRAIN WHICH INCLUDED GULLIES COVERED WITH DENSE OAK AND HOLLY SCRUB, BUT BY NIGHTFALL THEY HAD MANAGED TO ADVANCE TO WITHIN ONE HUNDRED YARDS OF A TURKISH POSITION. HOWEVER, THERE WAS A HUMAN COST TO THIS ADVANCE AND 13 MEN AND ONE OFFICER WERE KILLED. THAT OFFICER WAS TEMPORARY LIEUTENANT JOSEPH BAGNALL LEE, THE FIRST OFFICER OF THE RMF TO BE KILLED IN ACTION. BUT HE WOULD NOT OF THE LAST.
THE 6th RMF WAR DIARY FOR THIS PERIOD IS NOT VERY DETAILED, BUT THE LAST ENTRY FOR AUGUST 7th STATES, “22.00 RETIREMENT COMPLETED, BATTALION ENTRENCHED S.SLOPES OF PT. 165. CASUALTIES LT. J.B. LEE KILLED. LT. G.W. HAYNES WOUNDED. (OTHER RANKS KILLED. ‘WOUNDED. MISSING). THE DIARY STILL EXISTS IN THE PUBLIC RECORDS OFFICE IN KEW, LONDON, AND YOU CAN IMAGINE HOW IT FELT TO BE THE FIRST IN MY FAMILY EVER TO SEE THIS DIARY ENTRY, 75 YEARS LATER. IN 1993 I FOUND MYSELF ON WEST BEACH STANDING PROBABLY SOMEWHERE CLOSE TO WHERE MY TWO GRANDUNCLES STOOD. LOOKING AT THE KIRETCH TEPE SIRT, MY THOUGHTS CONTINUALLY WANDERING BACK IN TIME TO THAT FATEFUL AFTERNOON OF AUGUST 7th 1915. TRYING TO IMAGINE WHAT IT WAS LIKE FOR THOSE TWO YOUNG MEN FROM DUBLIN, WHO. LIKE THEIR COMRADES, HAD NEVER BEFORE SEEN WAR OF ANY SORT, LET ALONE THE HELL THEY WERE NOW EXPERIENCING. THEN I TRIED TO IMAGINE WHAT IT WAS LIKE FOR ALFRED TENNYSON LEE WHEN HE HEARD THAT HIS BROTHER HAD BEEN KILLED. ALFRED TENNYSON LEE WAS WOUNDED ONLY TWO DAYS AFTER HIS BROTHERS DEATH.
THE ADVANCE WAS MADE ALL THE MORE DIFFICULT DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE DIVISIONAL ARTILLERY HAD NOT BEEN SENT WITH THE DIVISION, IT SEEMS IT WAS STILL IN EGYPT, AND ENGLAND, AND WHAT FEW GUNS WERE LANDED BROKE DOWN. BUT PERHAPS THE MOST IMPORTANT MISTAKE AND THE MOST UNFORGIVABLE WAS THE COMPLETE AND UTTER LACK OF WATER FOR THE PARCHED TROOPS. THIS WAS DUE TO ABYSMAL ADMINISTRATION AT G.H.Q. AND TO THE FACT THAT OF THE FIVE LIGHTERS AVAILABLE, ONLY TWO ARRIVED ON THE 7th, WHICH IMMEDIATELY GROUNDED ON A SANDBANK ABOUT 100 YARDS FROM THE SHORE. No WATER WAS AVAILABLE TO THE MEN UNTIL NEXT MORNING AND EVEN THEN ONLY A TINY AMOUNT, BECAUSE OF THIS THE MEN SUFFERED TERRIBLY, UNFORTUNATELY, THE INITIAL GAINS OF THE 7th WERE NOT BUILT UPON AND THERE WAS LITTLE FIGHTING ON THE 8th (SUN). THIS WAS DUE TO A LACK OF FIRM LEADERSHIP AT A HIGH LEVEL AND BECAUSE OF THIS THE TURKS WERE ABLE TO CONSOLIDATE AND REINFORCE THEIR POSITIONS BEFORE THEY WERE ATTACKED AGAIN. THIS WAS A FATAL MISTAKE AND SPELT THE DOOM OF THE SUVLA CAMPAIGN.
ON THE 9th, THE BATTALIONS AGAIN ATTACKED ALONG THE KIRETCH TEPE SIRT, BUT THIS TIME THERE WAS HEAVY OPPOSITION, HOWEVER. THE 6th RMF. WERE ABLE TO REACH A TURKISH POSITION ALONG THE RIDGE AND TAKE IT. THE COMMANDER OF THIS SUCCESS WAS MAJOR J.M. JEPHSON AND THE CAPTURED HILL WAS NAMED AFTER HIM… ‘JEPHSON’S POST’. THERE WERE QUITE A FEW CASUALTIES HOWEVER INCLUDING CAPTAIN EDGAR P. CONWAY. A REGULAR OFFICER AND ALSO WOUNDED WAS MY OTHER GRANDUNCLE, ALFRED TENNYSON LEE. WOUNDED IN THE RIGHT ARM). SIR IAN HAMILTON, IN A REFERENCE TO THE FIGHTING OF THE 7th, SAID IN HIS DESPATCH OF 11/12/1915, “THE 6th RMF HAVE BEEN NAMED AS WINNING SPECIAL DISTINCTION HERE. THE WHOLE ADVANCE WAS WELL CARRIED OUT BY THE IRISHMEN OVER DIFFICULT GROUND AGAINST AN ENEMY -500-700 GENDARMERIE-FAVOURED BY BY THE LIE OF THE LAND”. FOR THE NEXT FIVE DAYS NOT MUCH ACTION WAS EXPERIENCED BY THE 6th RMF EXCEPT ON AUGUST 12th WHEN COLONEL WORSHIP ORDERED A PARTY LED BY CAPT. R.W. OLDNALL TO ATTACK AND TAKE A TURKISH ADVANCE POST. THIS THEY ACHIEVED BUT THEY LOST LT. G.A. GAFFNEY AND NINE OTHER RANKS. ON AUGUST 14TH REINFORCEMENTS ARRIVED CONSISTING OF THREE OFFICERS AND 174 MEN AND THESE WERE DISTRIBUTED BETWEEN THE 6th AND 7th RMF. SUNDAY 15th AUGUST, SAW THE 6th AND 7th BATTALIONS TAKE PART IN A GENERAL ADVANCE ALONG THE KIRETCH TEPE SIRT RIDGE. THERE WAS MUCH HARD FIGHTING AND LITTLE HEADWAY WAS MADE. THE 6th RMF WAS IN THE INITIAL ATTACK, WHICH WAS HELD UP FOR TWO HOURS, BUT AT 6pm WITH THE HELP OF THE 6th RDF., 250 YARDS WAS GAINED. THE 7th RMF. WAS RELIEVED FROM THE LINE BUT THE 6th RMF HAD TO REMAIN AT JEPHSONS POST OVERNIGHT AND ON MONDAY, 16th, THE BATTALION WAS ORDERED TO TAKE UP POSITION FROM JEPHSON TO THE SEA. LATER THEY WERE RELIEVED BY THE 6th INNISKILLINGS EXCEPT AT JEPHSONS POST. THE ROYAL IRISH RIFLES REQUESTED THE ASSISTANCE OF OFFICERS THAT MORNING AND CAPT. J.B.T. GRANT AND LT. COMERFORD WERE SENT FROM THE 6TH RMF. LT. COMERFORD RETURNED WOUNDED BUT CAPTAIN GRANT WAS NEVER TO BE SEEN AGAIN.
THE BATTALION MADE NO ADVANCE THE NEXT DAY, BEING HEAVILY BOMBED AND AT 7pm THEY WERE RELIEVED IN THE LINE. THEY THEN PROCEEDED BACK TO ‘A’ BEACH, WHERE THEY RESTED. ON THE 20th THE BATTALION MARCHED To LALA BABA WHERE THEY THEN BIVOUACED. AT THIS STAGE THE 6th RMF NUMBERED 9 OFFICERS AND 510 OTHER. RANKS. ON AUGUST 21st THE BATTPLION OCCUPIED THE: TURKISH TRENCHES WHICH HAD BEEN CAPTURED EARLIER IN THE OPERATION, LT. COL. V.T. WORSIP DSO BEING WOUNDED IN THE FOOT. NINETEEN OTHERS WERE ALSO WOUNDED BY SHRAPNEL. THERE. THE BATTALION REMAINED UNTIL SEPTEMBER 5th, WHEN THEY WERE RELIEVED. FROM THEN ON THE 6th BTN, RMF HAD A RELATIVE MINOR ROLE AND NO GREAT ACTION WAS SEEN AGAIN. THE END OF THE CAMPAIGN FOR THE 10th DIVISION WAS AT HAND AND ON OCTOBER Ist THE 6th AND 7th BTNS. RMF AND THE 6th BATTALION RDF SAILED TO THE ISLAND OF MUDROS.
THERE IS LITTLE DOUBT NOW, WITH HINDSIGHT, THAT IF THE 10th DIVISION HAD CAPTURED AND HELD THE KIRETCH TEPE. SIRT ON THE 15th AND 16th OF AUGUST THAT THEY COULD HAVE HAD A FINAL DECISIVE VICTORY BUT ALAS THIS WAS NOT TO BE. ALSO, IN ONE WEEK,FROM THE LANDING ON THE 7th AUGUST, THE 6th RMF LOST HALF OF THEIR STRENGTH. THEY WOULD NEVER EXPERIENCE ANYTHING LIKE THESE LOSSES AGAIN THROUGHOUT THE WAR.
I THINK IT IS APPROPRIATE TO POINT OUT, IF INDEED IT 1S NEEDED, THAT THESE BRAVE MEN WERE ALMOST ENTIRELY FROM NON-MILITARY BACKGROUNDS AND WERE ALL VOLUNTEERS, THE FINEST OF MEN. THEY HAD MINIMAL TRAINING AND WERE SENT TO A FAR AWAY PLACE WHERE, UNDER INTENSE HEAT AND LACK OF WATER THEY WERE EXP0SED IMMIDIATELY TO ONE OF THE MOST HORRIFIC BATTLES OF THE GREAT WAR. THOSE MEN OF THE 10th DIVISION, AND THEIR SACRIFICE, HAVE BEEN UNJUSTLY IGNORED FOR TOO LONG, THEY DID WHAT THEY BELIEVED TO BE THE RIGHT THING. THEY WERE SUPREMELY BRAVE, THE FINEST OF THEIR DAY, OR ANY DAY. THEY WERE A LOST GENERATION, BUT THEY ARE NOT FORGOTTEN.
SOURCES AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:
THE 10th IRISH DIVISION IN GALLIPOLI BY BRYAN COOPER (HERBERT JENKINS 1918)
HISTORY OF THE ROYAL MUNSTER FUSILIERS, VOL. 2 BY S. Mc CANCE (GALE & POLDEN 1928)
6th R.M.F. WAR DIARY FOR PERIOD 6/8/ ’15 TO 13/9/ ’15 (PRO LONDON REF. WO. 95. /3496)
I WOULD ESPECIALLY LIKE, T0 THANK MARTIN STAUNTON FOR ALLOWING ME TO QUOTE FROM HIS UNPUBLISHED THESIS, THE ROYAL MUNSTER FUSILIERS 1914-18.
BY MICHAEL LEE
JOURNAL NO 7 AUTUMN 1995