Gallipoli Diary

Jan 18

In Egypt, the NZ Infantry Brigade, NZ Mounted Rifles and NZ Artillery Brigade join with the 1st Australian Light Horse Brigade and the 4th Australian Infantry Brigade to form the New Zealand and Australian Division under the command of Major General Sir Alexander Godley (GOC of the NZ Expeditionary Force).

25

NZ Infantry Brigade ordered to Suez Canal

26

Infantry Brigade leave Zeitoun for Ismailia and Kubri

Feb 1

Advance parties 4th Aust Inf Bde arrive at Zeitoun

3

Turkish troops attack Suez Canal. New Zealanders engage; one man dies of wounds and another is wounded

19

Naval attack on the forts at the entrance of the Dardanelles

26

NZ Infantry Brigade returns from Suez Canal to Zeitoun

Mar 18

End of Dardanelles Naval attack. Queen, Irresistible and Bouvet sunk.

29

Inspection of Division by Sir Ian Hamilton

Apr 9

NZ and A Division, less mounted units, entrain for Alexandria

10

First transports leaves for Mudros

15

Transport Lutzow with Divisional Headquarters on board arrives in Mudros Harbour

24

French, British, Australian and New Zealand transports leave Mudros Harbour

25

French land at Kum Kale

British land at Cape Helles

Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) land at Anzac Cove; 3rd Australian Infantry Brigade force a landing at dawn

NZ Divisional Headquarters and details ashore at 10am; Auckland Battalion all ashore by 12 noon; No 1 Field Company NZ Engineers and Canterbury and Otago Infantry land during the afternoon

Wellington Infantry land during the night

26

6am two guns of NZ Howitzer Battery land and come into action

Turkish counter attacks beaten off at Anzac

27

2nd Battery NZFA lands at 3am

Heavy attack against centre and Walkers Ridge beaten off 9.30am

28

Portsmouth and Chatham Battalions (Royal Marine Brigade) arrive 6pm

No 2 Company Divisional Train arrive at night

29

Heavy Turkish attacks all along the Anzac line

A Naval Brigade (Nelson and Deal Battalion) arrive at night

May 2

Turkish observation post destroyed at Lala Baba by Canterbury Battalion

Otago attack on at head of Monash Gully (Baby 700) fails

3

Turkish warship in straits fires on transports; Annaberg hit

4

Australian raid on Gaba Tepe beaten off

5/6

NZ Infantry Brigade and 2nd Australian Brigade leave for Cape Helles

6

3rd Reinforcements arrive at Anzac (839 men) - sent down to Helles

Combined French, British and Colonial Forces commence attack on Krithia

7

New Zealanders in support of 29th Division

8

NZ Infantry and 2nd Australian Brigade attack on Krithia defeated

10

Australians at head of Monash Gully attack Turks, but withdrew

12

NZ Mounted Rifles (1,500 men) arrive at Anzac to fight as infantry

General Chauvel with 1,400 men of the Australian Light Horse arrives at Anzac

14

HMS Goliath sunk at mouth of straits

Queenslanders make a sortie from Quinns Post

15

General Birdwood slightly wounded in the head at Quinns Post

General Bridges mortally wounded

16

6-inch Howitzer with RMLI crew arrives in support of the Division

Machine Gun detachment Otago Mounted Rifles arrives at Anzac

17

2nd Australian Infantry Brigade returns.

3 guns of 2nd Battery NZFA manhandled up to Plugges Plateau

18

Heavy Turkish attacks

German Taube flew over Anzac

19

Turkish attack at Anzac defeated

NZ Infantry Brigade returns from Helles

20

Otago Mounted Rifles (500) arrive at Anzac to fight as infantry

Turks first ask for an armistice

24

Armistice Day to bury dead

25

HMS Triumph torpedoed off Gaba Tepe

27

HMS Majestic torpedoed off Cape Helles

28

Late at night Turks fire mine in front of Quinns Post

Canterbury Mounted Rifles take "Old No 3 Post"

29

Attack on Quinns Post - Major Quinn killed

NZ Infantry Brigade relieves 4th Australian Brigade No 3 Section

31

Turk blockhouse blown up in front of Quinns by two sappers

NZ Mounted Rifles forced to abandon Old No 3 Post

Jun 3

2nd Field Company NZ Engineers (239) arrive at Anzac

4

Slight advance made at Cape Helles

Canterbury Infantry raided from Quinns Post late at night

5

Sortie against German Officers Trench opposite Courtney's Post

7

Fourth Reinforcements arrive at Anzac (1,761)

Sortie from Quinns Post night of 7/8th

8

First Monitor appears off Anzac

10

Scouting parties of NZ Mounted Rifles driven back to No 2 Post

12

4.5 Howitzer taken from Howitzer Gully up to Plugges Plateau

21

French capture the Haricot Redoubt at Cape Helles

28

Successful British attack at Helles

29/30

The last Turkish attack at Anzac fails

Jul 2

Determined Turkish attack at Helles unsuccessful

4/5

Another heavy attack beaten off by British at Cape Helles

10

Turks at Cape Helles ask for Armistice to bury their dead - refused.

12

General Masnou, commanding the 1st French Division at Helles, mortally wounded

31

200 men of the 11th West Australian Battalion take Turkish trenches opposite Tasmania Post

Aug 3

13th (New Army) commences landing at Anzac

6/7

British attack at Cape Helles

Australians attack at Lone Pine, Quinns Post and Russells Top

Old No 3 Post retaken and Table Top and Beauchops Hill taken by NZ Mounted Rifles

Damakjelik Bair captured by Left Covering Force (Traver's 40th)

7

9 Corps land at Suvla Bay before dawn

Rhododendron Spur in the hands of New Zealanders

Auckland Battalion attack fails

8

Wellington Battalion captures Chunuk Bair

Reinforced by Auckland Mounted Rifles during day

Relieved by Otago Battalion and Wellington Mounted Rifles that night

New Army remains inactive at Suvla

Fifth Reinforcements reach Anzac and go into the firing line

9

Ghurkas reach the Saddle between Hill Q and Chunuk Bair

New Zealanders hold Chunuk Bair; relieved at night by New Army Troops

10

New Army Troops driven from Chunuk Bair by Turkish counter attack

11

Stalemate at Suvla

21

First attack on Hill 60

26

Maheno arrives off Anzac

27

Battle renewed for the possession of Hill 60

28

New Zealanders hold and consolidate position on Hill 60

Sept

Troops withdrawn to rest at Sarpi on Lemnos

29

British and Indian troops enter Kut-el-Amara

30

10th (Irish) Division leave Sulva for Salonika

Oct 3

2nd French Division leave Helles for Salonika

11

Lord Kitchener asks Sir Ian Hamilton for the estimated cost of evacuation

12

Sir Ian Hamilton replies that evacuation is unthinkable

14

In the House of Lords, Lord Milner and Lord Ribblesdale call for the evacuation of Gallipoli

16

Lord Kitchener recalls Sir Ian Hamilton

17

Sir Ian Hamilton issues his farewell order

20

General Munro, in London, received instructions to proceed to the Near East to take over command of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force

23

Wreck of Marquette carrying 1st NZ Stationary Hospital to Salonika - 10 NZ nurses drown

30

General Sir Charles Munro first visit to the Peninsula

Nov 2

4th Australian Infantry Brigade arrives from Sarpi Rest Camp

10

NZ Mounted Rifles return to Anzac from Mudros Rest Camp

13

Lord Kitchener visits Anzac

Mr Winston Churchill resigns from the British Cabinet

17

Lt Col Braithwaite, DSO, assumes command of NZ Infantry Brigade

24

Period of silence ordered: lasted 72 hours

Major General Russell assumes command of NZ and A Division

26

Major General Godley assumes command of Army Corps

27/28

Commencement of the Great Blizzard

Dec 3

General Townshend besieged at Kut-el-Amara

8

General Munro orders General Birdwood to proceed with the evacuation of Anzac and Suvla

10/11

All sick, wounded, surplus troops, vehicles and valuable stores removed

12

Announced at Anzac that a winter rest camp would be formed at Imbros. Surplus guns removed

15

Detailed orders issued for the evacuation

16

All ranks warned of impending operation

19

The last night of the evacuation of Anzac and Suvla

20

Evacuation of Anzac and Suvla completed by daylight

Troops disembarked at Lemos

25

Christmas Day mostly spent at sea on transports returning to Egypt. Troops transferred to Egypt between December 21 and 31

Jan 9

Evacuation from Cape Helles completed