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GALLIPOLI DIARY
Vol 1
by General
SIR IAN HAMILTON, G.C.B.
Published 1920
CONTENTS
PREFACE
LETTER FROM GENERAL D'AMADE TO THE AUTHOR
CHAPTER
I. THE START
II. THE STRAITS
III. EGYPT
IV. CLEARING FOR ACTION
V. THE LANDING
VI. MAKING GOOD
VII. SHELLS
VIII. TWO CORPS OR AN ALLY?
IX. SUBMARINES
X. A DECISION AND THE PLAN
XI. BOMBS AND JOURNALISTS
XII. A VICTORY AND AFTER
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
SIR ROGER KEYES,
VICE-ADMIRAL DE ROBECK,
SIR IAN HAMILTON,
GENERAL BRAITHWAITE
LIEUT.-GEN. SIR J.G. MAXWELL, G.C.B., K.C.M.G
REVIEW OF FRENCH TROOPS AT ALEXANDRIA
S.S. "RIVER CLYDE"
"W" BEACH
GENERAL D'AMADE
VIEW OF "V" BEACH, TAKEN FROM S.S. "RIVER CLYDE"
MEN BATHING AT HELLES
THE NARROWS FROM CHUNUK BAIR
GENERAL GOURAUD
MAPS
KEY MAP
CAPE HELLES AND THE SOUTHERN AREA
Sir Ian Standish Monteith Hamilton (1853-1947)
was Commander in Chief of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force in the
unsuccessful campaign against Turkey at Gallipoli.
Born on 16 January 1853 in Corfu, Hamilton served in numerous campaigns and
roles in India and Africa in a military career which began in 1873. Having
served in Afghanistan in 1878, he was appointed Lord Kitchener's Chief of
Staff during the South African War of 1899-1902.
Following the Boer campaign Hamilton received a knighthood in 1902. He was
made Commander in Chief of British forces in the Mediterranean in 1910. He was
therefore the logical (although to many surprising) choice to be placed at the
head of the expeditionary force assembled in 1915 for the invasion of Turkey.
He had earlier been placed in charge of home forces at the outbreak of war in
August 1914.
Appointed to his command of a force of 75,000 men on 12 March 1915 by
Kitchener, Hamilton was tasked with seizing control of the Dardanelles Straits
and with the capture of Constantinople.
The failure of this campaign - considered risky and inadvisable by many even
before it began, including Admiral Fisher (who strenuously objected to the
dilution of the British Grand Fleet, and who consequently resigned in protest)
- led to the end of numerous careers, including Hamilton's and, temporarily,
Churchill (who instigated the plan).
Hamilton spent six fruitless months unimaginatively bombarding the Turks at
Gallipoli, making little progress but incurring severe casualties. He
nevertheless remained optimistic with regard to the overall success of the
plan, to the point of opposing Cabinet moves in London to initiate an
evacuation.
Made a scapegoat for the failure of the operation (despite being hopelessly
undermanned and having faced formidable logistical difficulties), Hamilton was
recalled to London on 16 October 1915, effectively ending his military career.
He was replaced by General Sir Charles Monro who, echoing Hamilton's belated
recognition of the futility of the campaign, immediately recommended
evacuation.
He was subsequently appointed Lieutenant of the Tower from 1918-20. He
published a two volume diary of his wartime experiences, Gallipoli Diary, in
1920.
He died on 12 October 1947 in London.
This Ebook is of the first volume of his
wartime experiences, the most important covering the period before and after
the landing and the lead-up to stalemate.
A valuable resource on the Dardanelles
campaign.
--o--
Ebook is US$4.99
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