The Heroic 9th Battalion

The Heroic Story of the 9th Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment at Gallipoli

On June 17, the 9th Royal Warwickshire, under Lieut.-Colonel C. H. Palmer, embarked at Avonmouth, and reached Mudros, in the island of Lemnos, on July 9. Four days later they landed on Beach V. near Cape Helles, where the River Clyde, from which a part of the immortal 29th Division had disembarked, still lay. For a fortnight they served off and on in the trenches, losing their colonel, who was shot by a sniper on July 25. Colonel Palmer had raised and trained the battalion, which owed much of its fighting spirit and efficiency to his unselfish enthusiasm and ability. A few days previously Lieut. Grundy had been killed, and Lieut. J. Cattanach (the doctor) mortally wounded. Of other ranks 9 were killed and 28 wounded. On July 29 the battalion returned to Lemnos, and on August 3 embarked again for Anzac Cove, where they were to take part in the impending great attack

The 9th Royal Warwickshire, under Major W. A. Gordon, landed at Anzac Cove in the early morning of August 4. During the first two days (August 6-7) of the attack they were in divisional reserve, but advanced up Aghyl Dere. On August 8 they crossed Bauchop's Hill to the ridge beyond, part going to relieve the 9th Worcester at the head of Aghyl Dere. The New Zealanders had captured Rhododendron Ridge on the previous day, and on August 8 followed up their success by winning Chunuk Bair at the southern end of the main ridge.

The crisis of the attack came on August 9 with the assault of Koja Chemen. Three battalions—the 9th Royal Warwickshire, the 6th South Lancashire, and the 6th Gurkhas—reached the crest, whence they could look down on the waters of the Dardanelles and seemed to have victory in their grasp. But the troops on the right, through no fault of their own, were late, and when the Turks rallied to a counter-attack our men were forced back to the lower slopes from whence they started. One company of the Royal Warwickshire held on, till they were surrounded, and, as it is supposed, all perished. Next day the Turks attacked in the early morning with disastrous results.

The trenches were enfiladed by machine-gun fire, and since no supports were available it was impossible to hold the remainder of the crest on Chunuk Bair. When at night the Royal Warwickshire was withdrawn to reserve no officers and only 248 men were left. Major Gordon had been wounded on August 8, and Major A. G. Sharpe, who succeeded him, was killed two days after. During the four days 5 officers were killed, 9 wounded and 1 missing; of other ranks 57 were killed, 227 wounded and 117 missing. For their service on these days Majors Gordon and C. C. R. Nevill received the D.S.O.

The fact that the battalion had lost all its officers probably explains why at the time its share in reaching the crest of Sari Bair was not recorded. But a New Zealander who had seen the exploit of the Royal Warwickshires bore witness to their heroism. He had watched them march up Aghyl Dere, and had been struck by their soldierly bearing, and, as an old Birmingham man himself, was proud of the imperishable renown which they won.

Had not the attack at Suvla Bay failed through the fatal delays (whatever their reason) on August 8 and 9 the ground won on Sari Bair might have been held. But the brief space when the men of the Royal Warwickshire looked down on the Maidos road was the nearest approach to decisive victory which the British in Gallipoli were to achieve. More than three trying months of exposure to the enemy's attacks and to the weather still remained before the final evacuation.

The 9th Royal Warwickshire was withdrawn to reserve, on August 10, 1915 and it was temporarily commanded by Sergt.-Major Collicott. [sergeant-Major Butler was in charge at the dump]. On August 12 Major W. B. Gover of the Cheshires took over the command. A number of the missing men rejoined, some drafts arrived from Lemnos and England with fresh officers, and the strength of the battalion gradually increased. The rest of August was uneventful except for occasional service in the front trenches.