The 29th Division
William Keneally was born in Wexford, his father was a colour sergeant in the Royal Irish Regiment. When his father retired from the army, the family moved to the district of Ashton-in-Makerfield, Lancashire where his father worked as a check-weigher at Bryn Hall Colliery. William Keneally became a coal miner at the age of 13. Ten years later he enlisted into the army, signing up for 7 years.
At the time of his award, he was 28 years old, and a private in the 1st Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers.
On the 25th April 1915 west of Cape Helles, Gallipoli, three companies and the headquarters of the 1st Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers when landing at W Beach, were met by a very deadly fire from hidden machine-guns which caused a large number of casualties. The survivors however, rushed up and cut the wire entanglements under terrific fire from the enemy and after overcoming supreme difficulties, the cliffs were gained and the position maintained.
At the time of his award, he was 28 years old, and a private in the 1st Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers.
On the 25th April 1915 west of Cape Helles, Gallipoli, three companies and the headquarters of the 1st Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers when landing at W Beach, were met by a very deadly fire from hidden machine-guns which caused a large number of casualties. The survivors however, rushed up and cut the wire entanglements under terrific fire from the enemy and after overcoming supreme difficulties, the cliffs were gained and the position maintained.
William Keneally
Shortly afterwards William was promoted to Corporal and then Lance-Sergeant. He was seriously wounded in the Battle of Gully Ravine on the 28th June 1915 and died the next day. He is buried at Lancashire Landing Cemetary, Gallipoli Peninsula.
Above, the grave of William Keneally and right, Lancashire Landing Cemetary today.
The S and X Beaches
S and X Beaches were small landings on the flanks of the main V and W Beaches respectively. S Beach lay inside the straits on Morto Bay and was two miles from V Beach. X Beach was was under the cliffs on the Aegean shore, around from W Beach. The troops landed at these beaches were the divisional reserve and therefore had no immediate objectives of their own, other that to secure their beachhead.
The S Beach landing was made by three companies of the 2nd Battalion, South Wales Borderers, under Lieutenat Colonel Hugh Cassel. The landing was complete by 7.30 am. The opposition of 15 Turks were swiftly captured and casualties were light. The landing was supported by the battleship HMS Cornwallis. These companies remained virtually untouched, for two days until the French took over the right flank at Helles. An early sign of the mismanagement of troops and supllies that would hinder the whole campaign.
At X Beach, two companies of the 2nd Battalion, Royal Fusiliers, were ashore by 6.30 am without a casualty. The beach had been covered by 12 Turks, who fled from the point-blank bombardment by the battleship HMS Implacable and the cruiser HMS Dublin. As the day progressed, a Turkish counter-attack almost drove the British back to the beach before it was checked. The 1st Battalion the Border Regiment and the 1st Battalion Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, landed at X Beach later in the day. Troops from X Beach joined with those from W Beach to capture Hill 114 later in the morning.
After the initial period of fighting, the three battalions at X beach remained stationary, awaiting the advance of the main force off V and W Beaches.
The S Beach landing was made by three companies of the 2nd Battalion, South Wales Borderers, under Lieutenat Colonel Hugh Cassel. The landing was complete by 7.30 am. The opposition of 15 Turks were swiftly captured and casualties were light. The landing was supported by the battleship HMS Cornwallis. These companies remained virtually untouched, for two days until the French took over the right flank at Helles. An early sign of the mismanagement of troops and supllies that would hinder the whole campaign.
At X Beach, two companies of the 2nd Battalion, Royal Fusiliers, were ashore by 6.30 am without a casualty. The beach had been covered by 12 Turks, who fled from the point-blank bombardment by the battleship HMS Implacable and the cruiser HMS Dublin. As the day progressed, a Turkish counter-attack almost drove the British back to the beach before it was checked. The 1st Battalion the Border Regiment and the 1st Battalion Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, landed at X Beach later in the day. Troops from X Beach joined with those from W Beach to capture Hill 114 later in the morning.
After the initial period of fighting, the three battalions at X beach remained stationary, awaiting the advance of the main force off V and W Beaches.
Y Beach
The proposal for a fifth landing was made by General Hamilton, and not Hunter-Weston. Y Beach was a considerable distance north along the Aegean coast, close to the village of Krithia and well to the rear of the defences at the Cape. The beach was narrow and dominated by cliffs, the only way off being up a steep gully. Consequently it was completely undefended. Had the landing at Y Beach been properly managed, the outcome of the Gallipoli campaign could have been significantly different. Instead it became a fiasco.
Two thousand men were landed at Y Beach, starting at 5.45am. They consisted of the Plymouth Battalion, RND, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Godfrey Matthews, the 1st Battalion King's Own Scottish Borderers under Lieutenant Colonel Archbald Koe and a company from the 2nd Battalion, South Wales Borderers. Mathews discovered the areas devoid of Turkish defenders. He and his adjutant were able to walk within 500 metres of Krithia village, which was utterly deserted and there for the taking.
The British would never get so close again. The orders for the landing were vague. Instructions had been given to capture a Turkish artillery piece but none was found in the area. There was a dispute between Matthews and Koe as to who was in command. The British did not begin to fortify their beachhead until 3pm and as a consequence, their trenches were incomplete when the Turks launched a counter-attack at dusk.
The fighting continued all night and by dawn, the British had suffered 697 casualties, including Colonel Koe. Desperate pleas for reinforcements were completely ignored by Hunter-Weston. When boats were sent in to take off the wounded, a panicked and unauthorised withdrawl began. The landing was finally abandoned at 11.30pm on April 26th. In the afternoon, a naval officer returned to Y Beach in search of wounded who had been left behind. He was able to wander around the battlefield for two hours without sighting the Turks, who had moved south, to fight at the other beaches. The British went into the Gallipoli campaign believing the Turk to be an indifferent fighter. They would soon come to respect him. The Turks intended to hold a line south of Krithia. On April the 27th the British made no move in the morning, waiting for the French to come ashore on the right. At 4pm, the Allies made a general advance up the peninsula for two miles. From this line they would, on the next day, attack Krithia and Achi Baba in what would become the First Battle of Krithia. The delay would allowed the Turks to reinforce and prepare their defences on ground of their choosing and which they were prepared to defend to the bitter end. Events for the Allies were going to get much worse.
Two thousand men were landed at Y Beach, starting at 5.45am. They consisted of the Plymouth Battalion, RND, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Godfrey Matthews, the 1st Battalion King's Own Scottish Borderers under Lieutenant Colonel Archbald Koe and a company from the 2nd Battalion, South Wales Borderers. Mathews discovered the areas devoid of Turkish defenders. He and his adjutant were able to walk within 500 metres of Krithia village, which was utterly deserted and there for the taking.
The British would never get so close again. The orders for the landing were vague. Instructions had been given to capture a Turkish artillery piece but none was found in the area. There was a dispute between Matthews and Koe as to who was in command. The British did not begin to fortify their beachhead until 3pm and as a consequence, their trenches were incomplete when the Turks launched a counter-attack at dusk.
The fighting continued all night and by dawn, the British had suffered 697 casualties, including Colonel Koe. Desperate pleas for reinforcements were completely ignored by Hunter-Weston. When boats were sent in to take off the wounded, a panicked and unauthorised withdrawl began. The landing was finally abandoned at 11.30pm on April 26th. In the afternoon, a naval officer returned to Y Beach in search of wounded who had been left behind. He was able to wander around the battlefield for two hours without sighting the Turks, who had moved south, to fight at the other beaches. The British went into the Gallipoli campaign believing the Turk to be an indifferent fighter. They would soon come to respect him. The Turks intended to hold a line south of Krithia. On April the 27th the British made no move in the morning, waiting for the French to come ashore on the right. At 4pm, the Allies made a general advance up the peninsula for two miles. From this line they would, on the next day, attack Krithia and Achi Baba in what would become the First Battle of Krithia. The delay would allowed the Turks to reinforce and prepare their defences on ground of their choosing and which they were prepared to defend to the bitter end. Events for the Allies were going to get much worse.
The below film a " Letter from Gallipoli " was written by an Anzac, but it could have been written by anyone serving in Gallipoli as the campaign settled down to a stagnant stalemate.
