Gallipoli evacuation complete

Alexandria, 10 January 1916 - The evacuation of Gallipoli is now complete.

Military sources claim that the operation has been a complete success: ‘Our casualties amounted to one British rank and file wounded. There were no casualties among the French troops. All guns and howitzers were got away, with the exception of seventeen worn-out guns, which were blown up by us before leaving.’

A Turkish spokesman was clear where the success of the campaign truly lay: ‘The Turkish troops have completely driven the enemy from Seddul-Bahr, and the Gallipoli Peninsula is now clear of all hostile forces.’

Prof Mike Cronin discusses the evacuation of Gallipoli. 

The disastrous campaign
The allied campaign in the region began on 25 February 1915 when warships bombed the forts at the entrance to the Dardanelles.

The subsequent invasion by allied troops proved extremely difficult; the inhospitable terrain and the bravery of the Turkish defenders made progress slow. There were repeated claims in the press that the invading forces were making significant headway but any momentum that had been gained quickly drained away.

By December, with the number of casualties having reached 114,555, evacuation was considered to be the only sensible course of action.

[Editor's note: This is an article from Century Ireland, a fortnightly online newspaper, written from the perspective of a journalist 100 years ago, based on news reports of the time.]