Withdrawal from Suvla Bay underway
Gallipoli, 31 December 1915 - The carnage of the allied offensive at Gallipoli has led to the withdrawal from Suvla Bay of troops from the British Army and ANZAC.
The withdrawal began in the early hours of the morning: ‘Infantry and dismounted cavalry, guns, horses, donkeys, mules, transport vehicles of various kinds, from big motor lorries to Indian transport carts, the entire reserve of ammunition, and nearly all the stores were removed.’
Attempts to present the withdrawal from Suvla Bay as a successful operation cannot mask the military blunders which characterised so much of the campaign.
'He'll have to hang on a little longer; I may want this myself.' A cartoon from Irish Life depicting allied forces hampering a German relief effort to the Turkish forces in October 1915. Since then, however, things have not gone the allies' way and plans to evacuate all troops are now in full effect. (Irish Life, Vol 15, 19 November 1915. Full collection available at the National Library of Ireland)
Casualties
The House of Commons has been informed that the total
casualties
of the British army in the Dardanelles to 11 December 1915 number
112,921, including 25,279 killed. In addition to those who have
been wounded or killed, a further 96,682 men have been taken sick.
Total British casualties in the war now amount to some 528,227 men, with over 30,000 added in the last month.
[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.]
