Cork men at Gallipoli

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Cork men at Gallipoli

The outbreak of the First World War on August 4th, 1914 saw the 1st Battalion Royal Munster Fusiliers, a regular unit of the British Army, consisting of men from Cork, Limerick, Clare and Kerry, the recruiting counties for the regiment, stationed in Burma (now Myanmar).

Thursday, 23 April 2015
8:20 AM GMT



By Dr Tadhg Moloney

The outbreak of the First World War on August 4th, 1914 saw the 1st Battalion Royal Munster Fusiliers, a regular unit of the British Army, consisting of men from Cork, Limerick, Clare and Kerry, the recruiting counties for the regiment, stationed in Burma (now Myanmar).

With Turkey having entered the war on the side of Germany, they attacked Russia, who sought assistance from their ally, Britain and they decided to carry out offensive operations with this purpose in mind.

The 1st Battalion Royal Munster Fusiliers, in addition to the battalions of other regiments who were on overseas duties, were recalled to Britain. Leaving Burma on 21st October, 1914 with 19 officers and 879 other ranks, with many from Cork, they proceeded initially to Calcutta and thence to Bombay (Mumbai), India, and embarked from there on December 9th, 1914.

Arriving at Avonmouth, Britain on 10th January 1915, they were still in their Indian issue uniforms including drill shorts. Having reached Coventry on 11th January 1915, where they remained for three months, they briefly rested, were re-equipped, trained vigorously, and were assigned to the 86th Brigade of the 29th Division.

Departing Britain on 16th March 1915, it proceeded to Malta and Alexandria, Egypt on its way to the Greek island of Lemnos, with every day consisting of practising for the landings. The battalion at this time consisted of 28 officers and 1,002 other ranks.

Then on the morning of 25th April 1915, the converted collier River Clyde sailed for Gallipoli - one of the Munster’s company commanders noted that what struck him most forcibly, was the demeanour of our men, from not a sound, and this from the light-hearted, devil may care men from the South of Ireland. Even they were filled with a sense of something impending which was quite beyond their ken.

The ship ran ashore on V Beach at Cape Helles at 06.25am, at first there appeared to be no sign of the enemy. Then, as the disembarkation began, the Turks opened fire, the Munsters, running the gauntlet and cheering wildly, were met by a curtain of fire which cut them to pieces, but they never faltered.

Many of the men jumped into the water in an attempt to wade ashore, but due to the weight of their kit, which had 250 rounds of ammunition and rations for three days, they were pulled under and drowned.

It was remarked by an officer from another regiment that no finer episode could be found of men’s bravery and discipline than this – of leaving the safety of the River Clyde to do what was practically certain death.

It was decided to postpone any further attempts at landing the men until nightfall. By midnight they were all ashore, and by mid-morning of 26th April, the fort and village of Sedd el Bahr, which were on the right at V Beach, had been cleared.

This was due in no small part to Corporal William Cosgrove from Aghada, County Cork, who was awarded the Victoria Cross for pulling up the posts of the enemy’s high wire entanglements. However, unsuccessful attempts over a period of ten months were made to break out of the beachheads with incessant fighting but to no avail, and during this time more men lost their lives.

Eventually it was decided to evacuate the soldiers, and this was completed by January 1916. In fact this was the only aspect of the Gallipoli fiasco that was a complete success. 105 of the 359 men from the 1st Battalion Royal Munster Fusiliers who were killed in action (kia), died of wounds (dow) or died, came from Cork city and county.

These were as follows: Private Edward Ahern, 4634, died 5 December 1915, St. Ann’s parish; Private Patrick Ahern, 6951, kia 21 August 1915, St. Ann’s parish; Private James Barry, 9360, kia 25 April 1915, St. Finbarr’s parish; Private Michael Barry, 7861, kia 12 May 1915, St. Ann’s parish; Lance Corporal William Berry, 6761, kia 21 August 1915; Sergeant William Bowman, 8081, kia 25 April 1915, St. Nicholas; Private Lawrence Broderick, 6659, kia 21 August 1915, Youghal; Private Cornelius Collins, 7131, dow 4 September 1915, Bandon; Private John Collins, 8898, kia 25 April 1915, St. Ann’s parish; Lance Corporal Patrick Collins, 9386, kia 25 April 1915, Clonakilty; Private Richard Collins, 9115, kia 1 May 1915, Bandon; Private Andrew Condon, 9512, kia 1 May 1915, St Patrick’s parish; Private Patrick Condon, 9019, kia 25 April 1915, Aghada; Private James Cooney, 8797, kia 9 May 1915, St. Finbarr’s parish; Private Samuel Cox, 8572, kia 8 May 1915, St. Ann’s parish; Private David Cronin, 8554, kia 28 April 1915, Riverstown; Private Peter James Cronin, 9519, kia 14 May 1915, St. Finbarr’s parish; Private Robert Cronin, 8477, kia 25 April 1915, St. Ann’s parish; Private John Joseph Crooke, 10357, kia 21 August 1915, Queenstown (Cobh); Private John Crowley, 7265, dow 25 April 1915, St. Mary’s, Youghal; Private William Curtin, 9691, kia 5 July 1915, St. Finbarr’s parish; Private Michael Desmond, 7004, kia 26 April 1915, Millstreet; Private David Donovan, 4592, kia 21 August 1915, St. Ann’s parish; Private Denis Donovan, 4593, kia 21 August 1915, St. Ann’s parish; Private John Donovan, 8880, kia 28 April 1915, St. Ann’s parish; Private Michael Donovan, 8169, kia 1 May 1915, Sanlubish, Dunmanway; Private Stephen Donovan, 4276, kia 21 August 1915, SS. Peter & Paul parish; Private Thomas Donovan, 5095, kia 28 May 1915, Skibbereen; Private James Fitzgerald, 7082, kia 25 April 1915, Blarney; Private John Fitzgerald, 7569, dow 20 October 1915, St. Ann’s parish; Private John Fitzgerald, 9846, kia 1 May 1915, Glanworth; Private Eugene Flynn, 8656, kia 1 May 1915, Kilbrogan, Bandon; Private Timothy Foley, 9494, dow 5 May 1915, SS. Peter & Paul parish; Private William Foley, 9020, dow 27 August 1915, Carrigaline; Private John Good, 8413, dow 26 August 1915, Bandon; Private William Good, 9570, kia 25 April 1915, St. Patrick’s parish; Corporal John Grady, 7252, kia 1 May 1915, Kinsale; Private Richard Healy, 9814, kia 28 June 1915, Inniscarra; Lance Corporal Denis Hickey, 7360, kia 27 November 1915, Millstreet; Private Michael Histon, 9850, kia 21 August 1915, Kanturk; Private Horatio Hosford, 8779, kia 28 June 1915, Kilbrogan, Bandon; Private Thomas Kavanagh, 8581, kia 1 May 1915, St. Ann’s parish; Private Timothy Keating, 9449, kia 25 April 1915, Kinsale; Private Patrick Kelleher, 7479, dow 14 July 1915, St. Ann’s parish; Private Thomas Kennedy, 9453, kia 8 May 1915, Glantane; Private Francis Kerrigan, 4118, kia 29 June 1915, St. Mary’s parish; Sergeant George Lane, 5828, kia 25 April 1915, Mallow; Private Albert Edward Locke, 8314, kia 27 November 1915, SS. Peter & Paul parish; Private John Long, 9825, kia 25 April 1915, Glanworth; Private John Looney, 8567, kia 21 August 1915; Private Patrick Lynch, 6874, dow 25 April 1915, St. Ann’s parish; Private Samuel Lyons, 5773, kia 21 August 1915, Bantry; Private Michael McAuliffe, 9918, kia 25 April 1915, St. Ann’s parish; Private James McCarthy, 9608, kia 28 August 1915, St. Luke’s parish; Private Patrick McCarthy, 6126, kia 8 May 1915, St. Finbarr’s parish; Private David McGrath, 8575, kia 1 May 1915; Private Michael McGrath, 8875, kia 8 May 1915, Fermoy; Private Roger McGrath, 8400, kia 1 May 1915, Fermoy; Private James McSweeney, 8398, kia 28 June 1915, Bandon; Company Sergeant Major John McSweeney, 6956, kia 28 June 1915, Macroom; Private Michael McSweeney, 10311, kia 9 December 1915, St. Finbarr’s parish; Private John Mahony, 5796, kia 1 May 1915, Killavullen; Private Patrick Moore, 8211, kia 2 May 1915, St. Ann’s parish; Private James Moran, 8816, kia 25 April 1915, Ballymodan; Private Denis Murphy, 8907, dow 24 August 1915, St. Finbarr’s parish; Private William Murphy, 5255, kia 25 April 1915, St. Ann’s parish; Private William Murphy, 9359, kia 25 April 1915, Blarney; Private John Murray, 9338, kia 25 April 1915, Kinsale; Private James Nagle, 9440, kia 4 July 1915, Fermoy; Private James Nugent, 9713, kia 25 April 1915, SS. Peter & Paul parish; Lance Corporal Daniel O’Brien, 9392, kia 25 April 1915, St. Ann’s parish; Sergeant Patrick O’Brien, 6536, kia 21 August 1915, SS Peter & Paul parish; Private William O’Brien, 9837, dow 27 August 1915, St. Finbarr’s parish; Private Charles O’Callaghan, 10393, kia 21 August 1915, St. Ann’s parish; Private Cornelius O’Callaghan, 7763, kia 25 April 1915, Tower; Private Daniel O’Callaghan, 6600, kia 1 May 1915, Fermoy; Private William O’Grady, 8910, kia 25 April 1915, Liscarroll; Sergeant William O’Hanlon, 7282, kia 25 April 1915, Charleville; Private Cornelius O’Leary, 9045, kia 26 April 1915, St. Ann’s parish; Private Daniel O’Leary, 9640, kia 6 August 1915, Clonakilty; Private Michael O’Mahoney, 7751, kia 21 August 1915, Fermoy; Private John O’Regan, 5172, kia 8 August 1915, SS. Peter & Paul parish; Private Joseph O’Regan, 8815, kia 25 April 1915, Ballymodan; Company Quarter Master Sergeant James O’Reilly, 7850, dow 15 September 1915, SS. Peter & Paul parish; Private Patrick O’Riordan, 9838, kia 2 May 1915, St. Ann’s parish, Private James O’Sullivan, 9599, kia 25 April 1915, SS. Peter & Paul parish; Private Michael O’Sullivan, 8532, kia 19 October 1915, St. Finbarr’s parish; Private Michael O’Sullivan, 8963, kia 25 April 1915, Youghal; Private Michael O’Sullivan, 9738, kia 27 July 1915, St Ann’s parish; Private Patrick O’Sullivan, 8102, dow 14 July 1915, Queenstown (Cobh); Corporal James Phair, 10223, kia 21 August 1915, St. Finbarr’s parish; Private Daniel Pigott, 8876, dow 29 April 1915, Fermoy; Private Richard Pigott, 8769, dow 25 April 1915, St. Ann’s parish; Private Michael Regan, 9395, dow 9 May 1915, Churchtown; Private Timothy Riordan, 9610, kia 31 August 1915, St. Finbarr’s parish; Sergeant Patrick Scully, 9430, died 26 November 1915, Queenstown (Cobh); Private James Searls, 9916, kia 25 April 1915, Bandon; Private George Sheehan, 10237, kia 28 April 1915, SS. Peter & Paul parish; Private Michael Sheehan, 3791, kia 11 August 1915, Buttevant; Private John Sullivan, 9795, kia 28 April 1915, St. Ann’s parish; Company Quarter Master Sergeant Henry Sunner, 4932, kia 2 May 1915; Company Quarter Master Thomas Walsh, DCM, 5530, kia 25 April 1915, Glenoura; Lance Corporal John Ward, 9601, dow 24 August 1915, St. Ann’s parish; Private Daniel Whelton, 8657, kia 5 July 1915, Ballymodan and Private John Woods, 8647, kia 28 April 1915, Midleton.

These men are buried in cemeteries in Gallipoli, Mudros and Egypt, while those with no known graves are commemorated on the Helles Memorial, Gallipoli and are maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission to the highest standard.

Mustafa Kemal, who later became known as Ataturk (Father of all Turks), was a colonel in the Turkish army during the campaign and was involved in defeating the Australian and New Zealand forces (ANZAC’s) at Gallipoli. He was very reconciliatory towards those who invaded his country in 1915.

In a letter addressed to pilgrims who visited Gallipoli in 1934, and who consisted of mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters, etc of the men who fought and died there, he said ‘Those heroes who shed their blood and lost their lives... you are now lying in the soil of a friendly country. Therefore rest in peace. There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side here in this country of ours ... You, the mothers who sent their sons from far away countries, wipe away your tears. Your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace. After having lost their lives on this land, they have become our sons as well’.



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