6th Essex at Gallipoli, Sulva Bay and Anzac 1915
The British army landed at Gallipoli in April 1915 but found the Turkish resistance very strong.
This lead to an operation designed to cut off the Turkish Army from its supplies.
One of the key objectives of this plan was to take Sulva Bay as a strategic winter base and another the strategic Anzac area.
The landing at Sulva Bay on 6th August 1915 was a success although the push to secure strategically important points nearby were not as successful.
The Essex Battalions all landed at Sulva Bay on 12 August 1915 with the 5th,6th and 7th Essex all moving to the reserve line at the centre of the front line.
The next day they took over the front line and were soon involved in hot fighting.
For the next two weeks the Battalions switched between front line duties and reserve lines on a daily basis.
At the end of August the Battalions were all moved to nearby Anzac where fighting had reached a stalemate and the objective had changed from assault to containing the line
The battalion was engaged in this role until then end of the campaign in December 1915 when they moved on to another conflict at Gaza.
The only offence during this period was for Hill 60 of which the Battalion was closely involved.
By the end of the campaign the enemy had killed 2 Officers and33 other ranks. They had wounded 8 Officers and killed 103 other ranks whereas illness had caused 45 Officers and 1,659 other ranks to be hospitalised.
The enemy was fighting on territory that they knew and proved determined opponents but many felt that the real enemy was the land with poor equipment and supplies leading to lines such as dysentery which was responsible for many of the deaths as well as weakening men for fighting.
Sulva Bay
The 6th Essex sailed from Plymouth on the HMT Southland arriving at Sulva Bay on 11 August 1915.
The Battalion were deprived of the services of CSM Hicks who developed appendicitis and was taken to hospital in Alexandria.
On 13 August 1915 the Battalion moved forward under constant sniper fire to support the Norfolk's in an advance. A communication error led to some of the Battalion, including Major Ward, Captain Sly and Lieut Silverwood advancing while others retreated. The confusion led to the death of 2 other ranks killed with 3 officers and 54 men wounded.
In the following few days there were several deaths and injuries mainly from sniper fire. These included the Adjutant Captain G Disney and Lieut A C Beeton who along with 5 other ranks were killed by shrapnel. The Commanding Officer, Lieut-Colonel R F Wall was wounded and it was with some relief that the Battalion took up a reserve position on 23rd August 1915 where they remained until the hazardous march to nearby Anzac on 30 August 1915.
Anzac
The 6th went straight into the front line replacing the 13th Australians.
There were no major incidents in September just regular exchanges of gunfire and bomb throwing that killed 5 men and wounded 12.
On 4th October 1915 the Battalion stood down from the front line and were pleased to welcome a draft of 75 new recruits and a Major W J Bowker as their new Commanding Officer.
The break lasted only a week before they returned to the trenches at the front line.
A Turkish bombing raid killed a Private and wounded 2 others. Private Brown remained cool and handled the situation so well that he was commended by the Brigadier.
Captain Tee has a narrow escape when a bullet hit him in the chest where it was diverted by a steel mirror and a testament which left him with a flesh wound.
The war continued with spells in the front line and sheltering behind as a reserve.
Deaths continued from snipers and bombs including 2nd Lieut Cecil Arthur Rayner and the Adjutant Captain George Percy Douglas.
The winter started to bit in November 1915 with the benefit that the plague of flies diminished although the illness suffered changed from dysentery to trench foot due to the cold damp weather.
The casualty list for November was 1 killed, 7 wounded, 1 missing and 123 taken to hospital.
The battalion were loaded onto the SS Ermine and evacuated from Anzac on 21 December 1915.
