Gallipoli
The Gallipoli campaign was a costly failure for the Allies and is remembered today as a defining moment in the history of both Australia and New Zealand - commemorated each year on ANZAC Day, 25 April.
The Morgan family made a significant contribution to this campaign – blood was spilled, and not one of our Morgan relatives would survive unscathed. This is a record of their sacrifice.
ROTTING FLESH!
ITS fetid perfume corrupts the Turkish air. It is August 1915, and British, French and Dominion troops have been hanging on at Gallipoli for over three months. Conceived as a swift, decisive blow against an enfeebled adversary, the campaign has ground to a halt. In the stifling heat, both sides shelter in trenches and tunnels, sniping and shelling. Deadlock exerts its murderous grip. Tormented by thirst, racked with dysentery and plagued by flies and lice, good keen men are wasting away.
Introduction
Gallipoli is a place of reverence for many New Zealanders and is where the forging of our national identity occurred in the spirit of ANZAC.
For all those who served at Gallipoli, it was to be a terrible experience where friend and foe would not survive unscathed. Turkish and Allied casualties numbered around 460,000 men killed, missing, or wounded. Those who survived would be physically and mentally scarred with what they had seen, done, and comrades left behind.
The Morgan family made a significant contribution of sacrifice and service at Gallipoli. Six family members would serve there; none would last past August 1915. Death, dirt, and disease was to be their daily grind. Walker’s Ridge, No. 3 Post, Chunuk Bair, and Quinn’s Post are locations of special meaning as Morgan blood, sweat, and tears were left on these battlefields at Anzac Cove.
Brothers Syd and Inky along with their cousin Willie landed at Anzac Cove on 12 May 1915 with the Wellington Mounted Rifles. Their second cousin, Garland who served with the Divisional Signal Company, was the first Morgan to arrive on the peninsula, landing on 25 April 1915. Willie’s future brothers-in-law, Son HUGHES and William STEVENSON, landed with the Wellington Infantry Battalion: Son as reinforcements on 7 June 1915; and William on 26 April 1915.
Garland lasted 17 days before he was shot and killed by a sniper; Syd, Willie and Son were wounded, William was evacuated with illness, and all were invalided home to New Zealand. Only Inky would last the duration of the War, after being evacuated from Gallipoli with an illness, he continued to serve in Egypt before returning home in 1919.
“Those heroes that 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.”
(Col.) Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, speech in 1934 – Commander of Turkish Forces (Northern Sector), Gallipoli 1915
War is Declared
What began as a relatively small conflict in southeast Europe became a war between European empires fought on a geographical scale never seen before.
On 28 June 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand - heir to the throne of the Austro-Hungarian Empire - was assassinated in the Bosnian city of Sarajevo. The fallout from this event was to be a catalyst for war and gave German-backed Austria the excuse to provoke conflict. There were many alliances at play and like falling dominoes World War 1 was about to begin.
The war officially started when Germany declared war on Russia and France on 1 and 3 August 1914 respectively. When Germany violated the neutrality of Belgium in order to invade France, Great Britain, true to her pledge to protect Belgium against unprovoked aggression, entered the conflict by declaring war on Germany on 4 August 1914. When Great Britain declared war, so did many nations of the entire British Empire, including the dominion of New Zealand.
The fallout from this faraway event would ultimately claim the lives of 18,000 New Zealanders and lead to the wounding of 41,000 more. Over the course of the war more than 120,000 New Zealanders joined the armed forces, with 100,000 of these serving overseas. To put this in perspective, the total population of New Zealand in 1914 was just over one million – ten percent of the population therefore served overseas - the whole country would be connected somehow to someone who served. Nearly 1 in 5 would not return.
Volunteers Galore
At the declaration of war, recruiting men for the New Zealand Expeditionary Force (NZEF) was among the New Zealand government’s most pressing priorities.
The response was both rapid and enthusiastic! On 7 August 1914, Parliament announced that an Expeditionary Force would be prepared for service without delay, and within days four Morgan’s had volunteered. In no time the armed forces were flooded with volunteers and by 16 October 1914, the main Expeditionary Force (NZEF) of 8,454 men left New Zealand with the expectation of joining British forces fighting on the Western Front (France and Belgium).
The supply of volunteers at the outbreak of war were overwhelming, buoyed by a national Territorial Force. Since 1909, military training was compulsory for the male population aged between 12 and 25 years, after which the men were then posted to the Reserve until they were 30 years of age.
Over 30 nations were to declare war between 1914 and 1918, with 65 million men volunteering or conscripted to fight in mass armies.
Germany declared war on Russia on 1 August 1914 (in support of Austria ) and France (because of her alliance with Russia) on 3 August 1914. Britain declared war on Germany in support of Belgium and France; Turkey sided with Germany (November 1914).
At 3pm on 5 August 1914, NZ Governor, Lord Liverpool, announced that we were at war from the steps of Parliament
New Zealand’s response to the outbreak of war was not only a matter of supporting Mother England - self-interest was also at work. NZ was dependent on the British market for the sale of the wool, frozen meat and dairy products that dominated its economy. Anything that threatened this market threatened NZ’s livelihood. NZ relied on Britain’s naval power to protect its physical integrity and its trade on the long haul to the British market.
Dardanelle's Campaign
The Gallipoli campaign is considered a defining moment in the history of Australia and New Zealand, and we commemorate ANZAC Day on April 25 each year to honour the soldiers who fought and died in this campaign.
On 25 April 1915, thousands of young men of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force (MEF) stormed the beaches on the Gallipoli Peninsula. For eight long months, New Zealand troops, alongside those from Australia, Great Britain and Ireland, France, India, and Newfoundland battled harsh conditions and strong resistance by Ottoman forces who were desperate to protect their homeland from invasion. By the time the campaign ended, more than 130,000 men had died: at least 87,000 Ottoman soldiers and 44,000 Allied soldiers. Among those killed were 2,779 New Zealanders, about a sixth of those who had landed on the peninsula.
The Allied plan was to capture the narrow Dardanelles strait, allowing naval forces to enter the Sea of Marmara and directly attack Constantinople (Istanbul, the capital of Turkey) and opening up a sea route to Russia. It was anticipated that the success of this campaign would knock the Ottoman Empire out of the war. The campaign proved to be a disaster for the Allies - over-confidence, poor planning and lack of resources dogged the Allied effort from the start. Initial attempts of a Naval campaign to ‘force’ the straits failed. British Command were then forced to revert to a land-based invasion in their attempt to capture the Gallipoli Peninsula.
Despite some initial successes, the campaign soon bogged down into a stalemate. In the face of a vigorous Turkish defence, no significant Allied advance proved possible. The fighting quickly degenerated into trench warfare, with the ANZACs holding a tenuous perimeter. The troops endured heat, flies, the stench of rotting corpses, lack of water, dysentery, disease, and worst of all - a sense of hopelessness. By November, winter was setting in, exposing the men to severe rain and freezing temperatures.
The campaign was eventually abandoned, with the ANZACs being evacuated from Anzac Cove (15-20 December 1915) and British forces from Cape Helles (8-9 January 1916). Ironically, the evacuation of Gallipoli would prove to be the only successful part of the entire campaign. Far from being considered inferior soldiers by British Command, the New Zealand and Australian troops proved themselves to be some of the best fighting soldiers in the Empire. The New Zealand casualty rate (killed or wounded) was 87% - testament of the sacrifices made here.
The MEF would eventually number over 130,000 men on the Peninsula in total, with the ANZACs (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) forming nearly 60% of this force
The two principal architects of the Dardanelles campaign were Winston Churchill as First Lord of the Admiralty and Lord Kitchener as Secretary of War - a popular war hero at the time (Sudan and Boer War), famously the face of the ‘We Want You’ recruitment posters.
“We gained about 400 acres in four days of fighting. 1000 men killed and wounded.
Land is very dear here.”
Trooper James Watson – Auckland Mounted Rifles, Battle of Hill 60, 27-29 August 1915
Roll of Honour
Six 'Morgan' relatives would serve time at Gallipoli, none would last the duration of the campaign as casualty and illness took its toll.
Service No | Name | Rank | Regiment | Unit/Attachment | Expedition Force | Landed | Casualty Date | Casualty Occurred | Casualty Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
10/1851 | HUGHES Herbert Hoey Burnett | Corporal | Wellington Infantry Battalion | 7th Wellington West Coast Company | 4th Reinforcements | 07/06/1915 | 08/08/1915 | Chunuk Bair | Wounded - invalided home |
4/558 | MORGAN Garland Oswald | Sapper | NZ Engineers Divisional Signal Company | Auckland Infantry Battalion | Main Body | 25/04/1915 | 11/05/1915 | Monash Gulley | Killed In Action |
11/571 | MORGAN Sydney John | Trooper | Wellington Mounted Rifles | 2nd (Wellington West Coast) Squadron | Main Body | 12/05/1915 | 31/05/1915 | No.3 Post | Wounded - invalided home |
11/528 | MORGAN William Coombes | Trooper | Wellington Mounted Rifles | 2nd (Wellington West Coast) Squadron | Main Body | 12/05/1915 | 11/07/1915 | Walker's Ridge | Wounded - invalided home |
11/599 | MORGAN William Elvins Spiers | 2nd Lieutenant | Wellington Mounted Rifles | 2nd (Wellington West Coast) Squadron | Main Body | 12/05/1915 | 31/07/1915 | No.3 Post | Evacuated sick to Egypt |
10/259 | STEVENSON William Alexander | Private | Wellington Infantry Battalion | 7th Wellington West Coast Company, and Infantry Brigade Headquarters | Main Body | 26/04/1915 | 10/08/1915 | Walker's Ridge | Evacuated sick – invalided home |
HUGHES Herbert Hoey Burnett
10/1851 Corporal H. H. B. HUGHES was wounded in the battle for Chunuk Bair before being invalided home.
Herbert Hoey Burnett (Son) HUGHES was born at Marybank, in the Lakes District of Wanganui on 15 December 1887. The son of (Col.) Robert HUGHES and Catherine Cunningham Mason BETT, Son married Mary Elvins (Molly) MORGAN in 1922 - older sister of my grandfather Edgar Charles MORGAN.
Son is the husband of my great aunt ‘Molly’ MORGAN.
‘Son’ enlisted for overseas service on 5 January 1915 at Trentham [Wellington] aged 27 years. At the time, he was a single self-employed farmer at Turakina. Posted to the Fourth Reinforcement’s ‘B’ Company of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, with the rank of Private, within a few weeks he was promoted to the rank of Corporal.
The Fourth Reinforcements of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force (NZEF) consisted of several battalions, including the 1st and 2nd Auckland, Wellington, Canterbury, and Otago Battalions. They departed from Wellington on 17 April 1915 bound for Egypt. This contingent was part of New Zealand's ongoing military commitment during World War I, aimed at bolstering the forces engaged in various theatres, particularly Gallipoli.
The reinforcements were transported on New Zealand troopships HMNZT 21 Willochra, HMNZT 22 Knight Templar, and HMNZT 23 Waitomo, making the journey from Wellington to Suez in 38 days [it is unknown which if these ships 'Son' was transported on]. Son disembarked in Egypt on 25 May 1915, and was posted to the Wellington Infantry Battalion - 7th Wellington West Coast Company. It was only to be a short stopover, as reinforcements were desperately needed at Gallipoli. Son landed at Anzac Cove on or about 7 June 1915.
References for Son:
10/1851 Corporal H. H. B. HUGHES
Wellington Infantry Battalion
Marybank is 3km from Newtonlees (Kaitoke), so it is likely the HUGHES and MORGAN families were known to each other prior to the war.
MORGAN Garland Oswald
4/558 Sapper G. O. MORGAN, New Zealand Engineers Divisional Signal Company, was killed in action at the Dardanelles during the Gallipoli campaign in 1915.
Garland Oswald MORGAN was born in Hawera, New Plymouth on 14 December 1892. The son of Thomas Henry MORGAN and Mary Amelia NUTTALL, Garland had four sisters - Catherine, Sarah, Bryl, and Hilda. Garland’s father was a younger brother of my great-great grandfathers John and William MORGAN.
Garland is my first cousin (3x removed).
Educated at Hawera District High School, Garland went on to work in civil service (Post Office) in various capacities. Initially working in Wellington, Garland was transferred to Christchurch and was among the first to enlist at the outbreak of war, enlisting on 14 August 1914 aged 22 years.
Possibly due to of the nature of his civilian occupation, Garland was posted to the New Zealand Engineers - Divisional Signal Company, with the rank of Sapper [equivalent to Private or Trooper]. Being a ‘Specialist Unit’ of the Engineers, troops in the Divisional Signal Company were attached (dispersed across) to various units of the NZEF. In Garland’s instance, he was attached to the New Zealand Infantry Brigade – Auckland Infantry Battalion.
Garland sailed with the Auckland Infantry Battalion from Wellington with the main body of the NZEF on 16 October 1914 aboard the transport ship HMNZT 12 Waimana. One of ten transport ships that sailed that day, the convoy linked up with the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) in Australia, then set out across the Indian Ocean reaching Egypt on 3 December 1914.
Garland was among the first New Zealanders to land at Anzac Cove on 25 April 1915 (and the first MORGAN), going ashore with the New Zealand Infantry Brigade – Auckland Infantry Battalion.
References for Garland:
4/558 Sapper G. O. MORGAN
New Zealand Engineers Divisional Signal Company
MORGAN Sydney John
11/571 Trooper S. J. Morgan, Wellington Mounted Rifles - 2nd (Wellington West Coast) Squadron, served in Egypt and Dardanelles before being wounded and invalided home.
Sydney John (Syd) MORGAN was born on 23 October 1887 at Wanganui (Newtonlees). The third child of Edmund Richard MORGAN and Isabella Rose RUSSELL, he had two sisters and two brothers. His father, Edmund Richard, is the older brother of my great grandmother Charlotte Mary (Lotte) MORGAN.
Syd is my first cousin (2x removed).
Syd enlisted aged 26 years on 15 August 1914 at Hawera. He was a farmer working for James CRAIG at Whangaehu. On his return home, Syd took up land at Mangapurua (Wanganui River Soldier Settlement) - bridge to nowhere fame with his brother Inky.
Syd sailed with his brother and cousin on HMNZT 10 Arawa, departing Wellington on 16 October 1914. As the WMR were mounted infantry, it had been decided that the Australian and New Zealand mounted regiments would remain in Egypt to defend and protect the Suez Canal – horses weren’t required at Gallipoli! Due to the heavy losses incurred by the Allied forces, Syd (and the WMR) were sent as infantry reinforcements and landed at Anzac Cove on 12 May 1915.
References for Syd:
11/571 Trooper S. J. MORGAN
Wellington Mounted Rifles
MORGAN William Coombes
11/528 Trooper W. C. MORGAN, Wellington Mounted Rifles - 2nd (Wellington West Coast) Squadron, served in Egypt and Dardanelles before being wounded at Gallipoli.
Affectionally known as ‘Uncle Willie’, William Coombes MORGAN was the eldest son of my great-grandparents William Edmund (Ted) MORGAN and Charlotte Mary (Lotte) MORGAN. Born on 2 May 1888 at Turakina near Marton, he was the second eldest of seven siblings and elder brother of my grandfather Edgar Charles MORGAN.
Willie is my great uncle.
Willie enlisted on 15 August 1914 at Wanganui aged 26 years. At the time, he was single, and a farmer working on the family farms (‘Mahuri’ at Maungamahu and ‘Roseville’ at Kaitoke).
Willie sailed with NZEF on the troopship HMNZT 10 Arawa on 16 October 1914, arriving in Egypt on 3 December 1914. As mounted infantry, the WMR would remain in Egypt while the New Zealand Infantry regiments sailed for Gallipoli. He would land at Anzac Cove on 12 May 1915 as infantry reinforcements, leaving their horses behind in Egypt.
References for Willie:
11/528 Trooper W. C. MORGAN
Wellington Mounted Rifles
Willie’s younger brother Jack (John Ivo MORGAN) was to also enlist with the WMR, and served in Egypt from 1917 until the end of the war.
MORGAN William Elvins Spiers
11/599 2nd Lieutenant W.E.S. MORGAN, Wellington Mounted Rifles Regiment 2nd (Wellington West Coast) Squadron, saw action at Gallipoli and Egypt.
William Elvins Spiers (Inky) MORGAN was born on 22 February 1893 at Wanganui (Newtonlees). The youngest child of Edmund Richard MORGAN and Isabella Rose RUSSELL, he is the younger brother of Syd. His father, Edmund Richard, is the older brother of my great grandmother Charlotte Mary (Lotte) MORGAN.
Inky is my first cousin (2x removed).
Inky enlisted aged 21 years on 13 August 1914 at Hawera. He was a clerk living with his parents at Aramoho. It appears there was a special bond between him and his brother (Syd), as after the war, he joined him at Mangapurua (Wanganui River Soldier Settlement) where they farmed together for over 10 years.
In September 1914, Inky was promoted to Sergeant before he embarked on the troopship HMNZT 10 Arawa on 15 October 1914 with the main body of the NZEF. Sailing with him were his brother (Syd) and cousin (Willie). Departing from Wellington on 16 December 1914, he arrived in Egypt on 3 December 1914.
References for Inky:
11/599 2nd Lieutenant W. E. S. MORGAN
Wellington Mounted Rifles
STEVENSON William Alexander
10/259 Private W. A. STEVENSON succumbed to severe illness at Gallipoli before being invalided home to New Zealand in 1915.
William Alexander STEVENSON was born at Wanganui on 29 August 1886. The son of James STEVENSON and Janet Suter PETERS, it is believed he had an older brother, David Balfour STEVENSON, and sister (Mrs. D. TIDSWELL of Upper Hutt - named as next of kin on his service records). William married Irene Daisey MORGAN - older sister of my grandfather Edgar Charles MORGAN.
William is the husband of my great aunt Irene ‘Daisey’ MORGAN.
One of the first to enlist, William attested on 17 August 1914 at Wanganui a few days prior to his 28th birthday. At the time, he was single, a labourer working for the Waitotara County Council. He was posted to Wellington Infantry Battalion with the rank of Private and departed from Wellington with the main body of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force on 16 October 1914 aboard the transport ship HMNZT 3 Maunganui.
One of ten transport ships that sailed that day, Wellington-West Coast Company, to its great satisfaction, was detailed for the "Maunganui," the flagship of the transport fleet. The convoy linked up with the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) in Australia, then set out across the Indian Ocean reaching Egypt on 3 December 1914. Here they travelled to Cairo by train, then marched to the newly established Zeitoun Camp.
It is with difficulty to ascertain with certainty William’s exact movements during the first 9 months of his service as his military service records are incomplete (from the date of his enlistment to 19 May 1915 are missing). Reliance for this period is placed on the official record of ‘The Wellington Regiment (NZEF) 1914 – 1919. What is known for certain:
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Williams’s regiment was Wellington Infantry Battalion.
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The Wellington Infantry Battalion landed at Gallipoli during the early hours of the morning of 26 April 1915 from the transport ship “Achaia”. They spent time ‘in the line’ at Walkers Ridge.
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On 19 May 1915, William was admitted to Deaconess Hospital (Sisters of Mercy Hospital) at Alexandria with measles. Records indicate he was evacuated on HMT Osmailigh [could be HMT Osmanieh].
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William rejoined “HQ” at Gallipoli on 8 July 1915. On 16 July 1915 he was attached to Auckland Brigade HQ (temporarily). Noted on this record has his regiment as ‘Infantry Brigade Headquarters’.
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10 August 1915, William was again evacuated from Gallipoli and admitted to New Zealand General Hospital at Cairo with gastro enteritis [dysentery and enteric fever (typhoid)].
On 20 November 1915, William embarked for New Zealand on SS Tahiti arriving home in time for Christmas on 26 December 1915. He was medically discharged as unfit for active service on 1 May 1916.
References for William:
William STEVENSON'S service records are incomplete and create some confusion. His 'Attestation' indicates he was posted to the Wellington Infantry Battalion, however, there is a gap until he is in hospital in which his records indicate he was with the Infantry Brigade Headquarters.
AWMM Online Cenotaph indicates that William sailed on HMNZT 7 Limerick or HMNZT 10 Arawa. However, according to the official record of ‘The Wellington Regiment (NZEF) 1914 – 1919’, assuming William was with the Wellington-West Coast Company, he likely embarked on HMNZT 3 Maunganui [if not Maunganui then definitely Arawa].
Going by the territorial regiments of the Wellington military district: 7th (Wellington West Coast) Regiment; 9th (Hawke's Bay) Regiment; 11th Regiment (Taranaki Rifles); and 17th (Ruahine) Regiment; William is likely to have been posted to 7th (Wellington West Coast) Regiment.
Off to Adventure
The Journey
From the outbreak of war there was an obvious necessity to get troops into the field of operation and this was most commonly done by sea on transport troopships.
At the start of World War 1 the New Zealand Government chartered a number of merchant ships and converted them for troop carrying - known as New Zealand Transports or HMNZT (His Majesty’s New Zealand Transport). Each return voyage was one charter (of which there were 111 from New Zealand), the troopship number being the number of the charter, with many troopships undertaking multiple charters.
The troopships generally followed the same route to the Middle East: from Wellington across the Tasman Sea to Australia (via Hobart, Albany, Freemantle) where they would join a convoy of Australian transports, then cross the Indian Ocean via Colombo (Sri Lanka) and Aden, the Red Sea, through the Suez Canal into the Mediterranean Sea, and finally onto Port Said (Egypt). The journey would take about 7 weeks to complete and fraught with much risk and danger from the marauding German East Asia Squadron.
The German East Asia Squadron is an Imperial German Navy cruiser squadron which operated mainly in the Pacific Ocean between the mid-1890s until 1914. It was destroyed at the Battle of the Falkland Islands on 8 December 1914. It was based at Germany's Kiautschou Bay concession in China.
Service No | Name | Regiment | Unit/Attachment | Expedition Force | Transport Ship | Sailing Date | Expedition Force | Destination | Arrival Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
10/1851 | HUGHES Herbert Hoey Burnett | Wellington Infantry Battalion | 7th Wellington West Coast Company | 4th Reinforcements | HMNZT 21 Willochra, or HMNZT 22 Knight Templar, or HMNZT 23 Waitomo | 17/04/1915 | 4th Reinforcements | Egypt | 25/05/1915 |
4/558 | MORGAN Garland Oswald | NZ Engineers Divisional Signal Company | Auckland Infantry Battalion | Main Body | HMNZT 12 Waimana | 16/10/1914 | Main Body | Egypt | 03/12/1914 |
11/571 | MORGAN Sydney John | Wellington Mounted Rifles | 2nd (Wellington West Coast) Squadron | Main Body | HMNZT 10 Arawa | 16/10/1914 | Main Body | Egypt | 03/12/1914 |
11/528 | MORGAN William Coombes | Wellington Mounted Rifles | 2nd (Wellington West Coast) Squadron | Main Body | HMNZT 10 Arawa | 16/10/1914 | Main Body | Egypt | 03/12/1914 |
11/599 | MORGAN William Elvins Spiers | Wellington Mounted Rifles | 2nd (Wellington West Coast) Squadron | Main Body | HMNZT 10 Arawa | 16/10/1914 | Main Body | Egypt | 03/12/1914 |
10/259 | STEVENSON William Alexander | Wellington Infantry Battalion | 7th Wellington West Coast Company, and Infantry Brigade Headquarters | Main Body | HMNZT 3 Maunganui | 16/10/1914 | Main Body | Egypt | 03/12/1914 |
Leaving NZ
The Main Body of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force (First Reinforcements) sailed from Wellington harbour on 16 October 1914.
Thousands of Wellingtonians rose before dawn and crowded vantage points around the harbour to watch as 10 grey-painted troopships, escorted by four warships, sailed to war. These ships carried the Main Body (First Reinforcement) for the NZEF – around 8,454 men and 4,000 horses. Those who sailed on this day remain the largest single group ever to leave these shores at one time.
The morning of departure [Friday] broke clear, but very grey. The turmoil and excitement of previous days – the hurrying about of big masses of men and horses, the exhilaration of stirring patriotic events, the sweet sadness of lingering farewells – all this was over, and there remained only the setting-forth.
The number of men that left Wellington that day was significantly boosted by the addition of two Auckland troopships. These had been expected to meet the rest of the fleet in the Tasman Sea but instead sailed with the Main Body from Wellington to avoid the threat posed by a squadron of German warships at large in the Pacific Ocean. The British and Japanese navy’s provided a naval escort to protect the troops on their voyage from Wellington to Australia.
The fleet of troopships which transported the Main Body of the NZEF and their escort in Wellington Harbour, 15 October 1914.
Amongst the men departing that day were William STEVENSON on HMNZT 3 Maunganui, Garland on HMNZT 12 Waimana and Willie, Syd, and Inky on HMNZT 10 Arawa bound for the battlefields of France and Belgium. After stopovers in Hobart (Tasmania), Albany (Western Australia), and Freemantle (Perth) where they linked up with the Australian Imperial Force (AIF), the convoy of 38 vessels steamed across the Indian Ocean destination Europe.
Several days after leaving Australia the situation was to dramatically change.
On 5 November 1914 the Ottoman Empire (Turkey) entered the war, siding with the German-led Central Power alliance. Consequently, British Command were forced to divert the Australian and New Zealand convoy to Egypt to counter the new Ottoman threat on the Suez Canal. At this news there was a sense of apprehension amongst the men - their belief was that the ‘real’ fighting would occur in Europe and now they were going to miss the action!
During their journey, one of the convoy’s escorts, the cruiser HMAS Sydney, engaged and destroyed the German cruiser Emden off Cocos Island on 9 November 1914. Tremendous excitement prevailed as the Emden had been a real threat, and had she got amongst them, would have caused devastation to the 30,000-man troop transport convoy.
Forty-eight days after leaving New Zealand the convoy arrives in Port Said, Egypt on 3 December 1914, where the men disembark and entrain to what will shortly become Zeitoun Camp, near Cairo.
The Main Body was scheduled to sail on 23 September 1915, but the departure had to be postponed due to the presence of German warships operating in the area of their intended path (including Emden). After a delay while a stronger naval escort could be arranged, they sailed on 16 October 1914.
The escort fleet included the armoured cruiser HMS Minotaur, HMS Philomel, HMS Psyche, HMS Pyramus, and the Imperial Japanese Navy’s battlecruiser HIJMS Ibuki.
For this journey, Garland and another local lad (from Hawera), Reydon Bates, were engaged as signallers aboard Waimana. Just before leaving for the Dardanelles Signaller [Sapper] Bates was sent to the hospital, invalided with pneumonia.
The Centre Powers coalition consisted of the German Empire, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire, and Kingdom of Bulgaria (also known as the Quadruple Alliance).
Egypt
In December 1914, the convoy carrying the Main Body of the NZEF steamed north through Egypt's Suez Canal into the Mediterranean Sea before docking at Port Said.
Men and horses busily disembarked then travelled by train to Cairo. Detraining at Helmieh station, Zeitoun, the men had a short march to their camping ground and made preparations to bivouac for the night on the desert sand. Here a camp (Zeitoun Camp) had been pegged out, but tents had to be erected to accommodate the whole of the NZEF. The camp was far from being established. In two to three days the camp was completed, and then training commenced in earnest.
The training was hard; conducted in the surrounding desert as it was anticipated the NZEF would be fighting the Ottoman’s on similar terrain. Training focused on musketry, attack, defence, trench digging, tactical schemes, night bivouacs, long-distance marches and inter-brigade manoeuvres. In order to break the monotony, arrangements were made to entertain the troops in military sports, concerts, football and cricket matches, horse-racing and boxing contests.
Towards the end of March, frequent parades to check the state of the regimental equipment for war, provided hints to all ranks an early participation in important operations. It was an open secret that the operations to be undertaken were against Turkey in the Mediterranean. On 10 April 1915, the Infantry Regiments of the NZEF begin leaving Zeitoun, entraining to Port Said before being transported by ship to the island of Lemnos. Lemnos was a staging point for the Allied forces (MEF) to prepare for the invasion of Gallipoli Peninsula.
For Willie, Syd, and Inky hopes of action in the invasion are dashed when the bulk of the NZMR were ordered to remain in Egypt to defend the Suez Canal against potential threat by the Ottoman. Horse-mounted soldiers were not required at Gallipoli.
In contrast, Garland was on his way to Lemnos. As a Signaller (NZ Engineers Divisional Signal Company) he was attached to the New Zealand Infantry Brigade (1 New Zealand Infantry Brigade Signal Section) - Auckland Infantry Battalion. His time at Lemnos was taken up with boat drill, incessant practice at climbing up and down the ship's side on rope ladders with a rifle and in full marching order, and frequent marches ashore.
William STEVENSON also landed at Lemnos about the same time as Garland, but with the Wellington Infantry Battalion. It is assumed that he undertook similar preparation as Garland.
Of the 728 horses transported with the WMR (on HMNZT 6 Orari), only fourteen died during the seven week voyage - testimony to the skill and attention given to them during the journey.
Strategically, the Suez Canal allowed Allied shipping to avoid the long and dangerous journey around the southern tip of Africa and provided a direct link between the Mediterranean and the Red Sea.
Gallipoli
First to Land
The MEF launched its invasion of the Dardanelles on 25 April 1915 with New Zealanders and Australians making up nearly half of the MEFs 75,000 initial landing force.
The ANZACs made a diversionary attack 20 km to the north at Gaba Tepe, and the first Australian troops ashore landed at 4.30am. Elements of the New Zealand Infantry Brigade (Auckland Battalion and half of the Canterbury Battalion) start landing later in the morning.
Twenty-five Signallers were amongst the first New Zealander’s who landed that day and Garland was one of them.
On the eve of the landing Garland comments “All are as excited and as happy as can be. I wonder what the morrow will bring forth”. Setting sail at 1.30 AM he was awakened at 4.30 AM by strong gun fire. Leaving his ship at 9.30 AM he was landed on Anzac Cove around 10 AM under heavy shell fire.
Much of the Signal Company’s equipment was lost during their landing; use of semaphore flags was largely impracticable as most parts of the beachhead were exposed to Turkish fire. Wires were constantly cut by shell fire; linesmen [Signallers] often risked their lives rolling out and repairing telephone lines, men carrying messages to and from the front line were in even greater danger.
His work was both important and dangerous. Garland went ‘over the wire’ several times to examine and patrol the wires. On 30 April 1915 he comments “4 AM had to patrol wires again. Day very quiet here, no shells landing at all. Over wire again at 6.15 PM. Fired on by snipers while out and narrowly escaped but could not locate him to return his fire.” When possible, Signallers often operated as snipers themselves.
Garland was killed during the early hours of the morning on Tuesday 11 May 1915.
‘At about 4 a.m., a squad including Sapper Morgan was sent out to lay a loop on the line. Sapper Morgan had been on duty all night, and was really entitled to a rest, but he practically begged to be allowed to carry out this dangerous mission. He had only been away about 20 minutes when a member of the squad tapped the wire with his portable telephone and intimated that Morgan had been shot through the heart by sniper.’
Garland was aged 22 years when he was killed, 17 days after his arrival at Gallipoli. He is interred at Quinn’s Post Cemetery, Anzac Cove. Initially buried at Monash Gully, several years after World War 1 had ended Garland was re-interred at Plot A.27 Quinn’s Post Cemetery. There are 473 Commonwealth servicemen commemorated in this cemetery, but only 179 of these graves are identified - Garland being one of these.
An officer wrote "Sapper Morgan was always ready to tackle any work at any time. He was equally good as a Sapper or Driver and was very highly thought of by the officers commanding the company." Garland is remembered by his father as a young man of sterling character and a most loyal and dutiful son, a soldier richly entitled to the garland of honour.
Rest in Peace our brave cousin.
Although Garland's 'home' regiment was the New Zealand Engineers Divisional Signal Company, he was attached to the Auckland Infantry Battalion when he landed at Gallipoli on 25 April 1925.
Quinn's Post Cemetery, Anzac Cove - Garland is buried in Plot A.27 (top right section in picture).
Reinforcements
The troops of the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade were disappointed that they had remained in Egypt while the Infantry Regiments sailed for Gallipoli.
In the first few weeks of the Gallipoli campaign the Allies experienced heavy casualties. This meant an urgent need for reinforcements. Australian and New Zealand mounted regiments were on hand in Egypt, so on 5 May 1915 orders were received that the men had been waiting to hear – the NZMR and Australian Light Horse were to reinforce the depleted infantry regiments at Gallipoli and immediately prepare to move out.
The men were to fight as standard infantry units while their horses would remain back at Zeitoun Camp – horses weren’t required where they were heading!
Arriving at Alexandria 8 May 1915, Willie, Syd, and Inky boarded transport ships – the HMT Grantully Castle and HMT Kingstonian. They sailed at 2.00am on the morning of 9 May 1915, arriving at Anzac Cove on 12 May 1915. After dark, all troops were transferred to torpedo-boat destroyers, and from these on to lighters so as to make their landing on the shore.
Unbeknown to Willie, Syd, and Inky, their second cousin Garland, had been killed just hours before their arrival at Gallipoli.
During this operation, heavy firing was taking place onshore which was quickly responded to by the British warships which lay along the coastline. As the lighters approached a temporary jetty at Anzac Cove, the rifle fire from the hills above them was of such intensity that the flashes illuminated the surrounding area. Bullets occasionally splashed the water and hit the lighters, but the landing was accomplished quickly.
Once landed, the reinforcements then marched along the beach, past the northern point of Anzac Cove and bivouacked in ‘Reserve Gully’. The next day, the NZMR are ordered to take over No. 4 Section of the Anzac Cove defensive perimeter (a line which includes positions on ‘Russell’s Top’ and ‘Walker’s Ridge’) with the WMR taking the line on Walker’s Ridge. The trenches were anything but clean and flies swarmed everywhere. Enemy snipers were active, and in order to counteract them picked shots were posted in forward positions.
Truce
The WMR quickly saw action; in the early hours of 19 May 1915 the Turks mounted a mass attack along the whole Anzac front.
They came on bravely in mass formation but were mowed down by rifle and machine-gun fire. Before day dawned, the grand attack had been broken with appalling losses to the Turks. As a result of this fighting, a great many more dead were added to the numbers lying out between Allied and Turkish lines (no-man’s land).
These unburied corpses threatened a very serious menace to health. On 24 May 1915 a truce is affected, allowing both sides to collect and bury their dead from ‘no-man’s land’. Being on the front line at Walker’s Ridge at this time, Syd and Willie were likely to have been involved with the immensely unpleasant task of the collection and burying of their ANZAC comrades [Inky, being an NCO (Sergeant), was possibly in a position to ‘oversee’ this work].
Wellington Mounteds on Walker’s Ridge.
Truce - collecting the dead.
No. 3 Post
The battle for No.3 Post (28–30 May 1915) was fought between the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade and the Turkish 19th Division. The fighting was fierce and at times reverted to hand-to-hand combat, Inky and Syd were in the thick of it.
Initially captured by the 6th (Manawatu) Squadron, on the night of 29 May 1915 the Ottomans begin a sustained and heavy counterattack on No. 3 Post. The signal line is cut, severing communication with the 9th (Wellington East Coast) Squadron who were manning the post. An attempt to send a troop of the Queen Alexandra’s 2nd (Wellington West Coast) Squadron to the beleaguered post fails.
The northern section of the post is so badly damaged by grenade attacks that it can no longer be defended but as darkness falls the Ottoman attacks finally ease. Heavy fighting continues for the next two days, and evacuation of the wounded commences. On 31 May 1915, it is decided that No. 3 Post is untenable, and consequently abandoned. The Ottoman forces quickly reoccupy it and it is known from now on by the Anzacs as ‘Old No. 3 Post’. The WMR unit diary reads:
“At 9 p.m. the 6th (Manawatu) Squadron is relieved by the 9th (Wellington East Coast) Squadron (less one troop) under the command of Major Selwyn Chambers – total strength 5 officers and 93 other ranks. At approximately 10 p.m. the Ottomans begin a sustained and heavy attack on the post. At 11.30 p.m. the signal line to the post is cut, severing communication with Major Chambers and his men.
An attempt to send a troop of the Queen Alexandra’s 2nd (Wellington West Coast) Squadron to the beleaguered post fails. At midnight the remainder of the 2nd Squadron under the command of Major James Elmslie tries to break through to No. 3 Post. After initial progress Elmslie’s men strike strong Ottoman resistance and are held up roughly halfway between posts 2 and 3.
Fighting continues all night at and around No. 3 Post. Elmslie’s squadron has advanced far enough to take some of the pressure off Major Chambers and his men, who fend off repeated Ottoman assaults on their position. At daybreak communication between No. 3 Post and the main line is restored via signal flags and two mountain guns are brought to bear on the Ottoman positions.”
On the night of 30 May 1915, Syd was wounded, receiving a gunshot wound to his left thigh (the WMR sustained a total of 61 casualties, including 17 killed).
Syd was evacuated to the hospital ship HS Gascon, anchored off the coast of Anzac Cove. On 7 June 1915, he was admitted to No.17 General Hospital in Alexandria, Egypt where he was reported as ‘seriously ill’. He remained here until 23 July 1915, when he was invalided to England on hospital ship HS Loyalty. After 4 weeks at Hampstead Military Hospital, he was discharged to Hornchurch Convalescent Hospital.
In March 1916, Syd returned to Egypt to rejoin his unit but soon found himself again admitted to NZ General Hospital, Cairo for flat foot. This was it for him as on 14 April 1916, he was invalided home to New Zealand on HS Willochra. He was discharged in New Zealand (medically unfit) on 25 June 1916 aged 28. In total, he served 1 year 315 days, including 1 year 226 days overseas.
No. 17 General Hospital arrived in Alexandria around April 1915 and was located in Victoria College, Alexandria. It is understood to have been a British hospital.
Illness and Disease
By the end of May the heat had become oppressive, and with the advent of hot weather, the flies came in swarms.
The sick rate began to mount at an alarming rate with the most widespread of troubles being an epidemic of dysentery and diarrhea; very few individuals who had been a few weeks in Gallipoli escaped this infection. The men would comment that the sickness there is worse than the bullets. So many men died at Lemnos and on the hospital ships from dysentery.
Men lost weight rapidly and became thin and gaunt. Chronic or severe diarrhea leads to rapid dehydration which compounded the water shortage problem prevalent to the Allied forces. The inclination of the men was to keep on duty to the last possible moment. No one would go sick or allow himself to be evacuated sick unless he were very near the collapsing point.
After the battle at No. 3 Post, Inky became very ill, succumbing to diarrhea.
On 31 May 1915, he was evacuated onto the Royal Navy hospital ship HMHS Somali due to his illness. His health didn’t improve and on 8 October 1915 he was transferred onto HMHS Panama bound for England. Eight days later he was admitted to the 1st Southern General Hospital at Edgbaston, Birmingham, and subsequently diagnosed with enteritis. This sickness was to plague him for the rest of the war. Inky continued his service in Egypt and was attending officer’s training in England when the war ended.
Another Morgan Down
Throughout June and July 1915, the WMR were either in the line at Walker’s Ridge or a bivouac on the southern slopes on Walker’s Ridge and Shrapnel Valley.
At Anzac Cove, no significant battles were fought during this period but there would have been constant skirmishes on the front lines.
On 11 July 1915, Willie received a head wound while manning the line at Walker’s Ridge (possibly caused by a bomb [grenade] thrown by the Turks into trench).
Three casualties were diarised on this day – two men wounded, and one reported as being sick. It is likely that Willie was one of these wounded. His injury was serious enough that on 14 July 1915 he was admitted to No. 1 Australian Stationary Hospital, on the island of Lemnos - transported by the hospital ship HMHS Devanha. Lemnos was the where ANZAC nurses and medical staff established their hospitals to treat the sick and wounded from Gallipoli.
Willie spent the next 6 weeks in hospital being treated for deafness. He was declared medically unfit for active service and invalided home on 1 September 1915 aboard HMAT Ascanius (A11). The Ascanius departed Suez on 6 September 1915 enroute to Sydney. The New Zealanders then transferred onto SS Maitai for the remaining leg of the voyage to New Zealand, with 25 men and 1 officer on board. Arriving in Wellington on 13 October 1915, Willie was officially discharged from military service on 24 November 1915. In total he served 1 year 102 days, including 363 days overseas.
Fourth Reinforcements
After a quick stop at Egypt, Son, along with men of the Fourth Reinforcements were rushed to Anzac Cove on 7 June 1915 to shore up much needed defences.
On arrival at Gallipoli, Son was immediately posted to the Wellington Infantry Battalion - 7th (Wellington West Coast) Company. The regiment was formed in 1914 as the Wellington Battalion and consisted of four rifle companies, with each company raised from one of the territorial regiments of the Wellington military district: 7th (Wellington West Coast) Regiment; 9th (Hawke's Bay) Regiment; 11th Regiment (Taranaki Rifles); and 17th (Ruahine) Regiment.
The Wellington’s were put under command of Lieutenant Colonel W. G. MALONE. Son spent much of June and July manning firing trenches of Quinn’s and Courtney's Posts. MALONE was a stickler for order and tidiness, and during this time converted the most dangerous and insecure post on the Anzac position (Quinn’s Post) into the safest and most impregnable.
Chunuk Bair
By August 1915 the Allied Forces had forged a plan to break the stalemate that had now evolved on the Peninsula.
The Wellington Battalion's capture of Chunuk Bair on 8 August 1915 was a significant achievement during the Gallipoli Campaign, but it came at a tremendous cost. The Wellington Battalion, led by Lt. Col. William MALONE, successfully seized the summit of Chunuk Bair before dawn, capturing this vital high ground on the Sari Bair range. This was one of the main objectives of the August Offensive aimed at breaking the stalemate at Gallipoli.
The cost of holding Chunuk Bair was appalling for the Wellington Battalion. Of the 760 men who reached the summit, only 70 were still standing by nightfall, with the rest killed or wounded. This represented over 90% casualties in a single day, one of the highest single-day losses for any battalion during the campaign.
Late on 6 August 1915, New Zealanders marched out of Anzac Cove with the goal of taking the strategically significant peak known as Chunuk Bair. A fierce and close-quarter battle was to ensue.
After a night of tough climbing, on the morning of 7 August 1915, the Auckland Battalion pushed on to the Pinnacle, a ridge just below Chunuk Bair. In the struggle, some 227 New Zealand lives were lost. In the midst of the battle, the Wellington Battalion Commander, Lieutenant Colonel William MALONE, refused to send his men to their slaughter and resolved to press for Chunuk Bair at night.
A naval barrage early on 8 August 1915 virtually cleared Chunuk Bair of the Turks and the Wellington's took the ridge virtually unopposed. However, it was difficult to defend, and the Turks were on the counterattack. A day of fierce fighting followed with a total of 424 New Zealand lives lost. The Wellington Infantry Battalion lost 296 men in a single day. It was by far the worst day of the Gallipoli campaign for New Zealand fatalities.
On 9 August 1915, the exhausted men holding Chunuk Bair faced third consecutive day of fighting. Attempts to send in reinforcements against a fierce Ottoman counterattack faltered and the New Zealanders suffered further casualties. Those that remained of the New Zealanders fell back in the early hours of 10 August 1915.
Family accounts has that Son actually made it beyond the summit of Chunuk Bair. Official records confirm that some soldiers did indeed advance past the crest to provide fire cover for the men digging defensive trenches.
MALONE had most definite orders to take and hold the crest and, realizing that the precious crest was in his possession without a fight, he quickly ordered the two leading companies (West Coast and Hawkes Bay) to dig a trench on the forward slope of the hill. The West Coast Company placed two covering parties [advance posts] out in front of the digging lines, commanded by Lieutenant McKinnon, and were located in old Turkish gun pits well down the forward slope.
It was going on for 6 a.m. when the covering parties of the West Coast Company spotted Turks making their way along the sap [trench] leading out of the valley behind Chunuk Bair, and fire was very soon opened on these somewhat isolated posts. About the same time, more of the enemy appeared further along the ridge towards the old Anzac position and opened an enfilade fire on the digging lines.
The enemy attack gradually thickened and soon the advance posts were subjected to a withering fire and, in addition, the Turks, creeping up in the dead ground, began to throw bombs. Most of the men in the posts were soon killed or wounded, except for Lieutenant McKinnon and one or two men who, when all chance of holding out had passed, managed to escape back to the front line.
Son and a few others, being in the advanced piquet (post), had managed to make it back to the digging line. "Here atop Chunuk Bair they endured bullet and shrapnel, and fought off too many Turkish bayonet charges to count. It was vicious, no-quarter fighting as the sun blazed down. The hill was sodden with blood and sweat, and covered with motionless dead and writhing wounded. All around was carnage and roar of battle."
Son thought the Turk bomb throwers masterly, and so, too, their machine gunners sweeping the slope in enfilade. "It was getting very hot, what with bombs bursting around us". He was unscathed until about 7pm, but a gun-shot wound to his hand forced him to retire, no longer able to fire his Lee Enfield rifle. Son made his way down the hill, among the throngs of wounded, and eventually reached the beach and was evacuated.
In the battle for Chunuk Bair, the Wellington Battalion had been destroyed. In total, 650 of their number were killed including Lieutenant Colonel MALONE. Son’s West Coast Company numbered only 51 instead of its full strength of 227. Of Son's platoon of 46 men who went up the hill, just five were alive and unwounded when he fell back "I don't want to see some of the sights again that I saw."
Fewer than 10 percent of the 760 men who had seized the hill in the morning walked off Chunuk Bair. One soldier later reported: "there I saw the bravest men I ever saw, Colonel MALONE, who was doing the jobs from Lance Corporal to Brigadier General”. Son rated MALONE'S performance that day as A1. Normally a battalion commander would not lead bayonet charges, but this is exactly what MALONE did on several occasions when the position of his force was gravely threatened.
At about 5pm MALONE was killed by shrapnel from an artillery shell, likely fired by a New Zealand howitzer. MALONE has no known grave and, like those of more than 300 of his men, his name is recorded on the New Zealand ‘Memorial to the Missing’ on Chunuk Bair. A few hours later the Wellington Battalion was relieved and withdrew from Chunuk Bair. Turkish forces recaptured the position on 10 August 1915 from British troops who had relieved the New Zealanders.
Son was among the wounded, suffering a gunshot wound to his left hand on the second night of the battle (8 August 1915).
He was admitted to the Australian hospital ship HS Devanha on 8 August 1915 before being transferred to the 2nd General Australian Hospital in Cairo – listed as seriously wounded. After a spell at the 1st Australian Convalescence Depot in Cairo, on 25 September 1915, Son embarked at Suez on the HS Willochra headed for home. Arriving in New Zealand on 30 October 1915, he was discharged medically unfit for active service on 15 January 1916 aged 28 years. In total, he served 1 year 12 days, including 197 days overseas.
“But the way men died at Chunuk; it was shaping the deeds yet to be done by the generations still unborn. When the August fighting died down there was no longer any question, but that New Zealanders had commenced to realise themselves as a nation”.
Stretcher-bearer Ormond Burton.
Enteritis is most often caused by eating or drinking things that are contaminated with bacteria or viruses [Gallipoli to a tee]. The germs settle in the small intestine and cause inflammation and swelling.
The No.1 Australian Stationary Hospital, originally located with the A.I.F. camp at Maadi, Egypt, moved to East Mudros. It later moved to the Anzac sector at Gallipoli in November 1915.
P&O SS Devanha known as Troopship A3 at the time of the Gallipoli landing in 1915 but converted to a hospital ship (HMHS) after the initial landings.
HMAT Ascanius was built in December 1910 as steam passenger ship. In 1914 it was requisitioned as troop transport for the Australian Expeditionary Force (AEF).
Willie’s military records indicate he was invalided back to NZ on HS Ascania. I believe this to be an error – the ship was Ascanius which only sailed as far as Sydney.
Lieutenant-Colonel William George Malone is one of the best known New Zealanders to have fought at Gallipoli. Malone was a successful lawyer and farmer in the Taranaki town of Stratford. In August 1914 he was selected to command the Wellington Infantry Battalion of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. On 8 August 1915, Malone was killed by shrapnel from an artillery shell, probably fired by a Royal Navy warship or a New Zealand howitzer. Two of Malone's sons fought at Gallipoli with the Wellington Mounted Rifles.
The Allied attack on Chunuk Bair began on 6 August 1915, with initial attempts failing, MALONE insisted that the Wellingtons’ attack should be delayed until after nightfall. The Wellington Battalion occupied the summit before dawn on 8 August 1915. Ottoman forces recaptured the position on 10 August from British troops who had relieved the New Zealanders.
As they reached the crest, the leading lines of West Coast Company quickly over ran and captured a Turkish Piquet covering in a small trench overlooking the farm. Not another Turk was on the hilltop and not a shot was fired at the attacking lines as they came over the top and moved forward down the eastern slope where they were halted.
After the War
Willie
Not long after he was discharged, Willie married his first wife, Muriel Beatrice WILLOUGHBY, at Christ Church in Wanganui on 29 March 1916.
Willie continued to work on the family farms owned by his parents - ‘Roseville’ and ‘Newtonlees’ as a farmhand. After they were married, he and Muriel moved into ‘Pukeroa’, one of many farmhouses at Newtonlees, where they lived for several years (until c. mid 1920s). They continued to live on the farm although they never had children. Muriel passed away in 1941, and in the same year Willie married his second wife, Lily Ruabertha WADEY.
Sadly, Willie took his own life in Wanganui on 17 October 1946 aged 58 years.
For what reasons are only beknown to him; but there is an element of speculation as to whether injuries sustained at Gallipoli had some long-term effect on his mental wellbeing. Around the time of his death the family farm was in the midst of being sold to the government (under the Rehabilitation Act 1941). Although his brother-in-law, William ROACHE, was employed to manage the farm on behalf of the government (1948-1950), the future fate of Willie’s situation in regard to the sale of Newtonlees is unknown.
Willie’s lifeless body was found by my grandfather Edgar Charles (Bob) MORGAN, who 11 years later, tragically was also to take his own life.
Willie is buried at Aramoho Cemetery, (Headstones) Block Q Row 7.
‘Pukeroa’ was a homestead at Newtonlees, near Kohata Lake, and is where Ted and Lotte MORGAN (and family) lived early 1890s. The home burnt down in 1935.
Inky and Syd
Although there was six years difference in age between the two brothers, it appears there was a special bond between them.
During World War 1, the government offered land to returned servicemen as part of a soldier settlement scheme in an effort to to give returning soldiers a new start after the war. Syd and Inky were granted leases (by ballot) at Mangapurua, Wanganui River Soldier Settlement [bridge to nowhere fame]. Syd went there in 1917 (one of the first four settler’s up Mangapurua Valley) and Inky joined him circa 1920.
The land was remote, hilly and untamed, and the physical labour and economic hardship eventually took its toll on them. Erosion (caused by the clearing of bush), flooding and poor road access were other obstacles that could no longer be overcome. One by one, the settlers had to abandon their hard-won farms and walk off their land without compensation. Inky and Syd had left Mangapurua Valley by the early 1930s with nothing.
From here their lives were to take separate paths.
Syd never married and lived a somewhat loner-nomadic life. After leaving the Mangapurua Valley he worked on various farms at Whangaehu (Turakina), Pakahi (Raetihi), Rangataua (Ruapehu) as a farm labourer or shepherd. By 1960 he was working as a caretaker in the Kauaeranga Valley (Thames). He retired to Roskill Masonic Village in Mt Roskill, where he died on 31 October 1967, aged 80 years. He was cremated on 2 November 1967 and his remains buried at Purewa Cemetery, Auckland.
Inky married Dorothy Winifred GERRIE in 1926. They had no children. Inky dabbled with a farming during the 1930s at Raorikia (a settlement near Pipiriki) and 1940s at Nukumaru (Waitotara) before moving to Wanganui to work as canteen manager and storekeeper. Retired, Inky died on 25 October 1968 aged 75 years at Castlecliff, Wanganui and is buried at Aramoho Cemetery, Rose Garden B, Row 14A.
Son
Son married my great-aunt Mary Elvins (Molly) MORGAN in 1922, eight years after he returned from Gallipoli.
Son continued farming upon his return to New Zealand and worked on various farms at Turakina, Brunswick, and Marybank. Son’s father (Col. Robert HUGHES) owned a farm at Marybank where he and Molly lived until it was sold in 1939. Son and Molly had two daughters Catherine Mary HUGHES and Krina Elvins HUGHES.
By the 1950s Son had moved into Wanganui, working as a storeman. Retiring in 1957, he died on 10 June 1962 at Castlecliff, Wanganui aged 74 years and is buried at Aramoho Cemetery, Memorial Rose Garden, Plot 1642.
Marybank is a settlement located 5km southeast of Wanganui (SH 3) and 3km northwest of Kaitoke [not far from Newtonlees].
William (STEVENSON)
William married my great-aunt Irene Daisy MORGAN on 20 June 2017 at Wanganui soon after his return from Gallipoli.
On 10 August 1915, William was admitted to the New Zealand General Hospital [Pont de Koubbeh], Cairo with gastro enteritis [possibly dysentery and enteric fever (typhoid)]. William embarked for home on the SS Tahiti on 20 November 1915, arriving in New Zealand on 26 December 1915. He was discharged medically unfit on 1 May 1916 after a total of 1 year and 259 days service, including 1 year and 70 days overseas.
William went into farming after his return home, firstly at “Ngatura” (Pahiatua), then “Tiraumea” (Eketāhuna), but family tragedy was to follow.
Following the birth of their only child, a daughter, Elspeth Charlotte Mary STEVENSON (1919-1975), Irene died suddenly on 4 May 1920 - Elspeth was only six months old. The family was living in Eketāhuna at the time, and it is understood that Irene committed suicide. Irene was possibly suffering from post-natal depression.
By 1946, William had retired to Waipawa, Hawkes Bay. He died on 7 March 1955 at Waipukurau aged 69 years and is buried at Waipawa Cemetery.
Legacy
Words cannot adequately describe what the men at Gallipoli experienced. Their actions of bravery and hardships endured helped shape the way New Zealanders now realise themselves as a nation.
The war was never talked about, especially to family. There were lingering demons among them all – definitely Willie and perhaps also Syd. At the time they were young men with a sense of duty, perhaps a little naive, but anyways, eager to head off on adventure.
Life certainly was not easy for them when they returned. They all led hardworking, unassuming lives, legacy of their wartime experiences - they just got on with it! In return for their service and sacrifice, the least we can do is remember them.
Garland, Willie, Inky, Syd, Son, and William – the Morgan’s at Gallipoli!
Further Information
These links provide further detail, insights, and background into the structure of the NZEF and conditions at Gallipoli, much of it used as the basis of this research.
Books
The Road to Mangamahu, M H CAMPION and P M GARLAND and J D MORRIS, Wanganui Newspapers LTD (1988), ISBN 0-473-00560-6
Lakes District of Wanganui – updated 1997, Marie WHITE, ISBN 0-473-01016-X
Gallipoli, Peter FITZSIMONS, Penguin Random House Australia, 2017, ISBN 978 0 14378 635 1
The Bridge To Nowhere - The ill-fated Mangapurua Settlement, Arthur P BATES, 1981 ISBN 0-473-00088-1
Gallipoli The New Zealand Story, Christopher PUGSLEY, ISBN 0 340 338776, pages 130 and 134 (Garland MORGAN)
The National Army Museum of New Zealand has a magnificent collection of photos from various theatres of campaign during the World War 1 era. Many of these can be viewed online. In my research I stumbled across a 100+ photographs (album) belonging to 4/560 Sergeant George Vivian Thomas MOORE, MM, of the Divisional Signals Company, New Zealand Engineers.
The album covers training in New Zealand, troopship journey aboard the HMNZT Waimana, training at Zeitoun Camp, Egypt, and action at Gallipoli including Anzac Cove, No. 3 Post, Walker's Ridge, and Monash Gully. The significance of this is that George and Garland MORGAN belonged to the same regiment, travelled to Egypt and served at Gallipoli at the same time.
It is possible that Garland may be in some of these photos. He would have been acquainted with some of the people in them and would have seen or visited the sites depicted in these images. Of most interest are the photos around the time of the Gallipoli landings and Monash Gulley. Most soldiers in the images are from Garland’s Divisional Signals Company.