Preparation for the Battle of Krithia - 3-5 May 1915

With the troops at a stalemate along the beaches of the Gallipoli, Sir Ian Hamilton, prompted by Lord Kitchener, decided to make another attack from the southern most point of the peninsular, Cape Helles. This was to be the second attempt at taking the village of Krithia.

Krithia was on the lower slopes of the main landform in the area, Achi Baba. Leading up to Krithia and Achi Baba was an area of relatively flat and softly rolling farm land. This area was usually cultivated with wheat but there also stretches of scrub and heath with daisies, poppies and all sorts of wild flowers. There was not much cover and the Turks had good views across the expanse from the heights of Achi Baba. After the landings on 25th April, the Allied forces held some of this gently undulating country at Cape Helles. Further towards the southern end of Achi Baba the land rises with gullies and spurs in which the Turkish troops made effective defensive positions and gun placements.

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The mainstay of the force at Cape Helles was the British 29th Infantry Division under the command of Major General Hunter Weston. However, with the significant losses sustained by this Division during the previous week, reinforcements were brought in with the newly arrived 125th Brigade and the 29th Indian Brigade. The French 1st Division was also part of this force but they too had suffered heavy losses in the first days after landing and were not due to receive reinforcements for some time. Some of the Australian and New Zealand forces then at ANZAC cove were to be transferred to augment this mixed force and they joined what was to be called a Composite Division under the command of Major General Paris.

On 3 May Sir Ian Hamilton (commander of Allied troops on the peninsular), ordered General Birdwood to go on the defensive at Ari Burnu and release two of his best infantry brigades for temporary use at Cape Helles (at the southern most tip of the peninsular) as part of the new Composite Division.

These ANZAC units were to be added to the four Australian field batteries and the New Zealand Field battery which had still not been transferred ashore due to the difficulty in finding suitable gun locations.

On 5 May the 2nd Brigade, led by Colonel James McCay, was assigned to this task along with the New Zealand Infantry Brigade commanded by Colonel Johnston. Birdwood telegraphed Hamilton that he was 'sending my two best brigades'.

Athol was among this contingent, being in the 2nd Brigade. After recovering from his two wounds sustained on 25 April, Athol departed Egypt on the Lutgow (sp?) with six others on Sunday 2 May. His correspondence says that he reported back to the 5th Battalion on Wednesday 5 May in the evening. The 5th Battalion had just come out of the trenches (at 4pm) and were assembled at the portion of ANZAC cove known as 'Brighton Beach'. There were 118 reinforcements arriving from Egypt that were added to the 2nd Brigade. In Ron Austin's 'The White Gurkhas', this 118 included 'five of whom had been wounded in the earlier fighting'. [Note that Athol's letter says 'six' and Ron Austin's book says 'five'.

The relevent text in Athol's letter of 27 May reads:

"...Six of us then went on board the 'Lutgow' and returned to Gallipoli leaving on Sunday evening [2 May] I reported back to the Bn on Wednesday evening [5 May]. They had just come out of the trenches and that night we left for the southern part of the Peninsular in minesweepers..."

The troops were issued iron rations: bully-beef and biscuits in little bags which was supposed to suffice for three days. A pick or a shovel was also issued to each man.

Shortly after nightfall on 5 May the troops were assembled on the beach, but due to rough weather, they were not able to be embarked straight away. They waited in the cold as fires were not allowed to be lit. Two soldiers were hit by stray Turkish bullets while they waited. Eventually they were embarked on horse lighters at about 3am and taken out to the destroyers and mine sweepers waiting offshore.

The soldiers were welcomed aboard with hot drinks and many tried to get a little sleep but the journey at sea was short - only a couple of hours.

Close to dawn the vessels moored at 'V' Beach near the abandoned River Clyde.

There was no trouble getting ashore (about 5am on 6 May) as there was a reasonably good pier and only two shells fired at the troops as they disembarked. A Private Frank Parker of the 5th Battalion noted that 'Cape Helles was as flat as a pancake, Achi Baba the only hill'.

Colonel McCay, commander of the Australian 2nd Brigade, was ordered to a position about two miles north of Sedd el Bahr which was about 1.5 miles short of the forward firing line. This was in the 'general reserve'. They were in an open field with a clear stream running nearby. Upon reaching this position he ordered his men to dig in quickly because the Turks on Achi Baba could see them. Digging-in proved difficult as not far below the surface water was found.

C.E.W. Bean was with the 2nd Brigade throughout the forthcoming battle.