Tag Archives: Gallipoli

4 June 1915: The Third Battle of Krithia

At nine o’clock last night the 1st Battalion King’s Own Scottish Borderers paraded near W Beach, received a benediction from their padre, and were addressed by their commanding officer. They had been taken from the 87th Brigade and attached to … Continue reading

Posted in Heroism and Adventure | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

‘We’re the Jims’

Hunter-Weston’s VIII Corps (in effect, all the British forces on the Helles front) issued its orders today, Thursday 3 June 1915. They were meticulous and ‘for the first time accompanied by a trench diagram, showing the various objectives to be … Continue reading

Posted in Edwardian character, Edwardian marriage, Personal commentary | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Commemoration

In two days time the following ‘In Memoriam’ will appear in The Times: CALDERON George Leslie, Russianist, journalist, dramatist, anthropologist, adventurer, killed at Gallipoli 4 June 1915. ‘What he believed, he did’ (Laurence Binyon). Since George wrote more for The Times than any … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

1 June 1915

1st K.O.S.B 87th Bg., 29th Div., M.E.F. June 1st Dearest Mrs P., Nothing in my letters need make you anxious, for you’d know if I was a casualty thro’ the W.O., before any letter had time to alarm you, same … Continue reading

Posted in Edwardian marriage | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

31 May 1915

Today the fate of George Calderon and several thousand other British soldiers at Gallipoli was sealed. Sir Ian Hamilton, Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force, decided to fight a general action on the Helles front without waiting for the extra … Continue reading

Posted in Personal commentary | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

30 May 1915

1st bn KOSB 87th Brigade 29th Division M.E.F. May 30th Dearest Mrs P, I’m hard up for paper. Please send some. We’re still on the same spot, in broiling sun, dry and beautiful; sea to either side. […] Daily programme … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

‘Nothing happened’

It is a very curious thing, but in none of the sources that I have used for understanding the full military context of George’s life on Gallipoli does the date 29 May feature. Nor did he write a letter to … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

28 May 1915

It may have seemed surprising, or even shocking, that Calderon did not end his letter to Kittie yesterday with any endearments to her, only a ‘warm embrace’ for their dog! But its beginning — ‘Oh dearest Mrs P.’ — is … Continue reading

Posted in Edwardian character, Edwardian marriage, Personal commentary | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

‘New Western Polovtsians’

                                                                                … Continue reading

Posted in Personal commentary | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

26 May 1915

This afternoon the ferry steamer from Mudros with George Calderon on board arrived at Helles and its draft of soldiers from Britain landed ‘under the crumbled ruins of a white castle’ as he put it, i.e. the old fort at … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

25 May 1915

In a blue harbour surrounded by green rock-broken hills in a place I may not name. 9 a.m.                                             … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

‘Hunter-Bunter’s’ plan

As an essentially literary chap, I do not propose to embroil myself in controversy about the Commander of the 29th Division at Helles, Sir Aylmer Gould Hunter-Weston (1864-1940), popularly known as ‘Hunter-Bunter’. He has been described as ‘one of the … Continue reading

Posted in Edwardian character, Personal commentary | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

23 May 1915

Today George wrote hastily on the back of his letter to Kittie dated yesterday (Saturday) and written on board the R.M.S. Orsova at Alexandria: Sunday morning. Prognostications are right. It’s in the morning. Doctors, nurses and chaplains are for the shore (a … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

22 May 1915

Today Kittie moved from Foxwold, the Pyms’ home in the Weald of Kent, to Emmetts, about a mile away. We know this from the fact that the Visitors Book at Foxwold was maintained meticulously. Emmetts was the home of Violet … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The ‘strange aftermath’ at Anzac

After the Turks’ failed general attack on 19 May, over three thousand corpses lay directly in front of the Anzac trenches. In the hot sun the dead presented a real sanitary risk and the calling of the wounded was unbearable. … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

19 May 1915

As at Helles on 1 May, Enver Pasha’s orders to the Turkish Army at Anzac were literally to drive the invaders into the sea and kill every one of them. The first mass attack was launched at 3.30 this morning. … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment