MARSH William Thomas

Frank Cook, William Marsh and Walter Hancock almost certainly volunteered together for they all joined the 9th Battalion Worcestershire Regiment that became part of the 39th Brigade 13th Division.  The Division came into existence because of Field Marshall Earl Kitcheners “call to arms” on the 11th August 1914.  It was decided to raise six new armies of about six divisions or 100,000 men each.  When the Front in France and Flanders solidified, it was decided to try to break the deadlock by attacking the Gallipoli Peninsula and capturing Constantinople (Istanbul).  This would have the double benefit of defeating Turkey, which had entered the war on Germanys’ side on the 28th October 1914, and opening a supply route to Russia.

The 9th Worcesters left Blackdown on Salisbury Plain on Sunday 20th June and sailed from Avonmouth on board the “Cawdor Castle” to the Greek island of Mudros arriving 10th July 1915.  On the 13th July they were then transhipped to the destroyer H.M.S. Reynard and the minesweeper H.M.S. Newmarket which then left for the Gallipoli Peninsula.  They landed at “V” beach at the edge of the peninsula and marched around the coast to “Gully Beach” to the west where they held the line until they were withdrawn on the 29th July by the minesweeper H.M.S. Ermine to the island of Lemmos in preparation for an attack on Sari Bair.  On the evening of the 3rd August they landed at Anzac cove where New Zealand guides took them to their positions at a place called (inappropriately) Rest Gully where despite the flies, heat and occasional shellfire they had to remain inconspicuous for two days.  The attack began at 20.30hrs on the 6th August and continued for about five days.  It was a complete failure, so badly mauled were the 9th Worcesters that they were temporarily amalgamated with the 7th Gloucestershire regiment.