THE RIVER CLYDE

King Country Chronicle, Volume XII, Issue 1174, 15 February 1919, Page 3

THE RIVER CLYDE

LONDON, Feb. 9. The Admiralty is salvaging the steamer River Clyde, from which troops were landed at Gallipoli. [The most serious ordeal in the landing at Gallipoli on April 25, 1915, was at Beach V, immediately west of Scdd-cl-Bahr village and forts. This was to be attacked by the Dublin and Munster Fusileers, half a battalion nf the Hampshire Regiment, the West Riding Field Company, and other details. So exposed was the position ihat to land the troops the collier, River Clyde, containing the troops, was deliberately run ashore, and the landing attempted from openings cut in its sides, leading on to a hastily constructed pontoon of lighters. Owing to difficulties with the current, the pon_ toons broke loose more than once, and the men on them and on the naval boats were exposed to a withering Are from shore batteries of machine-guns. Brigadier-General Napier and his Brigade Major (Capt. Cosketer) were killed, together with half of the first 1000 men who left the River Clyde. The attempt to land the remainder of the troops on the collier was deferred till nightfall; but when this was done the force, much reduced and exhausted, had still very slight protection. Lieut.Colonel Carrington Smith, of the Hampshire Regiment, was killed; but under Lieut.-Colonel Doughty Wylie, of the General Staff, who himself fell in the final assault, the village and its old castle, together with the adjacent Hill 141, were presently occupied.]