Category: Projects
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Away from the Western Front : 28th – 29th July, 1917.
Captain Tattersall DSO The warning recorded about the dangerous currents off the beaches near Gaza proved to be horribly accurate. The war diary, usually so concise and impersonal, recorded the death and funeral of Captain Tattersall with more detail than usual. Philip Tattershall had grown up in the Gray’s Inn Road in Holborn,…
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Away from the Western Front : 15th – 27th July, 1917.
Umbrella Hill Umbrella Hill: the most advanced of the redoubts guarding Gaza.James McBey © IWM (Art.IWM ART 1520)“…British infantrymen advance at night across No Man’s Land towards Turkish positions on Umbrella Hill, which rises up gently in the right background. The British soldiers, carrying rifles, move out of their advanced trenches…
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Away from the Western Front : 1st – 14th July 1917
Night Working Parties Working on the defences at night was another solution to the problem of warfare in the searing heat. Needless to say, this was extremely unpopular amongst the men. The work was planned and directed by the division’s Royal…
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Away from the Western Front : 14th – 30th June 1917
Marina View The 54th Division had moved to the sector of the front line near the Mediterranean Sea that was nicknamed ‘Marina View’. The Finsbury Rifles would have easier access to the sea for bathing and washing but this would come at a price. Marina View was frequently shelled by the nearby enemy…
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Away from the Western Front : 1st – 13th June 1917
Training opposite Gaza More time was now being allocated for training now that the system of communication trenches had been dug along and behind the new front line facing Gaza. New officers and other ranks were joining the division and it was important that high standards were kept in up in all areas.…
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Away from the Western Front : 18th – 31st May 1917.
In reserve at Dorset House Conditions in the trenches facing Gaza were particularly unpleasant ; intermittent shelling from the enemy plus flies, extreme heat and lack of water . Battalions only stayed there for a few weeks at a time, moving between the front lines and the rear sector on a regular basis. However, being ‘ in reserve ‘ was no rest cure…
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Away from the Western Front : 1st – 17th May 1917
Digging Decoy Trenches in the Front Line After the failure of the two attacks on Gaza it was clear that the EEF needed to have far higher levels of manpower and equipment in order to be able to break through the Ottoman defences. This would take time to put in place. The front…
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Away from the Western Front : 20th – 30th April 1917
On Sheikh Abbas Ridge After the disastrous Second Battle of Gaza as part of the 162 Brigade , the Finsbury Rifles retreated behind the Sheikh Abbas ridge. Over a third of the battalion had been killed, wounded or posted as missing – all recorded as casualties in the battalion war diary. In spite…
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Away from the Western Front : 18th – 19th April 1917
The Second Battle of Gaza Having failed to take Gaza by surprise, Lieutenant-General Murray drew up a more cautious plan for a second attempt to capture the town. While the Royal Navy would shell Gaza from the sea, three infantry divisions would attack together, supported by an intense barrage of…
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Away from the Western Front : 22nd March to 16th April 1917.
The First Battle of Gaza – 26/27 March 1917 Although the initial role of the EEF was to defend the Suez Canal and keep it open for Allied shipping, the overall aim of the campaign had shifted since 1915. Now it was clear that the EEF would be fighting an offensive…
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