Dardanelles campaign (1915-1916)
Found in 688 Collections and/or Records:
(Untitled), 10 Mar 1915
Telegram from WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty] to Vice-Admiral Sackville Carden [in command of naval operations at the Dardanelles], on the Dardanelles campaign, urging him to destroy the forts at Chanak, and stating that the results to be gained were great enough to justify the loss of ships and men which success could not be obtained without. [Hand-written drafts, initialled by WSC. See also CHAR 13/45/165.].
(Untitled), 22 Feb 1915
Minute from WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty] to Field Marshal 1st Lord Kitchener [Secretary of State for War], on the landing of the Royal Naval Division in the Dardanelles: WSC suggests that a good General be sent there to take command of the troops, including the Royal Naval Division, and suggests Lieutenant-General Sir Aylmer Hunter-Weston. [Hand-written copy].
(Untitled), 25 Jan 1916
Letter from WSC (6th Royal Scots Fusiliers in the field) to David Lloyd George on Lloyd George's political position and the discouraging war situation from the British point of view. Asserts that the position would have been much better if either Lloyd George or WSC had had their way about Salonika [Greece] or the Dardanelles early in 1915, and wonders whether there is to be a costly campaign in the Balkans. Typescript copy. Manuscript drafts at CHAR 2/71/4-5.
(Untitled), 30 Apr [1915]
Letter from Captain Ralph Glyn (War Office) to WSC expressing the wish to talk to him about Russian and Balkan affairs and referring to the Dardanelles as the place "where the only real movement to smash Germany via Austria now finds its beginning".
(Untitled), 21 May 1915
Letter from WSC to Lord Kitchener regretting the attacks in the press on Kitchener, expressing confidence that the Dardanelles campaign "will come out all right" and noting that Lord Fisher [earlier Sir John Fisher] "went mad".
(Untitled), May 1915
Letter from Lord Kitchener (War Office) to WSC stating that the attempts in the press to create bad feeling between himself and Sir John French [later Lord French and Lord Ypres] will fail and mentioning the "cheerful" telegrams received from the Dardanelles.
(Untitled), [24] [May] 1915
Letter from Augustine Birrell (The Pightle, Sheringham, [Norfolk]) to WSC on the resignation of Lord Fisher [earlier Sir John Fisher] [as First Sea Lord] and the failure of the Dardanelles campaign. Believes WSC will recover from this set-back and criticises "this twopenny-halfpenny Coalition", advocating instead the formation of a war council from members of both parties to concern itself solely with war business whilst the existing Cabinet continued to manage its various departments.
(Untitled), 21 May 1915
Extract by Captain Alexander Davidson (HMS Cornwallis) from report by Rear-Admiral Rosslyn Wemyss [later Lord Wester Wemyss], praising the conduct of Naval personnel landing troops in theDardanelles. Signed typescript. Sent with CHAR 2/66/33-35.
(Untitled), 23 Jun 1915
Letter from Captain Alexander Davidson (HMS Cornwallis, Eastern Mediterranean Squadron) to WSC praising the naval operations in the Dardanelles initiated by him and his energetic management of the Navy in general. Describes his (Davidson's) role in the landing of the South Wales Borderers at Gallipoli, and sends extract of a report by Rear-Admiral Rosslyn Wemyss [later Lord Wester Wemyss][see CHAR 2/66/4].
(Untitled), 13 Nov 1915
Letter from Ellis Ashmead-Bartlett (17 Park Lane, London) to WSC blaming the military authorities, in particular General Sir Ian Hamilton, for the failure of the Dardanelles campaign. Signed typescript.
(Untitled), 27 Aug 1916
Letter from Admiral Lord Fisher [earlier Sir John Fisher] (36 Berkeley Square, [London]) to WSC enclosing a memorandum on his acquiesence in the Dardanelles operations [see CHAR 2/72/2-5]. Typescript copy at CHAR 2/72/40a.
(Untitled), [Aug] [1916]
"Points that influenced Lord Fisher in his acquiescence in the Dardanelles Operation." Typescript. Sent with CHAR 2/72/1.
(Untitled), 11 Aug 1916
Letter from Lord Fisher [earlier Sir John Fisher] (36 Berkeley Square, [London]) to WSC asking him to put in writing [the argument which WSC suggested Fisher should use before the Commission of Inquiry to justify his hostility to the Dardanelles campaign]. Typescript copy at CHAR 2/72/41.
(Untitled), [30 Mar 1915]
Telegram from General Sir Ian Hamilton to Vice Admiral John de Robeck encouraging him to persevere in his naval attack on the Dardanelles. Typescript copy. Sent with CHAR 2/74/33.
(Untitled), 02 Jun 1916
(Untitled), 22 Jun 1916
(Untitled), 06 Oct 1915
Printed note by WSC referring to his Cabinet memorandum on the Dardanelles campaign written in July [see CHAR 2/74/13] and complaining about the delay in fighting the battle in Gallipoli and the decline in British manpower resulting from the Government's failure to introduce conscription. Another copy at CHAR 2/74/133.
(Untitled), 05 Jul 1916
(Untitled), [04] [Jul] [1916]
(Untitled), [Jul] [1916]
Letter from General Sir Ian Hamilton (Hackwood, Basingstoke, [Hampshire]) to WSC giving details of the severe shortages of ammunition which hampered operations in the Dardanelles.
(Untitled), 13 Jul 1916
Letter from WSC (41 Cromwell Road) to [Herbert Asquith, later 1st Lord Oxford and Asquith] protesting against the Government's decision not to lay before Parliament papers relating to the operations in the Dardanelles and Gallipoli. Typescript copy.
(Untitled), 23 Aug 1916
Letter from General Sir Ian Hamilton (Deanston House, Perthshire, [Scotland]) to WSC enclosing a copy of a telegram from him to Rear Admiral John de Robeck [see CHAR 2/74/2] to show that he did not influence de Robeck in his abandonment of purely naval attacks at the Dardanelles. Signed typescript.
(Untitled), [Jul 1916]
Letter from WSC (41 Cromwell Road) to David Lloyd George arguing that the Government should honour its pledge to lay before Parliament papers relating to the Dardanelles Expedition and that the setting up of a secret House of Commons committee of inquiry is not a substitute for this. Incomplete draft in WSC's hand. Second and third sheets filed in wrong order.
(Untitled), 15 Jan 1915
Minute by WSC on the plan for concentrating naval forces in the Mediterranean ("Pola") with a view to forcing the Dardanelles. Typescript copy.
(Untitled), 20 Jan 1915
Minute by WSC on the naval arrangements for the forcing of the Dardanelles and the seizure of Alexandretta. Typescript copy.