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Gallipoli hero - 2nd battle of krithia
The Story of Albert Percy Doughty who died at the 2nd Battle of Krithia, Gallipoli on May 8th 1915. His body was never recovered.
Photograph of Albert Percy Doughty from the Weekly Times, the 3rd of July, 1915, on page 28 of the obituaries.
Albert Percy Doughty, in memoriam, The Age newspaper, 8th of May 1915.
Albert Percy Doughty, killed in action in the 2nd Battle of Krithia, Gallipoli, 8th of May 1915.
Albert Percy Doughty, killed in action in the 2nd Battle of Krithia, Gallipoli, 8th of May 1915.
Albert Percy Doughty, killed in action in the 2nd Battle of Krithia, Gallipoli, 8th of May 1915.
The Australian 2nd Brigade (Victoria) - 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th Battalions - attacked Turkish positions at Krithia in the British area at Helles. The attack was unsuccessful. Charles Bean wrote: The stone houses of Krithia were still 2000 yards away, but in advancing 1000 yards the brigade, already reduced at Anzac to 2900 men, lost in one short hour another 1000
He answer the call in World War One
When I was a young child at state school, in the early 1960’s, Remembrance Day was always a very special time, when we school children would sit in the class room during that week listening to the stories on ABC radio about our Anzac heroes. When I was eight years old, our headmaster asked us children if we had a relative that died in World War One. I went home and spoke to my father, and he told me that his uncle Albert Doughty was killed in Gallipoli. The next day I told my headmaster my story and I was chosen together with a young girl, to carry and lay the school’s wreath at the Melbourne Shrine of Remembrance that year. It turned out that the young girl was my second cousin Lesley Adamson, and she was representing the very same uncle.
The stories that we were told at school about the Gallipoli campaign in those early days, were missing the harrowing accounts that added substance to the real horrors faced by the Anzacs, as they all headed for the beach in their boats, and the hardships they endured while they were fighting their way up the steep inclines against appalling odds. It was only when I became a young adult that I interviewed my remaining relatives, and I put together a sketchy story of what really happened to my poor unfortunate uncle Albert Percy Doughty.
Albert Percy Doughty was the eldest of six children to Henry Richard Doughty and his wife Annie. Henry walked out on his wife and his family in 1902. Annie Doughty, now a single mother of six young children, left her home in Ballarat, and she moved her young family to South Melbourne to be close to her relatives there.
Most of the family history is lost in the past now, but I did learn that Albert Percy Doughty had obtained employment as a labourer on Station Pier in the Port of Melbourne. I found an article from the Melbourne Argus newspaper, published in 1912, that reported a story of Albert Percy Doughty assaulting another man, by punching him and breaking his nose. It was reported that Albert was waiting to catch a cable tram, when he witnessed a young lady who was running along the street screaming and crying. Albert approached her and she told him that a man was following her and she was frightened. Albert immediately confronted the man and punched him in the face, breaking his nose. Albert was interviewed by the police and he was arrested, and charged with assault, and he was fined.
When Albert enlisted into the army in 1914, his mother Annie told him that it was important to her that he had to go to church before his overseas adventure. Albert, his sister Jessie and his mother Annie, attended a service at St Pauls Cathedral in Melbourne. Albert had never been there before and he was so amazed at the beauty of the stain glass windows. While looking up at the beautiful artwork in the stain glass windows, he failed to see someone kneeling to pray in front of him, and he fell over them. One day close to Albert’s final day at home, and his journey overseas, he went to his local hotel to have a final beer with his mates and his three brothers. Two ladies began fighting outside in the street and Albert, always interested in helping damsels in distress, rushed outside to break them up. One of the ladies stuck a long pin into Albert’s thigh, causing him a great deal of pain.
Just before Albert boarded his troop ship he gave his brother-in-law Jack Paton, his treasure pocket watch to look after for him, until he returned from the war. Albert Percy Doughty was given the number 1648, as part of the Second Brigade, 6th Battalion, of the Australian Imperial Forces. Albert’s family said goodbye to him, and there were handshakes and kisses and cuddles from his family and friends, as he boarded the troop ship HMAS A54 ‘Runic’ that was bound for Egypt on the 19th of February 1915. Albert Percy Doughty was 23 years old, five foot eight inches tall, with blond hair and blue eyes and tattoos on both his forearms. His brother nicknamed him ‘Bella’ as he was from Ballarat. They would never see him again.
Albert landed at Gallipoli on the 25th of April 1915. His army record states that he was killed on the 8th of May 1915 in the Second Battle of Krithia. The Second Battle of Krithia was an attempt by the Allies to advance further on to the Helles battlefield during the Gallipoli battle and advance the position from the stalemate they were in. The village of Krithia and the neighbouring hill of Achi Baba had to be captured in order for the British to advance up the Gallipoli peninsula to the forts that controlled the passage of the Dardanelles straits. Not much ground was gained in that battle and their objective was never reached. Half the men who attacked in that action became casualties in just thirty five minutes of fighting that day. Albert’s body was never recovered. His mother received that dreaded telegram on the 15th of July 1915, many weeks after his death.
Two of Albert’s bothers, Henry and Robert, joined up and somehow through luck they fought and survived the horrors of the Western Front.
After World War One, Henry had trouble facing normal life again, and he walked away from his wife and two children. His son Jack told me, many years later, that he had never seen or heard from his father, and he didn’t even know when he died and where he was buried. I found out that Henry, an army Sergeant in the first war, had re-joined the AIF in World War Two, and he died while training soldiers in Melbourne. He was buried in an army grave in Springvale cemetery. Albert’s brother Robert, survived the first war and went on to have a normal married life with children. My great grandmother Annie Doughty never had a grave to visit, and to mourn over her beloved son Albert. The news of Albert’s death devastated her and she never did recover from her sadness until her death ten years later in 1925, when she was just fifty five years of age.
I went to Gallipoli with my wife Sue back in 2005 for the ninetieth anniversary, and as I stood facing the beach on that very cold night, I thought about my great uncle Albert, and those poor young men, fighting their way up the beach, cold and wet, in a hail of bullets, and I wept. I later thought about all the many descendants now living from Henry, Robert, their sister Jessie, and my grandfather William, and it saddens me to think of the possible descendants of Albert that never were, and all the wasted lives of all those many thousands of young men lost in war.
Lest We Forget.
When I was a young child at state school, in the early 1960’s, Remembrance Day was always a very special time, when we school children would sit in the class room during that week listening to the stories on ABC radio about our Anzac heroes. When I was eight years old, our headmaster asked us children if we had a relative that died in World War One. I went home and spoke to my father, and he told me that his uncle Albert Doughty was killed in Gallipoli. The next day I told my headmaster my story and I was chosen together with a young girl, to carry and lay the school’s wreath at the Melbourne Shrine of Remembrance that year. It turned out that the young girl was my second cousin Lesley Adamson, and she was representing the very same uncle.
The stories that we were told at school about the Gallipoli campaign in those early days, were missing the harrowing accounts that added substance to the real horrors faced by the Anzacs, as they all headed for the beach in their boats, and the hardships they endured while they were fighting their way up the steep inclines against appalling odds. It was only when I became a young adult that I interviewed my remaining relatives, and I put together a sketchy story of what really happened to my poor unfortunate uncle Albert Percy Doughty.
Albert Percy Doughty was the eldest of six children to Henry Richard Doughty and his wife Annie. Henry walked out on his wife and his family in 1902. Annie Doughty, now a single mother of six young children, left her home in Ballarat, and she moved her young family to South Melbourne to be close to her relatives there.
Most of the family history is lost in the past now, but I did learn that Albert Percy Doughty had obtained employment as a labourer on Station Pier in the Port of Melbourne. I found an article from the Melbourne Argus newspaper, published in 1912, that reported a story of Albert Percy Doughty assaulting another man, by punching him and breaking his nose. It was reported that Albert was waiting to catch a cable tram, when he witnessed a young lady who was running along the street screaming and crying. Albert approached her and she told him that a man was following her and she was frightened. Albert immediately confronted the man and punched him in the face, breaking his nose. Albert was interviewed by the police and he was arrested, and charged with assault, and he was fined.
When Albert enlisted into the army in 1914, his mother Annie told him that it was important to her that he had to go to church before his overseas adventure. Albert, his sister Jessie and his mother Annie, attended a service at St Pauls Cathedral in Melbourne. Albert had never been there before and he was so amazed at the beauty of the stain glass windows. While looking up at the beautiful artwork in the stain glass windows, he failed to see someone kneeling to pray in front of him, and he fell over them. One day close to Albert’s final day at home, and his journey overseas, he went to his local hotel to have a final beer with his mates and his three brothers. Two ladies began fighting outside in the street and Albert, always interested in helping damsels in distress, rushed outside to break them up. One of the ladies stuck a long pin into Albert’s thigh, causing him a great deal of pain.
Just before Albert boarded his troop ship he gave his brother-in-law Jack Paton, his treasure pocket watch to look after for him, until he returned from the war. Albert Percy Doughty was given the number 1648, as part of the Second Brigade, 6th Battalion, of the Australian Imperial Forces. Albert’s family said goodbye to him, and there were handshakes and kisses and cuddles from his family and friends, as he boarded the troop ship HMAS A54 ‘Runic’ that was bound for Egypt on the 19th of February 1915. Albert Percy Doughty was 23 years old, five foot eight inches tall, with blond hair and blue eyes and tattoos on both his forearms. His brother nicknamed him ‘Bella’ as he was from Ballarat. They would never see him again.
Albert landed at Gallipoli on the 25th of April 1915. His army record states that he was killed on the 8th of May 1915 in the Second Battle of Krithia. The Second Battle of Krithia was an attempt by the Allies to advance further on to the Helles battlefield during the Gallipoli battle and advance the position from the stalemate they were in. The village of Krithia and the neighbouring hill of Achi Baba had to be captured in order for the British to advance up the Gallipoli peninsula to the forts that controlled the passage of the Dardanelles straits. Not much ground was gained in that battle and their objective was never reached. Half the men who attacked in that action became casualties in just thirty five minutes of fighting that day. Albert’s body was never recovered. His mother received that dreaded telegram on the 15th of July 1915, many weeks after his death.
Two of Albert’s bothers, Henry and Robert, joined up and somehow through luck they fought and survived the horrors of the Western Front.
After World War One, Henry had trouble facing normal life again, and he walked away from his wife and two children. His son Jack told me, many years later, that he had never seen or heard from his father, and he didn’t even know when he died and where he was buried. I found out that Henry, an army Sergeant in the first war, had re-joined the AIF in World War Two, and he died while training soldiers in Melbourne. He was buried in an army grave in Springvale cemetery. Albert’s brother Robert, survived the first war and went on to have a normal married life with children. My great grandmother Annie Doughty never had a grave to visit, and to mourn over her beloved son Albert. The news of Albert’s death devastated her and she never did recover from her sadness until her death ten years later in 1925, when she was just fifty five years of age.
I went to Gallipoli with my wife Sue back in 2005 for the ninetieth anniversary, and as I stood facing the beach on that very cold night, I thought about my great uncle Albert, and those poor young men, fighting their way up the beach, cold and wet, in a hail of bullets, and I wept. I later thought about all the many descendants now living from Henry, Robert, their sister Jessie, and my grandfather William, and it saddens me to think of the possible descendants of Albert that never were, and all the wasted lives of all those many thousands of young men lost in war.
Lest We Forget.
A certificate produced during World War One by the South Melbourne City Council, to commemorate the missing soldiers who never returned home.
THE 2ND BATTLE OF KRITHIA GALLIPOLI WORLD WAR TWO
We are still remembering the awful waste of young lives almost 100 years ago when our young men went to a foreign shore to fight in Gallipoli against the Turkish people and later on against Germany, in a war that lasted four terrible years. With so many young lives wasted the war affected almost everybody back in those days and for many years to come. Everyone back then had family or friends involved in World War One. My great grandmother had five sons. One son Albert went to Egypt and eventually to Gallipoli. Two of her other sons, Henry and Robert went to fight in France against the Germans.
I recently read a book written by Australian military historian Ron Austin, entitled ‘The White Gurkhas – The Australians at the Second Battle of Krithia, Gallipoli’. The village Krithia, situated seven kilometres from the toe of the Gallipoli Peninsula at Cape Helles, and lying at the base of the peak named Achi Baba, was on 8 May 1915 the scene of an attack undertaken by the Australian 2nd Infantry Brigade under Colonel James McCay. To assist British forces attempting to advance against growing Turkish opposition to the beach-head established there on 25 April, two brigades, the Australian 2nd Brigade and a New Zealand brigade were transferred from Anzac and brought ashore on 6 May. Both on this day and the next, the Anzac troops watched the French and British forces attempt to advance across the open ground leading to Achi Baba, before the New Zealanders were added to the struggle on the morning of 8 May. When this latest attempt also gained little ground, yet another attack was ordered for 5.30pm that same afternoon and this time with the Australians taking part in the centre. No advance warning of involvement was received in the brigade until shortly before 5 p.m. when the order arrived, at which time McCay was away visiting the New Zealanders and his men were preparing their evening meal. Despite this inadequate notice, the Australian troops were in position to join in the assault, as required.
After advancing over open ground under fire to reach the leading trenches occupied by British soldiers, within minutes the Australians were called out from this shelter by their brigadier to continue the advance. Pressing on under increasingly heavy fire from enemy small arms and artillery, the Australians covered another 500 metres before being forced to a standstill by their losses. The leading Turkish positions could be observed only some 400 metres ahead, but the Turkish village of Krithia was still some 2,000 metres away. The hour long advance entailed by this attempt had cost the Australian 2nd Brigade 1,000 casualties, or one-third of its strength. Following the failure of the First Battle of Krithia to capture the village of Krithia and its prominent hill feature Achi Baba on 28 April 1915, a second attempt was initiated on the 6th of May. The Allied force used as the basis of the attack was sited at a beachhead on Cape Helles operating under British commander Aylmer Hunter-Weston. Some 20,000 troops had survived the landing at Cape Helles on the 25th of April 1915 but losses during the first attempt upon the village of Krithia had reduced this total to just 14,000.
Facing Hunter-Weston in a 7km line in front of Krithia was an equivalent Turkish force overseen by attached German officer Limam Von Sanders. Liman Von Sanders was acting under instructions from the Turkish minister of war Enver Pasha, to deny Hunter-Weston's force access to Krithia and Achi Baba, and with it the danger of evicting Turkish defenders from the heights overlooking the Dardanelles Straits. Enver had authorized Liman to respond to the Allied attacks of 28 April with counter-strikes of his own on the 1st and the 3rd of May. Both were however repulsed with heavy Turkish loss. The latter attacks were nevertheless an indicator of Enver's determination to resist the further Allied advances north of Cape Helles.
By the time Hunter-Weston renewed the attack at noon on the 6th of May his force had been reinforced by two Anzac brigades to a total of 25,000 men plus an additional 20 guns. Hunter-Weston had a shortage of ammunition yet when the attack was launched, of greater concern was the lack of command co-ordination which reduced the day's gains to just a few metres. Hunter-Weston renewed the attack on the following day after a bombardment by the offshore fleet - with similar results. Once again little progress was made. Unrepentant Hunter-Weston attempted a third and final attack on the 8th of May, prefaced by a preliminary shrapnel bombardment using all available guns and shells (which did not in fact amount to much, shrapnel not greatly damaging the Turkish positions). Nevertheless real gains were made with the Turkish line being pushed back by almost a kilometre. Hunter-Weston's casualties were as usual high, with a further loss of 6,000 men. Although the battle had resulted in a degree of gain, the Achi Baba feature remained in Turkish hands.
After reading this story of the Second Battle of Krithia I was able to find out that my great Uncle Albert Percy Doughty died at approximately 5.30 pm on the 8th of May 1915 in a battle that was an awful waist of young lives. It was the first time that I knew when and how he died and I’m not ashamed to say that I had tears in my eyes. My poor great grandmother wasn’t told of her son’s death until two months later.
Albert Percy Doughty was a 23 year old wharf labourer who was a young man looking for adventure. The only thing that I really know about my Uncle Albert is that he was born in Ballarat and his friends nicknamed him Bella Doughty. He parent’s marriage broke up and his mother Annie moved her young family to South Melbourne from Ballarat back in 1902. I have his watch that he gave to his brother-in-law Jack Paton to look after in 1914, until he came back home from the war.
I found an article written about my uncle Albert in the Bendigo Advertiser in 1912, three years earlier, that described him as a normal young man of that time who was a typical Australian larrikin – At the South Melbourne Court to-day, Albert Percy Doughty, .a coal lumper, was charged with, having inflicted grievous bodily harm to Herbert Partridge on 27th of November. Partridge said that shortly after 10 p.m. on 27th of November he was waiting for a tram to the city, when he was approached by Doughty, another man, and a woman. They accused Partridge of following the woman, which he denied, whereupon Doughty hit him a violent blow on his nose and broke it. Partridge had since been under medical treatment. The charge was reduced to one of count of assault. Doughty said that a girl named Eileen Lew had complained that Partridge had been following her. She was crying. Doughty accused Partridge of having followed the girl, and he was told to mind his own business. Partridge aimed a blow at him, and he returned it. He had no intention of breaking Partridge's nose. A fine of £10, in default three' months' imprisonment was imposed. A stay of seven days was allowed in order that an appeal might be made on Doughty entering into a bond of £25.
Another story was told to me by a family member about a fight that broke out at a Port Melbourne hotel between two young ladies. Albert Doughty stepped in to break it up and one of the ladies stuck a hair pin into his thigh. He was in army uniform at that time.
My uncle Albert landed in Gallipoli with the 2nd Division, 6th Battalion on the 25th of April 1915. He survived for two weeks of the fighting. When he died in Gallipoli in the Second Battle of Krithia at 5.30 pm on the 8th of May 1915 his body was never recovered. His two soldier brothers, Henry and Robert, both came back from World War One, and they both have many decedents. Those awful losses of life would have a lasting effect on our Australian population for many years to come.
David Doughty - www. ddoughty.com
AN EARLY NEWSPAPER ARTICAL ACCUSING ALBERT DOUGHTY OF ASSAULT, HE WAS A YOUNG MAN PROTECTING A YOUNG LADY WHO THOUGHT SHE WAS IN DANGER OF BEING MOLESTED BY A STRANGER. PAN DOWN TO TRANSLATE
At the South Melbourne
Court to-day, Albert, Percy
Doughty, .a coal lumper, was
charged with, having inflicted grievous
bodily harm to Herbert Partridge on 27th November. Partridge said that shortly after 10 p.m. on 27th. November he was waiting for a tram to the city, when he was approached by Doughty, another man, and
a woman.. They
accused him of following the
woman, which he denied, whereupon
Doughty hit him a violent blow on his
nose and broke it. He had since been under medical treatment. The charge was
reduced to one of count of assault. Doughty said that a girl named Eileen Lew had complained that Partridge had been following her. She was crying. He accused Partridge of having followed the girl,
and he was told to mind his
own business. Partridge aimed a blow at him, and he returned
it. He had no intention of breaking Partridge's nose. A fine of £10, in default three' months' imprisonment was imposed. A stay of seven days was allowed in
order that an appeal might
be made on Doughty's entering into a
bond of £25.
MY GREAT UNCLE ALBERT PERCY DOUGHTY WHO WAS KILLED AT APPROXIMATELY 5.30 PM ON THE 8TH OF MAY 1915 IN THE 2ND BATTLE OF KRITHIA, GALLIPOLI. HE WAS AN AUSTRALIAN SOLDIER NUMBER 1640 OF THE 6TH BATTALION.
ALBERT PERCY DOUGHTY AS A SOLDIER KIA GALLIPOLI
ALBERT PERCY DOUGHTY
Charge of the 2nd Infantry Brigade at Krithia by Charles Wheeler, 1927, oil on canvas.
2ND BATTLE OF KRITHIA, GALLIPOLI, THE 8TH OF MAY 1915.
Lisa Wright
(lisaannewright@gmail.com)
6/04/2015
From: Lisa Wright (lisaannewright@gmail.com) Sent: Monday, 6 April 2015 4:36:06 AM To: docdoughty@hotmail.com
Hi David,
I just stumbled upon your website as I was researching the Second Battle for Krithia, because my relative, John Wright was also killed there on 8th May at approximately 5.30pm - the same as Albert.
John's body was eventually recovered, 2 years after the battle. The family wrote to the army numerous times wanting to know what happened to John. After a court of inquiry in 1917 it was decided that he was killed in the second battle for Krithia. This was around the time that the Red Cross was sent to Krithia to recover the bodies and try to identify them and bury them. I have been told that they usually could only identify them if they were wearing an identity disk. John is buried in the Redoubt Cemetery within the battlefield. Did you manage to visit the Redoubt Cemetery when you visited Gallipoli? They have a wall there in the cemetery commemorating the names of the soldiers whose bodies they could not find and I believe that the soldiers they did find but could not identify are buried there too. You have probably already done this, but you could contact The Australian War Graves Commission to ask.
Another good document to read is "Chapter One The Struggle for Krithia" which I found on the AWM website - it describes in detail the 2nd battle for Krithia - I also cried when I read it. I am sure this document is what Austin would have referred to when writing his book. I am grateful that you have put something online as you have listed some books that I would now like to purchase and read by Austin. I bought one of his about the 8th Battalion "Where Anzacs Sleep" when I visited the War Memorial in January this year.
My relative John Wright was in the 2nd Infantry Brigade in the 8th Battalion AIF. He was born in West Melbourne, but may have moved to Ballarat - when he was in the militia (Harbour Garrison Trust Artillery) before going to Gallipoli (as apparently the 8th btn was formed from the militia unit in Ballarat)- but it's hard to find records. He was 43 when he went to Gallipoli. I don't have a photograph of him but I would dearly love to have one, to know what he looked like.
From: Lisa Wright (lisaannewright@gmail.com) Sent: Monday, 6 April 2015 4:36:06 AM To: docdoughty@hotmail.com
Hi David,
I just stumbled upon your website as I was researching the Second Battle for Krithia, because my relative, John Wright was also killed there on 8th May at approximately 5.30pm - the same as Albert.
John's body was eventually recovered, 2 years after the battle. The family wrote to the army numerous times wanting to know what happened to John. After a court of inquiry in 1917 it was decided that he was killed in the second battle for Krithia. This was around the time that the Red Cross was sent to Krithia to recover the bodies and try to identify them and bury them. I have been told that they usually could only identify them if they were wearing an identity disk. John is buried in the Redoubt Cemetery within the battlefield. Did you manage to visit the Redoubt Cemetery when you visited Gallipoli? They have a wall there in the cemetery commemorating the names of the soldiers whose bodies they could not find and I believe that the soldiers they did find but could not identify are buried there too. You have probably already done this, but you could contact The Australian War Graves Commission to ask.
Another good document to read is "Chapter One The Struggle for Krithia" which I found on the AWM website - it describes in detail the 2nd battle for Krithia - I also cried when I read it. I am sure this document is what Austin would have referred to when writing his book. I am grateful that you have put something online as you have listed some books that I would now like to purchase and read by Austin. I bought one of his about the 8th Battalion "Where Anzacs Sleep" when I visited the War Memorial in January this year.
My relative John Wright was in the 2nd Infantry Brigade in the 8th Battalion AIF. He was born in West Melbourne, but may have moved to Ballarat - when he was in the militia (Harbour Garrison Trust Artillery) before going to Gallipoli (as apparently the 8th btn was formed from the militia unit in Ballarat)- but it's hard to find records. He was 43 when he went to Gallipoli. I don't have a photograph of him but I would dearly love to have one, to know what he looked like.
AYLMER HUNTER - WESTON --- GENERAL INCHARGE OF THE MURDEROUS -- 2ND BATTL;E OF KRITHIA, GALLIPOLI 8TH OF MAY 1915
Krithia, a Greek village situated seven kilometres from the toe of the Gallipoli Peninsula at Cape Helles and lying at the base of the peak named Achi Baba, was on 8 May 1915 the scene of an attack undertaken by the Australian 2nd Infantry Brigade under Colonel James M'Cay. To assist British forces attempting to advance against growing Turkish opposition to the beach-head established there on 25 April, two brigades - the Australian 2nd and the New Zealand-were transferred from Anzac and brought ashore on 6 May. Both this day and the next the Anzac troops watched French and British forces attempt to advance across the open ground leading to Achi Baba, before the New Zealanders were added to the struggle on the morning of 8 May. When this latest attempt also gained little ground, yet another attack was ordered for 5.30 that same afternoon-this time with the Australians taking part in the centre. No advance warning of involvement was received in the brigade until shortly before 5 p.m. when the order arrived, at which time M'Cay was away visiting the New Zealanders and his men were preparing their evening meal. Despite this inadequate notice, the troops were in position to join in the assault, as required. After advancing over open ground under fire to reach the leading trenches occupied by British soldiers, within minutes the Australians were called out from this shelter by their brigadier to continue the advance. Pressing on under increasingly heavy fire from enemy small arms and artillery, the Australians covered another 500 metres before being forced to a standstill by their losses. The leading Turkish positions could be observed only some 400 metres ahead, but the village of Krithia was still some 2,000 metres away. The hour-long advance entailed by this attempt had cost 2nd Brigade 1,000 casualties, or one-third of its strength.
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Albert Percy Doughty
Service Number: 1648
Rank: Private
Unit: 6th Australian Infantry Battalion
Service: Australian Army
Conflict / Operation: First World War, 1914-1918
Conflict eligibility date: First World War, 1914-1921
The official commencement and cut-off dates for inclusion in the Roll of Honour and the Commemorative Roll
Date of death: 8 May 1915
Place of death: Gallipoli, Dardanelles, Turkey
Cause of death: Killed in action
Age at death: 24
Place of association: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Cemetery or memorial details: Helles Memorial, Cape Helles, Gallipoli Peninsula, Canakkale Province, Turkey
Source: AWM145 Roll of Honour cards, 1914-1918 War, Army
Service Number: 1648
Rank: Private
Unit: 6th Australian Infantry Battalion
Service: Australian Army
Conflict / Operation: First World War, 1914-1918
Conflict eligibility date: First World War, 1914-1921
The official commencement and cut-off dates for inclusion in the Roll of Honour and the Commemorative Roll
Date of death: 8 May 1915
Place of death: Gallipoli, Dardanelles, Turkey
Cause of death: Killed in action
Age at death: 24
Place of association: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Cemetery or memorial details: Helles Memorial, Cape Helles, Gallipoli Peninsula, Canakkale Province, Turkey
Source: AWM145 Roll of Honour cards, 1914-1918 War, Army
Albert Percy Doughty
Regimental number ---- 1648
Religion ------ Church of England
Occupation ---- Coal lumper
Address ---- 1O Gladstone Place Montague, Victoria
Marital status ---- Single
Age at embarkation ----- 23
Next of kin ---- Mother, Mrs A Doughty, 10 Gladstone Place, Montague, Victoria
Enlistment date ----- 8 October 1914
Rank on enlistment ------ Private
Unit name ----- 6th Battalion, 3rd Reinforcement
AWM Embarkation Roll number ------- 23/23/2
Embarkation details ---- Unit embarked from Melbourne, Victoria, on board HMAT A54 Runic on 19 February 1915
Riley remembers his great uncle Albert Percy Doughty 1648, Remembrance Day 2014 with Mark Donaldson Victorian Cross winner.
The Second Battle of Krithia continued the Allies' attempts to advance on the Helles battlefield during the Battle of Gallipoli of the First World War. The village of Krithia and neighbouring hill of Achi Baba had to be captured in order for the British to advance up the Gallipoli peninsula to the forts that controlled passage of the Dardanelles straits. A small amount of ground was captured after two days of costly fighting but the objectives remained out of reach. Following the failure of the First Battle of Krithia, the exhausted soldiers of the British 29th Division halted to consolidate their positions. They had to endure a number of Ottoman counter-attacks on 1 and 4 May. Similar counter-attacks were repulsed at the Anzac landing on 2 May so that General William Birdwood, commander of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps deemed his front sufficiently secure to enable two brigades to be moved to Helles for the next assault on Krithia. These were the Australian 2nd Infantry Brigade and the New Zealand Infantry Brigade, around 5,000 men.
Other British reinforcements included brigades from the Royal Naval Division and the 125th Brigade from the British 42nd (East Lancashire) Division. The 87th and 88th Brigades of the 29th Division would once again be at the forefront of the attack. The Anzac brigades and General Herbert Cox's 29th Indian Brigade would be in reserve. The commander at Helles, Major General Aylmer Hunter-Weston, was woefully lacking in shells for his artillery and those he did have were shrapnel shells which was ineffective against entrenched positions. The navy were somewhat ambitiously still hoarding shells for the anticipated assault on Constantinople.
The Ottomans had also been reinforcing their defences around Krithia. According to Kiazim Pasha the following units were responsible for the defence of Krithia:
Like the first battle, the plan was for a general advance on a broad front across the peninsula. The attack was divided into three phases. The first phase involved a general advance of one mile across the entire front which would place the French, on the right of the line, astride Kereves Spur where they were to dig in. In the second phase, the British in the centre and on the left would pivot on the French position and sweep up Fir Tree Spur and Gully Spur then capture Krithia village. The third phase would be the capture of Achi Baba.[4]
In the end, after three days of fighting, the Allies would abandon the battle without even completing the first phase. In fact, the greatest advance achieved was a mere 600 yd (550 m). The plan was made despite the fact that the British had no clear idea where the Ottoman fortifications were. There was as yet no continuous system of trenches and aerial reconnaissance had failed to locate the defences. Consequently, the preliminary bombardments that were made before each advance were utterly ineffectual. Hunter-Weston also insisted that the attacks be made in broad daylight, fearing that an attack under the cover of darkness would become confused.[5] Having failed with this approach once during the first battle did not deter Hunter-Weston, and as the second battle progressed he would remain undeterred.
Battle
The Allied advance began later than scheduled, around 11:00 on 6 May, and was swiftly halted by strong Ottoman resistance. The 88th Brigade of the 29th Division advancing on Fir Tree Spur managed to capture Fir Tree Wood, and the 6th (Hood) Battalion of the British 63rd (Royal Naval) Division advanced strongly along Kanli Dere, but at all points on the line the gains were never more than 400 yd (370 m). At no point were the Ottoman defences reached. The attack was resumed on 7 May; it used the same plan and produced largely the same results.
On the morning of 8 May, the 88th Brigade in front of Krithia on Fir Tree Spur was relieved by the New Zealanders who made yet another attempt which failed with huge losses. The Wellington, Canterbury and Auckland Battalions gained another 400 yd (370 m) through Fir Tree Wood to a place called the 'Daisy Patch' before they became pinned down. Enfiladed on the left from Ottoman machine guns in Gully Ravine, they could neither advance nor withdraw and still had no sight of the Ottoman positions.
Despite their predicament, Hunter-Weston ordered the New Zealanders, including the Otago Battalion in reserve, to resume that attack at 17:30. The brigade commander, Colonel Francis Johnston, protested but Hunter-Weston insisted the attack proceed. However, General Sir Ian Hamilton, commander of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force, who had landed at Helles to oversee the battle, ordered a general advance to be made at 17:30 along the entire front with the aim of capturing Krithia and Achi Baba.[6]
The Australian 2nd Infantry Brigade, under the command of Brigadier-General M'Cay, was given 35 minutes warning that it was about to join the attack. The Australians were to advance along Krithia Spur between the right flank of the New Zealand brigade and the edge of Kanli Dere,[3] and had to travel up to 800 yd (730 m) from their reserve position just to reach the start line at "Tommy's Trench". The brigade managed to advance a further 500 yd (460 m) beyond the start line, suffering 50% casualties in the process.
The New Zealand brigade made another attempt to cross the Daisy Patch, and some troops managed to actually sight the Ottoman trenches. On the right, the French resumed their advance at 18:00 and made good progress, reaching the Ottoman trenches on Kereves Dere. They managed to capture and hold Bouchet Redoubt but were forced back everywhere else. About ⅓ of the Allied soldiers who fought in the battle became casualties. General Hamilton could ill-afford such losses as they made it difficult enough to hold the little ground he had, let alone continue to capture more. The poor planning of the battle extended to the medical provisions for the wounded which were woeful. The few stretcher bearers that were available often had to carry their burdens all the way to the beach as there was no intermediate collecting station with wagon transport. The hospital ship arrangements were also inadequate so that once the wounded were taken off the beach they would have trouble finding a ship prepared to take them on board.
With the failure of the second battle, Hamilton made a request to the British Secretary of State for War, Lord Kitchener, for an additional four divisions. He was promised the British 52nd (Lowland) Division but would not receive any more until August. Another attempt to capture Krithia would not be made until early June
Other British reinforcements included brigades from the Royal Naval Division and the 125th Brigade from the British 42nd (East Lancashire) Division. The 87th and 88th Brigades of the 29th Division would once again be at the forefront of the attack. The Anzac brigades and General Herbert Cox's 29th Indian Brigade would be in reserve. The commander at Helles, Major General Aylmer Hunter-Weston, was woefully lacking in shells for his artillery and those he did have were shrapnel shells which was ineffective against entrenched positions. The navy were somewhat ambitiously still hoarding shells for the anticipated assault on Constantinople.
The Ottomans had also been reinforcing their defences around Krithia. According to Kiazim Pasha the following units were responsible for the defence of Krithia:
- 1/ and 2/29th Regt (10th Div),
- 2/56th Regt. (15th Div),
- 2/19th Regt. (7th Div),
- 1/ and 4/26th Regt. (9th Div), and
- 15th Regt. (5th Div).
- 2/25th Regt. (9th Div),
- 1/20th Regt. (7th Div), and
- 2/56th Regt. (15th Div).
Like the first battle, the plan was for a general advance on a broad front across the peninsula. The attack was divided into three phases. The first phase involved a general advance of one mile across the entire front which would place the French, on the right of the line, astride Kereves Spur where they were to dig in. In the second phase, the British in the centre and on the left would pivot on the French position and sweep up Fir Tree Spur and Gully Spur then capture Krithia village. The third phase would be the capture of Achi Baba.[4]
In the end, after three days of fighting, the Allies would abandon the battle without even completing the first phase. In fact, the greatest advance achieved was a mere 600 yd (550 m). The plan was made despite the fact that the British had no clear idea where the Ottoman fortifications were. There was as yet no continuous system of trenches and aerial reconnaissance had failed to locate the defences. Consequently, the preliminary bombardments that were made before each advance were utterly ineffectual. Hunter-Weston also insisted that the attacks be made in broad daylight, fearing that an attack under the cover of darkness would become confused.[5] Having failed with this approach once during the first battle did not deter Hunter-Weston, and as the second battle progressed he would remain undeterred.
Battle
The Allied advance began later than scheduled, around 11:00 on 6 May, and was swiftly halted by strong Ottoman resistance. The 88th Brigade of the 29th Division advancing on Fir Tree Spur managed to capture Fir Tree Wood, and the 6th (Hood) Battalion of the British 63rd (Royal Naval) Division advanced strongly along Kanli Dere, but at all points on the line the gains were never more than 400 yd (370 m). At no point were the Ottoman defences reached. The attack was resumed on 7 May; it used the same plan and produced largely the same results.
On the morning of 8 May, the 88th Brigade in front of Krithia on Fir Tree Spur was relieved by the New Zealanders who made yet another attempt which failed with huge losses. The Wellington, Canterbury and Auckland Battalions gained another 400 yd (370 m) through Fir Tree Wood to a place called the 'Daisy Patch' before they became pinned down. Enfiladed on the left from Ottoman machine guns in Gully Ravine, they could neither advance nor withdraw and still had no sight of the Ottoman positions.
Despite their predicament, Hunter-Weston ordered the New Zealanders, including the Otago Battalion in reserve, to resume that attack at 17:30. The brigade commander, Colonel Francis Johnston, protested but Hunter-Weston insisted the attack proceed. However, General Sir Ian Hamilton, commander of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force, who had landed at Helles to oversee the battle, ordered a general advance to be made at 17:30 along the entire front with the aim of capturing Krithia and Achi Baba.[6]
The Australian 2nd Infantry Brigade, under the command of Brigadier-General M'Cay, was given 35 minutes warning that it was about to join the attack. The Australians were to advance along Krithia Spur between the right flank of the New Zealand brigade and the edge of Kanli Dere,[3] and had to travel up to 800 yd (730 m) from their reserve position just to reach the start line at "Tommy's Trench". The brigade managed to advance a further 500 yd (460 m) beyond the start line, suffering 50% casualties in the process.
The New Zealand brigade made another attempt to cross the Daisy Patch, and some troops managed to actually sight the Ottoman trenches. On the right, the French resumed their advance at 18:00 and made good progress, reaching the Ottoman trenches on Kereves Dere. They managed to capture and hold Bouchet Redoubt but were forced back everywhere else. About ⅓ of the Allied soldiers who fought in the battle became casualties. General Hamilton could ill-afford such losses as they made it difficult enough to hold the little ground he had, let alone continue to capture more. The poor planning of the battle extended to the medical provisions for the wounded which were woeful. The few stretcher bearers that were available often had to carry their burdens all the way to the beach as there was no intermediate collecting station with wagon transport. The hospital ship arrangements were also inadequate so that once the wounded were taken off the beach they would have trouble finding a ship prepared to take them on board.
With the failure of the second battle, Hamilton made a request to the British Secretary of State for War, Lord Kitchener, for an additional four divisions. He was promised the British 52nd (Lowland) Division but would not receive any more until August. Another attempt to capture Krithia would not be made until early June
The Battle in Brief
Krithia was a Greek village on the tip of the Gallipoli peninsula, approximately eight kilometres north of Cape Helles, the site of the costly British landings of 25 April 1915. The village was at the foot of the dominating heights of Achi Baba peak which had been the first objective of the British troops on 25 April. The British 29th Division, in the First Battle of Krithia, advanced the line to within three kilometres of the village. The Australian 2nd Brigade and the New Zealand Brigade were transferred from Anzac Cove to Helles to assist the British and French in the second Battle of Krithia from 6 to 8 May.
British attacks on 6 May gained some ground but two further attacks next day failed to make progress. A further British attempt failed on 8 May and just before 5 pm that afternoon, the 2nd Brigade, commanded by Colonel James M’Cay, was given orders to attack at 5.30 pm when it was still light. The Australians advanced from a trench manned by Indian soldiers and 500 metres further on unexpectedly found another trench manned by British soldiers. This trench was named by the Australians as ‘The Tommies Trench’ and the Australians either jumped into it or laid down behind it. Three minutes later, M’Cay with more Australians approached and M'Cay called on the men taking shelter to continue the advance. The Australians pressed forward under heavy enemy fire before casualties compelled them to stop 400 metres from the Turkish trenches and two kilometres from Krithia. The Australians in an hour had suffered 1000 killed and wounded. On the left, the New Zealanders gained a little ground but at a heavy cost. With the Turks digging in and receiving reinforcements, the two brigades returned to Anzac Cove
Krithia was a Greek village on the tip of the Gallipoli peninsula, approximately eight kilometres north of Cape Helles, the site of the costly British landings of 25 April 1915. The village was at the foot of the dominating heights of Achi Baba peak which had been the first objective of the British troops on 25 April. The British 29th Division, in the First Battle of Krithia, advanced the line to within three kilometres of the village. The Australian 2nd Brigade and the New Zealand Brigade were transferred from Anzac Cove to Helles to assist the British and French in the second Battle of Krithia from 6 to 8 May.
British attacks on 6 May gained some ground but two further attacks next day failed to make progress. A further British attempt failed on 8 May and just before 5 pm that afternoon, the 2nd Brigade, commanded by Colonel James M’Cay, was given orders to attack at 5.30 pm when it was still light. The Australians advanced from a trench manned by Indian soldiers and 500 metres further on unexpectedly found another trench manned by British soldiers. This trench was named by the Australians as ‘The Tommies Trench’ and the Australians either jumped into it or laid down behind it. Three minutes later, M’Cay with more Australians approached and M'Cay called on the men taking shelter to continue the advance. The Australians pressed forward under heavy enemy fire before casualties compelled them to stop 400 metres from the Turkish trenches and two kilometres from Krithia. The Australians in an hour had suffered 1000 killed and wounded. On the left, the New Zealanders gained a little ground but at a heavy cost. With the Turks digging in and receiving reinforcements, the two brigades returned to Anzac Cove
The ruins of the main street in Krithia, Cape Helles
A group of surviving members of D Company, 7th Battlion, after the Battle of Krithia.
The dismal scene after an attack by the 2nd Infantry Brigade at Krithia.