On Beach V of the Gallipoli Peninsula another method of landing men
was used. A collier named the _River Clyde_ was filled with soldiers
and run ashore, after a landing had been tried in the ordinary way and
had failed. Wide openings had been made in the sides of the vessel
from which gangways were slung on ropes to give the men passage either
to the shallow water or to flat boats known as lighters which were to
form a kind of bridge to the beach. The _River Clyde_ was in charge of
Commander Edward Unwin.
The first landing from small boats upon this beach had been a
disastrous affair. The men were shot down as they landed, and very soon
the beach was strewn with dead and dying. Many were killed or wounded
before they could leave the boats and the fire was so severe that one
boat with all its men was blown to pieces. A few of the men who waded
ashore were entangled in the barbed wire and were shot down as they
struggled to get loose. Not a single boat returned to the ships.
One seaman named Lewis Jacobs of the _Lord Nelson_ showed the utmost
bravery in this dread hour. Every other man in his boat had been killed
or wounded, but he pulled steadily for the beach and then took out the
pole to guide the boat to a suitable landing place. He was last seen
standing among the dead and dying, going steadily on with his work,
carrying out an invasion on his own account. Then he fell to rise no
more.
Meanwhile, the _River Clyde_ had been run upon the beach not far from
some rocks, and as soon as she came to a stop a terrific fire was
directed upon her from the Turkish trenches.
The vessel had grounded in water too deep to allow the men to wade
ashore. A bridge was therefore formed with two lighters, but before
long it was broken by the strong tide which swung one of the boats out
of position.
Several bluejackets faced the heavy fire and went ashore to get the
boats into a suitable position. One of them named Charles Williams was
in the water for an hour engaged in this difficult task and was then
shot down. He was awarded the Victoria Cross after his heroic death.
A number of the Munster Fusiliers now left one of the openings in the
side of the vessel, ran quickly down the sloping gangway, and jumped
into the first lighter. They could not jump across the space between
the two lighters, so some of them leapt into the water.
Many were instantly shot down. A few reached the shore. Others
scrambled upon the second lighter which had now been swirled by the
current into a still more unfavourable position.
Matters were becoming truly desperate when Commander Unwin leapt into
the water, which took him up to the waist, and set to work with a few
others to try to make the bridge more useful. Among the little party
were two midshipmen named Drewry and Malleson who stuck to their
desperate task with a cool bravery beyond all praise.
After working hard for some time, Commander Unwin began to feel the
effects of the cold water and was forced to go back to the shelter of
the ship. The doctors attended to him, wrapping him in hot flannels,
giving him hot drinks and rubbing his limbs to restore the circulation.
As soon as he was somewhat recovered, he returned to his work, and was
helped again by the two midshipmen who showed a cheery disregard for
shot and shell.
Midshipman Drewry was wounded in the head, but, in spite of this, he
went on with his work. He made two attempts to swim from one lighter to
the other in order to carry a line across the gap, but he was not able
to carry out his plan, to his great disappointment. Then Malleson took
the line in hand, and swam with it to the second lighter.
This was a piece of very useful work, for a fresh lot of men were
now able to reach the beach. Meanwhile, the fire from the Turkish
guns was becoming hotter and hotter, but it was now met by a terrific
bombardment from the guns of the British warships, including the _Queen
Elizabeth_.
More men and still more men came out from the _River Clyde_ and ran
down the gangway to the lighters. After a short time the current once
more swung the second lighter aside and the line broke. Malleson swam
across with the rope, but was not successful in joining up the two
lighters. Again he tried, and again he failed.
[Illustration: MALLESON SWAM ACROSS WITH THE ROPE.]
Meanwhile Commander Unwin had been for a second time through the
doctors’ hands in order to have his bullet wounds attended to. When
this had been done he came up on deck and saw that a number of men who
were still alive were lying helpless half in and half out of the water.
He ordered out a lifeboat and set out to try to save them. A few of the
men were picked up before the brave commander was obliged to give up
his work. He was now almost fainting from weariness and was forced to
go below again to be attended by the doctors.
The Turks now concentrated their fire upon the bridge to the shore and
any man appearing upon it was at once shot down. Our men were therefore
ordered to remain under cover, and they spent the rest of the day
listening to the pattering of the leaden hail upon the steel sides of
the ship. When darkness had fallen, the troops were able to disembark
and found some shelter on the beach as well as in the ruined houses of
a village not far away.