Gallipoli SS River Clyde

early in 1915 river clyde adapted landing ship joint french , british invasion of gallipoli peninsula.

openings cut in steel hull sally ports troops emerge onto gangways , bridge of smaller boats ship beach. boiler plate , sandbags mounted on bow, , behind them battery of 11 machine guns installed. machine gun battery manned royal naval air service men commanded josiah wedgwood. work began on painting river clyde s hull sandy yellow camouflage, incomplete time of landing.

by 11 april 1915 river clyde in natural harbour of moudros on aegean island of lemnos, french , british ships assembling in final preparation landings. troop ship hmt aragon reached moudros port of alexandria in egypt , transferred 4th battalion, worcestershire regiment , 2nd battalion, hampshire regiment river clyde. both battalions units of 88th brigade, part of 29th division.

on 25 april 1915 river clyde sailed take part in landing @ cape helles. commanded commander edward unwin, formerly of dryad-class torpedo gunboat hms hussar. carrying 2,000 soldiers; 86th brigade units of 29th division: 1st battalion of royal munster fusiliers , men 1st battalion, royal dublin fusiliers.

unwin beached river clyde @ v beach beneath sedd el bahr castle, on tip of gallipoli peninsula. plan failed , river clyde, beached under guns of turkish defenders, became death trap. 3 attempts land made companies of munsters, royal dublins , hampshires ended in costly failure. further landing attempts abandoned , surviving soldiers waited until nightfall before trying again.

members of river clyde s crew maintained bridge ship beach , recovered wounded. bravery 6 of them decorated victoria crosses: commander unwin (aged 51), midshipmen george drewry (20) , wilfred malleson (18), able seaman william williams (34) , seaman george samson (26), plus sub-lieutenant arthur tisdall (24) of royal naval division (rnd). williams killed in landing , decorated posthumously. samson severely wounded next day survived. on return scotland handed white feather while wearing civilian clothes. tisdall killed on 6 may when 6th (hood) battalion rnd advanced along kanlı dere in second battle of krithia. drewry, samson , williams had come unwin hms hussar. malleson, died in 1975, served on duncan-class battleship hms cornwallis.

after helles beach-head established, v beach became base french contingent , river clyde remained beached quay , breakwater. condensers provided fresh water , holds became field dressing station. remained constant target turkish gunners ashore.