Andy Middlemiss, ex King's Own Scottish Borderers, gave us an interesting, though at times upsetting, talk about “Gallipoli 1915”, and the huge number of casualties suffered during the campaign. Pictured here with his host for the evening Brian Raine (left) and Club President Ian Baird.

The Gallipoli Campaign of 1915-16, also known as the Dardanelles Campaign, was an unsuccessful attempt by the Allied Powers to control the sea route from Europe to Russia during World War I. The campaign began with a failed naval attack by British and French ships on the Dardanelles Straits in February-March 1915 and continued with a major land invasion of the Gallipoli Peninsula on April 25, involving British and French troops as well as divisions of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC). Lack of sufficient intelligence, knowledge of the terrain and adequate re-supply, along with a fierce Turkish resistance, hampered the success of the invasion. By mid-October, Allied forces had suffered heavy casualties and had made little headway from their initial landing sites. Evacuation began in December 1915, and was completed early the following January.