Over five days, a group of thirty‑three OBs and friends visited Gallipoli to learn about the campaign of the First World War (1915–1916), which was an Allied attempt to seize control of the Dardanelles Strait in the Ottoman Empire. The aim was to open a supply route to Russia and force the Ottomans out of the war. British, French, Australian and New Zealand (ANZAC) forces launched a naval attack followed by amphibious landings on the Gallipoli peninsula, but they faced strong Ottoman resistance, difficult terrain and poor planning. After months of stalemate, heavy casualties and little territorial gain, the Allies eventually withdrew.
With our excellent guide, David Barron, from Anglia Tours, it was fascinating to learn about the different phases of the campaign. In particular, the group learnt about Sub Lieut. Arthur Tisdall VC. RNVR (1900-1909), who was awarded a Victoria Cross, one of only five OBs to receive the honour in the 1st and 2nd World Wars. On the first day of the Gallipoli landings, 25 April 1915, at V Beach, Tisdell heard wounded men on the beach calling for help after landing from the SS River Clyde. The men were under heavy machine‑gun fire from entrenched Turkish forces. He jumped into the water and, pushing a boat in front of him, went to their rescue. Finding he could not manage alone, he enlisted the help of one, and then three more, naval personnel. Together they made five trips from ship to shore and were responsible for rescuing several wounded men under heavy and accurate fire, until darkness forced them to stop. He was mortally wounded by a sniper during the Second Battle of Krithia at Achi Baba on 6 May 1915 and was buried where he fell. Today he has no known grave, although his name is inscribed on the Helles Memorial above V Beach.
At the memorial, OB Club Director Hugh Maltby (73-83), in a poignant moment, read out the names of the 10 OBs who lost their lives in the campaign and have no known grave. At other cemeteries on the peninsular, including the Twelve Trees Copse Cemetery a note was left on each OBs gravestone saying, “We will remember them – Old Bedfordians Club.”
Standing on the Gallipoli peninsula in tranquil surroundings, it was difficult to imagine the bloodshed that had taken place 111 years ago. During the trip, several of the party reflected on their own families’ involvement in the campaign, including Nigel Sargent (66-70), whose grandmother had served on the hospital ship moored off V Beach, and whose diary entries shed light on the horrors of the fighting and its human impact. Former Club Chairman, Craig Mitchell’s (64-74) great uncle, not an OB, was sadly killed in the campaign and buried at Twelve Trees Copse Cemetery.
The trip was a wonderful mixture of the historical and the social, and in the evenings the group enjoyed discussing the day’s events and sampling the local cuisine. You can see photos from the trip here
The history curriculum taught at the school by masters has inspired many OBs to develop a lifelong passion for learning that extends far beyond the classroom. Our battlefield tours, led by knowledgeable guides, retrace the footsteps of OBs who fought in these campaigns, offering unique insights into the strategic military thinking behind each operation, the conditions they endured in battle, and their personal stories. We are already exploring ideas for similar trips in the future and are considering a possible visit to Sicily next year to learn about the landings there, which involved several OBs.
