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'Lancashire Landing'

At dawn on 25 April 1st Battalion, The Lancashire Fusiliers, part of the British 29th Division landed on W Beach, to the west of Cape Helles the southernmost tip of the Gallipoli Peninsula. The Turks waited until the Fusiliers were almost ashore then opened fire. 

Despite heavy losses the Fusiliers kept a toehold on the beach and eventually advanced up both sides of the cliff driving the defending Turks out of their trenches. Later that morning other units were diverted to W Beach to reinforce the troops who were advancing on their inland objectives. 

Six VCs were eventually awarded for this action and W Beach was renamed Lancashire Landing in honour of the Battalion that had captured it.

Laurie Milner

See W Beach from the sea ... and from the land.

These films were taken on the recent IWM/AWM Gallipoli 2000 Battlefield Study Tour. To view them you will need QuickTime 4 player.

Download Quicktime 4

 

'W' Beach, September 2000

'W' Beach, September 2000

 
 

Original Photographs taken from HMS Agamemnon on the morning of 25th April, 1915

IWM Q 102537: The Lancashire Fusiliers in cutters towed by a steam pinnace en route to 'W' Beach about 6am, 25th April 1915.

IWM Q 102538: 'W' Beach. The first boatloads of Lancashire Fusiliers landing, 25th April 1915.

  
 

IWM Q 102537: The Lancashire Fusiliers in cutters towed by a steam pinnace en route to 'W' Beach about 6am, 25th April 1915.
IWM Q 102538: 'W' Beach. The first boatloads of Lancashire Fusiliers landing, 25th April 1915.