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The Landing on ‘Y’ Beach, 25 April 1915

The purpose of the landing on Y Beach on 25 April was to assist the main operations at Helles by putting a small force of 2,000 troops from the 29th Division ashore at an unexpected spot, where they could threaten Turkish communications with the toe of the Peninsula and guard the left flank of the British line as it advanced north to the Achi Baba ridge.  Confusion would arise over the absence of clear written orders, and the lack of an alternative plan in the event of the main advance from Cape Helles being delayed.  

The landing achieved complete surprise and by 05.45 all of the troops were ashore; no Turkish opposition was encountered.  For the next eleven hours the Y Beach force was left undisturbed by the enemy, and the bulk of the detachment remained above the landing place, awaiting the advance from Helles.  This advance was delayed due to the harsh fighting at V and W beaches, and the decision was therefore made to entrench on top of the cliff above Y Beach.  But by this time, Turkish reinforcements were well on their way south and at 17.40 there began the first of a series of concerted attacks by the Turks.  These attacks strengthened during the night but despite the high number of casualties, the British line remained intact until the next morning and the Turks were driven off.

However, unbeknown to the troops still holding the top of the cliff, the Navy had sent boats to the beach in the early hours of 26 April, after receiving an unauthorised request from one of the officers ashore.  The sight of wounded troops being evacuated gave the impression to many of those at the main landing place that a withdrawal had begun, and many unwounded stragglers climbed into the boats making the situation worse.  By 11.00, it appeared too late to stop this unauthorised withdrawal, or to retrieve the lost opportunity, except by a fresh landing under fire.  The force began to withdraw from the top of the cliff and by 11.30, the last man had embarked and Y Beach was abandoned.  During the 29 hours in which the Y Beach troops were present on Gallipoli, no word of any kind had been received from divisional headquarters, and this isolation of the Y Beach force meant that a successful landing had degenerated into a desperate defence of a beachhead.

Anthony Richards (IWM)

IWM: Q 14831: ‘Y’ Beach and the coast looking south to Cape Helles in the distance.

Read a fuller account of the landing at Y Beach, 25 April 1915.