Robert McGarry

Killed in Action on the 06/08/1915 at Gallipoli

Robert emigrated to Australia in 1912. He embarked from Freemantle, Western Australia for the Dardanelles on board HMAT A50 Honus on the 22/02/1915. He was Killed in Action as the ANZAC forces tried to extend their Gallipoli beachhead. It was what the Anzacs called a 'please shoot me, stunt'. On the night of 31st July / 1st August 200 men of the 11th Battalion waited for a series of explosions from mines laid by the engineers to detonate near the Turkish Despair Works before charging over the dark void to engage in brutal hand to hand combat. In a tit for tat engagement of bombs and bayonets, blinded by dust and choked by incendiaries, weary and suffering from dysentery and food shortages, the men of the 11th Battalion finally secured the trench, soon christened Leane's Trench after the commander of the attack, Captain R L Leane, and were relieved at 1400hrs by the 12th Battalion. 24 hours later the 11th Battalion were back in the front line and on 6th August were again engaged in extremely heavy fighting when the Turks launched a counter attack. The 11th Battalion held on, suffering 154 casualties in the process. And there they remained in continual battle with a tenacious Turkish army until the 16th November 1915 when they disembarked for Mudros, never to return. Prior to emigrating Robert worked in the Woodside Iron Works and was a member of Rosehall Orange Lodge No 109. A huge thanks to Robert's great nephew Duncan Alexander-McGarry for information on his relatives and also to Duncan's friend Steve London who took the photos from Perth, Western Australia state War Memorial. See photos for Robert's Newspaper clippings x 2, Robert's Service Records x 28 including Attestation Papers, Medical History, Wills, Effects and Pension Records x 3, his CWGC Grave Registration x 2, his Headstone Report x 2, Shell Green Cemetery, the Australian Commonwealth Military Forces Cap Badge, CWGC Grave Registration x 2, Grave Concentration x 2, Headstone Report on Robert's nephew (also Robert) who fell on the 27/06/1944 aged 24 (Robert's name on the Coatbridge Memorial also in photos). Finally see photos for Perth, Western Australia state War Memorial x 4 and Robert's name mentioned on the 11th Battalion list of men who fell x 2. Robert's Grave inscription reads "OH FOR THE TOUCH OF A VANISHED HAND, THE SOUND OF A VOICE THAT IS STILL". His nephew Robert's reads "THY WILL BE DONE". The War Diaries of the 3rd Infantry Brigade can be viewed here - http://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1347095 and here - https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1347096