Gallipoli book

Colin Scott Mackenzie is launching his book “Gael Force on Gallipoli” at the Lews Castle College UHI Lecture Theatre on Friday at 2pm.

The launch of the book marks the anniversary of the bitterly fought Gallipoli campaign of World War I and is a significant historical record of the battle, its background.

It also highlights the involvement and high level of island casualties during the battle.

The Ross Mountain Battery - mainly men from Lewis - were amongst the first to storm the shores at Cape Helles on the Gallipoli Peninsula, on the north side of the Dardenelles seaway.

There, the Allies took on the Turks in an attempt to secure a shipping lane through the Dardenelles Strait - on the eastern side of the Mediterranean - to get supplies to Russia - then a British ally.

British and French troops plus Australian and New Zealand soldiers embarked on a major land invasion in April 1915.

Islanders also fought in other units in the campaign - in the Lovat Scouts, the Scottish Horse and the Royal Naval Division.

In addition, many island-born men served with the Australian and New Zealand troops.

The Ross Mountain Battery consisted mainly of Lewis soldiers who left the island on August 7, 1914. Many were teenagers, barely 16 years old when they were thrust into the conflict.

Some were only 15 years, having lied about their age to join up. Most of those who survived did not to return home until April 1919, some five years later.

New book records island sacrifice in bitterly fought WW1 battle

21 April 2016