Wednesday 11th August: We understand that the 1st/5th Bedfords have landed this morning at Suvla Bay on the Gallipoli peninsula and will shortly begin disembarkation. German aeroplanes dropped bombs on shipping but hit nothing.
Initial landings in this bay took place on 6th August against negligible opposition, the idea being to drive in-land and link-up with the Australians and New Zealanders five miles to the south. The force here, IX Corps, is under Lieutenant-General Sir Frederick Stopford. As well as 54th (East Anglian) Division, in which the Bedfords find themselves, it comprises 10th (Irish), 11th (Northern), 13th (Western), 53rd (Welsh) and 2nd Mounted Divisions. It appears that there was some confusion at first and that the beach is congested and progress inland slow, but hopefully things will soon sort themselves out(1)
Source: X550/6/8
(1) In fact Stopford so badly handled the landing and subsequent lethargic advance that he was sacked on 15th August and another potentially promising move in the campaign ground into bloody stalemate.
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