ADAM ROSS 1885 – 1915
4/7419 Private Adam Ross, 9th Battalion, The West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales’ Own) died of wounds 31 October 1915, aged 30. He is buried at Hill 10 Cemetery, Gallipoli, Turkey[1] and commemorated on Witton Park war memorials.
Family Details
Adam Ross was born in Brampton, Cumberland in 1885,[2] the son of John and Margaret. There were at least 4 children:[3]
- Adam born 1895
- John bc.1894 at Brampton
- Florence bc.1896 at Iveston, County Durham
- Henry bc.1900 at Sunderland
In 1891, Adam was 5 years old and was with his mother and grandmother in Brampton.[4] By 1901, the family was in Annfield Plain and 15 years old Adam’s occupation was that of a brick flat labourer.[5]
By 1911, John Street, Witton Park had become the Ross family home although Adam was not registered there. Later, the parental address was the Cottage, Cross Row, Etherley. [6]
Military Details [7]
The service details of Adam Ross have not been researched. Adam enlisted at Bishop Auckland and joined the 9th Battalion, The West Yorkshire Regiment (The Princes of Wales’ Own), being given the service number 4/7419.[8] The battalion came under the orders of 32nd Brigade, 11th (Northern) Division. The 11th Division comprised the 32nd, 33rd and 34th Brigades. The original battalions that formed the 32nd Brigade were:
- 9th Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment (The Prince of Wales’s Own)
- 6th Bn., The East Yorkshire Regiment left December 1914
- 6th Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment (Alexandra, Princess of Wales’s Own)
- 8th Battalion, West Riding Regiment (The Duke of Wellington’s) joined 18 January 1915
- 6th Battalion, The York and Lancaster Regiment
The 11th (Northern) Division came into existence as a result of Army Order No. 324, issued on 21 August 1914, which authorised the formation of the six new Divisions of K1, subsequently called, “Kitchener’s New Army”. It was formed of volunteers. In April 1915, the battalion moved from Belton Park near Grantham, Lincolnshire to Witley Camp near Godalming, Surrey. [9] On 12 June 1915, the Division received orders to prepare for service at Gallipoli and 3 July, H.M.T.S. Aquitania, left Liverpool carrying the 32nd Brigade and 2 battalions of the 34th Brigade (6 battalions in all) plus divisional and brigade staff, bound for Mudros Bay on the island of Lemnos in the Aegean. This destination was reached 10 July.
Gallipoli Campaign: Summary
The 8-month campaign in Gallipoli was fought by Commonwealth and French forces in an attempt to force Turkey out of the war, to relieve the deadlock of the western front in France and Belgium and to open a supply route to Russia through the Dardanelles and the Black Sea.
The naval action in March 1915, failed and “gave the game away” that an Allied attack was imminent. The Turks assisted by their German advisors prepared defences. There were 3 main offensives:
- 25 April 1915: The Allies landed on the Gallipoli Peninsula. The 29th Division at Cape Helles in the south and the Australian and New Zealand Corps north of Gaba Tepe on the west coast, an area soon to be known as Anzac. The 11th (Northern) Division was not involved.
- 6 and 7 August: Further landings were made at Suvla Bay, just north of Anzac. The landing was to be made by the newly formed British IX Corps, initially comprising 2 brigades of the 10th (Irish) Division and the entire 11th (Northern) Division. Two diversionary attacks took place where the Allies had a foothold on the peninsula – at Helles (the Battle of Krithia Vineyard) and Anzac (the Battle of Lone Pine). Shortly before 10.00pm, 7 August, the 32nd and 33rd Brigades came ashore on “B Beach” in the first action fought by a New Army unit. The 34th Brigade had trouble getting off the lighters which had grounded thus could not return to the destroyers to transport reinforcements to the beaches. The 32nd Brigade was ordered to halt and let the 34th get clear but this order was not received and the men were mixed up. Despite facing light opposition, the landing at Suvla was mismanaged from the outset and the offensive quickly reached the same stalemate as prevailed on the Anzac and Helles fronts. After a week of indecision, the British commander at Suvla, Lieutenant-General Sir Frederick Stopford was dismissed 15 August and General de Lisle took over.
- 21 August: The climax of the campaign came when simultaneous assaults were launched on all 3 fronts, Hellas, Anzac Cove and Suvla Bay. However, the difficult terrain and stiff Turkish resistance soon led to the stalemate of trench warfare.
“Whether at Helles, Suvla or Anzac, the situation was fundamentally the same. The Turks occupied the high ground and the Allies sat sullenly below them, surviving as best they could and pondering the injustice of their fate.”[10]
From the end of August, no further serious action was fought and the lines remained unchanged. The peninsula was successfully evacuated in December. On 19 and 20 December, the 11th Division withdrew from Gallipoli and moved to Imbros. Evacuation was completed in early January 1916.
Private A. Ross arrived in Gallipoli, 2 September 1915, as a draft to reinforce his battalion, 9/West Yorks. 11th Division at Suvla. Obviously, he did not see action at the Suvla Bay landing or the 21 August offensive.[11] The 9th Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment War Diary includes the following reports:[12]
- 7 September: at KILLA DACLI – The battalion was reinforced by a draft of 98 NCOs and men from England. Turks shell but no damage done. Private A. Ross probably joined his battalion on this date.
- 8 September: The battalion retired to the beach due to heavy shell fire.
- 12 – 15 September: the battalion relieved 6/Lincolns in the fire trenches at Jefferson Post. Strength 4 Officers 268 Other Ranks, snipers were active and 1 man was killed, 1 man wounded, 2 men accidentally wounded. Trenches were repaired. Relieved by 6/York & Lancs., sent back to Reserve Trenches. 1 officer and 28 machine gunners left behind. Strength 3 officers and 231 ORs.
- 19 September: draft of 100 NCOs and men from England.
- 20 September: draft of 4 officers and 377 men from England
- 23 September: B & D companies took over fire and support trenches from 6/York and Lancs. Strength 5 officers and 351 ORs. A & C Companies in reserve, strength 5 officers and 373 ORs
- 27 September: 1 man killed, 1 man wounded.
- 28 September: Battalion relieved by 11/Manchesters and sent back to rest camp, south of KARAKOL DAGH.
- 29 September: draft of 1 officer and 100 ORs
- 2 October: Battalion sent back to the reserve at WEST BEACH. Strength 19 officers and 715 ORs.
- 9, 11 and 12 October: drafts of 2 officers & 85 NCOs, 1 officer re-joined and 85 NCOs and 2 officers and 64 NCOs from England joined each day. 1 officer and 1 man killed, 13 men wounded by shrapnel.
- 13 October: 3 men wounded by shrapnel.
- 18 October: 2 men killed, 1 man wounded by shrapnel.
- 19 October: Moved into reserve at KARAKOL DAGH, strength 26 Officers 901 NCOs and men.
- 22 – 24 October: Constructed TOE REDOUT on BOOT; INSTEP REDOUT on BOOT and HEEL REDOUBT on BOOT.
- 25 – 27 October: Shelled by Turkish guns, 3 men killed and 7 men wounded.
- 29 October: 2 men killed and 4 men wounded by snipers, whist digging advance post trenches.
- 30 October: 2 men killed and 7 men wounded while working on new GROUSE BUTTS between HEEL and GREEN KNOLL.
- 31 October: 2 men wounded whilst working on the above.
Private A. Ross died of wounds, 31 October 1915 at 54th Casualty Clearing Station.[13] Given the above reports, he could have been any one of the above casualties sustained between 25 and 31 October.
Later research records that between 6 August and 20 December 1915, 9/WYR lost 11 officers and 397 other ranks killed in action or died of wounds during its tour of Gallipoli, and the period of roughly 8 weeks during which Private A. Ross served there, 30 other ranks were lost.[14]
Awards and Medals
Private Adam Ross received the 1914-15 Star, the Victory and British War medals.[15]
Effects
Adam Ross’ mother Margaret received his pension and effects.[16]
Burial
Private A. Ross is buried at grave reference II.C.6, Hill 10 Cemetery, Gallipoli, Turkey.
Summary
Adam Ross was born at Brampton, Cumberland in 1885. By 1911, the family lived at Witton Park although Adam was not registered living there. Later, the family home was the Cottage, Cross Row, Etherley. At the outbreak of war, Adam enlisted at Bishop Auckland and joined the 9th Battalion, the West Yorkshire Regiment. The Division was the first of Kitchener’s New Army to see action in the Gallipoli campaign of 1915. Private Adam Ross was one of his battalion’s reinforcements which landed in September. Within 8 weeks, he was fatally wounded and died of his wounds, 31 October 1915 at the 54th Casualty Clearing Station. Private A. Ross is buried at Hill 10 Cemetery, Gallipoli, Turkey.
REFERENCES
[1] Commonwealth War Graves Commission
[2] England & Wales Birth Index 1837-1915 Vol.10b p.444 Brampton 1885 Q4
[3] 1901 census
[4] 1891 census
[5] 1901 census
[6] CWGC
[7]https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments-and-corps/the-british-infantry-regiments-of-1914-1918/the-prince-of-waless-own-west-yorkshire-regiment/ and http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/order-of-battle-of-divisions/11th-northern-division/
[8] Soldiers Died in the Great War
[9] http://www.1914-1918.net/yorks.htm
[10] “Gallipoli” 2011 Peter Hart p.390
[11] Medal Roll card index. Private A. Ross arrived in the Balkans. 2 September 1915
[12] 9th Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment War Diary (not verbatim)
[13] UK Army Register of Soldiers’ Effects 1901 – 1929 Record No. 231926
[14] Officers and Soldiers Died in the Great War
[15] Medal Roll card index and Rolls dated 4 October 1919 and 19 February 1920.
[16] Pension Claimants card index and UK Army Register of Soldiers’ Effects 1901 – 1929 Record No. 231926
The Gaunless Valley in World War 1 