Military History

Hewitt is listed as being missing believed killed in action on 9th August 1915. The 6th Battalion was diary entries for the 8th and 9th August 1915 are transcribed below.

Suvla Bay - 08 Aug 1915: Orders were received to join the 32nd Brigade with the West Yorks on our left, to attack and hold a position running from Chocolate Hill to Sulajik 105 C 6. The records of these orders have been lost. The Battalion advanced B on the left under Major, Bray, D on the right under Captain Grant, C in second line and A in reserve. Lt Col, Moore advanced with the 1st line. At first no opposition was met with, but occupying the ridge which joins up with Chocolate Hill and was about W by S from Anafarta Sagir heavy firing was encountered.

Captain Rogers was killed and shortly afterwards Major, Estridge was wounded in the arm. The Turks employed numerous snipers and shot particularly at our men as they went for water at a well. Parties were sent out, but were unable to find them. The position was entrenched on the reverse slope during the day and further forward during the night. Two officer’s patrols were sent out during the evening: At about 11:30 pm orders were received for the Battalion to retire to the points held by the West Riding Regt and to occupy and improve a Turkish trench there. 11:30 pm. The orders have been lost. The men were tired and exhausted and short of water moving often in the dark led to equipment being mislaid.

Suvla Bay - 09 Aug 1915: We found the West Riding Regiment in a vacant Turkish Trench at about 1:30 am. After some confusion getting the men into the trench in the dark, orders (lost) were received at 3:30 a.m. (late in reaching us) to deliver an attack (orders lost) on Tekke Tepe (Sheet 119.O.2) the West Riding Regt was to attack Kavala Tepe (Sheet 119.C.7) on our left. The men were at this stage in a state of extreme exhaustion and hunger. The Battalion moved northwards out of the trench in the following order D, C, B, A after passing Sulajik we took a NE route crossing the dry beds of the streams.

Verbal orders had been given by Lt Col Moore that in the attack D and B Companies should form the first line (D on the left, B on the right) A Coy (Capt Willats) the second line and C Coy (now under Capt, Pringle) the reserve. Lt Col, Moore was with D Coy. The other three companies due to the extreme exhaustion of the men and absence of explicit orders failed to keep in touch with D Coy who proceeded to advance up the lower slopes of the hill without waiting for B Coy to come into position on their right or for the other two companies to get into place. D Coy with Lt Col Moore and 2 Lt Still (Acting Adjutant) and HQ party seemed to have encountered no opposition at first. 

It was only when they were up the first shoulder (Sheet 119.L.4) that the strength of the enemy was disclosed. Fire was poured in from concealed Turkish trenches and our men were unable to hold their ground. There was considerable confusion due to the rapid advance of D Coy and the fact that the other Companies had lost touch. D Coy suffered heavily. Capt Grant had been wounded in the hand early in the engagement – Lt Col, Moore, 2 Lt Still, Capt, Elliot Lt, Rawstorne, 2 Lt, Wilson were all missing when what remained of the Coy fell back. A general retirement took place during which there was much mixing of units due to the Battalion failing to keep its formation. After two other stands had been made in conjunction with the West Riding Regt a line was eventually taken up along a line running N from (Sheet 118.V.6). Reinforcements came up here and about 13:00 the Battalion was relieved and ordered to concentrate at the cut on A Beach (Sheet 104.B.1).

All orders and dispatches relating to these are lost as the orderly who carried them is missing.

During the two days, 8th & 9th, the casualties of the Battalion were as follows:

Officers (all named): Killed 2, Wounded 5, Wounded and Missing 2 [inclu Hewitt Huggard], Missing 6

Other Ranks: Killed 20, Wounded 104, Wounded and Missing 28, Missing 183.

This night the battalion bivouacked on ‘A’ Beach near the cut.”