Military History

Oswald is listed as being killed in action on 10th August 1915, he was originally reported as missing and newspaper reports suggest that he was considered to be missing a month later. The 1st/5th Battalion was diary entries for the 9th to 11th are transcribed below. They show that Oswald was killed that day after the Battalion Landed on C Beach, Gallipoli.

HMS Rowan – 9/8/15: Sailed at 4.30am disembarking at C Beach at 6.0am. Proceeded to Lala Baba and bivouacked for the night.

Lala Baba – 10/8/15: Reville 3.30am hot tea form men 4am.

4.30am: Received orders for attack; Battalion with the Brigade to act as Reserve to 159^th Brigade until hills from K un Keurru? to road SW had been reached. Was then to go through 159^th Brigade and continue the attack; 1/5 RWF to be centre Battalion, 1/7 RWF on right and the 1/6 RWF on left.

4.45am: Left bivouac in column of route marching due E, 1/5 RWF leading. While crossing Salt Lake enemy opened shrapnel fire – suffered some casualties. Opened out with intervals between Coys, advanced guard, one Platoon of A Coy. 200 yards beyond edge of Salt Lake came under rifle fire – appeared to be unaimed?, Capt T.H. Armstrong wounded. Advance guard extended and moved in direction from which fire came viz SE. Battalion deployed on same ground as Advance Guard

Passed through units of 159^th Brigade, mostly entrenched or behind hedges. Fire was not opened until 11.30am, then about 200 yards from position held by enemy. 1^st line held up here, reinforced by successive lined and also by about one Coy 1/6 RWF. Lt. Col B.E. Phillips present, also Lt. Col Jones 1/6 RWF. Assaulted position, from which enemy withdrew. Upon reaching top enfiladed by enemy’s machine guns, also by shrapnel. Lt. Col Phillips killed. Suffering severely from enemy’s fire & no supports, order given to withdraw, which was done, to line of trench held by 159 Bde.

5.0pm: Order for general advance given. Coys on left took part in this – Coys on right did not get order. Advance took place under heavy fire and could not proceed. Withdrew to line of trench.

Casualties: Lt Col Phillips, Lt Williams, 2^nd Lts Walton, Leland & Synnott and 13 other ranks. Missing 2^nd Lt Mocatta and 39 other ranks. Wounded Capts Beswick, Trickett, Parry, Kingsbury, Armstrong, Lt Astbury and 116 other ranks.

Sulatik – 11/8/15: Reorganising Battn under Major Head.

6pm: Relieved and took over trenches occupied by Northumberland Fusiliers & Yorks L. Infantry near Sulatik. Trenches incomplete & in places only dug out by entrenching tools. Trench otherwise continuous & no traverses. Men digging most of night.

Lt Davies to hospital – Dysentery, 2 men killed.