Douglas Pike’s Gallipoli Diary - Part One: The First Day and Night at Suvla

Just A Walk In The Sun with the Hereford Regiment Museum

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We featured excerpts of Pte Douglas Pike’s diary in a podcast episode a little while back, looking at the first 24 hours at Suvla Bay. After a number of requests, here is the diary in full, detailing conditions faced by men of the 1st Herefordshire Regiment at Gallipoli. We’ll publish it in four parts.

This first episode deals with the first 24 hours, the first and day and night. The landing at Suvla Bay, the lack of information, the desperate search for water, the advance of the Regiment, and Pte Pike’s Ross-on-Wye Company being detached from the rest of the battalion. Douglas Pike paints a compelling picture of courage and determination in the face of very challenging circumstances.
Map references appear on the podcast page of our website.

2221 Pte Douglas Harry Pike was born in Ross-on-Wye, the son of Henry Pike a miller and grain merchant. He was educated in Weston-super-Mare, and by October 1914 when he joined the Herefordshire Regiment, he was working with his father.

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Theme Tune - The Lincolnshire Poacher, performed by the outstanding Haverhill Silver Band.

This podcast generously supported by the Army Museums Ogilby Trust.