Private Ellis Gordon Littlejohn, son of Mr J. G. Littlejohn, city engineer of Nelson, left with the Main Body, and was killed in action at the Dardanelles. Private Littlejohn was educated at Nelson College, and was in the service of the Eastern Extension Company, at Cable Bay, when he volunteered for active service. He had been a prominent athlete, and took an active part in all sports at Nelson College, and had gained representative honours in the football field. -Otago Witness, 15/9/1915.
Mr and Mrs J. G. Littlejohn, of Port Nelson have now been advised that, their son, Private Ellis Gordon Littlejohn, who was killed in action at the Dardanelles on August 7th, was buried the following day in a cemetery near the left bank of Chailak Dere, 200 yards from the beach, two miles north of Anzac Cove. -Colonist, 26/11/1915.
Ellis Littlejohn Joined the Canterbury Infantry Regiment and was with them when they landed on the shores of Gallipoli. In early August, 1915, they advanced uphill as part of the assault on the heights overlooking the Dardanelles. It was vital to take the high ground so that the guns of supporting battleships could fire on the forts which had thwarted the Royal Navy in their earlier attempt to force their way through to Constantinople, the Turkish capital. For the Turkish defenders, it was vital to stop them.
The Official History of the Canterbury Regiment describes the confusing night approach and the problems of Ellis' Company, the 12:
There had been no opportunity for reconnoitring the ground over which the advance was to be made, save for a distant view of the country from No. 2 Post, by the Commanding Officer and company commanders. on the afternoon of the 6th. Consequently the advance up the Dere was difficult, and the difficulty was increased by the darkness of the night. The battalion lost its way completely in a branch of the main ravine, and had to retrace its steps. About this time a party of the enemy was found on Destroyer Hill, and was attacked with the bayonet — the only weapon permitted to the assaulting and covering columns — and fifty prisoners were taken.
On the battalion turning about, the 12th and 13th Companies, at the rear of the column, received a garbled version of the Commanding Officer's orders to return to the main ravine, and thinking they had been ordered to go right back to Happy Valley, did so. The remainder of the battalion picked up its bearings again and moved up the Dere to Rhododendron Spur. A great deal of time had been lost, and it was now beginning to get light. Pushing on up Rhododendron Spur, the battalion about 5.45 a.m. came in touch with the Oatago Battalion, which, in spite of the fact that it had already been heavily engaged at Table Top and Bauchop's Hill, had taken three lightly held Turkish trenches on the Spur.
The 12th and 13th Companies left Happy Valley at dawn, and finding the Dere clear of troops, had little difficulty in re joining the battalion on Rhododendron Spur. By 8 a.m. the New Zealand Infantry Brigade had reached positions which were practically on the site of the front line of the trench system held by us on the Spur till the evacuation of the Peninsula — Wellington on the north, Otago at the eastern point, and Canterbury on the south. Here the brigade dug in, under very heavy rifle and machine-gun fire, especially from Battleship Hill, and from a trench on a spur north-east of Chunuk Bair.
August 8th was a day of advances up the slopes towards Chunuk Bair against fierce resistance. Ellis Littlejohn was killed on that day.
Wakapuaka Cemetery, Nelson.
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