6/631 Archibald (14/2/1883-8/5/1915), and 8/4126 Private Robert MacLeod (-14/7/1916), French. "a ghastly and expensive failure"

Orders were now received that the New Zealand Brigade was to attack Krithia and the trenches covering it, on the morning of the 8th. The front to be covered extended from the Krithia Nullah on the right to the Gully Ravine on the left; and the brigade was ordered to pass through, at 10.30 a.m., the front line established by the 88th Brigade on the afternoon of the 7th. The Canterbury, Auckland, and Wellington Battalions were ordered to make the attack, the Otago Battalion being held in reserve.

The front covered by the Canterbury Battalion was bounded on the right by the Krithia Nullah, and on the left by the eastern edge of the Fir Wood, which had caused so much trouble the previous day. On its left was the Auckland Battalion, with the Wellington Battalion extending to the Gully Ravine on the left Bank.

The Canterbury Battalion advanced to the attack in two lines with the 12th Company (right) and 2nd Company (left) in the front line, and the 1st Company (right) and 13th Company (left) in reserve. The battalion deployed behind the front line trenches held by the 4th Worcester Battalion, and advanced over the open under heavy fire. On the right, towards the Krithia Nullah, and in advance of the Worcester's trenches, were entrenched the remnants of the 1st Battalions of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers and the Royal Munster Fusiliers, which had suffered such heavy casualties in the early days of the campaign that they had been amalgamated into one battalion known as the "Dubsters."

The firing line met with strong resistance and made slow progress, and the majority of the troops did not get beyond the "Dubsters" trench. But two platoons of the 12th Company, in the face of murderous fire from machine-guns and rifles, pushed forward over the open space afterwards known as the "Daisy Patch." The survivors of these platoons reached a point about two hundred yards beyond the "Dubsters" trench, and there lay down in a small depression, unable either to move forward or to return. This was the position of the firing line at 2 p.m. 

 At 4.30 p.m., however, orders had been issued for a general advance at 5.30 p.m. along the whole line; the 2nd Australian Brigade being ordered to advance on the east of the Krithia Nullah. The attack was preceded by a preliminary bombardment for a quarter of an hour by the guns of the warship and the "heavies" ashore; and was also supported by the field guns shelling the ground in front of the advancing infantry. But guns were few and ammunition scarce, so that the field artillery support was practically negligible.

The 13th Company and the two remaining platoons of the 12th Company advanced with great dash over the open, under heavy rifle and machine-gun fire, for a distance of three hundred yards. This was rendered possible by the good support given by the fire of our own machine-gunners and those of the "Dubsters"; but in spite of this support the firing line could advance no further, as casualties had been very heavy. -Official History of the Canterbury Regiment.

Fifty men of the Canterburys were killed on May 8, for what the History describes as "small gains in ground."

PRIVATE FRENCH. 

Private Archibald French (15th North Canterbury and West-land Battalion), killed in action at Dardanelles on May 8, was a son of Mr R, A. French, Littlebourne. He was 35 years of age, and born at Glenelg, Inverness-shire, Scotland, and educated at Arthur Street School, Dunedin. He was well known in yachting and athletic circles, being at one time, one of the owners of the yacht Eileen, and a member of the D.A.B.C, also a member of the Zingari and Post and Telegraph Football Clubs, the Dunedin and Post and Telegraph Cricket Clubs, and while in the Civil Service Harrier Club won the Port Chalmers-Dunedin Road Race in 1905, and his interprovincial cross-country cap in 1906 and several other trophies. Private French was a past corporal in the Dunedin Pipe Band, and a member of the Wakari Volunteer Company, also a member of the Overseas Club. He was for many years a clerk in the G.P.O., Dunedin, and for a short time in Christchurch. At the time of his enlistment he was mail and shipping clerk at Westport Post Office and during his stay in Westport was a member of Westport Golf Club.   -Evening Star, 15/6/1915.

Raiding and Losses.

In accordance with the promulgated policy of aggressiveness and general scheme of raiding, it was decided that 4th (Otago) Company would on the night of July 13th carry out a raid against the enemy's trenches. The objects of the raid were to obtain information, to harass and mystify the enemy, and to inflict as much harm upon him as possible. The personnel of the raiding party, all told, comprised six officers and 175 other ranks, this number including the assaulting parties, parapet and flanking parties, and the other details of raiding organisation, the whole under the command of Captain W. D. Jolly. Under the prearranged plan scouts and parapet party were to move out from the sally-port 45 minutes before zero hour and the flanking parties fifteen minutes before that time, and take up their positions in shell-holes with the object of protecting the flanks in the event of a counter-raid. The scouts were then to return and lead out the remainder of the raiding party to a concealed position in front of and distant 150 yards from the line to be assaulted. Our artillery was to open with a slow rate of fire 10 minutes before zero, at which moment artillery and trench mortars were to open with full intensity over the enemy's trenches and wire entanglements. Twenty minutes later the trench mortars were to direct their fire against the flanking trenches, while that of the artillery was to be lifted, thereby forming a semi-circular barrage round the area to be assaulted. Scouts and parapet party were then to rush forward, the scouts' duty being to ascertain the condition of the wire, return and lead the raiders through the gaps. The parapet party was to cross the enemy's trench and bomb suspected shelters in rear, while the assaulting parties were to work along the trench itself in four different sections. Meantime, the two flanking parties, facing half-right and half-left respectively, were to guard the flanks from our side of the enemy's wire, while special detachments were to watch the flanks from inside the wire. The 8th (Southland) Company was to provide a patrol to cover the right flank of the raiding party, the 10th (North Otago) Company acting similarly in respect of the left flank. All these duties were made perfectly clear and familiar by practice and training, and nothing was left to chance so far as preparation was concerned in order to ensure the success of the operation. But, alas, through some tragic cause, the whole affair was to prove a ghastly and expensive failure.

During the afternoon the enemy had carried out a certain amount of artillery fire which had all the appearances of a ranging shoot. The misgivings and suspicions aroused in not a few minds by this action were later only too fully confirmed. Every man was in his position in No Man's Land at the appointed time, and the artillery support was forthcoming as arranged. But no sooner had our barrage lifted and the raiding troops proceeded to move forward than a concentrated and murderous shrapnel and machine gun fire fell like a thunder-clap over No Man's Land between our front line and the objective. Under this withering and devastating blast the raiders vainly endeavoured to press forward. The casualties became increasingly heavy; all the officers were either killed or wounded, and when finally the order came to withdraw, merely a handful of men remained to stagger back to our lines. The whole affair was a tragedy; and though no definite information could, of course, be obtained on the point, the natural conclusion come to was that the enemy had secured warning of the raid, and the 4th Company walked into a trap only too well prepared.

The casualties sustained were:

Killed	…	4 officers and 31 other ranks.
Wounded	…	4 officers and 118 other ranks.
Reported missing	…	6 other ranks.

This represented a total loss of 163 of all ranks.  -Official History of the Otago Infantry Regiment.

Private Robert MacLeod French (missing, believed to be killed on July 14) is the second son of Mr and Mrs R. A. French, Littlebourne. Private French was 29 years of age, and left with the Eleventh Reinforcements. He was educated at the Arthur Street School, and was for many years in the Dunedin Telegraph Office, and also on the staff of the New Zealand Railways at Wellington and Cross Creek. His elder brother, Archie, was killed in action at Gallipoli on May 8, 1915.  -Otago Witness, 9/8/1916.

DEATH.

FOR KING AND COUNTRY.

FRENCH. — On July 13th, 1916, died of wounds while a prisoner of war, Robert MacLeod French (D Company, 11th Reinforcements), dearly-loved second son of Mr and Mrs R. A. French, 29 Littlebourne, Roslyn; aged 29 years.  -Evening Star, 23/9/1916.

Northern Cemetery, Dunedin.