Family :

Service Life:

Campaigns:

• The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.

The Gallipoli Campaign was fought on the Gallipoli peninsula 25th April 1915 to 9th January 1916. in a failed attempt to defeat Turkey by seizing the Dardanelles and capturing Istanbul. Ill-conceived and planned, the initial effort by the Royal Navy failed to force passage through the Dardanelles by sea power alone. It was then realised that a land force was needed to support the project by suppressing the Turkish mobile artillery batteries. By the time all was ready the Turks were well aware and well prepared. Despite amazing heroics on the day of the landings only minor beachheads were achieved and over the succeeding 8 months little progress was made. Eventually the beachheads were evacuated in a series of successful ruses.

Despite Gallipoli rightly becoming a national source of pride to Australians and New Zealanders, far more British casualties were sustained, and these days the substantial French contribution is almost forgotten.

Detail :

Officers in 6th Battalion Royal Dublin Fusiliers. JENNINGS Major John Gilderdale attached 6th Battalion, Major, 66th Punjabis, attached Royal Dublin Fusiliers. Died 10 August 1915. Aged 37. Son of the late Gen. Sir Robert Melvill Jennings, K.C.B.; husband of Adeline Braund Jennings, of 1, Hyde Park Terrace, London. Helles Memorial. Additional details show he attended the United Services College as a pupil or member of staff. Note: 9th August 1915 the 6th Battalion Royal Dublin Fusiliers took part in the attempt to recapture Scimtar Hill and to manage to gain some ground but experienced ferocious resistance from the Turks that eventual forced the British to withdraw, the same date that he died. Late 66th Punjabis I.A., who was 2nd in command of the battalion in April, 1915. (He had previous war service with the 34th Pioneers I.A. in India and also during the China Campaign, 1900.) educ. Westward Ho! College, Devon and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst; gazetted 2nd Lieut. Unattached list, 5 Aug, 1896; posted to the I.A. 6 Oct, 1897; promoted Lieut. 5 Nov, 1898; Capt. 5 Aug, 1905 and Major 5 Aug, 1914; served (1) on the North-West Frontier of India 1897-98, including actions at Malakand, operations in Bangaur and those in Mohmand (medal with clasp); (2) in the Tirah Campaign 1897-98, operations in the Bara Valley 7 to 14 Dec, 1897 (Clasp); (3) in China 1900 (Medal); (4) on the North-West Frontier of India, taking part in Waziristan Expedition 1901-02; (5) in the European War 1914, where he served with the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force at the Dardanelles, attached to the 6th Royal Dublin Fusiliers, and was killed in action during the attack on Chocolate Hill, Suvla Bay, 10 Aug. 1915, while leading his men after he had been wounded three times. Buried near where he fell.

No known grave. Commemorated on Helles Memorial Turkey. Panel 190 to 196.

Plaque within St Mary's Church, East Bergholt, Suffolk "IN LOVING MEMORY OF MAJOR JOHN GILDERDALE JENNINGS MAJOR 6TH PUNJABIS ATTACHED TO 6TH ROYAL DUBLIN FUSILIERS WHO FELL LEADING HIS MEN TO THE ATTACK ON CHOCOLATE HILL SUVLA BAY GALLIPOLI ON AUGUST 9TH 1915 AGED 39 YEARS"

Masonic :

Initiated into Kitchener Lodge whilst at Simla, Punjab in 1908. He remained a member until his death, punctuated in the records noting "Killed in action 10.8.15."

Source :

The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:

• The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
• The (UK) National Archives
• Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
• ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry

Additional Source:

• Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
• Researcher : Bruce Littley