Family :

Service Life:

Campaigns:

• The Second Anglo-Boer War 1899-1902, South Africa.
• 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 :

Most sources quote 12th August 1915 as the date of death; the War Diaries show that it was clearly the 13th. From 6pm on the 12th August, the diary shows that "sniping was severe" and trenches were impossible to complete. The entry is made in retrospect, as if recording the nights activity. For the 13th August at 08.30am: "Same trenches. Enemy opened fire with shrapnel + high explosive on block house immediately in rear of centre of trench. Continued for about one hour. No casualties. Heavy sniping. MAJOR HEAD killed by sniper."

Liverpool Echo 25th August, 1915 " News which has reached Mold states taht Major Bernard Head, second-in-command to the late Lieutenant-Colonel Philips, of the 5th Battalioni Royal Welsh Fusiliers (Territorials), has been killed in Gallipoli. Major Head was a most efficient soldier, who had served in the South African campaign, and had gained the Queen's medal and several clasps. He belonged to London and had travelled extensively."

Northampton Chronicle and Echo 25th August 1915"KILLED. HEAD, MAJOR BERNARD, 5th Royal Welsh Fusiliers. Major Head, who has been killed in action, formerly held a commission in the 2nd Volunteer Battalion King's Shropshire Light Infantry. He served with distinction in the South African War, receiving mention in despatches, and had the Queen's medal with three clasps. He was appointed hon. captain in the Army in 1901"

The Scotsman 28th October 1915 "Major Bernard Head, 5th Battalion Royal Welsh Fusiliers, of Ivy House, Ellesmere, Salop, was killed in the Dardenelles on the 12th August last. For some years in the Ellesmere Estate Office of Earl Brownley, he was in 1904 appointed estate agent to Lord Harlech. Net personalty £15,825."

Masonic :

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