In 1915, British troops landed in the Gallipoli peninsula.
At the beginning of 1915, the French and British Governments decide to organize a common expedition against Turkey whose ports are open only to the German warships. The aim of this enterprise is to force through the Dardanelles Strait and take control of Constantinople (now Istanbul). The two Admiralties begin by sending a fleet which comes up against an altogether surprising Turkish defence. A French battleship, two English battleships and diverse cruisers and destroyers are sunk. It is then decided to undertake a landing on the Gallipoli peninsula.
In March, a French Expeditionary Corps embarks at Marseille alongside a British Army.
After many mishaps, these troops land on the Southern part of the peninsula, on 25 April. They would meet with violent resistance there. To the point that, three months later, despite furious combats led by General Gouraud, they had succeeded in penetrating only six kilometres towards the interior.
The Etats-Majors then decide to create a second Front by attacking the peninsula from the North-East. On 6 August, sixty thousand men land at Suvla. They too would come up against a solid Turkish Army.
After some terrible clashes at the foot of Mount Scimitar, the English head South to operate their junction with the Australians who have landed at Gafa Tepe.
It is in the course of one of these marches that one of the most extraordinary events of the whole war takes place.
This occurs on 21 August, in the morning.
On this day, the 5th Norfolk Regiment, or rather what is left of it, that is to say, around four hundred men, receives the order to reinforce a Battalion of Australians and New Zealanders who are having trouble taking a certain Ridge 60, one of the key points in the region.
The 5th Norfolk Regiment therefore starts out. From the summit of a neighbouring hill, some New Zealand soldiers see it marching on a fairly steep slope, then entering a dip and climbing up a dried-up waterway.
The weather is splendid. However, the New Zealanders notice an anomaly in the scene. While the sky is clear, six or seven enormous clouds have been stationary since morning above Ridge 60. Clouds which a South wind of 6 or 7 kilometres an hour does not move from their position nor change their shape.
Further, another cloud comparable to a layer of very dense fog, which could be 250 metres long and 50 metres thick, seems to be clinging to the ground…
The New Zealanders consider this phenomenon with surprise. One of them, a Sapper named Reichart, belonging to the 3rd Section of the 1st Company of Engineers, blurts out:
“They’re strange, those clouds that aren’t moving! I’ve been watching them since this morning, they look solid!”…
One of his mates says to him:
“Look at the one on the ground. It’s reflecting the sunlight.”
Meanwhile, the 5th Norfolk Regiment continues its climb amongst the stones of the dried-up waterway. The temperature is high in Turkey, in August, and the English soldiers are perspiring.
After two hours of a difficult march, they finally arrive on a mound. There, they regroup and march in the direction of Ridge 60 which is partly covered by the strange layer of fog.
From the top of their hill, the New Zealanders observe the English. Sapper Reichart says to his companion:
“Look, the Pommies are getting to the cloud. We’ll see if they’re game enough to go in.”
The other one says:
“Why wouldn’t they be? It’s not poisonous gas…”
Reichart replies:
“Maybe not; but I don’t know why, that fog doesn’t look right!”
They soon see the 5th Norfolk Regiment reach the edge of the fog and plunge into it without hesitation. Reichart says:
“It’s so thick that you can’t see anyone in it.”
In ranks of eight, the English Regiment is still penetrating the cloud.
When the last man has disappeared, the New Zealanders still watch the layer of fog. Sapper Reichart says:
“I wonder if they’re all right.”
The other smiles:
“It won’t be long before we find out…”
And they wait.
After five minutes, as no-one is reappearing, Reichart starts to worry:
“What can they be doing in there?”
Then he immediately cries out:
“Oh! Look!”
The strange cloud, inside which is the 5th Norfolk Regiment, has lifted from the ground and soon rises, not like ordinary layers of fog which disintegrate in the air, but conserving its shape. Reichart hurls:
“But where are the Poms?”
On the ground, there is not one man, no weapon, nothing! The mound is absolutely empty.
These enormous lenticular clouds were photographed in Brazil. A few aviators imprudently penetrated them. Their aeroplanes disappeared.
The twenty-two men of the 1st New Zealand Company are rooted to the spot. While they are considering the place where four hundred English soldiers have just disappeared into thin air, the layer of fog continues to rise towards the clouds above it. When it reaches them, they all slowly move North and disappear into the sky.
No trace of the 5th Norfolk Regiment would ever be found again.
Years pass by. And in 1918, after the capitulation of Turkey, England demands that the men of this Regiment, “Missing in Action”, be returned to her.
The Turks search for them and reply that they have never heard of the 5th Norfolk Regiment. The English insist, furnish dates, precisions on the places, as well as the testimonies of the New Zealanders. The Turkish Etat-Major again hunts through its archives. Only to reply that no prisoners had been taken on 21 August 1915…
***
This story is authentic. It has been reported by numerous English magazines, by Returned Soldiers’ newspapers which have published the New Zealanders’ testimonies – notably that of Sapper Reichart – and it has been the subject of enquiries, searches, verifications, from both the British and Turkish authorities. No-one has ever been able to give an explanation…
***
At the epoch, people talked, not only of poisonous gas, but also of “dissolving” gas, invented by the Germans. But this idea was not retained. There was also talk of a natural phenomenon, a crater which might have suddenly opened under the feet of the soldiers of the 5th Norfolk Regiment, and which could have closed up again after swallowing the Regiment… This explanation did not seem very serious, either… Finally, this disappearance was classed in the big dossier of the “enigmas” of History.
***
To be continued.
How fascinating!
Absolutely!
I have never heard this story before… Its intresting! I have heard of strange disappearances, strange things falling from the sky, but this one really has my attention! I love, LOVE your writing! I am always captivated by your posts!
Thank you KT. Yesterday, 25 April, was ANZAC Day here in Australia. ANZAC stands for Australia and New Zealand Army Corps and this date was chosen for Australians to particularly remember all soldiers who have fallen in their country’s service, in memory of Australia’s first big military engagement which started at Gallipoli on this date in 1915. Until then, Australia had been just a British colony. Gallipoli transformed us into a country. Our Army was made up of volunteers whose courage, tenacity and general craziness earned them the admiration of the other Allied troops. The weather was very hot and these boys, a lot of them teenagers, stripped naked and played football on the beach with bullets occasionally flying around them from Turkish soldiers in the hills above. They also sometimes grew tired of lying down waiting to be shot at and stood to fight a duel with a Turkish opponent, who must have been just as crazy, until one of them was killed or seriously wounded. Australian soldiers have lived up to this courageous image ever since, although, hopefully, they are now a bit more disciplined because our Army is today made up of professional soldiers.
Although I do not approve of our Defence forces being used as aggressive forces to invade countries which have not attacked or even threatened Australia, I admire their spirit while I deplore their misuse by our country’s politicians.
WOW! I did not know that. I am American and of course knew that Australia was at war, as were we and everyone else, but I have not heard or read much of the details with Australia. I always think it is wonderful to celebrate the soldiers who have given themselves for their country. Thank you for the information! 🙂 It seems the Turks were always trying to invade someones land at one point or another throughout history. (I truly do not mean to sound offensive to anyone by saying that). Wonderful post and detailed information! Thank You!
In all fairness, it must be said that, on this occasion, it was Great Britain and her allies who were attacking the Turks. This was because Turkey had German sympathies and accepted German warships in her ports while refusing to allow Allied ships in. The Allies thought that they could just waltz into Turkey but, of course, this didn’t happen. The Turks fiercely and effectively defended their country, surprising the Allies, who didn’t expect such strong resistance.
It is an enigma. What possible explanation is there? It is all very strange indeed.
The answer still hasn’t been found. Perhaps one day we shall know.
They were murdered
http://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofEngland/The-Lost-Sandringhams/
No trace (including weapons) was ever found. Which does not exclude their murder, of course. We simply do not know what happened to them.
Obviously,the best hypothesis to account for this episode is abduction by extraterrestrial craft……It provides a blistering rebuttal to most ufologists who are convinced that ufo occupants are benevolent…In 1967,stephen MICHALAK from WINNIPEG,was on a prospecting expedition when he encountered 2 UFOs,one of them landing a few yards away from him…..The spunky fellow approached the object and as a door was open,he boldly looked Inside and was hit by a blast of hot gas inflicting painful burns to his chest and setting his clothes on fire……..He was nauseous and vomited several times on his way to a hospital where doctors were baffled by his symptoms and strange grid like burn on his chest………….In 1961 ,Betty and Barney HILL had their journey back to the US interrupted by a landing craft ,taken aboard and had to undergo some medical tests before being released……not exactly in line with the elementary rules of hospitality!!…………………………………In FRANCE only,25000 people disappear every year….Of course there are suicides perfect crime ,elopements and people who want to make a clean break with the past but that s only a small number…..there are still 80% of unexplained disappearance..about 15000 people!….what happened to them and it s been going on for years! charles FORT used to say that somebody seemed to take great fun in fishing for human beings!..