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SKELTON - IN - CLEVELAND
IN HISTORY
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"WE WILL REMEMBER THEM"
15341 Private EDWARD COVELL.
6th Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment.
Killed in action, aged 31, on the 7th August 1915.
Born Skelton in Cleveland. Enlisted at Redcar, N Yorks.
Son of George and the late Rebecca Covell,
of 19 Manless Green Terrace, Skelton Green, N Yorks.
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Helles Memorial, Gallipoli, Turkey.
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FAMILY:-
1901. Edward aged 17, was living at 48 Park St, Skelton and working in the Ironstone mine as a horse driver.
His father, George, age 48, was a deputy in the Ironstone Mines and came from Felmingham Norfolk.
His Mother, Rebecca, was born at Kirbymoorside Yorks. She had had 7 children and 6 were still living.
It appears Edward's mother did not live to hear of the loss of her son.
Edward had three brothers - George 25, a drill changer in the Ironstone mine; John 15, a grocer's assistant and Albert 9.
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And 4 sisters, Sarah, Jane, Rebecca and Sarah G.
1911. The parents were living at 48 Park St, Skelton and the family had left home.
Eward, age 27, was working as a labourer on the Steel Furnaces at Warrenby, N Yorks and boarding with a family called Emerson at 6 Plover St, Warrenby.
WAR SITUATION:-
The 6th Bn were were attached to 32nd Brigade, part of the 11th (Northern) Division.
It was formed of volunteers, under the care of the War Office.
Initially without equipment or arms of any kind, the recruits were judged to be ready by late Spring 1915,
and it was ordered to reinforce the beleagured garrison on Gallipoli.
1 July 1915 : sailed from Liverpool, landing Alexandria, and on to Mudros, completing concentration by 28 July 1915.
Edward's Medal Card show that he first arrived in a theatre of War on the 14th July 1915.
On the 6th August attempts were made to land 2 Divisions at Suvla Bay. The 6th Yorks drove the Ottoman defenders off the small hillock of Lala Baba which overlooked the beach. All but two of the Battalion's officers became casualties, as did one third of the men - 250.
On the 7th the situation was reported as chaotic, with the men desparate for drinking water and under constant shrapnel and sniper fire. Edward was killed this day.
The General commanding was later sacked.
The troops were evacuated in January 1916 with 265,000 allied dead.
MEMORIAL:-
The Helles Memorial is one of five Memorials to the Missing for Commonwealth troops who lost their lives in the eight month-long Gallipoli campaign and who have no known grave.
It commemorates 20,837 names and stands on the tip of the Gallipoli Peninsula, an obelisk over 30 metres high that can be seen by ships passing through the Dardanelles.
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