More about Thomas Ferrier

Thomas Ferrier   CZ/7775   Drake Bn Royal Naval Division

NOT A MAN HESITATED.

Broughty Man’s Story of Fighting in Gallipoli.

Private Thomas Ferrier, of the Royal Naval Reserve, has returned to Broughty Ferry on 28 days’ furlough.  He is married, and resides with his family at Waverley Buildings.  Ferrier was wounded in one of the deadly but glorious attacks on the Turkish trenches in the Gallipoli Peninsula—in that fight in which Section-Commander John Forbes, the Broughty teacher, was struck down.

“It is a pretty country,” said Ferrier, in an interview, “but we knew how strongly entrenched the Turk was, and to storm the position we knew was our job.  We effected a landing on the 2d May, and rushed those trenches.  It was an awful advance, but not a man hesitated.  It was rather the other way—we advanced too fast, and had to retreat till the reinforcements came along. In that first rush we took three lines of trenches in thirty-five minutes or little more.  But we were not strong enough to hold them for long.  We lost heavily, but the Turks lost very heavily too.  When it was recognised, we had gone too far for our numbers we gradually withdrew to the first line of trenches.  “When reinforcements arrived preparations were made for another rush.  On June 4 a splendid attack was made.  The Turks fought gamely, but our men would not be denied, and soon the third line of trenches had been again won.  It was at that stage that I got hit.  I was just on the top of the third trench when a bullet went through the calf of my leg, and I fell.  How long I lay I do not know exactly, but it was a good many hours.  Meantime I heard the din of the fighting all around, and I knew that, as generally, our men were holding all the ground they had taken.  The wounded, when they can, generally crawl towards the British lines if the tide of battle has left them between the enemy and their own side, but as the British here seldom give up ground won, that is not often necessary.  The Allies are not very keen, you may guess, to be found by the Turk or the German.  I was taken to the hospital, and am now home for a month.”

Dundee Evening Telegraph 12th July 1915

Leading Seaman Thomas Ferrier, R.N.D., son of Mr David Ferrier, Ambrose Street, Broughty Ferry, who was reported missing, is a prisoner of war in Germany.

Dundee Courier 7th February 1918