William Birdwood Biography and Timeline

Commander of 5th Army

Appointed Commander of the 5th Army

ANZAC

Appointed Commander of the ANZAC forces

Commander of ANZAC

Appointed Commander of the ANZAC forces

Commander of 5th Army

Appointed Commander of the 5th Army

Role range: 1914-1918 – 1918-1918

Offensive

Leeds the Courtai Offensive

Role range: 1914-1918 – 1918-1918

ANZAC

Appointed Commander of the ANZAC forces

Role range: 1914-1918 – 1914-1918

Commander of ANZAC

Appointed Commander of the ANZAC forces

Role range: 1914-1918 – 1914-1918

Anzac Landing Coast Reconnoitred

Birdwood and senior ANZAC officers inspect the Gallipoli coast from HMS Queen Elizabeth before the landings.

Role range: 1914-1918 – 1914-1915

Anzac Corps Lands North of Gaba Tepe

Birdwood's ANZAC Corps lands north of its intended objective and establishes a precarious beachhead.

Role range: 1914-1918 – 1914-1915

Evacuation Advice Sent after First Day

Birdwood reports his divisional commanders' recommendation to evacuate after the confused first day ashore.

Role range: 1914-1918 – 1914-1915

ANZAC

Lands a force of Australians & New Zealanders subsequently know as ANZAC Cove

Role range: 1914-1918 – 1914-1918

Battle of Gallipoli

Lands a force of Australians & New Zealanders subsequently know as ANZAC Cove

Role range: 1914-1918 – 1914-1918

Anzac Corps Assigned Gaba Tepe Sector

Birdwood's corps is assigned a landing north of Gaba Tepe to threaten the peninsula's central communications.

Role range: 1914-1918 – 1914-1915

Baby 700 Offensive Approved

Birdwood approves an offensive intended to seize Baby 700 and improve the vulnerable ANZAC position.

Role range: 1914-1918 – 1914-1915

Anzac Line Holds against Mass Assault

Birdwood's corps defeats the large Ottoman attack and retains the entire ANZAC perimeter.

Role range: 1914-1918 – 1914-1915

Burial Armistice Arranged

Birdwood participates in arrangements for a temporary truce to bury thousands of dead between the opposing lines.

Role range: 1914-1918 – 1914-1915

HMS Triumph Sinking Witnessed off Anzac

Birdwood witnesses the loss of HMS Triumph after the battleship is torpedoed while supporting the ANZAC beachhead.

Role range: 1914-1918 – 1914-1915

Late June Ottoman Attack Repulsed

Birdwood's troops repel another Ottoman assault against the ANZAC perimeter at the end of June.

Role range: 1914-1918 – 1914-1915

Water Supply Crisis Managed at Anzac

Birdwood's staff struggles to maintain drinking-water supplies for troops crowded into the ANZAC perimeter.

Role range: 1914-1918 – 1914-1915

Anzac Disease Burden Reported

Birdwood reports increasing sickness as heat, flies and poor sanitation weaken the garrison.

Role range: 1914-1918 – 1914-1915

Sari Bair Breakout Concept Expanded

Birdwood's proposal to seize the Sari Bair heights becomes the core of the August offensive.

Role range: 1914-1918 – 1914-1915

Nek Attack Retained despite Sari Bair Delay

Birdwood allows the Nek assault to proceed although the supporting advance toward Chunuk Bair is behind schedule.

Role range: 1914-1918 – 1914-1915

The Nek Assault Proceeds

Birdwood's ANZAC command proceeds with the attack at The Nek despite the failure to secure the intended supporting heights.

Role range: 1914-1918 – 1914-1915

Second Hill 60 Assault Ordered

Birdwood's force renews the attempt to seize Hill 60, using Australian, New Zealand, British and Irish troops at the Anzac-Suvla junction.

Role range: 1914-1918 – 1915-1915

Winter Storm Hits ANZAC Positions

Birdwood's troops endure flooding, snow, frostbite and exposure as a severe winter storm strikes Gallipoli.

Role range: 1914-1918 – 1914-1915

Formal Order to Evacuate ANZAC Received

Birdwood receives the final order to evacuate the ANZAC and Suvla positions.

Role range: 1914-1918 – 1914-1915

Sick Wounded and Stores Removed before Final Evacuation

The evacuation programme removes sick and wounded men, surplus troops and valuable stores before the final nights of withdrawal.

Role range: 1914-1918 – 1915-1915

Detailed Anzac Suvla Evacuation Orders Issued

Detailed orders are issued for the final evacuation phase, with secrecy and deception measures designed to conceal the withdrawal.

Role range: 1914-1918 – 1915-1915

First ANZAC Corps Formed in Egypt

Birdwood takes command of I ANZAC Corps after the post-Gallipoli reorganisation.

Role range: 1914-1918 – 1916-1917

First ANZAC Corps Deploys to France

Birdwood's I ANZAC Corps deploys from Egypt to the Western Front.

Role range: 1914-1918 – 1916-1917

Pozieres Operations Coordinated by I ANZAC

Birdwood coordinates successive Australian divisions fighting around Pozieres and Mouquet Farm.

Role range: 1914-1918 – 1916-1917

Bullecourt Operations Coordinated

Birdwood's I ANZAC Corps coordinates Australian attacks during the prolonged fighting at Bullecourt.

Role range: 1914-1918 – 1916-1917