Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Captured 8 August 1915 – During the (unsuccessful) attack on Hill 971 as part of the Gallipoli August Offensive (along with Lone Pine, The Nek). There is a very high probability Brendan Calcutt was captured at or near a place called Abdel Rahman Bair, which is the ridge line immediately before, and leading up to Hill 971.

On 8 August, Monash’s exhausted 4th Brigade troops (they had already been in action for more than 24 hours) were attempting to seize Abdel Rahman Bair when they were caught in the open by well sighted Turkish machine guns and were driven back with significant casualties.

The official 14th Battalion unit diary of 8 August 1915 records:
03:00 “…..an advance was made under heavy rifle and machine gun fire and consequently casualties were very heavy. After the 15th Battalion on our immediate front had practically withered away, the 14th continued to advance suffering heavily and the Turks were met in great force on our front and left. As we drove them back they counter attacked on our left flank several times.
The Battalion thus got very split up and it is impossible to say exactly what happened. Orders were then issued to dig in and consolidate the position gained……”

“A Sikh Machine Gun detachment took up a position to protect our left and rear from attack. Here the enemy’s shrapnel opened up on our shallow fire pits and considerable damage was done. No reply whatever was made by our artillery and our men continued to suffer from shrapnel casualties.”

08:30 “…..order to retire received……stating that the whole Brigade was retiring. Orders were immediately issued to collect all wounded, arms and equipment and take same to behind the lines.
10:00 “Retirement completed and all get atable (sic) wounded and arms brought back.”

The ANZACs never again penetrated this far inland. The action has also been described by some as the worst day of the entire war for the 14th Battalion (save perhaps for Bullecourt in 1917).

Official Battalion casualties from the actions on 8 August totalled 254 (from a starting Battalion strength of 806) and included: 36 Killed, 93 wounded and 128 missing

Source: 14th Btn unit diary

Brendan Calcutt was born in Williamstown, Victoria in February 1896. He was one of eight children of Joseph and Lucinda Calcutt. He also had eight half-siblings from his father's previous marriage. 

Brendan had commenced a career working for Victorian Railways as a timekeeper at Echuca station when war broke out. He enlisted, with his parent's permission, on the 7th of April 1915 and was allocated to the 6th reinforcements for the 14th Battalion of Australian Infantry. 

Brendan's description upon enlistment was '19 years old, five feet eight inches tall with a medium complexion, dark blue eyes, and brown hair’. 

The 6th reinforcements embarked from Melbourne on 17th of June 1915 aboard HMAT A62 Wandilla and disembarked in Egypt. Brendan did some training in Egypt befor embarking from Alexandria and headed for Gallipoli. Brendan was on Gallipoli for less than a week when he took part in the Assault on Hill 971.

This is described in the biography above however to add to Brendan's story; On the 8th of August 1915 during the consolidation of the attack, Brendan was reported missing from his Battalion. Eyewitness accounts of his capture describe the confusion of the small group of men (including Brendan) that had become separated from the main attack and were trying to make their way back to the Australian line. Their luck ran out when they encountered a large group of Turkish soldiers and were forced to surrender. Again, eyewitness accounts stated that Brendan, was wounded, was bayonetted by a Turkish soldier in what was thought to be an attempt to get rid of the encumbered wounded. After another Australian soldier intervened, Brendan was left alone and his saviour battered unconscious. The whole group was then taken into captivity. 

Initially the Battalion listed those missing as 'Killed in Action'. Notification that he was wounded and now a Turkish POW came on the 26th of August 1915. At the time Brendan's father requested that the Department of Defence hold off on reporting Brendan in the casualty lists until he could notify Brendan's mother who was visiting their daughter in Queensland. They agreed to delay notification for a bit over a week. 

Due to his wounds, Brendan was hospitalised in Constantinople for a time and then transferred Bozanti in February 1916 before moving 20 km to the small town of Bilemedik in Turkey. Bilemedik was associated with the Pozanti area and the construction of the Berlin-Baghdad railway across the Taurus Mountains. These railway camps were under the command of a German construction company with POWs as free labour. Many considered Belemedik a model camp as the prisoners had wooden huts, reasonable food and some medical services. 

After nearly a year at Belemedik, Brendan cut his thumb in December 1916 and though it was a very minor wound, infection set in. He was hospitalised for treatment over a period of a few weeks but gradually deteriorated. He slipped into unconsciousness and died on the 18th of December 1916 of septicaemia. There are other sources that state he died on the 31st of December. Brendan was buried in his AIF uniform at Haji Kir cemetery in Turkey but was moved to Baghdad in 1927. 

In the post war years there was various correspondence with Brendan’s Next of Kin regarding his relocation to Baghdad. There was also a mistake picked up on his Bronze Memorial Plaque where his name was spelt incorrectly as BREUDAN CALCUTT. The Department of Defence then became a bit confused over whether his was a Brendan or a Brendon.

One of Brendan's Brothers, 474 Gerald Calcutt, was killed on Gallipoli on 24 May 1915. He has no known grave. 

14 Battalion

Embarked Alexandria to join the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force, Gallipoli, 1 August 1915.

Reported missing, Gallipoli, 8 August 1915.

Reported prisoner of war, Constantinople, 26 August 1915.

Interned at Bazanti, nr Taurus, Turkey, 21 February 1916.

Died of septicaemia, Belemedek, 18 December 1916.

Medals: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal

Son of Joseph Richard and Lucinda Matilda Calcutt, of 12, Victoria St., Williamstown, Victoria, Australia

Brother of Charles and Robert served in the Boer War; Gerald, 7th LH and Clare, 8th LH served at Gallipoli