The Lost Battalion

[Bella-Angelique]

The 5th. Battalion of "The Norfolks" was one of the First World War Battalions of the British Army which were called "Pal's Battalions". These occured in many regiments, and were comprised of men who were recruited during the war from men with a close civilian connection. They might have been from the same district of a city (or even a number of streets situated close together), or could have been working for a particular employer at the outbreak of war. The men of "The 5th" were unique in that nearly all of them were employed by The Royal Family on their Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, or had family connections to Sandringham. This battalion was therefore originally dubbed "The Sandringham Battalion".

The 5th. later became known as "The Vanished Battalion" because they were seen by men of other units to march into battle against the Turks at Suvla Bay, Gallipoli on 12 August 1915 and were never seen again. The Dardanelles Campaign on the Gallipoli peninsula in Turkey was abandoned in December 1915 and all British and Commonwealth troops were evacuated. The bodies of "The Vanished Battalion" were not found until after the war, in 1919. Even then, the details of their fate remained largely unknown.

Further mystery about the 5th. arose when, several years after World War 1, two Gallipoli veterans firmly stated that they had seen those men march into a "strange cloud" which hid them from sight, and when it then lifted and dispersed, the men of the battalion had just "disappeared". This tale passed into legend. Eventually a book was written about the incident, "The Vanished Battalion" by Nigel McCrery (published by Simon & Shuster in 1992). This book eventually led to a BBC-TV documentary drama production called "All The King's Men", and to another documentary about The Sandringham Battalion produced by His Royal Highness Prince Edward.

link

[Mekorig]

I see a documental about this the other day in the History Channel. It appears that these guys were ambushed by the Turks in an small forest, and the survivors were executed in the same place after the battle.

[canwe]

That's an interesting legend, however I have not seen either of these documnetaries and would offhandedly go with the abushe theory. Do you know of any other testimony about this"Strange Mist" the solidiers walked into?

[Moon Monkey]

That's an interesting legend, however I have not seen either of these documnetaries and would offhandedly go with the abushe theory. Do you know of any other testimony about this"Strange Mist" the solidiers walked into?

The BBC made a drama about it starring David Jason (Del Boy). It was fu*king heartbreaking to watch kids executed by the Turks, bas*ards!

[chaoszerg]

There has been a few reports of a strange mist or cloud that just seems to swallow something up causing them to vanish. The bemuda triangle and other places have experienced a strange cloud or mist. Sometimes things vanish when something enters it but what is more creepy when there are reports of seeing a mist or cloud CHASE whatever it is that is about to vanish. I think there was a report about a cloud or mist persuing something and then when it absorbed the thing it was chasing it was never seen or heard of again.

[Moon Monkey]

There has been a few reports of a strange mist or cloud that just seems to swallow something up causing them to vanish. The bemuda triangle and other places have experienced a strange cloud or mist. Sometimes things vanish when something enters it but what is more creepy when there are reports of seeing a mist or cloud CHASE whatever it is that is about to vanish. I think there was a report about a cloud or mist persuing something and then when it absorbed the thing it was chasing it was never seen or heard of again.

i think maybe you are reading too much into it. It was a dawn attack could have simply been early morning mist, fog etc. Would make sense to attack under cover. While I am here does anyone know of links into the execution of soldiers suffering from shellshock for cowardice?

Edited June 13, 2006 by Moon Monkey

[chaoszerg]

i think maybe you are reading too much into it. It was a dawn attack could have simply been early morning mist, fog etc. Would make sense to attack under cover. While I am here does anyone know of links into the execution of soldiers suffering from shellshock for cowardice?

Lol im not saying i believe it im just saying there have been reports of a strange mist or cloud that does this and chases people and objects.

Edited June 15, 2006 by chaoszerg

[Moon Monkey]

Lol im not saying i believe it im just saying there have been reports of a stange mist or cloud that does this and chases people and objects.

of course mate...i didnt mean to imply u did

[chaoszerg]

its ok

i read in a book about the triangle that a plane reported being chased by a strange cloud. And then reported the cloud was almost on top of him before he and the plane vanished. Im going to try and find out something about it on the net. But i do think they were ambushed but none of us was there so i dont think we will ever know for sure if they were ambushed or they were enveloped by a strange mist which ate them in a sort of way.

[Robert1]

i think maybe you are reading too much into it. It was a dawn attack could have simply been early morning mist, fog etc. Would make sense to attack under cover. While I am here does anyone know of links into the execution of soldiers suffering from shellshock for cowardice?

I agree. They were more than likely ambushed by snipers in the forest and the survivors

were probably rounded up and executed at the farm after the battle.

[OldTimeRadio]

First World War historians I've asked about the disappearance of the Norfolk regiment tell me that it "vanished" right enough - by being marched directly into massed and absolutely overwhelming Turkish rifle, machine gun, mortar and cannon fire. The Brits were cut to absolute ribbons, and those remains were themselves obliterated by incessqwnt artillery bombardment.