Little Gully

09/01/2026

The invisible man at GHQ: a review of the Orlo Williams diary by Dr Mesut Uyar. https://littlegully.com/blog/the-invisible-man-at-ghq-a-review-of-the-orlo-williams-diary/

Orlo Williams - Gallipoli Cipher

A “golden nugget” of WWI history: Dr Mesut Uyar reviews the newly published diary of Captain Orlo Williams, offering an invisible man’s view of the Gallipoli high command.

01/01/2026

Cheers to all readers in 2026!

Image: French soldiers in Constantinople, 11 June 1920. "It's hot and the beer is cold."

(Collection of BdB.)

19/12/2025

Ever wondered what was actually happening inside General Headquarters at Gallipoli?

It wasn’t just maps and strategy. There was gossip, dysfunction, and plenty of drama behind the scenes.

Dr Rhys Crawley joined Mick Cook on The Dead Prussian Podcast to discuss "Inside GHQ: The Gallipoli Diary of Captain Orlo Williams."

Orlo Williams - Gallipoli Cipher wasn't your typical soldier. He was a civilian writer turned Cipher Officer who disregarded operational security rules to document the secrets of the campaign in his personal diary. The result is one of the most candid and valuable primary sources from the war.

Rhys and Mick dive into the complexities of command, the "fog of war," and why this diary is essential for understanding the human side of the campaign.

It’s a great listen. Check it out via the link below:
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chats with academic, official war historian and author  about the experiences of Captain Orlo Williams as a staff officer in General Headqarters during the Gallipoli Campaign in the First World War. They discuss Rhys' new book, . Mick and Rhys also discuss common experiences between staff....

17/12/2025

One of the frustrations of writing history is that you often end up with material that is fascinating, but just doesnʼt quite fit the final manuscript. As Ian Burns found with Floatplanes Over The Desert, “some stories are just too good to abandon”.

Ian has posted one of these tales on The Western Front Association website, and it is a cracking read.

He describes it as a “sideshow within a sideshow”. It tells the story of Marko—a pirate, smuggler and brigand—and his operations from his island ‘kingdom’ of Tersana. It explores the curious mix of naval warfare, floatplanes and local irregulars fighting on the Anatolian fringe.

https://www.westernfrontassociation.com/world-war-i-articles/2025/december/le-roi-des-montagnes-the-french-and-floatplanes/

10/12/2025

Recommended read: “Inside GHQ. The Gallipoli Diary of Captain Orlo Williams,” edited by Rhys Crawley, Stephen Chambers & Ashleigh Brown.

Sir Ian Hamilton produced his own misnomered “Gallipoli Diary.” I find it practically unreadable. Orlo Williams' account differs from Hamilton's in every respect. It is noticeable for its matter-of-fact retelling of events. And, as he handled almost all of Hamilton's correspondence, when he tells you that his boss' overwritten style made his life harder than it need be as cypher officer, you can feel his pain.

Orlo Williams was an astute observer of events and tracks the arc of the campaign from optimistic (if unrealistic) beginnings to one of final disillusion in the entire enterprise and its leadership.

I cannot recommend it highly enough.

You can order your copy at the link in the comments below.

05/12/2025

Time is running out! Drag yourself from the Ashes and save with book bundles for Xmas ;)

https://littlegully.com/special-offer/

02/12/2025

A fascinating perspective on the Gallipoli Campaign, from someone who has probably read more newspaper reports than anyone!

Ruddington, Midlands (East) branch of the The Western Front Association.

27/11/2025

We know you’re busy. We know you probably haven’t started Xmas shopping yet. We also know you don't really want to. Here’s a solution: Book bundles. https://littlegully.com/special-offer/

Limited stock.

(Image: Cyril Leyshon-White, ‘The Anzac book’, 1915.)

26/11/2025

Trench maps included as endpapers in the first edition of ‘Letters from Helles’ by Colonel Sir Henry Darlington. The maps show the left and centre sectors at Helles.

We’ve reproduced these ‘trench diagrams’ in our new and expanded edition: https://littlegully.com/books/letters-from-helles/

22/11/2025

A talk by Stuart Hadaway, a.k.a. Egyptian Expeditionary Force in WW1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMaMzZqIdSQ

Read more about naval aviation in Aegean and Middle East: https://littlegully.com/books/floatplanes-over-the-desert/

18/11/2025

It was reported on 13th November 1915 that Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Darlington, 1/5th Battalion Manchester Regiment, had been invalided from Helles.

“Major [sic] Darlington, who is a member of the legal firm of Messrs. Peace and Darlington, went out to the Dardanelles in September last year, [1] and owing to the inability of Colonel W. S. France to make the voyage, he was appointed Commanding Officer of the Battalion. Since being in Egypt and at the Dardanelles, Colonel Darlington has been acting as Brigadier-General, an evidence in itself of very high soldierly qualities, and of the confidence in which he is held by the General Staff Officers. Colonel Darlington has been invalided home, and he arrived at Parbold about a fortnight ago.” [2]

His “Letters From Helles” were published in 1936. A new, expanded edition, illustrated by photographs Darlington took himself at Gallipoli, is now available from Little Gully Publishing. See the link in the comments below.

[1] Darlington went with his battalion to Egypt in September 1914. They landed at Helles in May 1915.

[2] 'The Wigan Examiner,' 13th November 1915.

Image: 'The Wigan Examiner,' 13th November 1915.