Letters from Helles: The uncensored correspondence of a battalion commander at Gallipoli

Henry Clayton Darlington

Oct 2025 · Little Gully Publishing

About this ebook

Written in 1915 while leading the 1/5th Manchester Regiment, Colonel Sir Henry Darlington’s letters from Gallipoli are a commanding officer’s firsthand account of leadership and endurance at Helles.

Long considered one of the most valuable firsthand accounts of the Gallipoli campaign, original copies have become increasingly scarce since the publisher’s remaining stock was destroyed during the London Blitz in December 1940. 

In this new and expanded edition, the editors, facilitated by the author’s grandson, Hugh Darlington, have supplemented the original text with an illustrated biography, detailed maps, and appendices that provide rich context on the battalion’s campaign.

The most valuable addition, however, is the wealth of previously unpublished photographs taken by the author himself. A keen photographer who carried his camera into the line at Gallipoli, these remarkable images from his personal album add a new dimension to a classic account.

About the author

The author of Letters from Helles, Colonel Sir Henry Darlington, was the quintessential citizen-soldier. A Wigan solicitor by profession, his life was defined by a profound sense of duty and a long and distinguished military career.

Commissioned into the Wigan Volunteers in 1897, Darlington first saw service in the Second Boer War, where he earned the Queen’s South Africa Medal with three clasps. A natural leader, he was chosen over more senior officers to command the 5th Manchesters before their deployment to Egypt. He led his men through training and into the maelstrom of Gallipoli, where he was briefly elevated to command the 127th (Manchester) Brigade. Although invalided home in October 1915, his dedication was such that he rejoined his battalion in Egypt and went on to lead it on the Western Front. Despite several periods of sick leave, the men from Wigan always viewed him as their true commanding officer.

Darlington’s commitment to service continued long after the armistice, exemplified by his appointment to a committee chaired by Winston Churchill to discuss the reorganization of the Territorial Force. To the officers and men who served under him, Colonel Darlington was simply one of the finest commanding officers they ever knew: fair, just, and always willing to lead from the front.