Gallipoli: Inside GHQ

Step inside the nerve centre of the Gallipoli Campaign with Stephen’s talk on the previously unpublished diary of Captain Orlo Williams. As a cipher officer within General Headquarters (GHQ), Orlo possessed privileged access to the secret communications that shaped the ill-fated 1915 expedition. Stephen will use Orlo’s diary, drawings, and photographs to give an insider’s account of life at GHQ, detailing the planning and execution of crucial moments – the landings, key battles, and the final evacuation. Witness the complex interplay between military commanders and politicians, illuminated by Orlo’s candid, often critical, assessments of figures like Hamilton, Churchill, and Kitchener.

Stephen is the Chairman of the Gallipoli Association, an organisation formed in 1969 and still going strong. Stephen’s historical interest and passion is British Military history, particularly Gallipoli, which has led him to write several books which includes a centenary volume called Gallipoli: The Dardanelles Disaster in Soldiers’ Words and Photographs, the popular battlefield guidebooks Walking Gallipoli and Krithia and the edited diary of Orlo Williams, Inside GHQ. He is an accredited Battlefield Guide himself and often visits Gallipoli and elsewhere where he leads tours. Stephen is also a member of the Western Front Association, Guild of Battlefield Guides, OMRS and the Arnhem Fellowship. He is a qualified IT Professional and has worked in IT, information security and governance, risk and compliance for over 30 years.