Charles Watkins sailed for the Dardanelles with the 1/6th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers in 1915. War, he said, was a welcome escape from hard labour in a Lancashire cotton mill. Fifty years later, he wrote his memoir, a 'hotch-potch of Gallipoli memories.' The campaign is not short of operational histories, but few accounts get into the mind of the private soldier so successfully. Lost Endeavour was published for 'limited and private circulation' in 1970, then again in 1982. For this modern edition, the editors have added a short biography of Watkins as an appendix, alongside several articles he wrote for the Gallipoli Association's journal, 'The Gallipolian'. For background and context, the editors include their notes on individuals, places and events mentioned by Watkins in the text. The reader will also find detail on the 6th Lancs Fusiliers at Helles—the battalion's establishment, drafts and battle casualties, a timeline for May to December 1915, eight maps, and a Gallipoli roll of honour.
