Trustees' & Officers' Biography

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES ON TRUSTEES & ASSOCIATION OFFICERS

Chair - James Stopford CBE is a relative of a Gallipoli veteran, has been a proud member of the Association since 1988 and has visited the peninsula several times. After 36 years of service James left the Army (Irish Guards) in December 2015 and became the Chief Executive of the long established military charity The Not Forgotten in 2016. He is a member of Her Majesty’s Body Guard of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms, a Trustee of The Union Jack Club, an enthusiastic but untalented sailor, lover of all outdoor activities and passionate about his family. He is married to Michelle, a solicitor, and they have 2 grown up children, a doctor and a Royal Marine. He became Chairman on 1 May 2016 and the priorities to ensure the Association remains relevant, putting education and commemoration at its core and promoting inclusivity to honour those who served in the Gallipoli Campaign

Email: [email protected]


Hon. Secretary - Margaret Carter spent all her working life in Primary Education, starting as a teacher, then two Headships, finally retiring as Interim Director of Primary Schools in Walsall. Both Margaret and her partner have a somewhat obsessive interest in the Gallipoli Campaign, having visited every year since 2010 –until Covid stopped them. They walk the battlefields, hack their way through the prickly scrub, and climb the ridges in order to fully experience and understand the events of 1915/16. Research from their extensive library and support from wonderful Turkish Guides, as well as from Gallipoli Association members, has led them to discover some amazing places. They have also been lucky enough to make an annual visit to Lemnos to explore the numerous Gallipoli related sites. Margaret is proud to have been able to walk in the footsteps of her grandfather from landing at S Beach on 25th April 1915, to the place where he was severely wounded in the White House trenches. A chance meeting in 2011 with Stephen Chambers, on her way down to The Farm Cemetery, led her to join The Gallipoli Association. Over the years she has met many interesting people who have shared their family Gallipoli stories. She has also had the privilege of taking photographs of graves and memorials on the Peninsula for families in Britain, Australia and New Zealand. Margaret does have a life outside Gallipoli! which includes being a doting grandmother, a baker, cook, gardener and reader.

Email: [email protected]


Treasurer - Mike Cairns 

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Membership Secretary - Peter Luff joined the Association after discovering his Grandfather’s involvement in the campaign with the 29th Division and a journey to Gallipoli with an Australian brother-in-law in charge of a school trip in 2008. He has visited Gallipoli twice since and took part in the Centenary Commemorations in April 2015. He took on the role of Membership Secretary in February 2016 and is keen to focus on education and the lasting memory of the campaign particularly amongst young people. Peter is a Chartered Surveyor practicing in Devon and has been involved with cricket in one way or another since childhood. He is a qualified coach and a member of several clubs. Peter was appointed a Trustee in July 2016.

Email: [email protected]


Historian & Webmaster - Stephen Chambers has been a member of the former Gallipoli Association since 1984, and in 2010 was appointed Webmaster, and in 2015 Historian when Michael Hickey passed away. Since charitable status was granted, Stephen has been a Trustee performing the roles of Historian and Webmaster. Stephen’s historical interest and passion is British Military history, in particular Gallipoli, which has led him to write several books, the latest being Gallipoli: The Dardanelles Disaster in Soldiers’ Words and Photographs. and Walking Gallipoli, a battlefield guide. He is an accredited Battlefield Guide and often visits Gallipoli where he leads tours. Stephen is also a member of the Western Front Association, Guild of Battlefield Guides, Arnhem Fellowship and Orders & Medals Research Society. He is a qualified IT Professional and has worked in the computing industry for over 25 years.

Email: [email protected] or [email protected]


Education Officer - Ian Binnie is a fairly new member of the Gallipoli Association. He was born and brought up in Coventry and did a history degree at the University of London. He then went onto to spend 40 years in teaching, ending up as secondary headteacher in the West Midlands. He is now fully retired and spends most of my time pursuing his great love, military history. He is a member of many historical associations, and plays an active part in some and has visited many battlefields, including Gallipoli. He also volunteers for a day a week at the Fusilier Museum in Warwick. He recently finished a part time MA in Military History at the University of Birmingham. He is currently part of a team researching the story of every soldier who is included on war memorials in Moseley, Birmingham. His other hobbies include running, walking, reading and avoiding gardening. He also supports the mighty Sky Blues. In the role with the GA, he is actively developing links and projects with partners to increase knowledge and understanding of the Gallipoli campaign, amongst young and old.

Email: [email protected]


Overseas Liaison Officer - Thomas Iredale joined the Association in 2014 to intensify research into his grandfather’s service in the Royal Naval Division, who was sadly killed near Backhouse Post in May 1915, and also to find his burial site, according to the location given in his RND records – successfully accomplished in 2018. Tom served as a Logistics Officer in the Royal Air Force and was stationed in Aden, Sharjah and Germany. A fluent German and passable French speaker, he joined a German company after leaving the RAF and was responsible for international marketing and sales, travelling the world extensively. Taking early retirement from business, he freelanced as a translator and furnished the English translation of the Gallipoli Association sponsored and recently published book: “Victory at Gallipoli 1915 – The German-Ottoman Alliance in the First World War”. He is particularly interested in the German, French and Ottoman aspects of the Gallipoli campaign, to better understand the wider perspectives of the conflict. The contacts and relationships he has developed during many visits to Turkey and other countries are instrumental in his role of promoting the aims and membership of the Association abroad.

Email: [email protected]


Communications Officer - Warren Smith is a frequent visitor to the battlefield, Warren's interest in Gallipoli was sparked when researching his family tree to find two relatives that fought during the campaign, this led to many visits to the Warwickshire Yeomanry Museum which in turn resulted in him volunteering his time to help there. Born in Leamington Spa but now residing on Oxfordshire Warren spends his day as a Project Engineer but by night likes nothing more than sitting with a book to further his knowledge on the Great War, and in particular Gallipoli (of course). As well as volunteering for the Warwickshire Yeomanry Museum he is also a sub-editor of the Great War Group Salient Points magazine, a committee member of the Heart of England WFA branch and a member of the Gallipoli Association Helles Battlefield Study Project.

Email: [email protected]


Digital Officer - Bernard de Broglio lives in Sydney, Australia. He has a particular interest in the Gallipoli air war and is researching operations 1915-1918 by the British, French, Ottoman and German air services. Bernard also researched the work of Australian army nurses on Lemnos 1915 for the play ‘Through These Lines’ by Cheryl Ward. The hospital sites on Lemnos were mapped and then-and-now photos published in a photo book and displayed at the State Library of NSW.  The production had 3 successful seasons.

Email: [email protected]


Events & Quartermaster - Hester Huttenbach joined the Association whilst researching her father who was awarded the Military Cross for his actions at Gallipoli. As with most combatants his military career was never discussed and now with time, she is exploring his life and army career in both World Wars. This has taken her across the route of the battlefields in France in WW1 and up into Germany where he met her mother in Berlin during WW2. Having retired from a career in retail she has become involved with a variety of volunteering positions from running a Work Club at her local library for five years before becoming a Business Advisor for Young Enterprise. Her latest involvement is taking on responsibility for Events for the Association. Now a widow and never having had children, she is free to follow any pursuits that she wants without having any family responsibilities. Hester became a Trustee in October 2023.

Email: [email protected]


Editor - Bryn Dolan Biography to add

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