Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/7/1 - May 1915 - Part 2

the top as that they'l quite get you", said the corporal.
Bill showed his rifle - the one which xxxx had attracted the
shot) through the hole & peer along it. The hole was too narrow
& the sniper to much to the right. The rifle came back, & for
five minutes Bil scraped & heavy tugged to get the loophole
open in the required direction. All this time there was a
constant thump - thump - thump heavy blows on the outside
of the sandbags. You could feel the smack of them shake the bags. The
top was being constantly chipped off the loose earth of the parapet.
xxxx Presents Swishswish - swish - swish - swish. They had
their machine from over the place. They cd see the periscopes
& probably thought we were trying to place a machine gun
in position. At last Bill got his shot. He held the rifle with
one hand & pressed it into his shoulder. The man had not
moved. "I think thats got him" he said. "Ill put another
into him for luck to make sure."  So he fired again. "If that
hasn't got him I'm a liar" he sd. "Three hundred yards".
Presently he looked again; he looked so long & seemed so
puzzled that the Corpl. asked him: "Can you see him."
"Well, no I cant",  sd Bill. "The beggar's moved." The corpl.
looked again. "Try in there to the right" he sd presently. "Can
you see a arm knee tucked up there - bent like ?" Bill wasnt sure.
He cd see & I could too another patch of something about 50
yards off in the scrub. It looked like a rolled overcoat-
same colour as scrub but self coloured & self coloured anything in
that area is suspected at once. The men in bend of trench to left
had a loophole & were watching Turks digging or moving in a trench.
"Tell m.g.  to fire on switch onto trench on our xxxx  front, half
left" they shouted. At same time a 3rd youngster peering through
our peephole sd: "By gum there's a chance - give as that rifle
quick." It was handed up - but he ws too late. "That ws a chance
missed" be sighed. "That was a let off."
Blaney went back to Gen Walker 1st Bde to tell him
how near his left was to this isolated detachment of the 1st Bn - only
a few yards. He left them diging thru' to meet one another.
Mrossitl I was shown by some of the men the 3 lines of trenches
on the Plateau ≡ the upper of which must have been
Turkish. That corner so far has been the most troublesome.
 

(The Sunday attack  First day. ).
Maclayan says the covering force got over onto the far rigge - the
"original" ridge in 3 places: (I) beyond the knoll wh the N.Z. tried to
take 2 days ago & failed. (2) on left - down through the "emplacements"
(3) In centre betw. the two. There were prob. 2½ bnd of Turks on the original
ridge - you cd see them, quite a lot of men, doing nothing.
If they had come on w determination they must have wiped our
fellows out. But fugitives from men on beach trenches & 1st ridge
trenches must have come back & sd: "These devils are in huge
numbers. They came up the hills like wind w fixed bayonets
& without firing a shot - shouting wildly as they cleared each crest" 
& to the Turks didnt come on. On the left abt 100 men found themselves
without any officer (of 10, 11, &12) Some man collected them, formed them
up, & charged over the hill & took it. I dont know who he ws-
the brigadier doesnt know. They found they weren't supported.
Maclayan signalled to them but they didnt answer. and as they
were not communicated w they presently came back in
good line.

[*Lawler was the low one of these*]
By midday Turks had abt 2 brigades up & were attacking
heavily on left. They came on as far as the brigadier  knows in
formation 4 deep, about three lots, one after other. They
did not get through. One ^ of our officers had abt 20 men with him
& was attacked by 2 company - 200. They came pretty close
& then turned tail. Prob. the stories told by the first refuges frightened  them.
Dr Brennan of 11th (who look part in K. Tepe) tells me that on Ap. 25
Tacks opened fire on his boat (the first) opposite Maxim Knoll.
They jumped overboard & rushed across beach worst fire
came from South (Battery knoll) - rifle fire. They waited a little
under knoll till a few more ^ boats came ashore & then up fixed bayonets
& up over hill like smoke. When they reached M.G. Knoll doctor
ws called on to dress two wounded. They went over it & when
next he looked up they were on top of ridge where alas [shorthand]
fire ws coming from. He ws called up there. He got puffed
half way up. He had to dress one of our men, & a wounded
Turk on top; & by that time our men were down over the next
gully & over be next ridge. They went further - but tt ws
where they eventually stayed. Beyond this ridge somewhere
Maj. Brand saw small emplacement & 40 Turks. His men
fired. Turks cleared & he went in and spiked the guns
They had eventually to be left when we retired & are prob.

there still.)
the destroyers on the tower thought

Battery Knoll was Koba Tepe turned to N 

when halfway to shore, ran up parallel to crest, and then in to shore at foot of M.G. knoll.

Two parties of the 100 under Rumbolt ( xxx) went along the beach cut the wires & some of our mengot back this way
 
Diary. 10
From there I went down the Gully - no shrapnel this time.
wounded men were coming down all while &  5 bearers going up.
One man we saw on our way up had bn wounded by a bomb.
The Turks have bn throwing these - our men found some in a T. xxx
camp on the right & brought them back. But they dont know
yet how really to use them. I went past mackays position
& up to the position of the battery on our far right - (the 8th I think)
we first had 1 gun there. Then a second. Then 4 others all of one
battery were brt. up & the two former taken back. This battery
is actually in the firing line. One gun is not ten yards behind
it & another is actually in it. That flank, all except a little dead
ground to left, is covered by the navy or else this wd not be possible.
In front of it to the right runs down a subsidiary slope of same
ridge with some very strong apparently concreted emplacements
in it. A trench runs along the - Kaba Tepe.
 

[sketch - our trenches/our ridge/our guns/main ridge ends here/minor ridge/wire along sand/dotted line is wire]

top of it right to Kabe Tepe.-
Beyond this is the main Ridge
where it runs down into the plain.
On top of it are some wheat fields.
And behind these once or twice a day
a little battery of 4 small guns 10 or 12 
also comes into action & fires a couple
of salvoes till the naval guns get onto it & then runs away.
No wonder. I went there because I wanted to see the guns
in the firing time & I heard something ws doing at K. Tepe
Our men had sunk several small wells in a wheatfield
behind the ridge + were getting tea. It ws slow work dipping
from these little wells with a I condensed milk or tobacco tin.
I went on to the guns. Two were a bit to the left. The main
lot were in a maze of shallow trenches on the hill crest ahead.
There were two young officers there observing for the Navy.
They were Duntroon boys, nice chaps. They had their little
square dugout with a telephone on one side of it or rather
a telegraph & a couple of signallers working it. In various
boxes around, fixed up like cupboards was their gear. They told
me it ws hard for them to observe for the navy at first
bec. the navy works its range in yards & the artillery in
 

Night before Monash's Brigade (16t) ws cut up
the Turks made 2 attacks - one agst 16th one agst
2nd Bde where Rosenthals guns chewed them up (i.e. May 1st-2nd)

May 4 our man now only spend 1/5 ammunition they
used at first. But when the Naval Brigade is in - as I
believe it is tonight - you hear rattle rattle all night long.

Maj. Phillips No 3 gen was the first on the Knoll (queensland Knoll). That ws
Sunday afternoon. Monday abt midday the

Sat 24Sp. 100 D. Fantiers V FS Clacton (Tenedons
[shorthand] 

 11

degrees. However they thought they were getting into it pretty well
now. They had an interesting time on Sunday. They had to go with the fleet
"Gift Ship which landed the English – & they saw the gift ship ^ (River Clyde), on the
shore there. She was to have run ashore broadside on with her yellow
side next the beach (all one side ws painted yellow);
& the other was then to open & let out a stream of
soldiers who wd move down a gangway past the
side into shallow water & land around the edge
of the ship. Instead, she landed end on. The
men found they were in 10ft of water. Boats helped
[Diagram]
them out but many were drowned & the Turks
shot them down as they came down the gangway.
There was a heavy loss - Some say 400 - in getting
ashore; but at last numbers of them got there. The
Turks poured heavy fire into them from trenches or
forts above the beach but they rushed on &
got onto the higher land I were in amongst the
Turks [with] bayonet. Others meanwhile were landing
further north. As they went inland the naval guns
got onto Sittil Bahr & fairly turned it upside down.
The dust & smoke of it rolled right across the peninsula. The British
were now on the ridge in fair numbers, just to the North of the
place & seemed to be pouring fire into the Turks running away from the
naval bombardment. From that moment things seemed to go easier.
To the South the Askold could be seen firing at the forts on
the southern side where the French landed to protect the British flank.
She was making beautiful practice. The French on Wednesday left
xxxxxx the S. Shore & came in on the North flank of the British. They didnt
push on quite so much as was expected & the British were rather left.
I hear the British took Krithia but as the French didnt arrive lost it
again & were being driven back fairly fast. That must be where the
Turkish guns have gone to for we have had barely any here
today.
Whilst the British. were landing (Sunday, after daylight)
at Cape Helles the Navel Brigade & part of a marine division
(i.e. 1st Nav. Brigade - Dial & Nelson under Gen. Mercer;
Royal Marine Bde - Portsmouth or Plymouth Chaltan &
Howe (?) under Gen. [?Truftman] - the whole under Gen Powes (?)
went & made a feint landing just this Side of Bulair. They
left Lemnos on Sat. Morning; went to [?Scyron]  & late on Sat
evening stood in near Bulair. A town ws visible. The Canopus
Dartmouth & Doris shelled Bulair & a [?]. They
got into boats & pretended to land until a searchlight 
found them. No guns were fired at them and they were
 

12
back on board abt midnight. Next morning they nthe the Canopus, Doris &
Dartmouth shelled Bulair. very  All Sunday this continued. After it
was finished they came back to Cape Helles & watched the fighting there
on Wed evening they sailed for Anzac Bay; reached it in the
afternoon, landed, + went straight into the trenches. They certainly
have not the nerve of our men. On Frid. or Sat. night last they
left a trench in a panic & word came down to us tt they had been
driven out of it by the Turks. (that was the night I went up to see
what was doing & found the 15th or 16th put in to steady them. The
16th which was sent to retake the trench simply  did not find any
Turks in it at all. The next night (Sat. I think it was - when the
Turks attacked our trenches opposite Monash & Rosenthal & suffered
enormously) the Naval people left one of their trenches &
advanced upon a Turkish trend. They got into it & a
machine gun opened on them from either end of it. They
left it at once & as they did so the machine gun got it is
said abt 200 of them.
well- I was hearing some of the story of Cape Helles
in the Naval observing Stn when there was a wobly flash
in the air 100 feet up & a woolly puff ball of smoke. The
observing officer next ne jumped up. "There she is again"
he said as he rushed for the main telephone dugout.
Quick "he sd to the signaller" Triumph Bucchante &
Dartmonth. Please fire on 224Y5"  "Look out-see
his smoke over the ridge there - Bob- keep your head down -
just a bit further up than where he was this morning. I wonder if
its the same - There were four the day before yesterday - then
this (bang from the little shrapnel overhead - well beyond us)
-the Dartmouth got in a beauty & Jopp who ws in the top on the
Queen swears he saw a gun fly. She only fired with two
guns this (Bang, terrific flash, everyone bobs) Blast - 
thats our own gun next door here - Oh Beauty! - as a white
flash broke just on the opposite ridge." "thats his flash' says
one of the observers - 'better duck." "No our shot - right
on him (Bang, everyone ducks) our gun again - dash her
st I'm getting quite jumpy - Oh pity - short - theres another
 

13

short again. Ships will be getting on to her soon. It generally
takes 5 minutes look out (bang overhead) thats her again
Look out here's another (nothing happens till we hear a thud
down the hill in front) Oh, he's burst down the gully
any one watching for the ships" "Yes sir"  - none fired
yet." "Look out, here she goes again (bang bang bang
bangs - four flashes + four white puffs 100 feet above our
heads. Bang goes our own gun in reply the flash lighting
the faces of everybody for a moment) Then "Bacchante!" 
shouts the man at the rear. It is just 5 minutes since
we telegraphed. There is a flash on the face of the hill & a
huge column of black dust & smoke. "Beaut - a trifle
short but - Dartmouth find yet?"  "No, Sir" (Bang goes
another solitary shrapnel overhead - we had missed that)
"Bacchante again!" Shouts the watcher. Another flash
on the far hill. "Pity, short again. Send (turning to the
signaller) send "XY Please increase range 100 yards."
"Dartmouth! "shouts the watcher. "Ah there she's in - 
short too - Tell her to increase 100 also" "Bacchante -
yes, they are short - going a bit left aren't they?"
"Dartmouth! Bacchante fired a broadside (wait of 3 seconds)
Oh beauty right on it – so was that! (we cd see no
flash this time - it ws right over the brow of the hill
Bang - one shot from the Enemy) "Stop that message: send
XY, AB, OK - stop the message to increase," From that
time on for 2 or3 minutes the firing was magnificent -
all just over the hills brow. The little battery over there
had fired his last despairing shot. What had happened I
don't know. Perh. he limbered up & went for his life -
perhaps he lost a gun xxxxxxxx  or two' "Better stop
them now" sd the observer. It will take them 5
minutes to cease firing. We cant wireless to them
now - all wireless is stopped. Someone began to send then
 

(The observers were Lieuts. T.A. Playfair 1st Batt. C.A. Cloves (Duntroon) 2nd Battery, N. Siddall 4th battery.) 

Lieut. Jopp is on the Queen with 

Brig. Gen Cunliffe Owen)

14
 

cease firing so we had to chuck it & we use flags or lamps now.
Give him one or two more
Hasnt that dammed Triumph fired yet? Write her off we asked her
to fire (whizz - fitt!) There's a sniper, damn him (his head
was getting a bit too high above the trench. "Well he's choked now
- he sd nodding towards the other hill - "if only we cd chain
up the dawn wretch! - They might catch him going away,
flash(Bang(flash .... bang) on the other ridge. "Oh beauty - tell
them to cease firing," - right as  "Aren't you going to compliment
them?" asked a friend at his side,
"Yes - Your fire is effective; thank you very much!"
-Two dandy little ships (he added turning to me). I wd like
to meet that gunnery lieutenant - Perhaps I shall when the
war's over." "Bacchante Four!" shouts the watcher. It ws her
good bye salvo. The message reached her ^ just afterwards.
I went up there next day: "your fiend hasn't
come back," they told me.
I wonder what happened to him. He was a plucky
chap anyway. He gave us 12.  [twelve pds.] We gave him
50 18pde. to 6 inch. He knew what he had to face. But he
did came up & faced it all for the sake of getting in 12 little
shots.
"He's made his bracket" sd the observing officer. "One
over as you notice, & one short. He's never done that
before. I expect hell get near as next time.
Early Today the Goeben made the Queen move in the
morning by att 5 shots; & then got onto the the transports abt
11 O'C. The rapidly increased her range & with the
4th shot- or one of them for there are generally two - we saw
a huge patch of ^ orange flame expand from the waist of a black
transport (one sh as a matter of fact I believe carries
artillery ammunition. She had clearly bn hit & we waited
to see her sink. But she did not. The whole fleet of
to transports went further out & have remained there
since. The shell exploded in the hold & wounded his

[*Send: Please Ray is bn that spot as A4 sd a voice on another part of the observation trench*]
 

15

men & riddled the side - but above water. It was
a wonderful let off. Two howitzer shells (?) also fell
close together in the water.

May 4. Col. Braund ^ of the 2nd went out of his trenches last night
to reconnoitre. He either lost his way back or took a short
cut. As he ws coming up to the trench one of our sentries
saw him & challenged. He did not answer. The sentry at
once shot & killed him instantly - blew the top off his head.
There was no attempt at concealment. The man reported
it, I believe, at once.
The attack on Kaba Tepe last night failed. I have told
the facts elsewhere (on a previous page Opposite 5, & opp. 10, lower
half of page). There is a sequel.
The Turks let us get our wounded into the boats at
K.T. without firing on us at all whilst doing so - although
they fired at the boats as they went out.
This afternoon at abt. 2 0'C. a navel launch went
in under a white cross flag to look for a wounded man -
& brought him off. [One of our wounded engineers ^ in the morning
was being left by the Engrs comfortably sheltered & provided. But
he begged so to come off that at last they took him.]
The Turks let our boat come on, get its man, & sail.
Later - abt 3 0'C., a Turkish party with a white cross &
red crescent came out of a trench near Rosenthals
battery - on the spur below it or else from the near gun
Emplacements - & went across to Kaba Tepe. It
was of course not fired on by us. It picked up some wounded
& retired thro K. Tepe.
Near a xxxx white house on the plain today, (is that
house H.Q.) E of K. Tepe a party of abt 10 horsemen ws seen -
probably a staff. Later on 2 horsemen were seen
going rapidly along a hill behind K. Tepe. All day
long a constant stream of Turkish footmen streams
up behind the main ridge - 18, 2 ridges from Rosenthals
guns. It brings back wounded & takes up ammn. &
stores. That is evidently their present lines of communication.
This morning a 6in. gun opened on us from
 

16
the plain near a belt of trees alongside a house someway
from the house mentioned - a long low house. This gun has
fired once or twice before & has been seen. This time although
he fired from the same direction it ws not from the same place.
But from the old place came up a curl of smoke; but the
curl of smoke lasted too long. They had lit a fire there! He got
one into the sea off Battery Pt, & the rest into the gully.

[*I cd hear the whizz bit not the burst.*]
Went up to Rosenthal's battery again this evening.
The old chap was there & He is simply reckless. It is the
quietest day we have had - beautifully sunny & warm
with only an occasional sniping shot like a  exactly
like the crack of a cricket but on the hills above the
beach. As I sat writing in the sun with my feet in the
sun & my back to the under the shade of the rug which
now forms the canopy of my dug out, with the sun
making satin turning the sea into satin with little
embroidered ships on it, I cd scarcely believe
that this crack crack was not the nets at Clifton College
or Rushcutter Bay when 3or 4 men are practising at once.
Our men now only shoot to hit - they spend
one shot where last week they spent 5. Tonight
however the Naval Blokes are in the trenches (I believe)
& there is ceaseless firing. Far to the South I can hear
the rumble of another bombardment. Our ships are
basting the northern slope of Kaba Tepe.
Today is the first time since the battle of
Kojadere started when there has been a lull in the
firing. Even so snipers of course are out. They made
a very good shot for Rosenthal & myself as we
went from his dugout to his Westernmost gun.
His trenches there are miserable - only one to
two feet deep - although they are alright around
the guns. It's the most exposed place I've seen.
Two bullets swished past us & spat into the
trench parapet towards which we were running
 

[*Divt orders. 29 apr. & 3 May.

28 april Sp order
[shorthand]

60257681P
267
E bo Pc
16,22s6 Hed

[shorthand]
Emulate of Steadfastness
 

[shorthand]
Anzac Cove
A30. 2 Corps

[shorthand]

17
 

Some of our men are sniper mad. Its hardly a wonder
with the poor old 4th Bde. I believe they have some of them
been in the trenches since the first day without relief,
[*Rosenthal

Camp 

Beach*]
Between 3 & 4 O'C. this afternoon an attack
was made on the extreme left of the Australian line & right of
the N.Z. line. I dont know what a "spirited" attack means.
_________________________________________________________

Promotions 2 May.
1st Bn. 6 N.C.Os to be 2nd leiut
2nd Bn. 8 N.C.O.s to be 2nd Lt.
3rd Bn 8 NCO to be 2nd Lt.
4th Maj. A.J. Bennett DSO 7 3rdBn to -
vice Lt Col. AJ Onslow Thompson killed (May 1)
5 [ncos] to be 2nd Lt.
(infst &4th there were / corporals each made 2nd Lt.
mostly sergts & serg
 --------------------

3 May. Message from King.
It is intense satisfaction [tt] I have heard that
success in face of a determined resistance has attended
the combined naval & [our operatives] in [Dardanelles].
(Comms, [shorthand] achievement).
 

[shorthand]
 

Promotions
dates 18th
5th Bn 6 ncos 2nd Lt
6th Bn 6   "   "     "
7th Bn. TR. Gartude of 8th to Command temporarily, (Lt Col [shorthand])
8. Bn  6 NCOs - 2nd Lt

             5 NCOs - 2nd Lt
12th  May. E.H. Smith granted local rank of Lt Col
whilst temply in command
 

18
May ( Lt Col.) E.J. Sinclair- Maclagan DS0, Prince of Wales's own Yorkshire Regt
attached to A & NZ Army Corps to be substitute Lt Col.
dated A 28. 1915.
Typhus & Rabies on peninsula. [shorthand]

______________________________________________________
(Diary Cont.)
The poor old Turkos have a terrible thing to face in the fire of
the naval guns & our batteries & I fancy they havent much
stuffing left. They were beaten back
I hear that we are getting up our Light Horse at last.
Well, if we do, they are just the sort we need. I thought so from
the first night.

May 5: 10.30 A Turkish battery ^ of 2 guns has just begun to fire on the beach
again - I shd say from somewhere South of East. The Shrapnel is whizzing
overhead & banging amongst the tins. The shell case itself goes into the
water close to the beach. Our guns are replying - the New Zealanders
They have 4 howitzers & 12 other guns ashore, I believe (?12.& 4 at the point)

Rosenthal gave me yesterday the follg a/c. of what our artillery
had done:
On Sunday ^ 25th, 1 gun got onto the beach & was, I believe
in action that night on our right & may have knocked out the Kaba Tepe
Gun.
On Monday ^  26th the follg guns were ashore.
1st Battery 1
4th Battery 1 and of these, the two first & two of the second were in action
7th Battery 4. 
That evening other guns came ashore without orders. Col Hobbs
ordered them back. On Monday the 4 guns of the 7th battery
were landed & were hauled up the hill to S. of beach - man hauled
all the way. Twelve men of the H.Q. of the artillery prepared abt
200 yards of road for them from the beach. The two other guns were