Diary of Herbert Gilles Watson, DFC, 1914 - 1916 - Part 3

Turks: but of our poor chaps, only 300

odd answered the roll out of 950: it

was great & has put a fine spirit

into one & all. The thing that hurts 

our chaps is the way that brute 

Norton, refers to us in his papers. I

wonder at any patriotic person even

considering the purchase of a Sportsman

or Truth: if he could only see the 

way our brave Chaps are fighting

suffering in the heat, wet & cold he

would if he had any spirit at all,

do all he could to repair the damage

he has done to the reputation of the

whole force. The hills are dotted all

over with dead & wounded men who

cant be got at on account of the 

enemys cowardly action in firing

on our Red Cross. already unpleasant

smells are appearing from the unburied

dead. everywhere I look I can see

wounded & dead Colonials being attended

 

to (if wounded) or buried: the beach is a 

vast graveyard: officers & men alike paying

the toll for their Countrys sake & the pity

of it, - the "Fireside Rangers" who "could"!

but are frightened: what the devil do

they care as long as they get their 

mean stomachs full, good warm beds &

a fool of a girl to talk to & flirt with & the

miserable hounds cloak their cowardice

behind the veil of "geniality" or "cant be

bothered, let them do it" put a few of 

them in our places for a day only

I'll bet they will die of shock. The

despicable La de dahs; I'm afraid I'm

getting unprodood but the sights I've 

seen would make anyone dumpy & sick

at heart: war is a fearful, cruel thing

& is not realised by many but made

they subject of jokes & cartoons by some

"humourists & cartoonists"

May 7. The Turks have been giving 

us hell all day with shrapnel &

lyddite shells bursting over on & 

around us, but doing no further

harm than wounding two or three

men, a few horses & filling our eyes

& ears with dust. The shells have

dug great holes all along the

beach; The ocean is also filling

up with the quantity of shells &

bullets they are firing into it!!! about

2000 further Australian reinforcement 

have just arrived & altho the

enemy shelled them, they hurt

no one, we are beginning to

storm their shrapnel & bullets altho'

we do an occasional duck when

a shell comes too close. 4pm

we have at last put the warships

on to the batteries & now instead

of 20 Cannon yelling & roaring at 

us, only 2 or 3 are giving cheek

6pm: a big lyddite has just

burst outside our station, we had

to pull our coats over our faces for

five minutes: The fumes that got in

made us all very sick but, by

rubbing vinegar into our whiskers

we staved off the worst effects & so

came back smiling: we are

beginning to realise that it is

not all fun to have out station

shelled:

May 8. Turks brought a battery into

position & have been sweeping the beach

all day. Three of us were in bathing

when they started: we broke records to

get into our dug outs & three more burst

in the meantime, badly wounding

Skelly & missing the rest of us by breaths.

Poor Skelly has just died & was buried 

with 14 others at 4pm. it has given us

all a nasty shock. Mr Morant has

been killed. 3 bullets nearly taking

his head off, he was standing just

outside the dug-out had just made

 arrangements for his Xmas dinner

with our O/C; poor chap, he has gone

the way of many hundreds more 

of our chaps. The Goeben fired

three shells into the sea, but

went when the Triumph opened fire;

our trench on the right flank fell in &

exposed our Marines. The Turks

opened up with machine guns &

rifles & killed or wounded over 200.

we got our own back. The batteries

opened up & cleared over 700 yards

of trenches, killing hundreds of 

Turks; I shall be glad when we

get them on the run & settle

Constantinople. 6pm: peace reigns

once more. The enemy having done

quite enough damage for a day. The

beach is littered with dead mules

& horses & holes: 2 snipers just shot

by our chaps dressed in Aust. clothes

were found to be Turkish women.

May 9. Turks brought up still more guns

& bombarded the beach all day killing

two men, wounding several more & 

killing a few animals. The warships

were unable to locate the guns owing

to the cunning way they were dug

in & trees planted all over them but

we hope to shut them up tomorrow, a

Corporal here had his head just blown

off by a high percussion shell. 3pm

just received a letter from Ngaio dated

4th March; I also wrote to Lionel re

enlisting: we are on Iron rations now,

& a tin of the old firms milk is more

looked for precious than a purse of

sows. we are getting all we can from

the Navy: 5000 NZ.s have just left

us to reinforce the British & French

at Achi Baba where the Tommies are

getting a very bad time. I have 

had the usual number of narrow

escapes, it is wonderful how close

the shraps can come & then miss

one whole shell must have missed

three of us by less than a foot; it

exploded 100 yards ahead of us;

we can see & hear heavy fighting

about 8 miles away. where the

British are. The 15" shells making

the hills resemble volcanoes: a

party of Austns. tried to land at the 

far end of the beach, but were

driven back, losing 70 men: the

Turks still abuse the red cross

May 10. Turks still bombard all our

positions killing & wounding a few

men on the beach but owing to the

cunning way in which the guns are

concealed & worked from tunnels & on

rails the warships are unable to

get to them. Things in the trenches are 

fairly quiet. most of the work being

done by artillery

May 11. Heavy artillery fire all day, the

beach is still being bombarded. one chap

near our far mast was blown up into

the air about 10 feet. fell on his back & got

up unhurt bit badly shaken. I was

within 12 feet of him. a shell dropped

into the hospital tent & killed two & 

three wounded men: heavy rifle fire is

just starting, our chaps are trying to 

take the last ridge. Sir Ian Hamilton

told us that this was the most severe

campaign he has ever been in & complimented

us upon our endurance & pluck; it has

been very cold & wet all day 8p the old

volcano is giving us a display, it is

grand to watch.

May 12. 1AM. The call was sent along

the beach for all men "to arms" as the

Turks had sent a party to outflank us

& destroy the beach stores etc. it was

bitterly cold & pouring with rain. we got

into trenches along the Kali Babhi ridge

on the beach fought for three hours off

& on until our Infantry arrived & cut

the balance of the Turks up. There

was estimated to be 300 of them &

less than 100 of us. I fired 90 rounds

at fairly close range, but owing to

darkness could not see the results

none of the enemy escaped the shore

being strewn with dead bodies it 

was awful to feel the bullets zip zip

all over the place but we didn't

seem to care a bit: all our thoughts

were for kill, kill. I know what it 

means to see red now, we lost 3

men: our wireless station was knocked

down in the fight & we had to re brief

same at 4AM: 10AM: More reinforce

are arriving. I got hit for the

first time. a shrapnel burst behind

us while we were standing on the 

shore & I got a bullet in the back,

which did no more harm than

inflict a small scratch, frighten me.

when I got over the shock I found

the shelter. I had taken was a tarpaulin

its lucky no more came my way. This

has been about the most eventful day

so far except of course the first two.

shrapnel is still sweeping the beach &

we have to keep to all possible cover.

our casualties this past four days

have been very light less than 200.

The Light Horse have all been turned

into Infantry & have left their horses in

Egypt. practically the whole of the 1st,

2nd & 3rd [[copling?]] into are here now.

3pm Lieut Smith, while climbing down

the hill was hit by a percussion which

tore his arm off, he died two hours

later: one or two have been just hit

on the beach by shrapnel. The warships

are tearing up the far beach, breaking

up the earthworks & generally kicking

up particular hell: no wonder we are

all beginning to feel shaky, what with

scares. Rumours & noises night attacks:

May 13. The usual bombardment of

shrapnel all day: one 60lb shell

from the Goeben fell in the sea not

10 yards from our station. we got it out.

it was a high lyddite & had not exploded,

it now adorns our dug out: together

with about 20 shrap. shells: we are

like a small armoury. The dead

Turks, of which there are thousands

all over the gullies, are beginning to

smell terribly, it taints our food &

is a menace to health. we were told

by a Turkish prisoner that the Turks

would not bury their dead but 

would leave them about to cause

disease amongst our troops, its as

well we were all innoculated: if

any of our men venture out to try

& bury some they are greeted with

showers of shrapnel & bullets: in some

places the dead are in heaps 4 to 5 high

we have already buried hundreds: further

reinforcements arrived today & will

disembark tonight.

May 14 Uneventful except for the usual

artillery fire & shells bursting or falling

unpleasantly near us. it is reported

that hostile submarines are kicking

about here & no lights are allowed on

the warships; as a result, the Turks

tried to outflank us but were easily

beaten back, the destroyers are flying

all over the place: something in the

air seems to tell me that a great

event of some sort is coming off very

shortly: a scare has just passed

over, we thought we could see a 

Zeppelin in the distance but it was

only a bulk of 15" shrapnel which

was very like a baloon in appearance

A spy has just been shot by a firing

party: he was given a pick & shovel

made to dig his own grave: was

then blindfolded with his back to the 

hole, 12 rifles blazed at him & he was

covered over; goodbye one more Turk.

Water is getting very short & we are 

anxiously awaiting the arrival of the 

barge.

May 15. Uneventful except for the usual

bombardment; the enemy shelled our

hospitals & red cross. also sent us a

pamphlet so follows: "Australians,

England has deceived you. you will

never beat us. we treat our prisoners

well so surrender & be convinced"

ha yah. their papers also state that

we have been driven into the sea

but the British are coming on:' we
can see "The bitish" coming on, also

the funeral pyres of the Turks all

over the far hills. 6pm. Shrapnel

has just burst on top of us: our Cook

was hit in the stomach & bullets hit

the sand all round us but no more

were hit. the head fell into the

hospital alongside us

May 16 - Same old shrapnel & shells all

over the beach, a trawler was hit

twice as was a mine sweeper but

not sunk. our chaps made a charge

at night to take a small trench which

was annoying our H.Qs they took

the trench but it cost us 1100 men, it

was terrible to see the loads of dead &

wounded being brought in

May 17. Goeben sent 11 big shells over

us into the sea but hit nothing. very

heavy fighting going on over on our

left. the surmise is that Greece has

chipped in: we hope so: a man has

just been sniped on top of our dugout &

killed: a shell fell into another dug

out just on the rise where two men

were sunbathing after a swim: the

effect of the burst was so terrible

that they had to put his remains in

a sack. his legs & head were blown

over a space of 10 yards & the other

man of the 9th was shattered beyond

hope of recall, they have just

buried the remains in two sacks:

7pm. a 6" howitzer has just been

dragged along the beach by a

team of 120 men, it is the intention

of our chaps to enfilade the Turks & 

drive them over the peninsular 

we have spent several hours in the 

trenches in our spare time potting

off odd Turks who are too ventures

if we miss they wave a shovel over 

the end of the trench to signify same

May 18. Quiet. the usual shrap

varied by occasional 8" shells

howitzer. the English are ploughing

up the top hills with 15" shells. it

resembles some volcano. the

rumour has just gone through that

Italy has declared war on Austria

that the Amenians have risen agst

the Turks. we all hope so: the

Queen, Prince of Wales & Implacable

have just left us: we now have

only 4 warships to support us. the

Dacchanto: Canopus: Majestic & 

London: they should do 5pm the Turks

are sweeping the beach with shells & going

great guns they are still going (9pm) &

sleep is impossible: 11. the enemy is attacking

but in vain: reports from rifles & guns

are deafening, hundreds of Turks are

being killed & wounded, we lost about

200 men.

May 19. 3AM. A hell of a bombardment,

great "Jack Johnsons" are bursting

not 30 yards from us & digging holes

14 feet wide & 6 to 7 deep. the shells are

making the ground shake & knocking

the dirt down on us in lumps. they

have already killed about 8 men &

wounded 20 on the beach. hundreds 

of shells are bursting all over the

place & it is impossible for us to

move out of our holes. it is evident

the enemy are going to attack: 11pm

the shelling has stopped & the Turks

are attacking. 1pm, the attack was

a dismal failure. hundreds of the 

enemy were mown down by m

guns rifles as they advanced in

3 deep. they are now retreating,

the Turks intend to attack tonight.

we are shelling their reserves

May 20. Same shrapnel etc: large bodies

of reinforcements are arriving. 6pm.

The order has just gone round the

beach for every man on the beach to 

put on his full equipment, we are

wondering what it is all about. 7pm.

We have been ordered to stand to our

arms all night as the H.Q. suspect

some treachery on the part of the Turks

May 21. Turkish General surrendered

with party of men: warships silenced

enemys battery. Turks attack of last 

night failed so in spite of heavy

shelling our sleep was undisturbed.

things in trenches very quiet. it is

getting very warm. the smell of the 

dead is fearful, there are over 4000

dead Turks & they admit 50,000

casualties since we have been here.

got my first letter from Mother dated

13th April, since 18th Feby. heavy

reinforcements are still arriving bal.

of Sig Troop have arrived with the

Skipper.

May 22. Few Shraps & bullets. a German

Submarine was seen 9 miles out & since

then the warships & destroyers have been

flying about like mad: 7AM. A Taube

passed over us & dropped 20 bombs. one of

which hit our captive baloon as soon as

the warships opened fire it sculled off. 5pm

We have just finished a very warm

bombardment during which a chap

was killed in a dugout near us: we

have just heard that the Turks are

putting a Siege gun into position for

tomorrow:! look out for shells now. a

lot every time she fires.

May 23: Things have been very quiet so

far, the "Jack Johnston" not liking the idea

of facing our warships, we heavily

shelled a Turkish position in an orange 

grove with ships silenced a few. the

Albion ran ashore for two hours, so to

amuse herself she fired broadsides at

the Turks: got first decent mail for 3

months, still a lot to come. Turks

attacked our left flank, but were easily

beaten off losing hundreds of men

May 24. There has not been a shot

fired all day as we have given the

Turks an armistice from 7am till 4pm

to bury their dead of which there are
7 to 8000: they are digging great holes &

putting 80 to 100 men in each. in some,

places the dead are lying 6 deep & have

been here for 4 weeks. dozens of German

officers are here & our chaps are mingling

with Turks. exchanging cigs, etc; it is

now time to start fight again. 4-5 pm.

The Turks had been told that we are

living on our own dead & that we were

the first crowd of cannibals to land on

Gallipoli, etc all German & etc; all

is in readiness for a further big attack

& advance. [drawing] is one of the

most awful signs of such; all over the

beach they are waiting to save any

unnecessary time: The Agamemmon

was held by concentrated fire most M3

A.I. men. it is a hard knock

May 25. 11.30 pm. Have just seen the HMS

Triumph, 12000 tons. torpeodoed & sunk. not

2 miles from us, it appears as tho most

of the crew were saved, but we cannot