Handwritten transcript of diaries of Apcar Leslie De Vine, 1 January 1915 - 6 October 1918 Part 3 of 26
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with much abuse, we march to attention & make no
reply. The route is about 10 miles, after loading the
train with our luggage, cookers, etc we leave at
10.30 pm for Alexandria, arriving 3 am next morning
4/4/15 Sunday Arrived at Alexandria at 3am
heavy fatigues unloading the train & loading the
boat ''Lake Michigan'' A8 which has been a
cattle boat used by the Canadians, everything
transfered aboard, and we leave for an
unknown destination at 12 midnight
5/4/15 At Sea. parade at 9.30, we are told by
Major McNaughton that we are bound for the
island of Lemnos outside the Dardanelles, the
accomodation on the ship is very rough, we have to
sleep on the deck or in the hold in fact any
where we can get. Heavy gale blowing all night
ship rolling a good deal
6/4/15 Mess orderly today, off all parades, 200
rounds of amunition now issued to each man
waiting outside harbour for orders. Arrived at
Lemnos about 12 am
7/4/15 Detailed as deck sweeper today, several other
transports arrive. Harbour full of battleships & transports
8/4/15 Arrived in Mudros Bay, and tie up along
side the "Lily of Benares" which arrived last evening
with the staff and the transport aboard. Paid
£2.15 in English money. The Naval Flying Reserve
arrived with many other transports, many turn over the
side today for a swim
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9/4/15 Nothing of importance today, several other
transports arrived. Another pay today 10/- everything
pretty quiet, over the side again for a swim, parads
twice daily with full pack & marching order, however
we do nothing. Many battleships are now in the
harbour including the Russian ship ''Askold" the
Queen Elizabeth. Triumph London. Prince of
Wales & others that have been bombarding the
forts of the Dardanelles
10/4/15 Two parades full marching order, several other
transports arrive, some with English Regular troops
on board, warned for ships guard tomorrow
11/4/15 Sunday Mounted ships guard 7 am. No 3
relief 3-7 & 3-7, placed under arrest by Cpl [[Navin?]]
at 2 o/c so I did not mount guard in consequence
more transports arrived today. A Hydroplane is
being tested in the harbour, flying above the
transports & giving a fine exhibition
12/4/15 Nothing doing today, placed under open arrest
the rest of the Coy had a row round the harbour
& landed. First mail today very large, 2 letters
& several papers from mother & Amos. Bn commanders
were taken on board the Queen Elizabeth which
left for the Dardanelles, to inspect our landing
places, when we are called upon to attack the
forts etc by land, everything quiet many more
transports arrive
13/4/15 Parades today with full packs, sentanced by
Maj Storey to two extra guards, things pretty quiet
rumoured we are leaving on Thursday
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14/4/15 The whole Brigade landed today, the
arrangements were very faulty, but this is our
first attempt at being taken ashore by the naval
authorities, the naval pinnaces tow our long string
of boats to the shore, where we hop out & wade
the remaining distance, then a march through a few
villages to the open country to attack some hills
on the sky line we met the Dublin Fusilars
ashore, who were doing the same thing from
their transports, in fact the whole fleet of
transports are practising landing on an open beach
from transports far out at sea, we are all very
tired today & landed with full packs & amunition
which is vey heavy, warned for guard tomorrow
15/4/15 On guard all day 7-11 am & 7 -11 pm very
quiet day, food vey bad today, the dinner paraded
before the Colonel then committed to the deep after
a burial service
16/4/15 Landed again today with the Brigade, we
had a few miles route march, rest of the day we
were allowed to wander around the beach and bought
fruit etc from the natives with some onions for tea
which was quite a relish as the food has been
very bad lately
17/4/15 Landed again today, arrangements are now
getting better as we do in in much less time every
thing now works smoothly, the men all knowing their
boats & places, Route march through several villages
& pretty country, after march all hands in for a
swim from the beach. Letters arrived today.
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18/4/15 Sunday Attended church parade, transports
arrived today with machine gunners & 1. 15" gun
quiet day resting, washg, sewing, & writing letters.
19/4/15 Quiet day detailed as deck sweeper, no
parades, heavy mail, letter call sounded 3 times. wrote
letters home during day.
20/4/15 Landed today for route march, returning to
ship at 12 am. No parade in afternoon. Heavy gale
blowing in harbour all day.
21/4/15. Very wet day, no parades, expected to move off
by 4.30 orders cancelled owing to bad weather
warned today that I am to be an amunition
carrier to the firing line when we land, one of
the transports drifted ashore during the heavy storm
of the last 24 hours, she stuck fast by the stern,
failed to tow her off during the day
22/4/15 Birthday today, nearly forgot it, rather a
quiet day, two parades as usuall. Lecture this afternoon
by Maj McNaughton on the Turkish position in Gallipoli
& where we might have to land, he showed us a
very fine military map of the county. Warned for
guard tomorrow
23/4/15 On guard all day 7-11am 7-11pm the transports
begin to move out this afternoon, & all steam us up
ready for mooving at once. 9 or 10 ships leave during
afternoon after 4.30. We are under orders to moove off
at 12 am tomorrow, our landing will probaby take place
early on Sunday morning, we are now awaiting orders.
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24/4/15 Under orders to sail at 12 am, iron rations
for three days served out = two tins of bully beef, tea
sugar, biscuits, & cubes of "Bovril", also rations for the first
day of landing, bully beef & biscuits, we had to rearange our
packs to get all the food in, also an extra ration of
water {{securef??}} caked in an empty lemonade bottle in
case of emergency. Had to fold my overcoat & sweater to
and secure same to my belt under pack. Full parade at
2.30 pm when an address was given by the Colonel
Onslow Thompson, who explained our operations for
tomorrow viz - We are to sail at 12 am to meet the
rest of the transports at a pre arranged meeting place
in another bay further North, we are to remain there
untill midnight, when we are to be joined by the
fleet, and proceed to the spoint of disembarkation
where we are to force a landing, covered by the guns
of the whole fleet. The 3rd Brigade are to land first
to form a covering party for the rest of the army. He
also read a letter from the Brigadier Col McLauren
one from Gen Sir Ian Hamilton, one from Gen Birdwood
and one from the King. The men are all very light
hearted & gave three cheers for the Colonel & the
Major. Special tea served tonight, bully beef &
eggs, the men were especially excited during tea time
and sang all the time, kicking up a terrible noise
no smoking or striking matches allowed after 7.30 pm
and all lights were put out. Filled water bottle which
is to last 3 days, also small soda bottle as an extra ration
Am under orders to report to Captain Christian on landing
to be held as amunition carrier to the firing line if wanted
We all carry a small supply of wood, obtained by breaking up
small boxes, each man tying a bundle on the top of
his pack, they is a precaution to be taken in case
we are unable to find any suitable fire wood after
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landing to boil our "billies" I feel vey fit and vey
anxious to set about the job. All the boys tonight
are singing and are in great spirits, bayonets are
sharpened and everything ready for tomorrow. Went
to bed early & very tired, we are all anxiously
awaiting tomorrows events
25/4/15 Sunday Landed on the Gallipoli Peninsula
Before the landing our battleships open heavy fire, just
before dawn, shelling Gaba Tepe & the trenches
smashing the small posts up with the exception of one
gun that gave us a lot of trouble, shellg our boats
& causing may casualties. The first Bn to land
is reported to be the 12th, who routed the Turks
out of their trenches which were constructed right
to the waters edge, the 12th suffered vey heavily
reinforcements from the 3rd Brigade were sent in
and so effected a firm landing. The transports
about 11 o/c came under a heavy shell fire and
were compelled to move to a safer position, nobody
being hit. The 4th Bn landed between 11 & 12 am
under a hot shrapnell fire, we left the "Lake Michigan"
and embarked on a destroyer, being packed like
sardines, we are now under shell fire continuously
shells fell all arround us but none actually hit
us while the destroyers raced for the beach, when
within a few hundred yards we eased down and
were transferred to ships boats, in which we rowed
through a curtain of shrapnell fire, safely landing on
the beach, there being no casualtis in my boat
Reported for duty to carry amunition to the firing
line for the rest of the day, under heavy shrapnell fire.
We had very many casualtis but fortunately was not
touched myself although had many escapes from
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the concealed snipers behind our line, during my many
trips backwards & forewards. Carried water to the
2nd Bn in the trenches at night, delivered the
water safely, but lost my way coming back to the
beach, discovered by a nest of snipers & fired on but
not hit, managed to get back safely under cover of
darkness, have been under shrapnell & rifle fire all
day, our line had to retire a little on the left and
lost some ground rifle fire incessant all night
26/4/15 Heavy bombardment commensed this morning
by the battleships. The Queen Elizabeth 15" guns opened
on the Turkish batteries which were silensed in
about 1 1/2 hours, noise of the guns is very deafening.
Made 5 trips to the trenches with amunition
reports of vey heavy casualtis from all Bns who are
under heavy shrapnell & rifle fire the whole of the time
in the trenches. Some of our artilley have been landed
and are placed in position during the day, and are
very well concealed, good progess is reported today
We are ordered to advance with the R flank, the
whole Brigade is to moove foreward, but after sufferig
very heavy casualtis we had to retire to our original
line, we loose many officers including the Brigadier
& Col Thompson killed Maj McNaughton wounded
Bn is now under the temp command of Maj Storey
Reported 1 Bn of Turks & machine guns taken by
the New Zealanders on the L flank. Also reported that
the English & French troops are hourly advansing, & that
we must hang on at all costs untill thy arrive. Two
spies have been caught in our uniform & brought
in blindfolded one having valuable papers on him.
Many reports are afloat that the Turks have been
abusing the white flag on our R flank & shot a lot
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of our men tending the wounded, I did not observe
anything myself on the R, as a matter of fact we all
agree that the Turks play the game fairly, we have
been holdig our own all day along the battle front
fought with the 2nd Bn all day, got seperated from
my own Bn, everything is in a state of mix up,
nobody can find their Coy, so we link up with
anybody that we happen to be near, & so things
keep mooving, there are representatives of the
whole Brigade in the Coy that I am attached to
but nobody minds. The 4th Brigade are landed
tonight
27/4/15. The day opened with a heavy fire from the
ships at dawn, with great effect on the Turks
went to be beach for food, amunition, water, etc
making several trips to the lines, we are holding our
own very well although we are heavily pressed
on the L flank, sent late at night to the 4th Bn
where I remained for a good time as an attack
was expected, but it did not come off
28/4/15 Today opened vey quietly the warships only
firing a few shells, we made good progress today
and held our own all along the line, the L
flank was hard pressed but held on, took supplis
to the 4th Bn on the R flank under heavy fire
got lost for a while but managed to find the
track again. Large force of the RNZI'.s
landed during the night, receiving a great reception
from everybody They went at once into the firing
line. Shell fire on the beach not vey heavy today
their guns [probably?] disabled by the fire of the warships
Indian mountain battery landed today.
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29/4/15 Rather quiet day today, held our own
all along the line, our rations are now being taken
to the line by the mules of the Zion Mule Corps
also by a large party of Indians with their mule
trains "Shrapnell Gully" as as we call it. "The
Valley of Death" heavily shelled today, this is the
main artery that feeds the firing line. all food
water, amunition, wounded etc must pass up
the gully to reach the front line, so the Turks
managed to keep it pretty warm, passed through
several tines without a scratch 2,000 marines
landed tonight
30/4/15 Heavy day today, we are attacked all along the
line but managed to beat it off, returned to my Bn
Hdqrs today for good, we leave the trenches today
for a rest. the first time since the landing on
last Sunday, we are relieved by the Marines, feeling
done up & pretty well exhausted, have as yet
no sleep since the landing. We have a bathe
in the sea at Brighton Beach, and a general clean up
we have all lost our packs which we dumped on
the day of landing so we have lost everything only having
what we stand up in. I am the only man in the
Coy that has an overcoat as I did not carry it in
my pack but on my belt, after a swim we dry ourselves
a little shelter to sleep in, when we are suddenly
called out in fighting order to reinforce the centre
so had to remain in close support all night. There
is continuous firing all night, the marins held their
line so we were not actually required, got very little
rest or sleep. Lt Col Bennett assumes command of the
Bn. General Bridges our Divisional Commander mortally
wounded in Shrapnell Gully
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1/5/15 Reserves very heavily shelled by shrapnell this
morning, we are still waiting in reserves Nos 1 & 2 platoons
ordered up to the line but were recalled in about 1 hour
No 3 on water fatigue for the firing line, went into the firing
line about 4 pm under a heavy hail of shrapnell, we
received many casualtes, had a machine gun turned on
us but I escaped, we improve our trench by digging all
night, we take it in turns to watch for 1/2 hour on & 1 hour
off time off taken up by digging. during night the Turks came
up in hundreds in front of our trenches & swarmed over
the sky line, but did not attack us merely advancing a little
& dig in considerably closer to us, we had good sniping
all night, as the were constantly moving about the sky line
2/5/15 ∧Sunday Have been landed 1 week & continuously under fire
had a fairly quiet night which are now vey cold. Heavily
attacked at day break by Turks who had advanced the
night before but we were ready for them & gave
them a vy warm reception, not a single Turk gained
our line but on our R a few got through & were
dealt with, their attack a complete failure. Sgt Oakes
was hit while standing by my side in one of the fire positions
we were seen by the machine gunners, who turned the
gun on us, as we were freely exposing ourselves sniping
at such good targets. I was not touched. Oakes only slightly
Capt Couttman wounded also many men, we had a vey
warm time, although the Turks did not press their
attack vy hard they came up in considerable numbers to
our lines, things quietened down by midday. About
6 pm the naval guns opened on the hills that were
infilading our trenches on the Left with considerable effect
we saw the whole of the action from our trenches, as the
position overlooks ours, their snipers causing us many
casualties. Yesterday we hear that me lost a trench held
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