Diary of John Kingsley Gammage, 1915 - [1916] - Part 4

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Finalised
Accession number:
RCDIG0000347
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

A0S iwill no on left So wont get hure Shelled Ptomber 82A.3031 ditto Aug. to Stell worked as unial talks of a charge being make titls do 4 t ditt to tired to write not too well yesterday Ehelling very severe All day Pbombed all will tex them up Although ourease altees must be very great our trenches are woyd apart here have no fear of fetter MEMOR
A0 rerwill one left. SH wont get hur Shelled Ptember 2829. 50 31 ditt night Jacke keeps on getting our men bet ive must be knocken come of them 6th eel well but can not shake my little neice from my mind we are preparing for an attack & y every man does n bit we will fox them up Although ourcasn altees must be very great our trenches are woyds apart here are no fear of fetter
W t6 happyer th test of wman indurance they cone olth All hand weak hin as the still have streng & last ounee been tak us all. Luntneime how seet men were holding the place how weak Fworn lookin we were 445 Peb. Our lombard ment started ae counteers gung several that had never spotin before until todat sesides theo. ery all concentration f on to 300 yds or soS even a louse could tire under such fire this is by far the by jest oomlardmen ever knownon toe 9
40 2 the while a such a small. But anot any mean beaten plied withcom and thoun hilt landem about a00 square ye end one of war e lose over e knd ren in the tombardmen only r onesli tak on the sace aod bleed freelyfone on the knet every one under best possible cover awaiting the word to charge the Bonlardmnnt gols on unlil 535 Peb which sundescribable 6.P.H. Charge Sam & line of 2 in the attack Jacke expected a begger Bombardmen so had not his fien s Ma tine of tro or his artitlary trained on us yet our first tine nearly& inh trinckes before he opened fire with rft & Machin guno stillary N 70.
arr who it was from three tin besides the Artition in ationt S we k ounte 20 249 S showen ty man toman rightings Mllover a tmp of the wire whent al2oss cio bullet sir i 260 fain but liredy upt over on eaching Jacko fir impect on nch nded rench redwithdena rounded mostly rbartin nsed by he moan of surour poor fellowd arks as we transin or their woundid odys was awfil we rushed themorn d oll &their & reof trinche
A0 half wounded to both Lurk eC Allp set to bry & secureou selves against acounte attack which muh come as the surt is real soldier ourtine te Turks was be if f nton yt apart where we ty l wer2y a ut as last as omemin went down another would take his place besides our ownevounder the Lurk wounded tying in our trench west cut to prcesuet their own tembs. He ad no time to them our wounded in the trenches or leterr trplea tim to not for mercyue prtunately headea. lasssn our Actedual ery busy attending to
A6 somepor fellows lay for 30h a Alte id O 6 hen morning inil 63 or parapke kind &t to timpossible to Gold the place out i would have soonerter tan retreat Counti Attacks were matteat night at 3 was with about 4 in whoi 68/1 between our tone & the Lurds & given instruction not a wish their trene but wait untilday t But whende me we were l rice inatrop not even able to hs our head to fir shot many mater & lr after Elst t ever t drunken of
40 aild Landet 264 222 h arn 2 only my eyespellor Ex 4t sand £ with dirt expladim tll Mbs. N.C 4 got back ofe our Re Kepperch Firty fromd opl all off W snld o & own tr 6 at the rate of a.M. keard a minute. that the drunk ead who se good men to th death was
AUS our own men. Snearle a foat wre had a p heard i never got one C He at on before regged in to secur our line all day we were bombed Pat night counter attacks caused very heavy casualle WC t6 t tell man makt rollon misery cur curled up in Olbn eomrades were din Bat ntunder round him fighter 2 v his a fer mor miserat 2 55 cowardly carcan thriaconed p one not come out & other men were doing rsandvery close shaves officer who £he taught wen AE
tll ceen: most of tun it for a commit 6 nato. dy t such ol e were attacked during the momen lost many men dur the evening we we £ return me since Friday 50 hours evening. Ye oid fighting S.M would tion like an exges mootd fam not having an gare in & but presented alt with a pict wnduty for 30 ours But it my turnnot A.CH 2 hours hed bacn to firet Lurks makel Eeorousattan ot one most dann t from 1 yets of was throun mts. He are to

29
there will be no one
left. S.M. wont get hurt
27th. Shelled  & bombed
28th. 29th. 30th 31st ditto
Aug 1st Stood to Shelled
& worked as usual
talks of a charge
being made
2nd ditto 3rd do 4th do 
5th ditto to tired to write
not too well yesterday
Shelling very severe
All day & bombed all
night Jacko keeps on
getting our men but
we must be Knocking
some of them
6th. Feel well but can
not shake my little
neice from my mind
we are preparing for
an attack & if every
man does his bit we
will fix them up
Although our casualties
must be very
great our trenches are
100 yds apart here. I
have no fear of getting 

 

29
there will be no one
left. S.M. wont get hurt
27th. Shelled  & bombed
28th. 29th. 30th 31st ditto
Aug 1st Stood to Shelled
& worked as usual
talks of a charge
being made
2nd ditto 3rd do 4th do 
5th ditto to tired to write
not too well yesterday
Shelling very severe
All day & bombed all
night Jacko keeps on
getting our men but
we must be Knocking
some of them
6th. Feel well but can
not shake my little
neice from my mind
we are preparing for
an attack & if every
man does his bit we
will fix them up
Although our casualties
must be very
great our trenches are
100 yds apart here. I
have no fear of getting

 

30 

Knocked the boys are
happy enough considering
the test of human
indurance they have
gone through. but
All hands are as
fine & weak & sickly
looking as they could
be & still have strength
to walk. God knows
the last ounce has
been taken out of
us all. We got a 
reinforcement this morning
who look well
they were Knocked
back when they saw
how few & men
were holding the place
& how weak & worn
looking we were
4.45 PM. Our bombardment
started with
countless guns several
that had never spoken
before until today
Besides the Navy.
all concentrating fire
onto 300 yds or so. Not
even a louse could
live under such fire
this is by far the
biggest bombardment
ever known on the 

 

31
peninsular in fact
the whole world for
such a small space
But Jacko is not by
any means beaten he
replied with countless
guns thousands of
shells landing into
about 200 square yds
reminds one of war
We lose over two hundred
men in the bombardment
I only got one slight
tap on the face which
bled freely & one on
the knee. every one
under best possible
cover awaiting the
word to charge. the
Bombardment goes
on until 5.35. PM.
which is undescribable
6PM. Charge I am
in the 2nd line of
attack. Jacko expected
a bigger Bombardment
so had not his first
line of trenches manned
or his Artillary trained
on us yet. our first
line nearly is in his
trenches before he
opened fire with rifle
or Machine gun or
Artillary but by 

 

32
heavens when he did
it was from three lines
besides the Artillary &
inflating the strip
we had to cross with
countless guns our
men are falling fast
but Jacko cannot
hold his first line of
trenches so showed
very little man to man
fighting I fell over
a lump of barb
wire when half way
across the Machine
bullets were falling
around me like rain
but lucky again
I up & over on
reaching Jacko's first
trench I jumped on
to a wounded
Turk. This trench
was littered with dead
& wounded mostly
caused by Bombardment
the moans of our own
poor fellows & also
Turks as we tramped
on their wounded
body's was awful
we rushed them out
of their 2nd & third
line of of trenches in 

 

33 

half an hour. the
wounded bodys of
both Turk & our
own in The 2nd & 3rd
line especially the
third were piled up
3 & 4 deep. we at once
set to try & secure ourselves
against a counter
attack which must
come as the Turk is a
real soldier our line
& the Turks was any
thing from 12 to 70
yds apart where we
were 12 yds the bombs
simply poured in
but as fast as one man
went down another
would take his place
besides our own wounded
the Turks wounded
lying in our trench
were cut to pieces with
their own bombs. We
had no time to think
of our wounded in
the trenches or between
them their pleads
for mercy were not
headed. unfortunately
our A Medical Corps was
very busy attending to 

 

34 

thousands some poor
fellows lay for 30hrs
waiting for help &
many died still waiting
when morning arrived
we were simply blown
off our paraphets from
behind It looked
almost impossible to
hold the place. but we
would have sooner died
than retreat. Counter
Attacks were made all
night. at 3 AM. I
was with about 40
men who were
sent over the paraphet
between our lines &
the Turks & given
instructions not to
rush their trench
but wait until day
light But when day
light came we were
like mice in a trap.
not even able to rise
our heads to fire Jacko
shot many of my
mates & let Bombs
after the rest of us
We we were shouted out
to from the rotten
drunken officer 

 

35 

who sent us out
not on any account
to try & fire but Keep
low in a  small
hollow until dark
& then try & get back
needless to say he
never came with us
my mates were being
knocked fast by Bom
Bombs when we all
could see we had one
chance only that
was to rush our own
trench not many
returned but I
was lucky & got
only my eyes full of
sand. & my face cut
with dirt. from the
exploding shells &
Bombs. 11.A.M. a few
of us got back. when
we rose our heads the
Turks peppered us
properly from thirty
yds off we all jumped
into our own trench
at the rate of a mile
a minute. We heard
that the drunken
cad who sent many
good men to their
death was shot. by 

 

36 

our own men. I nearly
had a foal when I
heard it. a pity he
never got one hours
before. We at once
pegged in to secure
our line. all day
we were bombed
& at night counter
attacks caused very
heavy casualties
amongst our men
I got the S.M. the
man who tried to
make my life a
misery he is a rotten
cur. curled up in
safety while his own
comrades were dying
in hundreds all
around him. fighting
to save his & a few more
of his sorts miserable
cowardly carcase. I
threatened to carve
him up with my
bayonet if he did
not come out & do
as other men were
doing. I had just
ten thousand very
close shaves today
The officer who we all
thought would squib 

 

37
it was the only one to
be seen. most of them
waited for a communation
trench to be
dug. but we got on
better without such
curs.
8th We. were attacked
during the morning &
lost many men. during
the evening we were
relieved for the first
time since Friday
evening. Just 50 hours
solid fighting. S.M. would
like an explanation
to smooth me over
I am not having any
he never gave me a
hearing but presented
me with a pick & shovel
after doing duty for 30
hours. But its my turn now
9th 3.A.M. (7 hours off)
rushed back to firing
line. Turks make a
most vigorous attack
I got one most daring
Turk from 12 yds off
who was throwing
bombs. we are the 

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Jacqueline KennedyJacqueline Kennedy
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