Diary and photograph of John Adams, 1914-1916, Part 5 of 16

March. 
returned to camp at 4 a.m. 
17th.  
At 8 a.m. the 1st. & 2nd. Brigades with Artillery, 
Light Horse, Ammunition Column, & A.M.C. units left 
camp. The 2nd. Brigade with a battery of Artillery, 
& squadron of Light Horse, took up a position 2 
miles beyond the pyramids. The 1st brigade, with 
a battery of artillery, & squadron of Light Horse, 
carried out an attack on the 2nd brigade. 2.p.m. 
the attack ceased, we returned to camp at 2.50 p.m. 
18th. 
5.45 a.m. the Bn. left camp & marched to Ghizeh, 
returning at 10 a.m. marching about 12 miles. 
After b'fast tents were lowered, later a medical 
inspection 
19th. 
The Bn. marched about 1/2 mile, & carried out 
close order drill for 2 1/2 hours. I was detailed to 
mount Canteen Guard at 5 p.m. but there being 
Bn. sports tomorrow, & Bn. reinforcements just 
arrived, they, were given the job. 
20th. 
12.15 p.m. the Bn. marched to the sports ground 
in front of Mena House. Everyone had a very 
merry time. 7 p.m. I returned to camp with  
G. Holt, & Kirkhouse. 7.30 p.m. our platoon was 
detailed to mount guard, there being numerous 
at the sports we were delayed until 8 p.m. My

March. 
post of duty was over the Bn. front. 
21st. 
Very hot day. Dismounted guard at 5.15 p.m. 
22nd. 
8 a.m. the Bn. left camp. Left half Bn dug 
trenches. Right half marched along the Mena Road 
to within a mile of Ghizeh, marching about 10 miles. 
23rd. 
Bn. rifle inspection this morning. 4.30 p.m. the 
1st. & 2nd brigades left camp. 7 p.m. we carried 
out an attack against the 2nd brigade, the attack 
ceased at 6.30 a.m on the 24th. returned to camp 
7.45 a.m. On arriving in camp I was detailed 
for guard. 5.30 p.m. we took over Main Guard. 
My post of duty by day was over Divisional 
Headquarters, by night outside General Bridges  
tent. 
25th. 
5.30 p.m. we dismounted guard. 7.30 p.m. the Bn. 
left camp & carried out a night stunt, the guard did not go. 
26th. 
Bn. general leave. McMaster, Diamond, & self, went 
to Cairo, returned to camp at 9.45 p.m. 
27th. 
8.45 a.m. the Bn. left camp with belt, sidearms, 
& rifle, marched about 2 miles off & carried out close 
order drill. returning at 1 p.m. & lowered tents. 
28th. 
Went on church parade, sand storm sprang

March. 
up whilst service was being held, cutting it short. 
29th. 
9 a.m. all Australian troops at Mena were 
assembled outside the camp lines & were inspected 
by General Sir Ian Hamilton. 10 a.m. we marched 
pass the saluting base. 
30th. 
8.15 a.m. the Bn. left camp and marched 2 miles, 
here we carried out close order drill. returning to  
camp at 1.15 p.m. 
31st. 
8.40 a.m. the Bn. left camp & marched to same 
spot as yesterday, here we carried out outpost 
duties, also close order drill. returning to camp at  
1.20 p.m. 
1st April. 
5.45 a.m. the brigade left camp & marched  
about 2 1/2 miles from camp where we carried out 
an attack, returning to camp at 3 p.m. 4 p.m. I 
felt sick & saw the doctor, he kept me in the hospital  
tent. 
2nd. 
I was good 'oh in the morning & was released. 
I went to Cairo in the evening. There was much 
disturbance in the Wasar, a bonfire in the  
centre of the street attracted the troops, an 
Egyptian fire brigade came up, & tried to 
put the fire out, but the troops would have none 
of it, so they were useless, soon mounted troops 
appeared on the scene, & short while afterwards, I 
left. Later I heard that the (red caps) had fired

April. 
on, & killed, & wounded some of the troops. I 
returned to camp at 9.30 p.m. 
3rd. 
At 2 p.m. the Bn. was told to strike tents, & be 
ready to move off at 5 p.m. in full marching order. 
5.30 p.m. the Bn. left Mena Camp & marched to 
Cairo Station, arriving at 9.10 p.m. we entrained 
& left Cairo at midnight. 
4th. 
5.45 a.m. arrived at Alexandria & embarked 
on the Derfflinger (a german boat) 11.15 a.m. the 
3rd. Bn. arrived & embarked with us. Everyone 
assisted in loading the boat with stores 
5th. 
6 a.m. finished loading. 7 p.m. left Alexandria. 
6th. 
Heavy swell at sea. I was detailed for guard & 
mounted at 10.30 a.m. my post was over the 
ammunition in the machine gun limbers. Lots sick. 
7th. 
10.30 a.m. dismounted guard. 11.15 a.m. everyone 
issued with 200 rds. of S. A. A. Passed several 
Islands in the Greecian Archipeligo. Sea moderate. 
8th. 
10 a.m. we entered a harbour at Lemnos 
Island, there are numerous battleships & transports 
here. We passed the new battleship Queen 
Elizabeth at anchor. we anchored at 10.45 a.m.

April. 
It looks beautiful ashore. The 3rd. brigade are 
here aboard transports, & have been here 
since leaving Egypt some time ago. The 
Derfflinger is a dirty old cattle boat & we sleep 
on the iron decks. 
9th. 
9.30 a.m. a French battleship & British cruiser 
with a seaplane on board arrived in harbour. Our 
ship took 7,000 galls of water from the tank 
ship Sunik, she came direct from Liverpool. 
Several troopships & transports arrived during the day. 
10th. 
30 of us from our platoon manned & rowed a 
boat to the old Suffolk. the old ship that brought 
us from Australia. We saw she had 3rd brigade 
troops on board & were told they had been aboard 
some time. 2 destroyers & several more troopships 
arrived during the day. At night we held a concert. 
11th. 
Church parade. Dean of Sydney preached. 
Afternoon a seaplane made a good flight over the 
harbour & out to sea. Several troopships arrived 
during the day. 3 with English troops aboard. 
12th. 
The Armadale tied up alongside us, she 
had an Australian Amm. Column aboard. Several 
transports arrived. Rained heavily during the 
night.

April. 
13th. 
9 a.m. full marching order parade, & practiced 
disembarking going down rope ladders into 
rowing boats. A few that managed to miss the 
boat at Alexandria came to Lemnos on the 
Karoo. & joined us to-day. 
14th. 
The Bn. also several other Bns. disembarked 
as practiced yesterday. rowed to the shore & 
landed at 11 a.m. We carried out an attack on 
some hills about 2 miles off. Its beautiful ashore 
good crops, & clusters of wild flowers everywhere. 
We marched through a small village, the people 
seem very industrious & clean, they are 
mostly Greeks. returned on board at 6 p.m. 
15th. 
Physical drill every morning before other 
parades. The Bn. practiced disembarking. Glorious day. 
16th. 
The Bn. also several other Bns, disembarked & 
landed on the Island at 10 a.m. we had to jump 
into the water as soon as our boat grounded, double 
about 400 yds on to a ridge, & man it as a firing 
line. Everyone in our boat had to jump into 
about 4 ft of water. A large number of 
English Bn's. as well as Australian's, took part  
in this stunt. returned to ship at 2.45 p.m. 
17th. 
I was detailed for fatigue duty. Both Bns.

April. 
aboard practiced disembarking. Several transports  
arrived. 
18th. 
Some of us took a ships boat & rowed around 
the Queen Elizabeth, on returning everyone was 
issued with 1 sandbag, 1 pickaxe, & 1 shovel to go  
ashore later. 
19th. 
The seaplane flew out to sea again, more  
troopships arrive. 
20th.  
The Bn. disembarked to go ashore, it sprang 
up very rough, & with difficulty we returned 
without landing. We left the ship at 1 p.m. 
returning at 2.30 p.m. 
21st. 
Only 2 parades. Very rough day. All our numerals  
were taken from us. 
22nd. 
A lecture was given concerning both sex when 
non-combatents in war. Very hot day. More troops arrived. 
23rd. 
There are about 100 transports in harbour. The 
seaplane was up for 2 hours. 6.30 p.m. 12 troopships  
left the harbour. 
24th. 
Several transports left the harbour early this 
morning. We left at 6 a.m. & steamed north close 
to the island. At 9.30 a.m. we anchored under the  
shelter of the Island (north east). At 4 p.m. 
everyone was issued the 2 days emergency rations, 
we were told, that we land on some part of Gallipoli 
at daybreak tomorrow. Several ships could be 
heard dropping anchor during the night, no

April. 
lights were observed. Everyone told to have a good  
night's rest. 
25th. 
I woke early in the morning & found 
the ship under way. At 4.30 a.m. the Derfflinger 
dropped anchor off Gallipoli Peninsula, soon we 
heard rifle and machine gun fire from shore, & later 
artillery fire apparently shrapnel, our battleships 
were firing from all directions on to the shore. One 
battleship blazed away at a fort just ahead of us, 
soon the fort was a mass of debris. It got a little 
lighter, but the land was almost obscure by a mist 
The enemy started to shell the transports which 
were close in, several shells fell at the bows 
of the Derfflinger & shrapnel on the decks. anchor 
was hauled up & she steamed a short way out to 
sea & dropped anchor. We could see a few of our  
boys running on shore. The Queen Elizabeth. 
standing well out to sea was blazeing away, her 
guns at a very high angle. 7 a.m. destroyers came 
alongside & we scaled down rope ladders on 
to their decks, where we could see patches of blood, 
& astern I could see legs sticking out from underneath 
a Union Jack. I looked underneath & saw 
3 sailors & 2 soldiers bodies, the destroyers 
packed with troops loaded with kit pushed off 
& steamed towards shore, no troops were below 
decks. Soon the enemies shrapnel was falling 
amongst us, wounding a few of our boys.

April. 
The destroyers eased speed & steam pinnaces 
each towing 6 cutters, came alongside. An order 
from the bridge of the destroyer, & we manned the 
cutters, about 30 men in each boat, with a midshipman 
astern & ableseaman at the bows, each tow steamed 
like the deuce for the shore, soon the pinnace 
could get no closer, she then let go her paynter, 
also each cutter in tow did likewise. every 
available oar in the air, we were ready, 2 men 
to every oar we rowed like - for the shore. 
Several cutters were in distress, being badly 
knocked by shrapnel, one had turned over, &  
some of our boys were clinging to her keel, 
no one was "knocked" in our boat, as soon as 
our cutter struck the shore everyone jumped 
into the water irrespective of their position. I 
struck the job of stroke oar & jumped out into 
about 5 feet of water. some went right under, we 
scrambled out & doubled across the beach to a 
low bank to form up. One of our boys fell 
badly wounded on the edge of the water. there 
were several of our boys bodies in the water & lying 
on the beach, also several badly wounded & dying 
on the beach. After forming up by platoons 
then companies, we pushed on up a hill to join 
the 3rd Bgde, who were first to land & take the 
first ridge. On our way through the scrub we 
saw several Turks bodies, & several of our

April. 
own boys dead, also a few parties of prisoners. 
The scrub was mined in places, this made 
us take to used tracks that were exposed to rifle 
& machine gun fire, here we dropped our packs, 
& a number of our boys were being shot down. 
On reaching the 3rd Bgde, Major Gordon then 
took us beyond them. The Turks were hidden 
in the scrub firing at us. Major Gordon shouted 
"Come on here they are" we spotted some Turks 
in a small trench, we charged them killed 2 & 
3 got away, Major Gordon, standing a little to 
my right started to advance again, immediately 
he was killed, with 4 others we hung on 
to the trench & soon 5 or 6 New Zealanders 
surprised us by their presence, we got out 
& went a little further ahead under a shower 
of bullets. The Turks attacked us & both sides 
lost several men, we retired about 100 yards as 
our line was thin, going back I saw W. Edwards 
one of my tent mates lying under a bush with 
half his wrist blown off. I bandaged it up & 
carried him most of the way to the beach, as he 
fainted on the way down, it was about 5 p.m. 
when I reached the beach & left Edwards with 
hundreds worse than himself. The beach was 
littered with dead, dying, & wounded. I got back  
to the first ridge, being dark I was held up 
with others & dug in. Throughout the night rifle