Diary and photograph of John Adams, 1914-1916, Part 10 of 16

August
an attack taking 2 lines of Turks trenches suffering
very few casualties.  At 3 & 7 p.m a Taube
flew over our lines & dropped hundreds of steel
darts & bombs were few.
1st August
7 a.m detailed to take party to Shrapnel
Gully in search of water returned at 9.15 a,m
C. Cpl for the day.  7 p.m took over firing line.
a Taube daily puts in an apperance over our lines
2nd.
Capt Holt left Anzac with dysentry not many
here free of it.  I was very seedy all day 7 p.m
relieved from firing line. & went into supports
8 p.m detailed in charge of support trench guard
The Taube dropped 2 bombs & hundreds of steel
darts along our trenches.
3rd
5.a.m dismounted guard.  6.10 a.m till 6.30
the Turks shelled our positons with howitzers.  One
of our battleships shelled Achi Baba.  Mid day a
Taube flew over our lines 7 p.m went into firing
line as firing line supports.  9.p.m everyone
fired 10 rounds rapid at the Turks trenches.
Heavy gun fire at Achi Baba all-night.
4th
5 a.m left firing line & went into supports
Coy C Cpl for day.  7 p.m detailed to take party
& dig a field gun pit behind our front line

August
parados.  the position covered the Pimple of
Lone Pine.  it was completed just after
midnight. much bombing & rifle fire from the
Turks during the night.
5th
We had a days rest & were informed that we
attack at 1700 p.m to morrow.  2 p.m I went to
the beach for a swim, on the way down I was
very astonished to see thousands of English troops
(in light drill clothing & pith helmets) sheltered along
the hills in positions prepared a few days ago.
I heard that thousands of troops had landed & gone
around to the left.  Both sides artillery very
active.  6th reinforcements arrived this evening
The underground firing line was opened up
6th
We were told to rest all day, getting ready for
attack there was little chance of rest.  2 days Iron
Rations, 1 qt of water & 2 sandbags per man were
issued.  4 p.m a good tot of rum issued to each
man, also 3 white patches to be attached to each arm
& the back of Tunic. We were instructed to sew
them on, generally they were attached with pieces of
stick.  The dress was fighting order less bayonet
scabbard & entrenching tool head carrier.  Entrenching
tool complete carried with handle through belt
on right side.  4.30 p.m  Our C.O. Capt Cook
led us to the firing line to take up positions for

attack.  Going through the communication trench
every man received a good tot of rum.  Everyone
ready.  the bombardment of the Turks trenches began
at 5.p.m.  The Turks kept up a hellish fire of
Shrapnel, M.G. & Rifle fire on to our parapet
We were arranged to advance in 4 waves.  Nos
1. 2. & 3 waves simultaneously & No 4 wave immediately after. 
No 1 from underground firing line No 2 from firing
line No 3 from behind front line parados & No 4
from firing line immediately No 3 had passed
over head.  (No 2 were standing on fire step & No 4
in bottom of firing line)  Whilst waiting to attack
No 2 & 4 waves casualties became so heavy that
we were ordered (No 4 wave) to hop off from
underground firing line behind No 3, we filed down
the tunnel into position behind No 1 wave.  my sections
were Nos 13 & 14 of No 4 Btn.  5.30 p.m barage ceased
whistles were blown everywhere. Nos 1. 2. & 3 waves 
hopped off & No 4 hopped off as No 3 wave was
about to pass overhead.  The Turks cross M.G &
rifle fire was hellish & dozens of our boys were
dropped.  there was a great depth of barbed wire
to get through with gaps at places made by our
shells.  here I lost my puttees in the wire.  I was
in the centre of 13 & 14 sections.  7 were lost from
14 sec & 1 from 13 sec crossing.  The Turks trenches
were covered with large pine logs, covered with
pine branches, with a few gaps to gain access

August
to their trenches mostly made by our boys tearing up the logs
to get in.  several of our boys were firing
through the logs from the top.  I saw two of
our boys jump down through one of the
gaps on my left (after I had fired 2 shots at a
Turk through the logs) I jumped in behind
them, there were several hand to hand combats
going on.  I fixed one Turk who had killed one
of our boys, with his bayonet.  Our boy had
stuck the Turk through the left side & yet he
was still active  The trench was spattered with
flesh & blood with several dead & dying Turks
about, also a few of our own boys.  We
pushed on through a maize of trenches & established
a line 500 yds behind the Turks front line.  A
few Turks were killed going through the
maize of trenches, also we came accross a cage
with two Turks locked in (apparently prisoners)
but not for long, as someone of the sections
put them out of misery.  Later we heard
several hundred prisoners had been taken
M.Gs. Rifles & over a million rds of S.A.A.
Before dark we had plenty of Turks to fire at
During the night Capt Cook puts us on to make
a parapet putting me in charge of a bombing
block: with the Turks bombs we had a terrible
time, we were handicapped with only 8 jam tin
bombs & 3 Gun Cotton Slubs.  As daylight broke

on the morning of the 7th Saturday it appeared
as though several Turks were cut off.  they
tried to hop out to escape but were all shot.
During the morning we were attacked half heartedly.
The Turks doubled towards us a few yards then
crawled through the scrub towards us.  the
scrub was little use as they came closer, very
few got away.  Soon in a trench 100 yds off the
Turks were waving white flags.  at first this was
taken as a genuine indication of surrender &
several wounded Turks crawled into our line
whilst firing ceased.  We shouted in all tongues
& becconed the Turks for 10 minutes, but none
of them came out, so we commenced our usual
hostilities, the few Turks crawling about in
No-mans land suffered.  Whilst the attack
was on there were a 1st Bn & a Lighthorseman
on the post with me, all blazing away.  presently
I passed a remark to get my mates to concentrate
more fire on to a mob of Turks.  after blazing
away for a few minutes I glanced round to
speak.  both my mates were dead in the trench.
I kept firing a while longer at the stragglers
after the main attack was broken up.  Then
hopped down into the trench to go to Capt Cook for
more men.  my hat lay in the trench I picked
it up & apparently both my mates were killed
from a flank by the same bullet.  The same bullet

had passed through the forward part of the
crown of my hat which was spattered with
blood & flesh from my mates.  Capt Cook gave me
4 men to place on the post in 2 reliefs & came
down to have a look.  he remarked we had done good
work.  he then said to me I want you to get water
& food, we pushed off at 6.30 a.m. returning to our
trenches about 10.30 a.m after a terrible struggle
The trenches were simply piled with dead &
wounded making travelling very difficult.  The journey
was only 600 yds either way  11 p.m Cap Cook
was badly wounded, leaving us now one officer
in the Coy.  I helped to place Capt Cook on the
side of the trench & someone bandaged him up
& carried him out.  Everyone available was firing
away at a trench a few yards off, dozens of
bayonets were seen moving about there.  presently
there was a fusilade of bombs from the Turks
& we had not a single one to retaliate with result
we were bombed out of the trench leaving it
piled almost to the parapet with dead & dying
We collected in a small trench immediately in rear
& manned it.  A few Turks in batches of 3 or 4
tried to hop off as though to attack, luckily
they came a few at a time (as we felt very weak)
& most were killed.  I think they were trying to
occupy the trench we had just left.  Our artillery
was bombarding the Turks all day.  Everyone deaf

by the bomb exposions.  we began to know how long
it took for the Turks bombs to explode &
several of us had bundles of sandbags or a couple
of blankets to throw over them to prevent damage
on the morning of the 8th I came accross three of
my section, we stuck together as much as possible
we were put in charge of another bombing block
with plenty of Jam Tin bombs.  one of our boys
lit a bomb, but was too weak to throw far.  the
bomb came back into the trench & wounded one
of my mates badly, & myself a piece in the thigh
Just then the Turks were giving us a hot time with
bombs. (they were about 20 yds away) Col Scobie
our C.O. with his rifle manning a post a few
yards away was killed.  The trench behind the
bombing block was a terrible sight, as fast as
the wounded tried to get out, they were killed
by bombs dropping like hailstones.  A few of our
boys had to abandon a part of their trench
The communication trench from where the Turks
were doing such damage was left unobserved
J. Coulson spotted this & told me, we went down
to look after it.  I got behind a barricade about
5 ft high & 2 sandbags thickness & cautiously
with a periscope had a look.  there I saw 3 Turks
with their rifles ligned on the barracade (standing
& several others sitting down smoking about
20 yds off.  in a flash my periscope was smashed

August
I fell over totally blinded with glass.  I groped
along the trench & waited it seemed an hour
when Sgt Collingwood led me to the Doctor Fullerton
our Bn M.O. he took the glass from my eyes
mouth & face and gave me an injection  I remember
someone saying now stay there & sleep, along
the side of a trench.  I was soon well away  I had
not one wink since the forenoon of the 6th
The next thing I remember was being awakened
& told that the 2nd Bn had been relieved by a
Bn of the 2nd Brigade.  Someone led me out
of Lone Pine to our old trenches, where all that
remains of our Bne they were all asleep
& I soon likewise until I was awakened by
a terrible blow on my left arm.  It was a
Turks Shrapnel Shell Case that grazed my
arm.  It had burst on the parados.
9th
Slept all day & woke at 4.45 p.m.  soon
went in to take over the captured trenches from
the 40th bn.  Going through Gun Lane to
Lone Pine I saw several warships & troopships
at Suvla Bay.  All night deepening firing line
improving parapet & building baracades
against enfilade artillery fire
10th
Throughout the morning heavy artillery
& rifle fire from both sides at Quinns Post

the sector could not be seen for smoke & dust
caused by shells.  We heard that thousands
of troops are landing at Suvla Bay daily &
endeavouring to push on to Mados.  One of
our planes chased a Taube.  4 P.M J. Coulson
the last of my tent mates was killed alongside
me
11th
During the day over 20 Turks were dropped
trying to get into their firing line.  Throughout
the night the Turks kept up a heavy M.G & Rifle
fire along the whole Anzac front.  2.15 p.m our
Bn relieved by the 4th Bn we went into
supports.
12th
The Turks shelled us with heavy howitzers during the
morning.  One shell fell about 6 yds off, it deafened
the crowd of us.  During the afternoon a great
dud landed on the opposite side of my possie
(luckily a dud) 7 p.m went into reserves.  During
the night Achi Baba got a rough time.  I would not
be surprised to hear the hill being taken by us
13th
Turks howitzers gave us a rough time
this morning, we had very few casualties.  2.15 p.m
our Bn took over front line from 4th Bn.  3.30 p.m
we had a hot time from small trench mortars,
blowing in our parapet at several places, it lasted

August
1 hour.  For 45 minutes continuous hard
bombing was going on close by to the left.
14th.
We heard, as a result of last nights bombing, the
5th Bn had taken a part of a Turks trench
15th.
4th Bn relieved us from front line.  we went
to supports.  Late at night I went to the beach & had
a wash.  During the day battleships at Suvla Bay
heavily shelled the Turks
16th
Day & night very quiet.  Had a much appreciated rest
17th
8.30 a.m took party to Victoria Gully for water
retured at 11.15 a.m.  Midday took over frontline from
4th Bn.  on taking over I picked up a Turks rifle
to snipe, before I could fire I was called away.
Snowy Turner picked it up & had a shot at a
Turk.  the rifle exploded & blew half of his
left hand off.  6 p.m Six of our planes flew
in the direction of Mados.  The atmosphere is very
bad with dead bodies & magots.  much firing
came from both flanks during night.
18th
Heavy gun fire at Achi Baba, very quiet here
19th
11 a.m 4th Bn relieved us from frontline.  we
went to supports.  A great deal of sickness amongst us