Cecil Anthony McAnulty, Diary [1915] - Part 1

(1)

We are marched off up this first
hill through a trench, into the
next gully where we find another
big hill 700 feet back passing us
with our full packs on & ammunition
This is a stiff [[push?]]. We are
steadily approaching the firing
line. All the support trenches [form?]
names are checked there I met 
Frank. We both put on a show 
of diffidence but I was devilishly 

glad to see him, he is looking 
pretty thin but otherwise very 
fit. I had to go before the Brigadier 
to get my transfer confirmed but

that was soon arranged & I am
allotted to 16 section  4 platoon
A “Coy” 3rd Batt. We go down
into the dugouts for 3 days 

Frank & I occupy the same

dugout, but we have to go

up into the support trenches

at 6 oclock sleep there is [?]

for immediate action at

3.20 a.m we are woke up & have to

stand to, this is the critical

time, at 4.30 we go back to the dugouts.

No 1803

Pte C. McAnulty
4^th Reinforcements
2^nd Battalion
1st Brigade.        [*3^rd Bn*]
To  Secretary for Defence
Melbourne
[*not B Coy]
 

TUESDAY. June JULY 1^st  the 3 days 

down the dugouts are supposed
to be spent in resting after being
several days in the trenches dugouts  the resting
consists of carrying tons of water wood
& provisions up the hill. Today was
tobacco day we each got half a tin
of light capstan & 2 packets of cigarettes
& a box of matches. The appearance
of some of the old  hands is very
funny! They have let their beards

grow & are dressed in all sorts
of uniforms, there is no parade
neatness needed here. All of 
them have a profound contempt

for the Turk & an unbounded
confidence in themselves.
It's very funny to see us new,
arrivals bob our heads when 
a bullet whistles bye,  but we

soon get over that, I didn’t
feel quite comfortable the
first night when we were
standing to during a bout of 
heavy firing, it makes a man
1 DRL422

(3)
think very seriously, but he's

prepared for anything now.
We have one weapon here which 
the Turks are extremely
frightened of, it is called
the Japanese bomb it is 
fired from an article
resembling a toy cannon
 & the firing charge is

compressed air. It mounts
straight up in the air & comes 
down like a howitzer shell
at the range it is set for.
It bursts just as it reaches

the trench with a deafening
report,  from all accounts
it inflicts terrible
damage

(4)
WEDNESDAY 2^nd  Had my first 
mishap today, carrying a tin of
bully beef [[?]] up the hill when
I slipped & the stew & I went to
the bottom of the hill. I wrenched
my ankle & scalded my shoulder,

but that wasn't the worst, as

some of the boys had no dinner
through it. On duty just the
same but am doing no
fatigue. Our rations consist

of 1lb of biscuits, 12 oz of bully 

beef 4oz of jam, 2 ozs of cheese
& half tea, 3 times a day at 
dinner time we get the bully
beef in the form of a stew
mixed with dessicated
vegetables.

--------------------------

THURSDAY 3^rd  Relieved no

1 & 2 platoons in the firing 
line at midday. The firing 
line is a trench about 7 foot deep
with a 2 foot parapet of sand
bags & loose dirt on top of that
ledges are cut at a height of

Pte C  M^cAnulty No 180

4^th R. 2nd Btn not a Coy

1st Brigade 

G. Secretary for Defence

Melbourne

[*Not B Coy

-D-]

 

(5) 

3 ft. 2 loopholes to each ledge
2 mates generally go to the same 
loophole. Observing is done
by means of a periscope, one
observes & the other snipes whenever
he gets a chance. Their
snipers are very good, they’ll
put  shot after shot through
your loophole if they xxxx think you are behind it &
if you happen to have your
rubble bag out of place you 
stand a good chance of getting
hit. Had a few shots this
afternoon but couldn’t see
any target so gave it up.

-------------------

FRIDAY 4^th Came out into
the communications trench
at 6 a.m. We do 6 hours shift

at a line in the firing line
then 6 hours spell & in again
a couple of casualties in
our platoon last night.
 

(6)

[Scribbled out….repeat of previous page.]
 

(7)

SATURDAY 5^th. Turks generally open up

on the beach with shrapnel about 8 o’clock

they seem to have information that there are a
lot in bathing then but as a rule do very
little damage. Our mountain Batteries seem
to have them guessing.

----------------------------------------------
SUNDAY 6^{th M}et Father Hearn, formerly
Parish Priest of Richmond this morning.
He is attached to the 2^nd Brigade. We have

a Father M^c Auliffe from Sydney attached
to our Brigade. The Dean of Sydney is
the C of E. Chaplain. Things are very
quiet today just a little desultory 
firing.

-------------------------------
MONDAY 7^th The country about here
is curiously similar to Australia in

fact the hills & gullies leading up from
the beach remind me very much of Sorrento.
or StKilda Queenscliff, the vegetation is
also the same. Had an alarm tonight
about 11pm it started with sharp piercing
on the left & spread right along the line.
The artillery joined, what with it & the
bombs the din was deafening. Flare
lights & star shells were used by both
sides. We fired away till our rifles
were that hot we could hardly handle
 them, after about 1/2 an hour it died
down as suddenly as it started & no attack
was launched, all casualties were slight
 

 (8)
TUESDAY 8^th all on time out of the firing line

is spent in fatigue work, we get about 20hrs
work & 4 hours sleep. We are continually trench 
digging & sapping or carrying water provisions
up the hill. Our aeroplane fleet open the enemies
trenches this morning & dropped 2 bombs they
seemed to land right in their trenches & judging
from the explosion & smoke & dirt that was
thrown up must have done great damage.
There are 3 destroyers lying about in Anzac

Cove, every morning & evening they run

in close to the shore & shell the Turks. 

---------------------------

WEDNESDAY 9^th Our O.C. Capt Carter was

hit this morning. This is the 3^rd time he has 

been wounded in about 7 weeks. He got

up to a loophole to have a look round & got

hit in the jaw shoulder & stomach. He looks

pretty bad. 5th reinforcements landed this

morning. Have heard that the event contingent

of 10,000 are due in Egypt. They are all needed

here, things very quite all day.

-----------------------------------------------

THURSDAY 10^th

They are doing one of the most

ridiculous things imaginable

here drilling the latest reinforcements

behind the firing line, if they are not sufficiently

trained they should not be sent here. It only

requires a couple of shrapnel shells to drop

amongst them to put a stop to this silly

practice. Heavy fighting on the right all

day. Prisoners captured state they would 

rather face the Bulgarians than the Australians

they call us the white Gurkhas. The cream

of the joke however was about the Light Horse.

The Turks say that the men with the fur round

their hats are not as good fighters as the

Australians. The L.H are very worried about it.

1/DRL422
 [Wishing you the best of luck 

Best]