Cecil Anthony McAnulty, Diary [1915] - Part 2

(9)
FRIDAY 12^th  A monitor put

in an appearance this morning
This [[?]] run in very close
to the shore & fire with its heavy
guns. The Indian Mountain

Batteries seem to trouble
the Turks a lot. Two more
casualties in 4 platoon
this afternoon. The devils
are using explosive
bullets & dum dums, they
make a ghastly wound
One of our chaps had the
lower part of his head
completely blown off
with an explosive bullet.
however its easy enough
to turn our own cartridges
into dum dums
 

Private C. McAnulty
4^th Reinforcements
2^nd Battalion
1^st Infantry Bgde
c/o Secretary for
Defence
Melbourne
Not A Coy
C
B
 

(10)

SATURDAY 12^th The Turks sent over
5 "Jack Johnstns"
this morning, 2 failed to explode
2 landed where they could do no
damage & the fifth dropped into a
communication trench bringing
down the walls & burying 2 of our
chaps one was dug out & escaped with
a broken leg, the bother was killed.
These shells stand about 2 ft 6 in high
& are capable of doing great damage
if properly directed, don't think the
Turks have too many of them to
spare, they are reported to be short of
ammunition.
SUNDAY 13^th Another quiet day
on our front. The British & French
are fighting heavily down on the
right & are reported to have captured
some trenches. Two German aeroplanes
appeared over our lines this morning
and had no opportunity to do any damage.
As soon as they were sighted our plane
flew up, although they were 2 to 1. the
Germans thought discretion the better
part of valour & flew in opposite direction.
Our plane chased one, but it landed
safely behind it own lines. The
British plane dropped down very low
& although subjected to a heavy
fusillade from shrapnel & machine
guns returned safely. our man
is absolutely indifferent to danger
 

c/o. Secretary for Defence
Melbourne
Private Cecil M^cAnulty - N^o 1803.
4 R. 2^nd BN. 1^st Brigade
4^th Reinforcements
(Left in transport - A ⁸ - formerly
S.S. Argylershire

Not A Coy
C
D
B
3^rd Bn
 

(11)
MONDAY 14^th Worked all night carrying
dirt from a sap. This is
all carried to the rear of the lines
so that no signs of the operation will
be visible to the enemy. The flies are
simply unbearable, they are here in
millions all sizes from the size of a 
pins head to great blue bottles that
bloated they can fly, other vermin
irritate us very much at night & it
is a very troubled restless sleep
we get, when we get any at all.
TUESDAY 15^th  The Turks are also
busily engaged sapping
or trenching, we can see the dirt flying
over their parapets, their trench opposite
is about 100 yards away, & we take pot shots
as the shovels shows up. If we hit it it
is dropped, if we missed it is waved back
& forwards, but they also have men
watching their chance & if they detect
the loophole you are firing from will
open up on you. They picked out 2
of the loopholes that were being used
but the chaps stuffed them up before
any damage was done. It is
rumored that they are tunnelling
towards us, if so there ought to
be something doing when the
two saps get close to each other.
 

(12)
WEDNESDAY 16th It appears that
the reason for the inactivity of our
front is that our position is the
pivot of the whole situation the line
runs xxxx as follows - & untill
the N.Z. on the left & the British & French
on the right move up level we can
do nothing except keep the Turks
busily engaged & hold as many
as possible on our front. The 2^nd Batt
have had several casualties the last
few days, 5 of my old coy 4^th of the 2^nd
being killed
THURSDAY 17^th Had my first experience
of being directly under shrapnel
fire today. We were leaving the
dug outs for the firing line when
the Turks opened up the usual
evening artillery duel & started
to rain shrapnel just on the spot where
we were. We were crouched up against
the side of a trench the shells were
bursting directly overhead & the
pellets [[splashing?]] into the opposite
bank about 2 ft away. Felt a bit
queer at first but it soon passed
off & I began to take interest
in things again. This lasted about
20 minutes. They got 5 of our chaps
Lieut killed & 5 men wounded
 

 (13)
FRIDAY 18^th A German aviator flew
over our lines today very high up
he was seen to drop a bundle of what
looked like leaflets but unfortunately
the wind caught them & blew them
all over to the Turkish trenches.
The French are reported to have
captured more trenches today.
also a strongly fortified redoubt
we could hear them at it all day.
The Turks had a good haul on the
beach today, there is always a
great number of men in swimming,
unfortunately we havent had the
chance of getting down yet.  They
opened up with shrapnel this
afternoon when the water was
crowded, there were 14 casualties
altogether, this may have the
effect of stopping bathing

xxxxxxxxxxx
SATURDAY 19^th Very heavy
bombardment
all night.  When I woke up this
morning had a raging earache,
the left ear was [[?]]
& bleeding & I was almost
stone deaf in it.  The heavy
 

(14)
firing had evidently burst
a small abscess. Fortunately
there was a first class eye & ear
specialist here. he relieved
the pain & marked me off
duty for the time being. This
evening the Turks tied some
of the leaflets that were [[?]]
[[?]] as a bomb & sent them
over. They announced that
the English had realised that
it was impossible to force the

Dardenelles & had drawn
off, leaving us to our own fate
that our sufpplies would be
stopped & we would starve
They urged us to surrender
They had plenty of provisions
& guaranteed us good treatment
& good food. England had
misled us & by surrendering
we would be released from
our bondage. So far I have
not heard of anyone
accepting this magnificent 
offer
 

on active service
1584 Pte J. P Sullivan
A Company
3^rd Battalion
1^st Infantry Brigade
Aust Imp Forces
 

(15)
SUNDAY 20^th a few Turks
came in & surrendered yesterday
they were sent down to the
back & instructions given
[[?]] they were to be well fed
& well treated & after a few
days were to be allowed plenty
of freedom, the idea being
that they would escape back
to their lines & report how well
they were treated & induce
others to surrender. However
they showed no signs of
escaping. So they were given
an axe each & sent to a distant
hill, nearer to their own lines
than ours, to get a load of wood.
Everyone thought that
would be the last we would
see of them, but just on
sundown they staggered in
with loads that a donkey
couldnt carry, they evidently
where they are well off