Cecil Anthony McAnulty, Diary [1915] - Part 6

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overhead, somebody called out "Look out
she's laid an egg" meaning that a bomb
had been dropped, there was a wild scamper
for cover, we had just scrambled into
dugouts, when there was a crash, the
bomb had exploded on the side of the

hill, a good bit away from us. After a

while we picked up our cans & started off

again, had only gone a few yards

when the plane reappeared, 2 more
bombs were dropped but luckily they
all went wide.
WEDNESDAY 4^th  Large numbers of troops
landed last night there was
a brigade of Sth Welsh Borders &
Staffordshires landed at Anzac Cove.
Also the 6^th reinforcements of Australians
We are ready for orders for a general attack
any minute now, all gears & rifles etc
are being thoroughly overhauled, there
is a noticeable improvement on the
mens spirit, now that they know that
some definite move is to be made
in the next few days
THURSDAY 5^th More troops landed last

night, supposed to be a full
divisions of Lancashires, also know of

some Ghurkas having landed & a
 

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Soudanese donkey transport column.
These donkeys are only the size of goats
& the loads they carry are marvellous.
The Gullies are swarming with men
now, all nationalities. We are

ready to move any minute, all we
have with us now is our equipment

haversacks & water bottles we are
sleeping without any blankets,
oilsheets or great coats & each
man has a broad strip of white
calico sewn down the centre of

his back & a strip on each arm
as the attack will be started in

darkness
FRIDAY 6^th The attack is to take place
this evening at 5 p.m. Our instructions
are to get our bayonets sharpened
& sleep till 4 oclock. The Royal
Irish Rifles & Connaught Rangers
landed last night. At 4 oclock we
fell in & marched round behind where
the 2^nd Batt lines from where we
attack. Am now sitting down waiting

for the word & taking the chance to
write these lines. Our Artillery
started to bombard their trenches
 

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at 4 & will continue till 5 when we

make the rush. Their artillery
are replying now & shells are beginning

to rain on us. They are getting the
range now, shelling the support
trenches. Men are beginning to
drop, Howitzer shells are dropping
about 30 yards from us digging
great holes where they land the fumes
are suffocating, the shrapnel is pouring
all round us getting chaps everywhere.
This is hell waiting here, the first rush

has been made, & we have landed our
chaps have got into their trenches

the wounded are beginning to come back
some awful wounds. Word given
to get ready to charge must finish,
hope to get through alright.
SUNDAY 8^th  I've pulled through alright
so far, just got a few minutes to spare
now. I'm all out, can hardly stand
up. On friday when we got the
word to charge, Frank & I were on
the extreme left of the charging party.
 

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There was a clear space of 100 yards

to cross without a patch of cover.

I cant realise how I got across it, I

seemed to be in a sort of trance, the 
rifle & machine gun fire was hellish,

I remember dropping down when we
reached their trenches, looked round

& saw Frank & 3 more men alongside
men. There was a big gap between
us & the rest of our men, we had
veered to much to the left when
doubling across. The rest of the men were

behind the shelter of the Turkish
parapet & had a bit of cover to crawl
behind which to crawl into the trench.
We were right out in the open & all the
Turkish machine gun & rifles seemed

to be playing on us & shrapnel bursting
right over us. I yelled out to the other

4 chaps, "This is only suicide boys, I'm

going to make a jump for it, I thought
they said alright we'll follow,
I sprang to my feet in one jump