Photostat copy of diaries of Benjamin Bennett Leane, 1915 - Part 21

184
that confounded Hancock's trench,
up which those two prisoners
came. Gott Strafe the prisoners!
If they hadn't come there
would have been no trouble,
but now the Staff knows
about the blooming trench
they first want it blocked
up, then the wire taken out
and other put in, and
now they want a plan
of the blessed thing from
where it leaves our trenches
down to where it opens into
the Turks trenches, giving
depths and every other
blessed information. You
can bet Johnny Turk is
also going to send out a
patrol if he is working, so
we'll possibly have the
pleasure of meeting. I confess I
don't relish the job at all,
but it's got to be done.
Midnight. — I had a presentiment
that something would happen,
and it has. We've shot one of our
own men. Luckily he wasn't
killed, but the bone of his
right arm is shattered near the
shoulder and the doctor says he
may lose it. I will tell you
how it happened. It was
arranged before I went out that
the party who which had to lay wire
etc. would not leave the firing
line until I returned. This was
definitely settled on. I said
I could not say how long I would
be out, but that I thought
about ¾ hour would see me back
I took a corporal and a private

186
with me, and we went out at
7.45 p.m.  As the trench is very
shallow and winding, and littered
with empty line etc. as well as
covered with prickles, we had
to go slowly so no to make no
little noise as possible, for
naturally we did not want to
draw fire from the Turkish trenches,
and also we expected to run
across a patrol of theirs at any
minute, and, of course, wanted
to discover them before they did
us so that we could have
the pull on them.  At a
certain point the main trench
divides into two branch trenches,
each of which leads into the
gully at the bottom of the Turk's
trenches on Sniper's Ridge.  I left
the Corpl. at the intersection while
I went forward with the other
man to explore the southern trench.
In places the trench is only
about 6" deep, where apparently
dead Turks have been buried.
In these places it is necessary to
lie absolutely flat and just 

wriggle across, because of
ourse our dark bodies would
show up very plainly against
the white earth.  In general
places the bodies are only
partly buried, and I can assure
you it wasn't the most pleasant

of sensations to wriggle over the
top of a three-months'-dead body
In one place I went to put a
boot out of my way and found
it was attached to a leg.  In
another I put my fingers through
a hideous skull, also attached
 

188
Also several other little things
which I will spare you.
Eventually we reached the
point where the trench widened
out and entered the gully, and
here we lay for about twenty
minutes listening and straining
our eyes.  I could hear the
Turks working close at hand
and talking to each other in
subdued voices, but could not
see what they were doing on
account of the black darkness in
the gully.  Several times I 
thought I saw figures moving
among the bushes close by
but could not be certain.
After a while we worked
our way back to the intersection
where I had left the corporal.
this time I left the private behind
and took the corporal with me
down the northern trench.  After
explorin this, and listening for
about 15 minutes we returned to
the intersection.  the man I had
left there then reported to me that
he had seen figures moving about
among the trees on the northern
side of the trench.  We watched
for some little while, when all
at once the corporal drew my
attention to a figure working up
the hill from on the southern side
of the trench, and asked me
should he fire at it.  I wanted
to see what the fellow's game was,
and also find out if he had
any others with him before I
disclosed our presence, so I told
him to cover him with his rifle
but to withhold his fire for the time

190
The figure appeared to cross the
southern branch trench (the one
we explored first) and to move
in the direction of our bomb-
position which is some 30 to 40 ft.
in advance of the firing line.
All at once he seemed to 
see us, for he dropped to his knee
and aimed his rifle in our direction
I at once gave the word to fire
and the corporal fired. His shot
appeared to miss, as I followed
it with one from my revolver, and
the figure disappeared. It was
no use attempting to hide our
presence any longer, so we
hurried up the trench. We had
only gone a few steps when a
head bobbed over a bush within
two feet of me. I at once covered
it with my revolver and challenged
the owner. Then  I found it was one
of our own men, and at once
feared that we had fired on
some one of his party. Naturally
I was mad to think that _∧our arrangements
had not benn stuck to,
and I think this _∧ poor devil wondered
what he was up against when
I demanded what the blanky
blank he was blanky well
doing there. He said he was
one of a covering party to some
wire layers. I asked him if
there was anyone in front of
him and he said he didn't think
any of his own party were,
but that he thought he had seen
a figure move down there. We
went back to where I had seen
the figure I had fired at, but
could find no one there. Just

192
then the officer with whom I had
made the arrangements came out
from the firing line. I am afraid
my language to him isn't fit for
reproduction, and I was sorry
afterwards because he is a decent
little chap. He was very cut
up himself at the turn things
had taken, and said that one
of our men had just rushed
into the lines, shot in the
shoulder. I asked him why
he hadn't stuck to his agreement,
and he said that I had been
out so long (it appeared I had
been out for an hour and a half)
that he feared something had
happened to us, and as it
was essential that he wire laying
should be done that night he
had sent out his working party
with a covering party of two men
whom he had instructed to
guard Hancock's Trench at a certain
point one on either bank. From
this it appeared that we the man
who had been hit had not stuck
to his instructions but had gone
to a different place. However we
went back to Headquarters and
reported the matter, and then
went on to the dressing station
to see the injured man and get
his evidence before he went away,
so there will of course have to
be an enquiry held in the morning.
(It is a funny thing that only a
week ago a permanent enquiry
board was established, and I
was appointed a member of it.
I saud jokingly at the time that
it would be funny if I was

194
mixed up in the first case that came
before it, and strange to say that
has happened).
It is remarkable that the man
in his evidence stated that he
had carried out his instructions
and had gone to the spot instructed
but as this was in an altogether
different direction to the place
where the figure was fired on it
seems evident that he has made
a mistake. He said to me that
it was lucky for us we fired
and got him as we did, for
he was just going to fire on us,
having challenged and received
no reply. (I did not hear his
challenge). Still, the whole
thing is most unfortunate, and I
am very worried about it, although
I do not think I am to blame
Thursday, Sept. 9^th 1915 - 9 am.
Things are getting complicated.
It appears that to have got into
the firing line at the point he
did, Maxwell ( the wounded man)
would have had to cross Hancock's
Trench which he would not
be likely to do, unless in his

excitement he jumped right over
it without k noticing it. The
enquiry is fixed for 10 am. so
we will see what the evidence
brings out.
4 p.m. It absolutely gets
me. The evidence all goes
to prove that Maxwell was not
hit by us at all. Tobin, the
other man of the covering party,
is absolutely certain that
Maxwell went to the place
instructed, and he thinks he

196
could not have moved away, for
he says that as we fired he
looked across and saw Maxwell
jump up from the same place
and make for the firing line.
I will draw you a sketch so
that you can follow it :
Hand drawn diagram - see original document.
A - Tobin's position
B - Maxwell's position
C - Position of figure we
fired on
D - Our position when
the corporal fired
E - Our position when
I fired
F - Spot where Maxwell
entered the firing line
after being hit.
Now you see what I mean. If
Maxwell was at B it would
be impossible for us to hit him
when we fired at C. And
if he was at C then he would
have to cross Hancock's Trench
(a good jump) to enter our
firing line at F.So it seems 
evident that we could not
have hit him. Yet it seems
strange that he should have
been hit sumultaneously with
our firing. The only conclusion
I can come to is this,
that the figure at C was a
Turk ; that he had not seen
us, but had seen Maxwell at
B and aimed at him, and
that he fired at the same
moment that we did. This is
also borne out by the evidence

198
of one witness, who states that
he heard three shots, two
practically simultaneous, and
the third a few seconds later.
The two would be the Corporal's
and the Turk's, and the
third mine. So that it
appears a sort of triangular
business - Maxwell aiming
at us, we at the Turk, and
the Turk at Maxwell. It

seems too strange to be true.
Of course it can never be
absolutely proved unless in
a week or two we smell a
smell and an investigation find
the dead body of a Turk.
Still we may only have winged
him, or his own crowd may
have come up in the night and
taken his body away. But if
I smell a smell I shall certainly
go out and bring in smell,
corpse and all, to settle it.
Brigade Headqrs. are worrying me
for my report and sketch of
Hancock's trench, so I must get
on with it.
8 pm. - I finished my sketch
and report , giving all the
detail possible - length of sections,
depth of trench at various points
— everything I thought might be
useful. The C.O. seemed very
pleased with it and wants a
copy for himself.
He informed me that the
Court had completely exonerated
me, and had come to the verdict

that Maxwell was not shot by
us at all. I am immensely
relieved , not that I considered I

200
was to blame, but because I did
not like to think that under any
circumstances I had shot one of
my own men, especially if he
loses his arm through it.
Friday, Sept 10^th 1915.
I received a message from
the General Commanding this morning
to say that he considers my 
report very useful, and that
it is being retained by the Brigade.
That's a feather in my cap. All
the same, I don't want another
job like it.
Saturday Sept 11^th 1915.
Received a big rubber sponge
and half a dozen periscope glasses
today from Ted, per favor Father
Fahey. This afternoon Ern and
Ray came up to see me ; they
landed at 2 o'clock this morning.
They say Allan's Battalion has
also landed, but I have not
seen him yet. This morning
Col. Weir went away sick
so Col. Johnson of the 11^th has
taken his place as Acting Brigadier.
that makes Ray Acting C.O. of
the 11^th Battalion.
Well kiddie dearest, this
is the end of part 2, I don't
know when I will be able
to send it to you. It makes
a long letter, doesn't it, but
I hope it doesn't bore you
too much to read it. It may
be of interest to me bye and
bye perhaps, so don't destroy
it. I hope before the
next part is finished I
may be on my way
home — and the war
over. That gives it about
four or five months.
Goodbye darling old

girl. Heaps of love and
Kisses to yourself and
our babies.
Ben.