Photostat copy of diaries of Benjamin Bennett Leane, 1915 - Part 31

180
Morlet's place.  He has just
come from Anzac, and brings
most disappointing news. The
evacuation of Anzac and Suvla
is being rapidly pushed, and
it is expected that it will be
completed by Sunday. Everything
that cannot conveniently be
got away is being destroyed,
thousands of Maconochie Rations
cases of port wine and champagne
barrels of rum, all manner
of ordnance stores, even
big guns, are being burnt,
blown up, or otherwise
destroyed. About one
brigade is to be left to
hold the Turks back to the
last, and then they are
to make a bolt for it and
get away as best they can.
It is expected that casualties
will be fairly heavy. At
the last Capt MacDonald
(A.M.C.) and about fifty
stretcher bearers are to go
back under the red cross
to get the wounded away,
if the Turks will permit it.
Of course it is possible that
the Turks may not get
wind of the evacuation, in
which case our fellows will
get away without many
casualties. But isn't
it all sickening! isn't
it disgusting! After the
money and the blood that
has been spent on the project,
and to think it has all
gone for nought. Oh it's
heart-breaking.

182
Friday Decr 17^th
Major Lorenzo & a few others
went across to the old 'Ionian'
this afternoon, and brought
back Robinson (1^st mate) and
Fraser (the purser) with them. It 
was quite a reunion, and
as Robinson & Fraser are both
Scotch the inevitable flowed
rather freely - so freely, in fact,
that the mess stock ran out
and private supplies had to
be brought into requisition.
Towards midnight things got rather
lively. Unfortunately the
sailors, who had been liberally
supplied with beer, became
rather refractory. The mercantile
marine has a very summary
style of dealing with rebellious
spirits. Fraser came out
of the mess, took in the situation
at a glance, gave the ring
leader a clean drive that
sent him rolling on the 
ground, and then, when
he attempted to expostulate
took him by the throat
and almost shook the
life out of him the while
he "strafed" him in Gaelic.
It wasn't long before the 
crew were down in their
boat, quite submissive.
It's a pity a man can't
content himself with just
that quantity of liquor that
makes him good company,
without instead of getting
either maudlin, quarrelsome,
or bestial.
The "Ionian" people are

184
coming across to Christmas dinner
with us, and have promised
to supply seven turkeys.
What a time we're going to have
Saturday. Decr 18^th.
Tried to get a boat this
afternoon to have a row,
but the Greeks seem to think
that it pays them better to
run short trips, to and
from the hospital at 6 per
head. I expect it does, too.
Just as we were despairing,
a three masted cutter came
sailing in, and who should
be in it but Fraser
and several other of the
'Ionian' officers. So we
went for a sail instead
of a row.  They landed
us at the South Pier, so
we walked up through the
hospital. I had a word
or two with Morlet and
Jacob, who are both much
better, and then went on
to see Ray. Who should
be with him but Allan
and Ted! I was very
glad to se old Ted and
thus to know that he was
safely away from Anzac.
He says they are leaving
a large proportion of their
stores etc intact, the reasons
being to decrease enemy
airmen who may fly over,
and also to, as it were,
placate the enemy in case
of a sharp fight at the
last. He says that so far
the Turks seem be have no

186
idea that we are getting out.
Sunday Decr 19^th 1915.
Church parade this morning.
Our brass band is a great
help  in the singing. It's
quite like old times.
We borrowed the brigade
boat (6 oar) this afternoon
and went for a row
round the harbor. We
were invited on board the
"Agamemnon" and spent
a pleasant hour or two
in the gun turrets. You
could spend a day looking
over the wonderful and
smoothly running mechanism
of her 12" and 9.2" guns
with their hydraulic shell
hoists and all the rest
of the gear that makes the
loading, laying, and firing
of a man-o-war gun a
matter of turning of wheels
and pulling of levers -
under the control of the brain
that 'directs.
Today the 8^th Bn marched
in with our old Brigade
Major, Col Brand D.S.O., at
their head. We gave him
a great cheer as he passed.
He is an ideal soldier.
I am going to bed early
tonight, as I don't feel too
good - too much good
living and too little
exercise I think. I shall
go out on parade in future
instead of spending so much
time in the office. Things
are fairly slack now. 

188
Monday Decr 20^th 1915.
All day today troops
have been landing and
marching past on their way
to their camp sites. About
3 o'clock the last of them
went by. I got into conversation
with one of those
who came away from Anzac
in the last boat, and he
said they had no trouble
at all. The Turks evidently
had no notion of the
evacuation, for they kept
up a desultory fire from
their trenches as of old. I am
glad the business is safely
over, and without loss of
life. It is a sad enough
affair as it is. It is not
that we are beaten. By jove
no, don't think that for one
minute. It is simply that
the recent turn of events has
made the further holding of
the place impracticable and
useless, and consequently the
only  this to do is to get out.
it's like buying shares that
make repeated calls but
never pay dividends. The best
this to do is to get rid of
them at once at any sacrifice
rather than hold on and go
on paying calls,. Nevertheless
it hurts when you think of
the money thrown away on
their original purchase. So it

is with this affair - it is
best to drop it without further
waste of money, time, and
lives. But it hurts, and hurts

190
and hurts hard to think of
all those lives thrown away
in the landing and during
the subsequent eight months.
May we yet get our own
back from the Germans -
I have no grudge against
brother Turk.
Tuesday Decr 21^st 1915
Very windy all last
night, and all this morning
the rain has been falling heavily.
Fortunately our drainage proved
adequate. My gumboots
paid for themselves this morning
I reckon. Those of us who
had been lucky enough to get
them were the only ones
not complaining of squelching
boots. I think the
cold change upset me a bit.
I have been off my tucker for
the last three or four days,
and today I have been
feeling pretty rotten. The doc
has ordered me to bed for
a day or two. Says I've
got a touch of jaundice.
Hope my appetite returns by
Christmas.
Wednesday Decr 22^nd 1915
Got a dark brown taste
in my mouth and can't
look at food. As the C.O.
said this morning, something
must be wrong when I
turn down porridge. I
think I'd turn down even
plum pudding just at
present. Dreamed that I
was home again last night.
Reveille broke in , unfortunately.

192
Thursday, Decr 23^rd 1915.
Felt a bit better this morning
so got up. Wish I hadn't now.
Have felt and looked very
"yellow" all day. Think
I'll have to fast altogether.
Yesterday we received
notification that Xmas cables
could be sent from the 
Cable station at East Mudros.
I sent word out to all the
companies and this morning
the Sergeant went across with
a big wad of notes and about
a hundred or more cables,
including one fro you and one
for Uncle Arthur. This evening
he came back with the
announcement that the order
was issued in error and that
it was not permissible to send
private cables. So now you won't
get your "Love & Xmas Greetings."
He also heard from a good
source that Greece has at
last dropped her "very benevolent
neutrality" and has thrown
in her lot with us. Which is
very wise of them
We received orders today
to be ready to move at
short notice. 3^rd Lt. Horse Bde.
& 5^th & 6^th Bns went away today,
so I suppose we will soon
follow. I think it means
Egypt, but do not know.
Morlet has been sent to
Egypt on the hospital ship "Delta"
today, and Ray says he expects
to be sent tomorrow or Friday.
I received a short letter from
Whitbourn today. He wrote

194
from the Military Hospital at
Devonport, England, so I suppose
he won't be back for a month
or so.
Our quarantine is to be
lifted tomorrow ,thank goodness.
It has been a farce anyway,
for passes have been issued
in almost unlimited quantities,
and nurses and other visitors
from outside have been able
to come in more or less freely,
in spite of the fact that a
cordon of sentries was placed
all round the camp. This
guard has been responsible for
several funny incidents, owing
to its occasional fits of strictness
in relation to the quarantine orders
For instance, a party of men
may be marched out through
the cordon if in charge of a
N.C.O. yet the C.O. on two
occasions has been unable
to get through to inspect the
companies at training, simply
because he wasn't in charge
of a party. Similarly the
other morning a squad of
junior officers was marched out
for instructional work by another
officer. Major Lorenzo always conducts
this class, but he was
busy at the time they marched
out, so they carried on with
their work just outside the
cordon. Later, when Lorrie
came down to take over,
the sentry wouldn't let him
pass. He explained that he
wanted to go out to train
the squad. No good ! He

196
tried bluff - no good. He
wasn't in charge of a squad
so he couldn't get through.
I thought he was going to be
beaten for a minute, but
presently he roared out to
his squad "About turn." They
"about turned" and as soon
as they were through the
cordon he gave them" about
turn" again & marched out
with them, thus complying with
rules and regulations.
Dunlop, Bde Orderly Officer
went to Field P.O. for our mails
today. There are about 500
bags for us (3 week's mail,
including Xmas mail) but although
it was practically all sorted
they could not hand it
over because they'd had
orders from Headqrs that on
account of the probability of
an early move all mail
arrangements were to be temporarily
cancelled. Why we could
have it over here, sorted,
distributed, read and answered
before we move. So much
for red tape though. Goodness
knows when we'll get it now.
And _∧ most of it has been in the
harbor for under at least  nearly a fortnight
Friday Decr 24^th 1915.
Christmas Eve, kiddie, the
second spent away from you

Let's hope there'll be no more.
The other chaps are indulging
in great frivolities in the mess
but I'm unfortunately still
on the sick list, and can't
even eat ordinary fare

198
much less indulge in true
Xmas style. I'm about
the color of a new sovereign
now. It's rotten to be off
color at Christmas, isn't it !
Our Xmas billies came
today, and there has been 
great joy in their distribution
and unpacking. Mine
was sent by a Miss Beckwith,
of Victoria, and was cram
full of goodies — Xmas cake,
biscuits, choc, butterscotch,
cigs, almonds & raisins, boracic
powder and goodness knows
what else — its marvellous
how she got 'em all in.
What a pity I'm not single;
there might be a romance with
Miss Beckman.
Today we received orders
to move at 9 o'clock tomorrow
morning. I got all my
orders out by 7 p.m. and
everybody had their preliminary
packing done so as to be
off the mark early in the
morning, when about
9.30 p.m. along came
an order to say that
no troops were to embark
tomorrow. So now I
suppose it will be Monday Sunday
"It's a way we have in the 
Army "
Saturday Decr 25^th 1915
Christmas Day, and a most
ideal day as regards the weather.
The chaps finished up about
1 o'clock this morning by singing (?)
Christmas Carols outside the CO's
tent. My tent being next the