Diary of Herbert Vincent Reynolds, 1914-1915 (second diary) - Part 11











August 1915
later one of our biplanes came over from Imbros &
circled overhead till the enemy plane returned
from the Cape. We expected to see a bit of an
exciting air fight as the enemy machine was
a great deal higher than ours & he dived down at
it as though intending to fight it, but the bluff
did not work & he turned off & headed for his own
lines with our plane following him up. The enemy
sent some very heavy shells over on to the gun ridge
this morning.
Mond 2nd. Three light cruisers have been shelling the ridge of
Ach Baba & also some enemy positions in the gully
behind Rapa Tepe all the afternoon. Large enemy
shells have been falling on the gun ridge again today
At about 6 pm an enemy aeroplane apparently made
a deliberate attempt to bomb the Hospital ship, which
was at anchor about 2 miles out, fortunately the bomb
exploded iin the water about 300 yards away, there were
no other vessels in the vicinity at the time &
no excuses could be made for the dastardly act,
the machine came straight over our camp & let another
bomb go when he appeared to be immediately overhead
however it landed near the wireless station in Clarks
gully & exploded harmlessly. Two guns of the No 9
Battery set up to fire at aeroplanes sent shells after
him as fast as they could fire, but without any
further result than making him rise higher into the
air. A field gun is a very unweildy thing to use against aeroplanes & no satisfactory results can be expected from them.
Tuesd 3rd. An enemy aeroplane flew over at a great height
at about 6 am & again about 5 pm but he did not
drop any bombs in our vicinity. During the morning
I had a look through the trenches captured from the enemy
a few last Sund morning. Two cruisers have been
shelling the ridge of Ache Baba all the afternoon.
One of our aeroplanes circled overhead for a while at
about 5.30 p.m. Generally things have been quiet today.
August 1915
Wed 4th. The explosion of a bomb dropped by an enemy aeroplane
woke me this morning just after dawn, it fell about
50 yds away & exploded with a deafening crash but done
no damage. We have been engaged today constructing
a sand-bag shelter for a dressing station in our camp
which is situated in our camp at the end of the
communication sap from Victoria to Shrapnell gullys.
A large number of Kitcheners new army arrived here
during the night & are bivouaced in the various gullys
in which terraces have been dug recently for that
purpose, a great amount of work has been done in
constructing saps & shelters of various kinds lately.
Sixteen reinforcements arrived early this morning for
our unit & one was wounded this afternoon while bringing
water from the water depot. An enemy aeroplane
passed over here at about 6 pm & followed one of our
own machines down towards the Cape, & a little later
another one of our planes circled overhead for a while.
Thurs 5th. Another large batch of British troops landed
here during the night, extensive preparations are being
made for some big movement. During the day the enemy
shelled our stores in Anzac Cove very heavily & two
naval pinaces & several barges were sunk in the vicinity
of Watsons pier.
Frid 6th. The noise of very heavy rifle & machine gun fire disturbed
us about 5 30 am, followed by the sharp reports of our
field guns, we soon realized that the enemy were
attacking in force the system of trenches captured from
them last Sund morning in front of Tasmania post,
their attack failed altogether in the first instance.
& they never made any very determined effort
afterwards. Our own casualties were very light but
the enemy seems to have suffered rather heavily.
Thousands of fresh troops are camped in all the gullys
that offer any shelter, they have been landing during
the dark hours of the night for the past week & the
small area in our posession seems unduly crowded at
present. At midday B section had orders to be prepared
August 1915
to move at 3 30pm, that involved each man sewing
a white patch band 4" deep on each arm ^ above the elbow, & a patch xxx 6" square on the back
of the tunic, these are intended as identification marks
for our artillery observers & a precaution against our own
troops being fired upon by our artillery when the
advance is in progress. At 3 30pm with 48 hrs
iron rations & a full water bottle each we procceded to a
point in xxxx valley Shrapnel gully at the old 4th Battalion Aid post
where we had orders to await further instructions. A little
after 4 30pm the 7th Batt who had been in supports passed
us & went on in to the trenches. At 5 pm various
warships that had suddenly come on the scene along with
every gun of our field artillery comenced to bombard the
enemys positions, the enemys artillery imediately
retalliated, & the incessant crackle of rifle & machine
gun fire comenced & the whole atmosphere in a few
minutes seemed to be in a regular mad uproar, shells
were screaming & whining through the air exploding everywhere
with a tearing crash only exceeded by the
deafening report of the big guns on the warships. Shrapnell
shells began to explode in large numbers lower down the
gully over the hundreds of troops shelling there in reserve.
& casualties were fairly numerous. We expected to
receive orders any minute to proceed to some part of
the line where our services were required, but hours
passed & none came, we began to get anxious,
particularly over the inactivity of the situation, there
was little shelter & every minute large howitzer shells
were exploding in our vicinity showering masses of
earth over us as they crashed & exploded in the ground
at times only a few yards away, one actually crashed
among a dozen or more of us the explosion tossing us in all
directions, but fate was kind & only one chap was ^slightly wounded
& not seriously though but the concussion gave everyone
a thorough shaking up. Anything in the way of activity
would have been a relief, it was impossible to believe
we were not required somewhere, taking risks in performing
a dangerous duty is passed by without further notice, but
August 1915
inaction under the^se circumstances which we spent the
nightwaiting, & is terribly destructive trying on the nerves, &
it was a welcome releif when we received orders at
daybreak about 7pm for 7 squads to report back to our camp &
2 to remain at the post, it fell to my lot to be
one of those left, but for what purpose none of us
knew, as there was nothing for us to do, it was evidently that the
comunications above us were blocked & the casualties
we were expected to be handle though this service were
being diverted into other comunications the only casualties we attended during the night were ones that
what casualties we did handle had occurred in the comunications ^in our imediate vicinity none were from
the trenches themselves, this state of affairs lasted
all throughout the day with us & we welcomed the opportunity of
taking ^ an occasional casualty down to the CC Station about
upon just to releive the effects of this forced inactivity
when the occasion a little. After about 8 pm the
noise & uproar of the continual artillery action
during the day abated considerably but it went
on spasmodically throughout the night, we had to
content ourselves with spending another night out under
last night conditions.
Sat 7th. All communication with the line seems to have ceased
along this track altogether, we had nothing whatever
to do during the night, we ^& managed to get a few
minutes sleep at intervals. At about 6 am one of our
large biplanes forced an enemy machine to land
descend in his own territory. After spending the
morning waiting for orders we were much releived xxxxx ^when
instructions orders at 3pm ^gave us instructions to proceed to the N Zealand
dressing station in Monash Gully where ^from which we assisted
to clear the wounded. We received a surprise upon
reaching the Cove for anchored off Suvla were a doz
or more transports & ^numbers of other smaller vessels along
with several light cruisers & a number of T B.Ds which
were continually on the move. The scene reminded
one of the landing here in April. British troops
made a new landing on Cape Suvla post during the night
August 1915
& they are fighting to join up with our left flank
& force their way inland, while our own troops
are attacking from their positions to capture the
commanding points of the xxx plateau of Sari Bahr
the principal objective being hill 971, which the
New Zealanders are doing some desperate fighting
desperately to capture Our own infantry have
captured the enemys positions on Lone Pine after
a terrible struggle & are making a wonderful stand
against the repeated counter attacks of the enemy to
hold the Lone Pine plateau. Just before dusk we
received orders to return to our camp, where we obtained
a very welcome hot drink & had a meal, after which we xxxxx releived
2 other squads & relayed the wounded from our camp to the C.C.S.
About 8pm a batch of a doz captured Turks were brought
down from the Trenches there appears to have been a fair
number of prisoners captured taken All the wounded
we should have handled during the night were brought
down through Victoria & Clark's Gullies. The enemys
artillery has been rather quiet all day but ours has been very active
& the war boats have done a considerable amount of firing.
Our aircraft have been very active & since the enemy
plane was forced down this morning no enemy planes
have shown up. The 1st Light Horse Regt suffered very
heavy losses today when charging the enemys positions.
Sund 8th. Some extremely sever fighting has taken place today all
along our front, & a desperate struggle is going on for the heights
of Sari Bair hill 971 & the heights beyond Suvla plain
The advance into the enemys territory has not been a
complete success we have captured enemy positions, but
the objectives have not been taken, the heights of
Sari Bahr Bair are still in the enemys hands & it
seems to be a hopeless task now to capture this key
position, the unexplained delay by the new troops
in attacking from the new landing at Suvla seems
to have settled our chance of capturing the Sari Bair
heights, through the advantage of a surprise attack
upon the enemy from that direction being completely
lost.
August 1915
Sund 8th. Our infty are consolidating their captured positions
at Lone Pine & up to the present have taken
off successfully all enemy counter attacks, which
have been made with great violence. Our
aircraft have been very active all day & no
enemy planes have been seen. Very large enemy
shells have been exploding on the gun ridge all
day.
Mond 9th. The terrific noise of a bombardment of the enemys
positions, by our warships & the howitzer & field gun
batteries on shore woke me early about 5 am, when
some very severe fighting took place & continued
practically all day, great numbers of wounded came
down & we had the greatest difficulty to handle them
& when relief came about 1 pm we were well done up.
The 7th Battalion suffered very heavily during the
morning when the enemy counter attacked their
positions & very heavily bombed their trenches but failed
to capture any. Very heavy fighting has been in
progress during the day on the left flank at
Suvla, & this afternoon a fire started in the
scrub & burned for hours. About 4pm
Beachy Bill landed several very destructive
shells in Dawkins point where the Indian
mule transport column suffered a number of
casualties & lost 9 mules. A number of
art & inf reinfs arrived this morning.
Tuesd 10th. Early this morning the war boats & field guns
heavily bombarded the enemys positions. Our air craft
have been extremely active today. At about 7pm
an enemy plane attempted to destroy the captive
balloon on the balloon ship, but one of our
planes drove him off & he was unsuccessfull
forced to return back over his own lines.
I have been rather unwell for the past week
but went down to it today while on ration
fatigue & was unable to go with my mates
into the line tonight at 7pm.
August 1915
Wed 11th Reported at sick parade this morning & was
put off duty & instructed to remain in bed &
take only milk diet. Things seem to have been
very quiet today, though it may have been only
my the forced inactivity has given that gave me that impression
they have it has certainly been quiet with me, quite
an unnatural sort of experience after the
past few months which have been the most
exciting & strenuous in my life, perhaps that
is what is telling on me, I do feel somewhat
useless & worn out now though I cannot say
that I noticed it or felt it till yesterday.
What a day it has been; what a budgett of
experiences, if I could only have put all my
thoughts & recolections of the past four months
on paper. The experiences & dangers have
taken on a greater significance today, somewhat
unsettling! & things not noticed xxxx xxx
xxxxx when one is actively engaged in
carrying out some definite duty, comes becomes
very apparent when one is left with, only
his thoughts as a means of occupation.
One becomes rather unconscious of the
disabilities of others while he himself is
not suffering any of them, & it has come home
to me today, through my own experience, that
we are here facing something at the present,
very much more dangerous & powerfull than
the enemy in his trenches opposite, that is
sickness & disease, it is astounding that
this situation did not give me any great concern
before, as it has been very much in evidence
during the past few weeks, as for great numbers
of our men have been drifting away to the
hospitals as a result of it, & what is more
concerning though is the fact that as this is going
on so also is the physical endurance of those
left being reduced daily, though they do not
August 1915
seem to realize it, & here one feels rather in
doubt about our efforts of carring through to
a successful issue the tremendous task
facing us, as our own Australian losses
are continually greater than the number
of reinforcements who come along to replace
them. One thing amounting to a positive
certainty helps one to cast aside some of
the uneasiness these thoughts being when
he knows & realizes that the average
Austrailian will stand up to his job & see
it through or go down in the attempt &
it is humanely impossible to do more.
It is an enviable unenviable thing to be
found wanting by your mates when they
require your help & xxxx this unwritten
law among our troops is responsible
for them standing up to the job so well.
it certainly inspires them to do things
that nothing else could, but this sickness
proves to a man his limitations & how puny his
physical powers, when all things are considered.
Thurs 12th. Spent a very uneasy day have been unable to
keep any food down, remained in bed all day.
airccraft have been exceptionally active today.
Frid 13th. Our hospital section came ashore today & took
over the sick hospital from 2nd Fild Amb
This evening the rumble of a very heavy artillery
bombardment can be heard down going on down at
Helles. Spent an extremely uncomfortable day in
bed have been sweating very freely.
Sat 14th. Very much worse today almost helpless, received
injection to counteract the vomiting, terrible
headache & dreams.
Sund 15th Head a little clearer, otherwise no better
removed to sick hospital between Victoria &
Shrapnell gullies today, mates assisted me to
walk the short distance seem to have no strenght
left at all.
August 1915
Mond 16th Capt Pote examined me this morning & ordered
me to hospital Temp 102.8 Given ticket marked
"Mudros" "P.O. W O" & told to make my way to
C.C.S to catch the hospital barge before it
left. However it was almost impossible for me
to walk more than a few yds at a time, many
gave me a help along but could not go far without
a rest & at Hell Spit I got down for a spell & was
too helpless to get up, never will I forget that
space of time in that spot within a few yds of the
cemetery in which so many comrades take their last
long rest it is impossible to fully describe ones
feelings in going away through being so helpless doing them xxxxxxxxxxxx & leaving
xx xxx them behind knowing that the job they
gave their lives for is not completed. after the
lapse of some considerable time I got a chap
passing to help helped me along again & I finally reached
the CCS in Anzac Cove about noon only to find the barge
had gone out to the Hospital ship & that meant
waiting till 10pm for the next. I must have slept
for some hours as I woke with a start when some
shells exploded very close xxxxxxx at about
6 pm the shelling lasted some time & did a good
deal of damage to the shores, beside causing a
number of casualties 3 being killed very close
to where we were.
At about 10 pm a number of us were put on a barge
at Watsons pier & a pinace towed us out to the
Hospital Ship "Rewa" we were brought on board
& examined by a doctor I was given some medicine
& put on a mattress on deck & given several blankets
never before was a bed so welcome I practically
fell down on it & was tucked in by an orderlie
but a fit of vomiting, gaved me some concern for
a while, as also did the tempting food which was
brought to me I could not look at it, all I
seemed to want was to sleep.
Tuesd 17th Had a very unsettled night. Extremely tempting breakfast
was provided but could not look at any food, continually
vomiting, feel too weak to move. About 10 am a trawler
Good Design came alongside & a number of us were taken on
board, & transferred across to Imbros harbour & put on
board the improvised hospital ship "Serogian". at about
6 pm we steamed out of the harbour.
Wed 18th Just after sunrise we entered Mudros harbour & anchored.
a few patients were transferred to the hospital on shore during
the day but practically all of us are to remain on board xx
owing to all the hospitals being full. There were 1060 patients
on board last night with only two doctors several nurses &
very few orderlies to attend to us, the old boat is a
disgrace a cattle boat of the Leyland line it has recently carried a cargo of mules & horses &
after unloading was cleaned out whitewashed, & matresses
laid on deck where the stalls had been removed from, for us
to be used as beds. Vomiting no so bad today had a little
milk from rice pudding at midday.
Thurs 19th Feeling awful all day. no attention whatever, food
turns me up & the smell of the place makes one crave to get off the
boat.
August 1915
Frid 20th Feeling slightly better today, attempted little porridge for
breakfast & kept it down for short while, managed to keep
little boiled rice & milk down for dinner & slice of bread &
butter for tea. Still at anchor, seems we are not going
to be out ashore, any where would be preferable to being
on this dirty tub in such uncomfortable quarters.
Sat 21st Spent a bad day vomiting again.
Sund 22nd. Feeling better today kept some food down.
Breakfast consists of a little porridge, with a small slice of bread
& butter & a bowl of tea, for dinner we get bully beef & potatoes
in their skins sometimes rice & milk & for tea a slice of bread & butter
again & a bowl of tea, it has to be jam for the butter is beyond
any one I've tasted nothing like it. About 8 pm we weighed anchor
& steamed out of Mudros harbour.
Mond 23rd. Seem to be picking up now feeling lot better today. Sea has
been wonderfully calm like sheet of glass.

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