Diary of Geoffrey Gordon McCrae, 1915 (Vol. 2) - Part 5

Laigh and I went to old bivouac to get stores
met Major Stevenson on our return and saw
victims of previous day's bombardment
awaiting burial. Agamemnon and two blisters
shelled coast below Gaba Tepe and were escorted
by many destroyers Our guns had a lively
stunt in early afternoon.
Wednesday 1.12. 1915.
Beautiful, clear spring day all sharp. - Had a
lovely wash and shave by getting my boy to chop
some ice out of some pools in Communication-trenches
and melt it. Our guns did a lot of firing during
the afternoon. After tea went round to see Major
Stevenson and there met Arthur Dodd, had some
music by the gramophone.  Came home at 9. p.m. _
 

Thursday 2.12. 1915
Beautiful, Spring-like day, warm sun
Swift and I went through trenches and Lone Pine
and along to 22d. Battalion. Saw Bob Smith &
Bruce King. During the afternoon there was a
big artillery duel Turks endeavored to 

knock out the howitzers at the foot of the gully

 

in which we are ensconced with 9.2 high

-explosive shells.  however all the shots fell

short.  Many fragments were flung about

our dug-outs. All through the night the 

monitors at sea and our guns on land

continued to strafe Abdul. On ¼ rations

of water ¾ of biscuit.

 

Friday 3.12.1915.

Dull, drizzly day - nothing much doing except

a duel between "Beachy Bill" and our 18-pounders

& howitzers In afternoon made improvements to

dug-out and prepared for the rain.

Much flung down at Cape Helles

during night.

 

Saturday 4.12.1915.

Dull, mild day. drew cartoon for Anzac New

Year Magazine in morning. At 2 pm.  an intense

bombardment by shore batteries, cruisers, monitors

and destroyers. Commenced on the slopes of Achi Baba

it lasted with continued severity until 4pm.

When it became more or less desultory and

confined to the guns on shore.

 

Sunday 5.12.1915.

Went to Church-parade & Holy Communion

Two shells fell in bivouac during morning

no one hurt. Turks threw a message attached

to a stone into Lone Pine stating they knew we

were short of water and that we soon would be short

of food. Wrote letters in afternoon. Had my hair cut.

 

Monday 6.12.1915.

Mail arrived in morning Artillery fighting still.

continued down at Helles. During the morning an

enemy. submarine appeared off the shore. She was

chased by destroyers assisted by two aeroplanes

In afternoon Taube flew over and dropped a bomb

which failed to explode. Our anti air-craft gun made

splendid practice against her and she quickly "unshied"

At 6pm. word was received from Brigade that Colonel

Elliott & Major Hart would be landing that evening at

7 p.m. I took four men and sent down to meet him.

Arrived at Williams pier at 7.30 but the ship had not

shown up then. 11.30 pm. last barge-load of troops

came ashore but the Colonel was not with them

Met Colonel Lemessurier who invited me up to

the Hospital where we had some supper

 

Returned to beach and continued our vigil

together

 

Tuesday 7.12.1915.

1.30 am the next load of troops

came ashore but still no appearance

of the CO. Got word that there would

be no more landing till about 5 AM

I went back to Hospital and they

fixed me up with a bed 5.30 the

C.O. arrived and we set out for the

bivouac reaching there at 7 a.m.

Went with C.O. to Brigade Head Quarters

Had a lie-down from 11am till noon.

Was appointed to B Co again and had

a dug-out commenced Laigh & I went

at 1st Australian Stationary Hospital

Hada most excellent meal and some

music with a gramophone An amazing

but tragic incident occurred whilst we were there

Some Egyptians found a bomb on the

beach and mistook it for a lamp, and, delighted

with their 'find' they lit it and all stood 

round with the result of them all being

brought up on stretchers.

 

Wednesday 8.12.1915.

Cool. still day. Enemy very quiet. Reorganized

the Company. In afternoon took Major Hart through

the Lone Pine, Met Col. Watson & Major Fethers

the C.O. came in whilst we were there. and we went

to see Col Knop with whom we had afternoon-

tea On coming away, the Turks indulged

in a short bombardment with 8.2

high explosives.

 

Thursday 9.12.1915.

Hot, still day. Enemy passive. Our guns opened the Ball.

Monitors did some shelling in direction of the Olive Grove.

 

Friday 10.12.1915.

Still day - 11.30 a.m. the Navy commenced

bombardment with 3 cruisers and two monitors

 

along Gaba Tepe back to Khaled Bhar Ridge

Had lunch with Dr Campbell Laigh &

Acroyd. 7.30 pm. Co commanders called

HQrs and given instructions to take

over trenches.

 

Saturday 11.12.1915.

8.30 C.O. Company Cmdrs went

to Trenches. Change over 10.15. I was appointed

Intelligence Officer and took over observation

Posts and Maps. Went to 1st Brigade Hqrs

for instructions. Looked over new works &c.

5th & 6th left for LEMNOS.

 

Sunday 12.12.1915.

Rose 6 a.m. Made arrangements for putting

in new bombing-posts. Went to see Brigade

Major. Turks put 15 shells on road outside

our Head Quarters during lunch. no damage

done except case of bully smashed up.

General Smythe went through trenches

Observation post rest of afternoon

In trenches and obs station until 11 p.m.

Monday 13.12.1915.

Warm, bright day. Observation Station and

Brigade H.Q. in morning Refunded Canteen-

contributions In afternoon at Obs.Station

went to that of 3d Bn. to verify some points

whilst there a sniper put a bullet through the

sand-bags wounding two breaking Lieut Treloar's

arm and lodging in a sergeant's thigh

These two saved me Returned to Obs St. and

compared notes with a patrol-leader

Had dinner and wrote up daily reports.

 

Tuesday 14.12.1915.

Still, misty day - Observation very

difficult nothing of importance occurred spent

evening with Staff Capt 1st L.H.Brigade.

 

Wednesday 15.12.1915.

Cold, clear day Strong North East Wind at Obs.

Station most of morning went over route to pier

with C.O. and other officers. Did the same at night.

HMS Colne was shelled in evening from a gun

in new position.

 

Thursday 16.12.1915.

Picked up the above position in the morning

8th Battery shelled it in afternoon destroying

guns and emplacement Corpl Scurry

invented new automatic time-gu.

Met Mjr Nicholson B.S.O.in morning

and spoke to him of it and he was

much impressed and took me to interview

the G.O.C. and arranged for a

trial in the morning. Had dinner

with George Stevenson and Arthur Dodd.

 

Friday 17.12.1915.

Went to Divisional H.Q. at 10.30 and

and gave demonstration of the Scurry-

invention before members of the 2d div and

A & NZ Div. Bean took photos. and all were much

impressed

Spent afternoon in Obs.Station. Took

Lieut.Horvet to Bde H.Q. in evening. George

Stevenson & Arthur Dodd came to say good bye.

 

Saturday 18.12.1915.

Very foggy morning - big fire on our left

flank evidently some depot on fire

Colonel Elliott sprained his ankle and was

put on board of Hospital Ship.

two big shells fell near our position at dusk.

Laigh with a party of two hundred

Officers and men took 

their departure.

 

#Sunday 19.12.1915.

The critical day dawns clear, but dull

evening, generally quiet. Between 8.30 and

10 AM the Turks put 28 fourteen-inch shells

in the vicinity. Some came within 50 yards

and we were constantly dodging huge

showers of earth. Some of the craters measured

15 ft. by 8 ft. the 8th Battery had a duel

with their one remaining gun. with Beaches

Six o'clock Major Hart left with a party

of 230 leaving about 200 of us to hang on

Everything very quiet, Adbdul not in

the least suspicious. 10.15 I left with 112

and was embarked by 11.15. once more on

the "Aleaperich together with 1600 others. Met

plenty of friends from the artillery and

2d Division. About 4 a.m. a mine was

 

exploded at the NEK. and the Turks opened up

a fierce fusillade at our empty trenches.

At daylight he shelled the whole line

from Russell's Top to Lean's Trench for

twenty minutes but we were then all

arriving at Mudros, thus, we evacuated

without a casualty. and Kitchener

had allowed for 8000 wounded

and 4000 killed - #

 

Monday 20.12.1915.

On arrival at Mudros we went alongside

the "Campanbello" where we had breakfast

and exchanged experiences until noon.

We then went on board the Water witch and

landed at Sarpe Camp. After dinner Laigh

and I went over to the jetty to look for blankets

and borrowed a motor launch from the

Engineers and went on board the Hororata

and saw Captain Cameron.

Tuesday 21.12.1915.

Uneventful morning. In the afternoon Laigh,

Campbell and I went over to the Base-Details Camp.

then to Ordnance and No.3 General Hospital, here we

got them to run us out to the "Laforey" where we were

very warmly welcomed. A few minutes after our

arrival, an order came for all destroyers to put to

sea at 16 knots. We dined wilst steam was

being raised and then went ashore

in the ship's motor-boat.

 

Wednesday 22.12.1915.

In the afternoon went over to No.3. General

to afternoon-tea. got a few letters in the

evening.

 

Thursday 23.12.1915.

The 4th Light Horse took their departure in the

morning. In the afternoon received the rest of our

mail and meat and puddings very cold . . . . . 

got an awful one in the head.

 

Friday 24.12.1915.

Cold, wet, miserable morning, much

mud. Sisters Leech & Malster came to see

us in afternoon -

 

Saturday 25.12.1915.

Christmas Day. Church Parade in the

morning. General Chauvel addressed 

us.

 

Sunday 26.12.1915.

Church-parade in morning

Chaplains Miles & Dexter

photoed our surviving original officers

 

Monday 27.12.1915.

Acted as Divisional Field-Officer for the day

which passed uneventfully.

 

Tuesday 28.12.1915.

Beautiful day. Went for route-march in morning

lay down very tired all afternoon

 

Wednesday 29.12.1915.

More route marching

(Last entry in this Diary.

Ships I have been on board.

 

H.M.T. HORORATA    +PORT LINCOLN.

MASHOBRA.                 CERAMIC

MINNWASKA                ARAGON

MINNETONKA              CANOPUS

MINNEAPOLIS             AUSTRALINO

ROYAL GEORGE.         ADAMANT

DUKE OF ARDROSSAN.  B.H.Submarine

COMEDIAN                          F.14    "

SWANLEA

ITRIA                                 HMS QUEEN.

SURADA.

ANDANIA                        ++ Those ships added in dotted letters do not appear

CALEDONIA                         in the list, but, as he had been, according to 

SEANG CHOON.                  entries in this Diary, on board them all, they

HYTHE                                    appear here in exact completion -

CLACTON.

OSMANIEH.

ABASSIEH.

HUNTSGREEN

SOUDAN

BERRIMA

MAURETANIA

ALCAPERIEH

CARRIGAN HEAD

CAMPANBELLO

+WATER WITCH

 

Ships I have travelled in since outbreak of hostilities

 

                                               

	days
HORORATA	51
MASHOBRA	40
SEENG CHOON	5} This is the vessel on board of which he was taken for treatment when shot through the arm on 17 May 1915- at Gallipoli-
(H.M.S.) HYTHE	1
CLACTON	1.} He was taken on board this vessel to be treated after a shell explosion injuring his face 12.7.1915.
SURADA	4.  5.}The vessel in which he returns from Cyprus as well as had arrived there.
SOUDAN	4
HUNTSGREEN	6
OSMANIEH	1
ABBASSIEH	¼ Sailing cancelled.
H.M.S.LAFOREY	5
ALCAPERIEH	1.1.

[Rear of book]