Charles E W Bean AWM38 3DRL 606/11/1 - August 1915 part 1

C.EW Bean 
Headquarters
1st Austrln Divn.
____________________
Diary Aug 6 –
 

Diary 11. Aug 6–
(follg.
Sardines for H.Q.
Camera. (Ph. of J.)
N.Z. order. 
Diary
Letter.
Battle of Chemen Tepe
Aug 6 —
11
 

The Plan for NZ attack to North is :
(Taken down from Monash in Rest Valley)
NZ MR. Clear up (shorthand) 3 outposts to 
Table top
(Hand drawn diagram - see original)
9.30
NZ Inf Bde' comes out under their cover
& works up 2 rivr gullies to 
main ridge
(Hand drawn diagram - see original)
British Bde comes out under
their wire & seizes covering ridge to N
(Hand drawn diagram - see original)
          

29th  2
4 Aust Bde & Coxs  Indian
bde . Come outunder this
cover & work up main ridge.
2 bns of 4^th Bde
first holding a 
covering position 
(Hand drawn diagram - see original)
Remaining 2 Bns of Aust Bde &
Cox's Ind Bde work into position
and 2 covering bns advance into 
line 
(Hand drawn diagram - see original)

3 

Artillery,  Chessboard 1 LH Bde, 3 LH Bde

                                                        [[ Qu???]]      Wilkins

Close in and squash / Turks

NZ 1. B. (shorthand)

Opp. Quinns  and / Chessboard

Div'n has adv'd at 5pm.

Brit . Divns have landed at Suvla Bay.
(Shorthand)

2 Brit Tanks in reserve in the [[?]] angle.

4 Bde start from No 5 supply depot 9:35 Aug 6 in this

order 13 14 15 16

To Aghyl Dere - then E.
13 & 14 at 925 x 92 x x track
will be detached for:
outpost & flank protection
Knoll 100 near 92.0.9 Excl to
 

4
knoll ^100 between  100 92p & 92u
to spur running from 92p. 9to
13 in Abdel at 93.1.9.
Left flank of outpost knoll 92.0.9 excl.
Troops pf 13th Brit Divn will
prolong the line to the West.
Rt. flank of outpost line ABdel
Rahman Bair spur to (incl)
ground overlooking valley of
Daouk Julak Dere.
Orpt C to be entrenched
As soon as this outpost line has
been made good 13 14 will advance
N.
as soon as above measures h bn taken
Col. will go up valley of Aghyl Dere
to confluence of 2 branches so named
 

5
at 92 x x 92y. From here advance
will be be on from magnetic bearing
78° to second A in Rahm An
1 coy 15 bn advanced guard.
wh will send line of scouts to 
Abdel Rahman Bair Spur
When there 1 Coy will be sent
N to act as flank picquet
& get back to rt flank of outposts
keep commn w main body &
watch country E & N.
On reaching place of assembly
rest of Bde will form column of
coys to right (ie. facing South
along spur, 16 Bn to S of 15 Bn
Indian Bde S of Aust. Bde.
 

He and I had previously bn along
to see where / fight cd best be
seen from. I thought I wd get near
where he started from - we went along
to see - it ws S of Browns Dip - but
tunnel was crowded.
 

6
Orders for assault of 305 will
then be given.
Line held by Bde will extend
from R in Rahman to Knoll 305
excl. abt 1100 yds. Fire support &
commn trenches to be built.
93.9.9 Left Monash and went

along to see Jack who was w his
stretcher bearers at 3 Bn parade
ground on a little square of levelled earth
on top of their old cess pit. The Bn
had bn resting there - most of it & Js
dressing stn ws temporarily there.
J. told me last night he had to follow
after with m.gs abt abt 20 mins after
1st rush - Saw him. Then borrowed
Little Parkers camera. Went back to
see J & found him just leaving.
 

3rd Bn started to move into position
about 2.30. It needed time as
trench was narrow
& they had to get
down very small
tunnels to secret
firing line -
wh consisted
of holes in / scrub.
The 3 Bn ws still on its
way in at 4.30 when
the bombardment began.
3rd Bn filing out at Browns
dip one way, 2nd another 
way, 4 another - 1st
filing thro' them - it ws like
a meeting o / traffic at the
Bank. King ws rather
excited w 3 Bn for blocking
the common trenches & holding whole
Bde. They eventually went largely
into old firing line & went in from there
tho' distance longer. I went there too.
[*Browns Dip w [[?]]
& traffic ws a real sight.*]
 

Aug 6 3.30                   7

Bacchante reappears
4.30. Ships down S firing. Balloon
ship [[?]] - 2 monitors & 4 (shorthand)
_________________________________
Little monitor  Big monitor  Edgar
Cruiser ^4 funnelled nearer in not (shorthand)
T Batty w 2 big shells firing [(shorthand)
Explosive at S end of our line
where 11th had to retake (shorthand)  post
last night.
3.55 Black Smoke of (shorthand) down S
__________________________________
 (shorthand) Bacchante nearing her old
position. Turkish guns firing on
her. Big T bomb dropping v
close
4.7 Bacchante firing

As went along trench heard officer
telling men "Look out for a xxxxxxx
enem's wire" etc - giving last hints.
Abt. 5.25 as I reached convenient pt.
in trench S of Browns Dip, after having
tried a good many, I heard at
recess near No 9 (?5) Tunnel. It
ws crowded with 3 Bn. Men were
chaffing one another - seemed quite
eager for 3 Bn to go out & do something.
Abt 5 were on the fire step - a little
officer crouched in corner - & abt 5 or
6  xxxx in trench below. I saw not
slightest trace of nervousness. Men all
had packs with some sort of tucker or
knicknacks in. Presently order
came: Pull down top bags in tt recess.
- so as to make it easier to get over.
Whole trench looked suspiciously ragged.
Officer took whistle from
wrist. "Prepare to get  jump out"
he sd. Put whistle betw. his teeth.
I didn't hear mines go - presently
he blew whistle. [Deary see my cable]
 8
4.32 Bombardment (shorthand)
4.50 Phillips starts.
5 to 5.8 almost dead silence.
5.33 Rush - men crowded under
Parapet of enemy trench
some(shorthand) 
afterwards many men started
to hop into enemys trench. Seemed
busy over something - thought I saw rifle butts
come up. Colonel went w 2nd
rush.
Ts (shorthand) got onto our trench
& afterwards onto space betw.
trenches but wonderfully
few men were hit. Some
 

9
got into 2nd trench.
1st Bn now filing 
into fire trench in
1st Bn. began to go over
& reinforce. It looked as if this
ws unnecy on the right bec.
numbers of men were lying
there - they were dead men.
Enemys m. gs. always told
when our (shorthand)
Not a man came (shorthand)
Attempts to signal -
Telephone carried by 2