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

Quinns      Wilkins

& N.Z.I.B. close in and squash / Turks
opp. Quinns  and / Chessboard

1st Div'n has adv'd at 5pm.

2 Brit . Divns have landed at Suvla Bay.
[Shorthand]

2 Brit Tanks in reserve in the new 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. 9 to
B in Abdel at 93.1.9.
Left flank of outpost knoll 92.0.9 excl.
Troops pf 13^th 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.
- Oupt. 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 ws 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 ws 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 positn
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.
Hand drawn diagram - see original document.
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 commn 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 [shorthand]
& traffic ws a real sight.*]
 Aug 6 3.30                   7

Bacchante reappears
4.30. ships down S firing. Balloon
ship out - 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.
__________________________________
4.5 Bacchante nearing her old
positn. 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 comm trench
enemys 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.
XXXX  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. [Diary see my cable]
 8
4.32 Bombardment [shorthand]
4.50 Phillips starts.
5 to 5.5 almost dead silence.
5.33 Rush - men crowded under
Parapet of enemy trench
some[shorthand]  Abt 1/4
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