Charles E W Bean AWM38 3DRL 606/11/1 - August 1915 part 2

Col. Smythe was keeping his head
most coolly- giving distinct
orders to every messenger what to
do- sorting out orders messages- this he 
answered, that marked out for 
Majr King.

Could see earth being thrown up from
Communication trench-apptly being
Cut back to us from enemy’s line.
In front of our line all along ws a continuous
scattered belt of jam tins in the wire.
Then the bullet swept scrub. Then the Jolly
- absolutely bare of any sign of life- one
broad earth parapet & several other 
mole furrows across a knuckle- & 
our bullets whipping the dust out o / parapet
& shells bursting there occasionally- black 
earth clouds flying. I did see 3 bayonets 
sticking out o / nearer end of it.

12
Col. Smythe V.C. Brigadier, & Col. Bennet by me in
trench. There arrives a 
message presently from Col. Brown.
Left Safe. CRentre wants is a few [[?man?]]
70 (shorthand) & will send them 
in o soon as pb.
excited man pushes up to Col. Smythe with 
message: "men smothering in the tunnel".
He repeats it 2/3 times. No one takes any heed^.
Their wounded come crawling
limping Id. One chap crawling thro
like a dog on all fours  - apparently content.
Tel. Line again (shorthand)
Hear we had in (shorthand)
Signaller who is waving to us arrives,
Signaller P C (shorthand) he
started to wave they put
3 shrapnel on to him and several
were hit, so he cdnt wave. (The
shutter method was difficult to read).

13

Col [Shorthand]
[Shorthand]
[Shorthand]  Shall he
stay where he is [Shorthand]
[Shorthand] He has bn in touch w I
left & (shorthand).
Told, stay where he is &
feed the firing [Shorthand)
[Shorthand) headcover is 9/4
"something marvellous."
Things seemed settled here
by 7.30 o'c so [Shorthand]
& Mackworth & Gordon

As I came out of trench saw some of Js men
Heard J. had bn wounded in the
hand and gone down the beach
*I was talking to White at / time. We were
expecting a counter attack. The Common
trenches were at preset 12 ft & 20 yds 
away respectively.
On the beach I heard abt 10pm tt
he had bn sent to the Sicilia. On
Aug 9. I heard from him tt it was
a nasty wrist wound - shrapnel
& ws found to be septic & drained
under chloroform. He ws going to
England & wd stay w Mrs Selwyn
or Aunt Katie.
 

14

Comment. [Shorthand) blocked by wd. men
Our (shorthand) wants the trample on them.
The signalling apparatus
shutter & yardarm broke down
*at 9.30 (shorthand) fire in
Centre - NZ  had gone in.
(200 bags of mail sunk -
saved nothing. [Shorthand]
[Shorthand] June 30)
Fighting also (Shorthand)
10.20 more heavy firing on
left.
Nos of [Shorthand]
Men lying up under crater

15
digging in.
Warships lights on left
Just (shorthand) counter attack
(shorthand)
Turks knew we were going
to attack for they saw others
charging.
Walker (shorthand) Godley (shorthand)
(shorthand)
NZ Howitzer (shorthand)
Threw off (shorthand)

----
Men used (shorthand)
& fall but got up again
2 [Shorthand) traversing over trench.

11.15 pm  Aug 6.
I heard at A.C. Headqurs abt 11.15 that
N,Z.M.R. were held up on Table Top
& were late. But Monash, Gurkhas were
starting out in spite of this (some small
risk perst if M.R. cdn't clear ridges
- might make Monash's retreat
difficult - but worth taking. Gen Birdwood 
clearly thought so.
Bayley sewed white patches onto
my coat & I took field glasses.
I somehow missed the sap that in NZ
lines. Coming on bank of it I jumped in.
The jump ws much bigger than I expected
& I got a rather nasty shake. Went on &
10 minutes later found I had lost my
pince nez. A couple of hours later found I
had lost my field glasses. No chance of
seeing them again.
Thought hear mine explode at
midnight (Just then passing NZ inf
endlessly filing thro sap) but v. little
firing. This ws puzzling bec we were
looking to this attack as a big punch in
back for Ts attacking from Jolly.
(cont. on p.32*)
 

16   

(Hand drawn diagram. See original document)
[Shorthand)
1st Bde charge
Clouds of dust in beautiful evening light
Shrap down 
a yellow with shell smoke
Standing up & firing at Ts
saw one man standing up & firing at a rabbit.
Men standing along the trench perplexed
by overhead cover.
Going to the N Hawk on reaching C.T. to No 3 outpost I found
that the Brit had gone on - i.e. Bde going to Waldrious Spur
NZ moving thro 'sap- Saw Hughes there & Sam[[?]]
lights to trench North, wh may be 
1 British firing landing. Just as I pass Hughes 
it is midnight. We shd hear G.O. Trench.
12.43 out burst of firing on
right. (shorthand) G. O. Trench
(as I was going through the GF near No 1 Post)
Cheer in Dark,
12.45 Gen Russell reports he has captured
Table Top. (shorthand)
Telephoned thro to Table Top

16a
200 Lancs lost in Rest
gully
Both attacks on GOT
failed
-
*See later page for this part of diary.
(3) He had to tell G.H.Q tt if they
cdn't let him have water he wd
have to send troops away - not
bring them in. They Turks knocked a
couple of water barges out - we had
tried to get them to make
arrangements long before. Monash's
Bde had to start shorting water - so
they sd - but seem to have got some
later all right.

17
12.45 

Notes made at No 3 Post
Russells H.Q. in old No 3.
Bauchopes (shorthand)
Canterbury (shorthand)
Hutton got m.g. on Bauchopes.
Man w bayonet red tells us (perspiring messenger
[*fine looking boys v. excited*]
"Got into (shorthand) on Bauchopes (shorthand)
↓  but trench ws mined & working
(shorthand) ws blown up."
Line is: _______
1.am Big Table Top. Old No 3 Bauch hill
Birchwood told me tt [[?]] He cd not get pinnaces
No pinnaces for Beach for wounds
(2) Cd not get mules
1st Divn ^ lost abt 2000 (shorthand)
Bdes going slowly to 
left. Filing slowly thro dark. some
yarn abt Ghurkhas running away
(At this point I went off to find Monash)

No word what behind of opposite them
(^Jack  J. hit thro I hand)
Prisoners in Coral ^(Cafe)
tremendous firing
5.15 (shorthand)
4.30 - 5 (shorthand) [[between]] some firing. L.H attacking L.H/ [shorthand]quinns
No water  ^Barge (shorthand) at Imbirs
warships + ^numbers (shorthand) of trawlers
off point (shorthand)   5.30 more landing ^ heavy firing (shorthand)
6.10 more of (shorthand)
Taube came over 6 (shorthand)
one of our aeroplanes made it dive
Troops up to the farm.
5 Pinnaces ^one trawler with a sail. (shorthand)
Destroyer ^on each side of the Bay. firing (shorthand)

18 

cruisers, 2 balloon ships [[Bridge]](?) w black funnel
7.4 ^ our (shorthand) Bridge (shorthand)
a transport round the point another further round
south-destroyers.
still hold Lone Pine - not -attack)
8 0'c (shorthand)if 971 ours
(shorthand) who took it.
(shorthand) if NZ Inf Bde had been (shorthand)
We haven't taken (shorthand) or Baby 700
or G.O. Trench
Bayonets are gleaming under (shorthand)
of [[?]] Baby 700 & N of it.
Water had to be  (shorthand) for. G H Q
had \ s. If you dont give us
(shorthand) send (shorthand).
Our aero made Taube dive

3 am. rippling fire out
north of N 3 position -: British
far across the plain.
1.30 Further heavy (shorthand) warship
firing continuously.
News - 971 captured (shorthand)
Ghurkhas on top in trench
Lone Pine (shorthand)
wh (shorthand)are using on the Turks.
army (shorthand)

-
v. like old days.  N force
can be seen on beach
& on hill N of Suvla (shorthand)
on (shorthand) beaches. Firing to 

19
4.55 pm Aug 7. firing again

-

5" howitzer dropped a lot
of shells on our own men.

-
Aug 7th Whilst dictating cable to Bayley
8.45pm   sudden outburst v.
(shorthand) Germans Bullets
whistling over this dug out
8.46 Bombs. Fire appears be
receding. More bombs.
Bombs must mean
we attacking (shorthand) or they [[?]].
One sergt of [[?]] told Gellibd
this (shorthand) coming down wounded.
Fire getting further _
9.51 Fire further & slighter
I think I hear a distant 

cheer.

When we went to G.O.T.
today we got orders
for frontline to (shorthand) point
(Shorthand)to second line

20
We are attacking. I think we have
got these beaches or some of
them.
8.33. Fire getting far more 
distant. Few bombs.
8.55. Fire getting very distant
& almost dying out.
Sounds like Baby 700.
8.56 Only few isolated shots
above here. Rest of firing
distant.
m/ g/ whistling overhead
shells flies near.
[Lesp?]  of bullets v- distant.
9.15 fire almost ceased. Few
near shots - Distant Bullets
has just hit dry leaves
outside this dug out. 

X
2 LITR. B2nd sq. under (shorthand) Bourne (shorthand)
(shorthand) Quinns. Enfilade from Jolly & other side - Lost (Shorthand)
cdnt (shorthand). Lost (shorthand) Thegan Lt Huston k. Lt ^Burge
missing. Lt Coris wounded (6k. 8 missing 29 wounded)

------------
1 LITR  (shorthand) Glasgow attacked from Popes.
Some men reached 3rd (shorthand) 1st (shorthand) 7.30
when owing to Enfilade had to get back & bombs
only night section got back. C group (shorthand)
(shorthand)  Reid k. Lt Nettleton k Tinson
missing (k?) 25K 51 missing Capt Cox Lts
Holman, A D Reid, A A White, N. S McMillan,
J. Stuart, Wi Weir, JHE Harris 67 or wounded
1st Lt Killed Ts in trenches they got into.

-------------
3LITR. were in Popes & Quinns as support.
4 v. t. wounded -

--------------
8th Coy R. Welsh, fr down gully  6 Bn
[[/]] Regt 101 [[R]] Divn [[?]]

--------------
Hughes attacked in Nek   8LH had 3 offrs k.
5 wd. 8 missing.
3 LHB] 8 offrs k 9 w 11 missing
427 men kwm. T mg had cut down
our trenches. Col White (k) ws first out.

21
Few near shots persistently firing.
0.10 Very heavy (shorthand) far to N.
occasional [[sniping]] bullets here 
past dug out.
-
Staff (shorthand)
(shorthand) 

-

10.15 Heavy outburst of firing
10.16 Bombs arrived (shorthand)
Aug. 8. 5.40 Tremendous
muffled (shorthand) on ridge at
back of camp. Rifle fire & [[others]]
distant.
(Sounds like bombardment of
chess board. Ships not firing)
5.55 Bacchante opens afraid to

10
men came rushing back.
Dropped into a hole.
They took one line over, &
another line (shorthand). It got
cut by (shorthand).
Then (shorthand). Left
weak. Turks attacking a
massing for attack on
left (from R Bn)
we began to

-
[(shorthand) 200, 300  (shorthand)
3 wounded (Shorthand)]