Charles E W Bean AWM38 3DRL 606/11/1 - August 1915 part 6

52
Suvla Bay; the only s bay is netted this
sort of way
& the
[Hand drawn diagram - see original]
warships are
all inside it - 5 of them
Baby
Except 2 cofferdam Edgars, the
Bacchante, & baby monitor wh is
standing in quite close shelling.
8 horse ambulance waggons are
going in along the S. Side of salt lake,
then across it & along N. Side towards
Anafarta. A red cross flag is on /
middle o / hill slope beyond / harbour
so we have probly a flank guard
& fighting not far away in tt
directn - Groups of men possibly
engineers, are along / road,
/ other side o / lake, & across it
On / seaward side o / extreme
point is a camp, apparently
dug outs o / base, wh must
 

53
have bn put there under shrapnel
fire. If our troops were on W hills
this morng & not this afternoon
goodness knows where they are. Perh.
their flank guard ws not strong enough.
Or perh they are striking in at 971
to help us & again risking the
certain flank attack from NE.
[Hand drawn diagram - see original]
 Turks
 Brit
 Turk
ANZ
& 13th
The British have put guns on
the beach to / North of us -
I believe they went out from here
- they cd be seen w / T. shrapnel
bursting all over them.
 

54
I believe we were to get as many 
guns as possible ashore w our
N. force today or last night.
In our own lines the 7^th
has taken place of some of the 1^st
Bde. They fought splendidly. Turks
counterattacked early this morning
(Aug 9.) & crept up common trenches
w bombs. They also came over /
top in skirmishing order
& lay down under parapet of their
support trench. We have abt 3 [[shorthand]]
of trenches up to slope of hill & [[shorthand]]
have couple of support trenches over
slope; well Their [trenches shorthand] are well made
wide commn. trenches & fire
trenches roofed over almost
entirely w thick pine beams &
splendidly made loopholes.
 

55
We had put bays across on other
side & built up some steps or cut
recesses. We cd still be enfiladed.
When T.s attacked a few got into
trenches held by 7 Bn but were
shot or bayoneted. Roe, one of our
batmen, ws in recess w young
officer (Lt Cubb or some such,
name, he thinks) who ws fighting
splendidly. When they felt inclined
to get their heads down he
ws up breast high firing w his
pistol - here is Turks were shouting
Allah Allah - "Come on you
b—rs," sd our men, "we'll
give you allah!" All men were
up over parapet - Roe shot 2 in
common trench & one, who got
behind a mound, by kneeling in /
parapet. "Good boy" sd / officer
 

56
slapping him on / back. "Thats /
way - give it to / b—s." "I
felt inclined eno to get down at
times" sd Roe, "but w him up
there you cdn't think of it."
Then 6 bombs burst at once in
/ trench (they genly bombed / bomb.
throwers) & 4 o / six were completely
laid out. Roe ws blown back up
Common trench, rifle hanging in
two bits in his hand, chest heavily
pounded. ^ Doesn't know what happened to officer
as he limped down to
dressing stn passed another of our
batmen being carried - little Wren  -
w badly wounded leg (also bomb
wound). He ws singing "The Trail o /
Lonesome Pine" & he ws calling & men
going up - that's it, boys, give it
'em back!" 
 

57

Aug 9. I hear talk of artillery
horses getting our guns along
shore or refusing to get
them. Someone outside sd:
It's touch & go we lose the
— battle I believe."
O'G. tells me he saw Brit.
infantry advancing their
side o / Chocolate (W) hills.
They were going in long lines,
bayonets fixed flashing in
sun & Ts bursting shrapnel
on them - prob 4 guns -
very accurately.
____
8.50 p.m. We are evidently
making an attack or
demonstrn on Quinns
or Walkers. A few shots
 

1st Bn.
We drove Turks along another
40 yds of common trench this
afternoon.

2NZ. guns were taken along beach in
fine style this afternoon by two of our 6 horse
teams at / gallop - raining a cloud of
dust. They were sniped at by a m.g.
& for some reason unhooked / teams
& cleared w 2 horses hit, leaving the
guns there. They aftwds went back &
got / guns & took them to positn.
 

58
first. Then a heavy fire, dying down
in a minute. No bombs yet. ∴ we
are prob. not up to / trench. Fire is
all / same more distant.
8.55. ^ one Bomb.
8.59. Fire almost dead - but can hear
bullets from further N. dropping in
sea.
(?) Orders h. bn given to take ^ white armlets
off as Turks are wearing them. White
patch on back to be left.
9.22 another attack outburst opp. Quinns
quickly dying away further up
ridge.
9.27 quite died out.
10.45 Firing S & N of line. N of line
firing seemed to be ours.
11.10 Heavy outbreak of [[shorthand]] from Ts
opp. Popes & Quinns.
Aug 10. 1 a.m. Shots dropping into sea
all night constantly.
 

59
Maunders ^ ADMS (NZ) k. in dug out by
stray bullet at No 2 Post.
Ross' Batman hit there also.
Col Scobie k.
Col Brown k
Col. Malone k
Col Bauchope k
Lt. Col White 8 LH. k.
Spent bullets
Turk walking down gully to
beach betw sentries, fell. Sentries
thought he ws sulking; [[shorthand]]
get up; British an officer
came along & sd - whats matter.
He's sulking sir.
Officer bent down. He's dead -