Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/200/1 - 1915 - 1918 - Part 3

up onto / platoon
(? Walker's Top) Capt Tulloch
ws 2 in/c of B Coy, 11 Bn
& had w him a platoon
of B Coy & a Boatload of
D Coy of 12 Bn.  The 12 Bn
(Capt Lalor) landed there
abt / same time.  They
came up just to /
S of this (? Walkers) Ridge.
Tulloch they reorganised on
/ top & so did Lawler.
Orders were to get Big
700, 11 Bn were to
rendezvous there.  Lawler
sd he wd dig in facing
N as / position seemed
important & 12 Bn
ws in reserve.   

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[Hand drawn diagram - see original]
 

Tulloch saw someone
bending over Col. Clarke
there abt 100 yds away
to rt front on / track.
Maj Elliott ws lying wd
there shot thro / shoulder.
Tulloch pushed on over
the Nek.  Turks were
sniping from the E side
of the head of the left
fork of Monash Gully.
[Hand drawn diagram - see original]
So a few men
were sent worked
round over the
Nek & dislodged
them from their flank -
probably shot them.
This left / coast clear -
the fire had bn nasty
from these men.  Tullochs   
20
 

pty of abt 60 pushed
over / Nek - in groups
& on / other side extended
facing towds their objve
(abt N.N.E)  There ws abt 7 to
10 paces between men. They
worked over rolling scrubby
country & on the second
crest from there (probly the
first hill, wh had 2 crests)
they had a stiff fire
fight with Turk riflemen
& one m.g. (wh ws behind
them ^(the Ts) - there were probly abt
60 Turks). They were 
abt 400 yds away
on another distinct
rise - part way up it.
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We gained fire superiority
& advanced.  Abt 10 men
had bn knocked out.
Corps Lt ELY Butler 12 Bn,
Lt Buttle 11 Bn and
Lt Mortimer Reid of 11 Bn
were there - probably Buttle
& they Reid had followed across
/ Nek with another 30
men.  Butler had bn w
Tulloch from / start.
# The Turks ahead
melted away & we crossed
the crest tt / Turks had 
bn defending & advanced
abt 150 to 200 yds &
had a prolonged fire fight
with Turks very well hidden.
There ws facing them then
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(at abt 500 yds to /
crest) a further & larger
hill wh Tulloch took to
be Big 700.  The Turks
& our men were both
v. well hidden.  It ws
only when using entrenching
tools or moving tt we
brought down a big storm
of fire.  They had m.gs,
at very long range. We
cd see what Tulloch took
to be a Bn Commander
standing by a tree on the
left Shou N Shoulder o /
hill.  Runners were coming
-a few - & going to him ^this officer, &
Tulloch took him to be a
Bn C.O., & ws sniping at
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him at 800-900. yds
but cdnt move him.
The line moved forward 
here abt 100 yds on its
bellies, still on / down
slope - on orders passed along. X
The men were 
10 mins later heavy
m.g. fire at short range
opened on / line wh
they had left.
The men were doing everything
they had bn taught - firing
only as directed - conserving 
ammunition.  During a lull,
on orders passed along, abt
noon probly, Tulloch found tt
water bottles were practically 
untouched.
Lieut Reid ws hit here.
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He crawled to / rear not
permitting anyone to go
w him.  (They passed over
/ same ground ½ hr later
calling his name but he
ws never seen again.)
They fought there for
½ hr.  The sea cdnt be 
seen at all from there on
either side.  But they
cd see a line of Turks
facing almost S firing
on some people of ours
who were down what 
looked like a kind of
valley ½ a mile to right
(to S -) digging in. Tullochs
men were enfilading the
Turks occasionally.  Possibly
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the sea cd be seen to /
right in / directn o /
narrows.
Tulloch had sent men
Lt Jackson w 20 men, when
he left the Nek to the
left, (N). Fire was coming
from between Jackson
to be an echelon in left rear.
Jacksons pty cd be heard
fighting there. In Tullochs
final positn he found tt
fire ws coming either from
/ other side of J. or from
between the 2 parties. They
had no touch w anyone on
/ rt.  Increasing fire at
short range showed tt /
Turks were massing in dead. 
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ground under very good
covering fire.
They accordingly retired
(in 4 sections by alternate
sections at / double).
Abt half remained on
what Tulloch took to be 
Baby 700, & half were
sent back to the next
little rise in front o / Nek.
A messenger was sent 
from there to find Jackson.
Lt Jackson shortly came in
to between / two parties
- he hadnt seen / messenger
but came in to find /
positn.  They left the advanced
pty under an officer w 
orders to delay any Turk
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advance. With the rear
party & Jacksons pty
came back onto the
spur N of the Nek without
crossing / Nek & without
going into any steep gully on
/ way.  N of this ws a gully.  
On / far side of this gully
(abt 2pm probly) the
Turks cd be seen in force.
They were on / other crest.
Nearer to / sea on / left
there ws probly a party
fighting further N, but
the Ts were directly opposite
Tullochs pty.
The shrapnel fire here 
ws well burst & very heavy &
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