Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/208/1 - 1915 - 1918 - Part 7

a certain number were kept

behind I Edge & I  hill - a

certain number werked forwd

abt 10 yds in I low scrub ( abt

2 ft 6 high ) & formed & firing 

line.

The Turks had ran back in

front of us across I valley

( [[?]] were half goat tracks

up I valley side ). ^ Some of These Turks

got into a [[ ?]] already dug

abt 300 yds across I plateau 

-you cd only guess where

I fire ws coming from. The earth

of 1 parapet had bn removed &

the scrub in front of us 

hid it. The moment our

men got up & started to

 crawl over they were fired

at.

men by now were arriving

up I gully. Maj. Druton

ws standing behind I ridge

in one place in the left

end of Courtneys bend, & 

E ws in I rt. And as

men came up I gully they 

assembled them & apportioned

them to I line. D ws abt 50 

yds from E.

Other units began to

arrive, 1st Bn, 3 Bn, 7 & 8 Bns_

& they were put into I line

wherever there ws a casualty.

They wd pull ^ [[ ?]] men back

by their heels - & then as they

got them to I edge & I ridge 

they were pulled over I sudden 

drop.

59a

Hand drawn diagram see original.

draw on page 241

E dug in an observation 

post on I top, about 15 yds

in, on Sunday night.

The men dug little rifle 

pits on rt of this & a

few on I left & these were

disconnected till abt Wed

or Thurs. They used to 

work at night on them

tunnelling from one to I other

to connect up. If you

threw up I earth by day time 

you were shelled w shrapnel.

( Hand drawn diagram see original )

On Sunday, I main [[ ? ]]

& I Turks ws on I left.

E. Cd sec I left & notify

Bde. On I Sunday I Ts.

made no serious c/ attack

till after dark. After dark

they were attacking all

along this line & I men had

to work one digging & I 

other shooting.

Ap 26. By monday morning 

I rifle pits & the  O. P.

were down below ground.

w some parapet.

On I monday there

were only a succession

of small attacks.

On Tuesday I Turks

put an attack in on I left

in order to cover a movement

of Turks along I trench

wh they had begun,

-abt 500 Ts. moving towds

I left w 6 m.gs - you cd see

them carrying I guns.

E got word [[?]] te these

Ts were moving round; & 

asking for fire on I Neck

where these Ts were assembling

under cover & I timber.

Prompt reply ws gn by I ships

guns & will directn fire

demoralised & dispersed this 

attempt. The attacking force

ws badly mauled by our

fire from I  edge of I cliff

wh we were holding. This

attack appeared to be led by

German offrs in a sort of helmet

waving revolvers & urging

I Turks on. They seemed to

be different troops altogether

to those who were moving

in rear towds I Nek.

The attacking troops seemed to be scally wags, the others

in dark

uniform,

well

equipped.

They were clearly trying to

get round I timber on I  

Nek to reach walkers R.

from wh they sd fire into

our rear. No one seemed

to be holding I Nek & I 

[[?]] there at this time.

The first shells of

ships guns wh followed

in sets  abt 10 mins caught 

them beautifully - shrapnel

 & scattered them in every way.

A second attempt ws

made abt an hour later &

they were caught in I same 

way - a couple of Lyddite shells 

lodging fair in I middle of

them. Some of them then ran

forward demoralised & got

into I pocket between

Popes & Walkers & our

neu on Popes started firing 

into them. But others did

get along into I scrub on 

Walkers & gave us a bad

time later by sniping in our 

rear.

This ws on Tuesday:

On Monday _^ or Tuesday night there ws

a blowing of bugles & howling

& shouting apparently in I

[[?]] on I far left - abt in 

front of Popes - And this

made us suspect a feint.

On Tuesday night

there ws a lot of calling out

in front of Courtneys ( ? Mond.

or Tuesday There were calls

of cease fire, cease fire on

I left. There had bn heavy

firing going on. E. cdnt

make out who was giving

I order & told I men to

continue - he worked

along I line to find out 

what I [[?]] ws - he

ws a shallow [[?]]. He ed

hear men calling out

in front " Ceasefire ! Indian 

troops! where can we come in ".

He saw 3 men knealing

behind a bush abt 20 yds

out & called to them to

stand up - our men

had ceased fire there. They

had fixed bayonets but /

bayonets seemed to be

dulled as with mud - it 

ws faint moon by it. E.

moved out a few yds to

get a closer inspection - [[?]]

they seemed to have turbans

on. At / same time he 

saw / faces of men crawling

up thro / scrub. He at 

once realised / positn 8

jumped back towds / [[?]],

& gave / word to open fire

on them, Just as the Ts.

sprang to their feet & 

were rushing forwd. The 

fire [[?]] stopped them

& many were K & W^d.

They [[?]] off then for

/ time being. This sort of thing