Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/21/1 - November - December 1915 - Part 7

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Open for review
Accession number:
RCDIG1066586
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

properly walk yet. But when he saw (howere asts in London & his Bon lett out Starty he had his passage booker wimn a week- I don't think he got nedical boards leave - he's not sure himself ablther he wr promounced fit. But he saw his own passage (even then they kept him 3 who dawdli abt Lemnos! & sot here in 6 wks. Last night I went down to the begin he sendey awa E) the British see 1is. a Labour Corgs & Egyptians and t Maltese. Hares were burning on William Peer & Walkers R.Spc Pier Baggage we pele on 1 wharf - mostly field ambustance - & gan teams made their way throughI crows amonnntion ws very carried out towar on shariias & taken on thpiir of stacked on the 3146 in Edg can do poting contenr stoning at E9 The Exyptians 45 t man we heard, them their vou, aa waiting. s a from fe op of his minaret nightfall doyn iuly gnites way whilst th3 Jabbern 5t N. Beach. Even the Indians men anno tak quetly 2 as almost loughing cach other wd shout in one anothers faces. C Do alm. ucty loa Truckload sweeth ruony of wason wanter clothings ws being sead 21
Mey are taking this invasion of Egyst v. seri L. To 1 little railway on to 5i Piir c Williams tather perse on givin for the battations & as many as con be dispences witl in other wenit o Eae Tomgnt wl gionl quiet all today Tho Turks 7. & I don't know whethenee smasked op any of theis guns at Olive srove yesty. The shipsfired 700 shells of Cinch & over into Olive groot. today the aremake a no of short peans just out of sykt of sngurs weot 28860f 6 lett for Imbros by, destroyer wh broeght over sen Bdeo who had been at Hnz. for (day. Anzac I showled him / Angal May. & be Pd fo me whin warge talking, afterwsd Is ging tbe a vs anxions time, Cran. I shidly at all wonder if we allsuene yeanter ints expt asly, & if they thank we are not holding ye eno turks here of they are merelyleaving a exaltaning to face ag & we cannot do eno to fustify our esaynn, I guite encsect they will Land us all ot 66 to defend Espit, Ityil be, a ss antious time,. So possibly exas he is in durk as to what is nealtysony so hepen. He sayd t 1 to orreten fen fin sirms have adsead y s. H. B Anchrian guns are ready but they are waiting for the germand before they open. The Castrian guas are 11t howrtzers othe ferman 120- Delme Red cliffs tells me theyre probably 8 guns guens in valteries of 2 each There is aring on tyroti
& at bast one Hustialian Bde hasbusent there. The Turks are trying to outflande the force on the Tigris & are 20m. rast of its tthis clayge war telegims says to British have by heavily attathed by Bulgars & drivenback wd Docran 13) & tI rest of line hes conformed" to this.I The aung ac magazins sed be splendid. Oned my articts he to leave tonight, but I im fetting Fom Collis. 2 lightes crowded a hospital bagage beft watkers or Williams seer in broad day light today Dec. 12. Sunday News t Allies at Salomba are retreeting. Ketehener of have bee to France + settled there W P French minestry ona definite policy regarding greece. Ibetienonstantine told K. It of the Bulgars get beatin Roamanca will come in on the back of them as they did before. I
56 we are at last apparent unloadin 18 tansports previously beld ap in Lalnica. Dec. 13th. This Evg. Maloney came in from a fieeld below our cottage where the Srak labourers & some Tommies have been picking up stones all day I hear theyre going to leave Suola, Sir!t he said. "The officer down there sd they were making this camp for thi Hearquarters of the 9th corpa I sel. No the arent, maloney - its for a hospital for the Indeans- Oh but be says thats woong sir - he says its for the HFQ of the 9th Corps it was a case for I thought a downright deniar where a like Malori chattern
57 got hold of it. So I sel: Well I happen to know that the troops are not leaving Suola- Theyre taking some of them away thats all. But tonight when Nevenson came back from Helles w ward Price Maloney ws lettin Turner in a loadvoice all up 1 road. Its the sort of thing which whether it were true or not I wont whispes to my best frien & yet these damued Tomny officers - they don't deserve to win a was. some of our own are as bad. I don't suppose the Officer told Maloney - bushe must have spoken the prould his men And its a matter which Ct staff are henng from one another if it is true -
Wevinson, totd me to it ws perfectly tras t wed happen wikm 4 o & days ecW9 2364/6 Settleown the prises for the Angue Mapszine Barker Cover Scyshon white Comic sketch Hewith Design Poem: Capt. Sprent Hamorons Verse: Corpl. Wilson Prose: Herbert Donny Humowon Prose 2Lt Revensor thes Dec. 14 Canse to Cuola by early went tawles. On board the Cormoallis to see Ernest Brooks who is photogapher to tking & is opicial photographer out here. e In te ward o ty es at 614000 risday 9 1 Shola & Brooks & any remnant ws to be off by Spturday onggct all thie Ansl. Bings train. they We know everything there, & at excent among fas officers Tuola the whole thing is the common lalle of place. Te Furteoy they 6 & think, don't suspegl anyhing yet. tellsmy t Brocefirdle believes, we are eraciating at sayer onI same nipt as Durle that wsboth haueto be off the CPenineusd on Coday nis. nor 58
The idea is tt on Friday ht fieh by semaliar no of frgn ther can howd tam. b The not will march off ty the Beack abot nightfall whs lat they fre embarking the opers with llaved the trenches. Ney have iGlonge Gre bit up barbed lives. cirnd they have long is dumnry gives by doy by day &o My hgiales takimn of quilia lot of Stores, Juns gother tuys by day. of course Ang ac cannot be held if Suvla goes. It ws all very well before they had ta true dug; by pow the Turks wd have a beautiful setb of commn Creicheson fur lest w roads all buit, & 1ships we nean obe ablet 8 shill them gut of ten Tha new ben to gefreson. Post 1. I went up to te lepo live at Luvla (32 Bde WA.C & walker backs from there to Angac. we had the Prple oner (augss) but lost it aferwa Capi Cleridye offered to Twvo me a plan of place 3t 3safterwards. Capt Dorbes blobertson showe me place. He as in 87th Bde now at Helle
Burnt Hil 60 85086 are at Suola. He sath HE on Ang 21 they had to take) & the yeomancy H. 120 but yrom aary lost their way & got mixed up t teen came up through them asking. wh way is enemy 3 well I don't know where you were meet to so to but Enemys up there 50 F. Robertson pointy to Hill 70. Is to Inearest?"asked men yes Rights - were into them! So they went on. 72 The 29th Dun took 1Hellton abt Stimes 4oday. Io I end parts of 3 bns were there. in two bunches ove to leftander Lt Clegg. one on I right. The bde authoritee went up to have a look at plece &thy oaly found I lot on I right. Tey a decidedto it ws impossible to hold when I enemy, as opened nexsday - to their men were digny in just below crest. They ordered a retirnment after they retired messages were still coming in from 1 pont from Elegs a his 100 men - No
61 one knew where they were, but a weasage ws sent back telleng te to retire. He opened a rapid fire + them wde lot legged it & didnt lose a man & back to old line at foot of 70 The 11th Deva w8 1 first to land landed abt 10.30 on Aug6. went first for Cala Baba- One Bde went along vedge to N & got b Teffersons - another to Anafarta 7 I tink they told me I Border Beg. actually gob into Anafarta first night. I went to bnch at Australian Bridging train - they will be some of last on beach. They tell me Byng is trying to save All his males; all his carts, & all his gans. at I risk of losing some of his men. He says "See what a political effect it wd have to leave these stores in hands of Tarks? I shothink things had got beyond to nowsdays meeles seemed to be being taken off today
62 From Teffersons (where (Turks have - so 1 stef letts meE Tapper hau in snypry getting out of trenches at night & crawling close up to ours, while our men are less enterprising) one ed see our live runnig slightly back o then found, then back again towards I salt take the for to I Chocolate wills & pot of Hill 70. He gans tt play on them are in I direction of Ejclwver - some on I sea side where we also have guns some behind 1 Puple or up valley. Sind the Cornwallis straffed them on Wed. last this up-valle baltery has not fired again. Then there are some fans on I big hill opposite, & some Anagarta way. A Si long san yeste port in a highexplosive shall wh killed 10 men, fatall wounded 4 & wounded 20- the were getting their rations all time The tanks are so to be puttin

53
walk ∧properly yet. But when he saw / honour
lists in London & his Bn left out
he had his passage booked ∧& started within
a week. I don't think he got /
medical boards leave - he's not
sure himself whether he ws
pronounced fit. But he paid his own
passage (even then they kept him
3 wks dawdling abt Lemnos!)
& got here in 6 wks.

------
Last night I went down to
seen the beginning of the sending away of the British
Labour Corps & Egyptians and As
Maltese. Flares were burning on
Williams Pier & Walkers' Ridge Pier
Baggage ws piled on / wharf - mostly
field ambulance - 4 gun teams
made their way through / crowd

out towards / left ammunition was being carried 
in on gharries & taken on to the pier or stacked on the edge of the Beach.
The Egyptians can do nothing without shouting at / top of
their voices we head them wailing like the muezzin
from the top of his minaret ada shortly after nightfall
whilst one lot ws jabbering down / valley on its way
to the N. Beach. Even the Indians
seem cannot talk quietly. 2 men
almost touching each other wd shout in one another's faces.
XXXX Truck load after truck load
of warm winter clothing ws being sent running

 

54

/ little railway on to Walker Williams Pier
Orders have now bn given for the battalions & as many
as can be dispensed with in other units to leave tonight

The Turks were curiously quiet all today.
I don't know whether we smashed up any of their guns at Olive Grove
yesty. The ships fired 700 shells of 
6 inch & over into Olive Grove.

Today the men Engrs are making
a no of short piers just out of sight of Snipers Nest.

I left for Imbros by destroyer
wh brought over Gen Bdwd who had been at Anz. for / day.
I showed him / Anzac Mag. & he sd to me when we were
talking afterwds "Its going to be a v. anxious time, Bean. I shd not
at all wonder if we all finished the winter in Egypt."
[*They are taking this invasion of Egypt v. seriously*],
& if they think we are not holding up eno' Turks here
& they are
merely leaving a small army to face us & we cannot do eno' to
justify our staying, I quite suspect they will send us all off
to defend Egypt.  It will be a v. anxious time." So possibly even he is in /
dark as to what is really going to happen. He says tt / Ts or rather
/ Germs have already got their guns up. Austrian
guns are ready but they are waiting
for the Germans before they open -
The Austrian guns are 11" howitzers
& the German 12"- Delme Radcliffe
tells me they're probably 8 guns
in batteries of 2 ∧guns each
There is rising in Tripoli

 

55

& at least one Australian Bde
has bn sent there. The Turks are
trying to outflank the force on the
Tigris & are 20 m. east of it; & this
days war telegrams says tt /
British have bn heavily attacked
by / Bulgars & driven back W of
Dorian & tt / rest o / line has
"conformed" to this.  A
The Anzac Magazine shd be
splendid. One of my artists has
to leave tonight, but I'm getting
Tom Collis.
2 lighters crowded w hospital
baggage left Walkers or Williams
pier in broad daylight today.
Dec. 12. Sunday
News tt / Allies at Salonika
are retreating - Kitchener o [[?]]
have been to France & settled there
w / French Ministry on a
definite policy regarding Greece.
I believe Constantine told K. tt if the
Bulgars get beaten Roumania will
come in on the back of them as
they did before. I

 

56
We are at last apparently unloading
18 transports previously held up
in Salonica.

Dec. 13th. This evg. Maloney
came in from a field below
our cottage where the Greek
labourers & some Tommies have
been picking up stores all day.
"I hear theyre going to leave
Suvla, Sir!" he said. "The
officer down there sd they were
making this camp for the
Headquarters of the 9th Corps.
I sd. No the arent,
Maloney - its for a hospital
for the Indians -
Oh but he says thats
wrong sir - he says its for the
HQ of the 9th Corps.
I thought it was a case for
a downright denial where a
chatterer like Maloney

 

57
got hold of it. So I sd:
Well I happen to know that
the troops are not leaving Suvla -
Theyre taking some of them away -
that's all.
But tonight when Nevinson
came back from Helles w Ward
Price Maloney ws letting Turner
in a load voice all up / road.
Its the sort of thing which
whether it were true or not I
wdnt whisper to my best friend
- & yet these dammed Tommy
officers - they don't deserve
to win a war! Some of our own
are as bad. I don't suppose the
Officer told Maloney - but he
must have spoken in front of
his men.
And its a matter which
C th staff are hiding from one
another if it is true - because

I know some them are in

 

Nevinson told me to it ws perfectly true
& wd happen within 4 or 5 days
58

[[shorthand]] 64/5 [[shorthand]] 
Settled on the prizes for the
Anzac Magazine:
Barker Cover
Leyshon White Comic sketch
Hewitt Design
Poem: Capt. Sprent
Humorous Verse: Corpl. Wilson
Sulera Prose: Herbert Dinning
Humorous Prose: 2 Lt Stevenson

Tues. Dec. 14 Came to Suvla by early
trawler. Went On board the Cornwallis
to see Ernest Brooks who is
photogapher to / King & is
official photographer out here.
Pce In the ward room they 

[[shorthand]] at ... as well as 
/ Suvla & Brooks [[shorthand]] Friday
& any remnant ws to be off by Saturday.
Went onshore to see the Austrln Bridgg train. They
know everything there, & at Sulva except among staff officers
the whole thing is the common talk o / place. The Turks, they
think, don't suspect anything yet.
Bracegirdle tells me tt he
believes, we are evacuating at Anzac on / same night as
Suvla.  That we both have to be off the Peninsula on Friday night.
Suvla

 

[illustration - see original document]

Achi Baba

Kilia    Bahr   Batian

971

Jefferson Post   Anafarta [[?]]
59

The idea is tt on Friday night the trenches will be
held by / smallest no. of troops that can hold them.
The rest will march off to the Beach abt nightfall. Whilst they
are embarking the others will leave the trenches. They have
put up barbed wire along 3 lines.
They have landed dummy guns by day by day & they have also
taken off quite a lot of stores, guns & other things by day.
Of course Anzac cannot be held if Suvla goes. 
It ws all very well before they had / trenches dug; but
now the Turks wd have a beautiful set of commn trenches on
our left w roads all built, & / ships wd never be able to
shell them out of them.

I had never been to Jeffersons Post 
so I went up to the left o /
line at Suvla (32 Bde 11th Divn)
& walked back from there to Anzac.
We had the Pimple
once (Aug 15) but
lost it afterwds.

xxxx Capt Coleridge offered to
give me a plan o / place
afterwards. Capt Forbes
Robertson showed me
/ place. He ws in /
87th Bde now at Helles

[*Shelter in abt 
18 gullies for 1

bn in each.

Capt Coleridge sd we ought
to have gone on at 1st &
taken up to Ejelmer & 
Chocolate Hill straight

away.*]

 

Burnt Hill

60
85 & 86 are at Suvla. He sd tt
on Aug 21 they had to take Hill 70
[illustration - see original document]

& the Yeomanry H. 120 but
/ Yeomanry lost their way
& got mixed up w them - 
came up through them asking:
"Wh way is / enemy?" "Well I
don't know where you were meant
to go to but enemy's up there" sd
F. Robertson pointing to Hill 70.
"Is tt / nearest?" asked / men.
"Yes" -
"Righto - we're into them!"
So they went on.
The 29th Divn took / Hill ∧70 abt
3 times tt day. In / end parts of
3 bns were there in two bunches
- one to / left under Lt Clegg - 
one on / right. The bde authorities
went up to have a look at / place
& they only found / lot on / right.
They onl decided tt come it ws
impossible to hold when / enemys
guns opened next day - tho' their
men were digging in just below /
crest. They ordered a retirement.
After they retired messages
were still coming in from / front
from Clegg w his 100 men - No

 

61
one knew where they were, but a
message ws sent back telling him to
retire. He opened a rapid fire &
then / whole lot legged it & didnt lose
a man - back to old line at foot of 70.
The 11th Divn ws / first to land
landed abt 10.30 on Aug 6. Went
first for Lala Baba - One Bde
went along ridge to N & got to
Jeffersons - another to Anafarta (?)
I think they told me / Border Regt
actually got into Anafarta / first
night.
I went to Jeff lunch w / 
Australian Bridging train - they will
be some of last on / beach. They
tell me Byng is trying to save
all his mules; all his carts, &
all his guns at / risk of losing
some of his men. He says "See
what a political effect it wd
have to leave these stores in /
hands o / Turks." I shd think
things had got beyond tt nowadays.
Mules seemed to be being taken
off today.

 

62
From Jeffersons (where / Turks
have - so / staff tells me - / upper hand
in sniping -  getting out o / trenches
at night & ge crawling close up
to ours, while our men are less
enterprising) one cd see our line
running slightly back, then forwd,
then back again towards / salt
lake, then forwd to / Chocolate
Hills & foot of Hill 70. The guns
tt play on them are in / direction
of Ejelmer - some on / sea side
where we also have guns - 
some behind / Pimple Then or
up / valley. Since the Cornwallis
straffed them on Wed. last
this up-valley battery has not fired
again. Then there are some guns
on / big hill opposite, & some
Anafarta way. A 6in. long

gun yesty put in a high explosive
shell wh killed 10 men, fatally
wounded 4 & wounded 20 - they
were getting their rations at /
time
The Turks are sd to be putting

 
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