Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/211/1 - 1915 - 1918 - Part 3

To get out there you had
either to run or to crawl.
After dusk, when D/B 
had sent for Barnes & Crowley - 
to tell them what he intended 
to do tt night, Bar Crowley 
came over to confer w him.
A rumour had come down
/ line tt Indian troops had 
landed at Helles & were coming 
to help us. No one knew where 
tt rumour came from - but 
many believed it. They knew 
there ws a landing down S 
(the first rumour ws tt / 
landing had bn most successful 
& they were marching up to 
help us). ^Then this ^other rumour came 
along. Then just as Crowley 
& D/B were conferring, close by
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2 m.gs. of 11 Bn (one under 
Sergt Halahan.) Just then 
there ws heard on their rt 
front (coming down thro / 
gap betw where Barnes Crowley was 
& where Macfarlane & Rodliffe 
were) a number of men 
shouting: "don't shoot - dont 
shoot - Indian troop - Indian 
troop!" This ws perfectly plain. 
They cd then see men coming 
in / dusk - certainly hundreds. 
Crowley ws an Anglo Indian 
offr & cd talk Hindustani very 
well, w a special pass. D/B 
didn't believe tt these were
Indians & sent Crowley to 
see. He went off w his 
runner & in a few seconds
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the runner came dashing 
back to say they were Turks.
Crowley made a dive for 
Barnes' trench to warn him.
The two m.gs. & all / rifles 
opened up as soon as D/B 
told them tt they were Turks 
& the Ts. melted.
These Turks came up 
Wire Gully - (abt opposite where 
MacCaurin ws. later killed.)
He After this - it being 
now dusk - D/B met Col. Owen 
of 3rd Bn. He had D/B had 
sent for Crowley after dusk as 
it was the only time when 
communicatn cd well be 
carried out. Twice he had 
tried it - the first time his
Sergt Major ws hit thro / chest
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following him out - & ws
w difficulty got back;  just after
they had finished getting him
in D/B saw Capt Bean of
3rd Bn hit & fixed up by Brennan.
It ws there tt he saw old Col.
Owen, but tt ws 2 hrs later.
[*At this time Maj. Bennett came up. He ws known to D/B 
because he ws one of the 2 only majors senior to D/B in the A.I.F.  D/B
told him what he ws going to do - & probably Bennett thought that who disapproved, thought
that D/B was going to do it all /  same in spite of himself being in command.*]
Owen heard tt D/B a major was
acting in command on / spot
there.  He sent for him & told
him tt he had arrived & ws
in command.  [Before this
D/B had seen Maj Bennett,
3rd Bn - & had put the plan 
up to him, but Bennett
didnt approve.  He sd he
had not seen it. He evidently
told Owen, & Owen sent for
the major.  The major ws D/B
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D/B put [[?]] his intentions up to Owen.
Owen sd tt he had not
seen / place, & he wd not
send / men out to do this
until he had reconnoitred
it for himself.  He told D/B
tt nothing ws to be done w /
men under D/B by D/B,
& tt he ws in command &
D/B wd carry out / orders he
gave.  D/B ws very keen on
his getting / line forward at
tt time.  He realised tt their
present positn ws militarily
absurd & tt they must get
/ observation if possible.  He
had grabbed a Coy of 16 Bn
to help.  When Bennett took
Bennett took over he took
these men from him.  Bennett
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clearly thought tt D/B wd go
on w his plans, & got owen
to stop him.
The chance for a
reconnaissance had gone.
It ws only possible when
D/B did it - nothing ws
done tt night to get /
line out.  D/B stayed there
/ night & next day gathered
up some stragglers from / gully
many of 14 Bn & sent them up
Popes Hill way & went up
there himself & met Pope there.
[Lamb wd be about at
Courtney's Post.  He ws very
excited & sending a lot of
messages].
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D/B picked up Darnell (then
Lt Darnell, who ws one of Barnes'
Coy - he ws ^with one of the plns on /
crest wh D/B ws going to
push out) & went up to Popes
w him.  D/B lost his water bottle,
wh Capt MacGregor, doctor of 16 Bn,
had filled for him at / bottom o /
hill - & sat down half way up
/ hill.  There he ws sniped at
from Walkers - but stayed till
he found a dead sniper
sapper & got his waterbottle -
On / top o / hill the Sergt Major
of 13 Bn told him to join a ration
party - "Come on m'lad - we're all
tired etc" taking him for a private
by tt time.  Everyone ws covered
w thorns & ^w torn clothes.  D/B
attributes his not getting hit to his
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having always bn on / move.
On Monday night D/B heard
tt Robertson & Col. Johnston had
bn k.  He knew of Leane's
company up there, so he
went up there to get to do
info.  He went up to Plugges
& found Leane fuming.  This
ws dawn on Tuesday.  The C.O
was in a part of the original
trench wh Leane had started
to dig / first morning.  [Peck
(the adjt) had got forward /
first morning as soon as he
realised tt [[Ro?]] the C.O. ws
not moving further forward.]
At this time on Tuesday
morning there ws a lot of
firing from / left, Walkers
Ridge way & the "overs" were
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pretty thick.  Johnston was ordered
D/B xxx to stay there but he
slipped away to where Everetts lot
had bn & there met Maj. Kindon
(further left by 150 yds from where
Capt Bean ws hit / first day).
He left Kindon there & went
back to Popes & stayed there
till they came down.
Lt Cook ws killed in the
advance the & retirement on / first day.
Cook & Morgan on / first day
had stayed where they had
bn told to by D/B.  When the
advanced line came back
their people were organised;
They stopped them there. Then
Cook ws k & Morgan badly
wd. The sergt carried Morgan
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in himself & got a D.C.M.
? for this.  This Sergt brought
them back as far as Popes.
———
After 11 Bn took over from
8 Bn G.O.C. came along the
half dug trenches.  According to /
wretched map Turkey Knoll,
Silt Spur & Pine Ridge the other
fingers were all one plateau
 - it ws known as the 400
plateau. (The Turks cd then be
seen on Turkey Knoll) There ws
a system of trenches dug before
/ landing at Turkey Knoll).
Bridges wanted to occupy plateau
400.  It clearly at / S. end ws
not held by / Turks & he wanted
to oust them.  D/B had previously
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