Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/231/1 - March 1919 - Part 4

Key to Wilkins Photos of Essad Pasha's Hqrs.

Diagram - see original document

31
Diagram - see original document
Top Chular Sert 

32
Diagram - see original document

B G. 

33
Diagram - see original document
Tommy's Trench

 B. H.

34
Diagram - see original document
French 45 Regt was placed marked Tommy's Trench as Position Anglaise
du 30 Avril. I do not think this is right.
Our front line of May 8.  is marked by French:
Position Anglaise du 4 Mai.

[* 5 15 Aust front line.
410 Front line 410 (suppt line)
397
Tys trench *] 

Diagram - see original document
35

Diary Contd
March. 6
Went with Wilkins to Essads Hqrs
in morning. Returned via ridge behind our
camp which I think Loutits Pty reached.
They wd have to be within 250-300 yds of
Scrubby Knoll to see / Dardanelles. The furthest
traces we found were abt 600-600 yds S. of
Scrubby Knoll. Marked all these positions.
Went via Lone Pine to Anzac Beach in
aftn.  Found our kit & cartridges right on
edge of plateau above T. Battalion Hqrs where
Zeki Bey says they reached.
Marked spot where Bridges ws hit,
Bridges Hqrs, Birdwoods, Walkers & Whites Hqrs, for
Hughes.  The timbers of L. Pine have bn all used by Ts in making huts
[* Diagram - see original document*] 

36

Diary
behind their lines, (in Legge Valley), after the Evacuation.  We
found in a hut timber scribbled on by our garrison  in the Pine.
Aug March 7th  Party consisting of Lambert,
Wilkins, Buchanan, & myself with groom & 
orderly rode down to Seddel Bahr – Balfour
stayed to bring over the camp & trophies
which Lt. James will bring to Australia.
Capt Bigweather & Lt Hughes, N.Z. & Aust.

Officers on the Grave Registrn Union came down too.
39  From Kilid Bahr we  followed the tramline
along the coast to Soghun Dere; & then inland
up the Dere for ¼ mile; then up a very steep waggon
 

37
road winding up over the hillside to the left (S). side of
Soghun Dere.
This brought us out on a plateau which
would have had to be won even if the
British had taken Achi Baba.  The Turks
had had reserves camped in the Dere.  There
were a big shell hole or two in it from ^shells of the ships

guns.  Even this wd not have solved
the problem of the Narrows – the Kilid Bahr
Plateau wd still protect the forts from observation.
 

38
Indeed it is clear tt ^Hill 971 at Anzac commanded
/ Narrows far more than Achi Baba.
From the summit of the crest south of Soghun Dere
we went down into another deep valley, &
then up over a hill which proved the
S.E. Shoulder of ^the Achi Baba highland.  There the
trenches began ^on of the roads having been sunk abt 4ft on the summit – & the forward part of the
crest was pretty consistently shellholed; abt
as much as a gun position in a pretty
quiet part o / line in France.  These 

39
were 4 big gun position just on the left of
our road.
Diagram - see original document
The long road from there down to Seddel
Bahr didnt seem to be ^through greatly trenched
country;  indeed it struck one that
very soon after we reached the first lines
of reserve trenches we were in the French 

40
lines. [ The French however have marked up
the English trenches entirely wrong; & so
possibly they have done / same with their 
own. ]
At the top of a rise we found a working
party of French Senegalese soldiers building an
obelisk.
We rode down to the deserted V beach.
There was not a man stirring there.  The Clyde