Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/233/1 - 1919 - 1920 - Part 9

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Awaiting approval
Accession number:
RCDIG1066593
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

Possibly, he thinks, they turn & attacked this own troops nistake – T were so involve by if it got involved in a panic which happened on I left (?at what period The troops reinforcey, had to pass up the valley (Owens Gally) where the Turbirs dead were laid out 4 deep they saw his clumn of dead men. At I top end of it were some Austalians including a or seyt lieutenants a splendid boking chap of very great stature by in thy dot well down ito t posite there -Tthe sight knocker the stuffing out of them. When the sot to 1 top of 1 gally there were Iaustialian periseopes took over at them. (From a posity wh we lost afterwar, he thinks I think so teo). They - the Turkish svivales wanted to know
the left BnDabrt But as soon as the larks went to the C.T. On 1 left (atx) to dig they were shot by a nig of our wh as right on 1 top at I very front - 8or 9 fell dead back into I trenches & they came back. either on this or another thei Occasion, as menentered this 4 a gan of ours on Russells top saw them. We had artillery flags as + our funs knew exact where to fire & put severa shots straght out these to Next day Zeki Bey sent a to attack, & it disappear Company altogeter - he doesnt know if it ws ceptured - or kelled of
On Ang himself & found that there were no troops in 1Y on Lone Pins at tere Sties all. There were & some C.ts Our men held all the trenches Exc. the C.TS; there were T posts in the C.T & these & t firet T. Tolly were holding our But there were our periscope lookan over (top down ont] fully where the turks were Massed (Zekis Bn) & roll over bomb after bombs as hi the End day, An Zeki Beywanted to make th attack on the left – cattey this a portion of C.T. into some Ec
within tereryefort time— at once io mea u into the valley below the monument. They came and is fire the moment they turned into Owens gally from our men at Cvalley top. Te only place thrt ws shetter us on that holows who behin thmonenat now is. (They lost most heavily there nex day.) Py Seki Bey went on to the officer commanding the Regt (45 or 47) wh had ield them & asked what had happing he ffr sd. O were lost were lost. Zeki sd: I want to know what the position is I What you want me to do. Oh were bst! as all le pr. Butrite I pashed on
off wdnt & the offe ws shot by a Turkert soldier "A very brave man! held d have liked to take be resoned Lone Pine Our slow boubt. of Lonetine had been very heavy on the men there. E.Bey's reguient ws holding it & was suffering so Leavily i0 t it we witdrewn for rest. lat Tetiwent upto 1T himself & there was I headcove blown lying in the men, smashedap dead – I as very frightened," be sd. The garriion tos witdaw & 2 hoars leter was summon back suddente Tcki Bey went up - brough
men appearing with bayonets after a sort of bombardment; If then a message came from Division to Teki Bey: What are you going to do? What do you mecan, be asked There are troops in ye thy Id. He went up & finding the Coy officer in the live hadat the guts necessary bepushed on straight himself & got t 1 pout line & found air mea in their t or in I craty just outside them. He went to place himself & found our men getting back ito the crates, & a young fine looking officer. He told I officer to surrender but
was down but the attack was te miliative of kenal solely. o a by enver ws, displeased as he didnt see the object of it. One Ba & a half were lost. The first report us to they had got our Y – but later they never heard from I men who got in, & they don't know today What happened. Some men took our post line, they knew. It was a black night - there were the wd, crying in Nomansland & both sides rotting out flares & no one helping them When NGreig with a party made a demonstration" into G.O.T. the reason for this puzzled the Turks. They saw first
by initiative of our men Teki Bey says]; the Turks ad of heve held it Leki Bey returned a few days after May 19th & as8 no dof the 215th Regt. opposite G.O. French. In hospital he had heard to 12 at Angac were only 5 or 7 metres apart. He wdnt believe it as it ws So different when he left. when he got back the idea at first was why don't we attack & shove these australians off at Queans. He went strayts up to see. After a short time he became cour of the impossibility Enver On June 29 Pasha
405 attack his men were scaltered & it ws only possible to get at a part of them. But the guns were able to do good work. My cdnt fire on to beach because it ws too steep so the fired doon the long Slope on our troops. Fenal (who was a Salonica rk) had command of the whole hont till essed took over for the attack on May 19th (wh madeby 4 divisions & one reguient (on tS.)) & in wh Turks lost 1,000 men. After to attack the Turkish command knew oa Anzac by attacking & reduced to 3 dions. The position, wo
They might have done better; but the Regmients on thin left were Arat (.772 & 724) & they panicked & cameruaning round behand the 57th Regt. The 2 Box They repusedd Zck: Beys Regt drove our advanced troops back from Battleship Hill, t There troops retired to the Sea shore & remained here covered by the fire of their warships. The turkich trion got about te the Nek Leli Bey with l Bn t one off dead one wd his first He tiget ws cretical. a Lcke Bey was wounded thatt afternoon & was sent away to hospital. The fighting hat become severe in the afternoon. & was a very difficult advance, he sd, because they went Straght across country two the scrub & when kenal told him be

78

※  Possibly, he thinks, they turned

round & attacked their own troops

by mistake - / trenches were so involved.

if it got involved in a panic 

which happened on / left ※

The troops reinforcing ^ (? at what period?) had

to pass up the valley (Owens

Gully) where the Turkish dead

were laid out 4 deep -

they saw this column of dead men.

At / top end of it were some

Australians including a

lieutenant ^ or sergt - a splendid looking

chap of very great stature lying

there ^ (they had got well down into the T. positn-) - & the sight "knocked the
stuffing out of them". When they

got to / top of / gully there were

/ Australian periscopes looking

over at them. (From a positn wh

we lost afterwds, he thinks -

& I think so too). They - the Turkish

privates wanted to know if

116

 7

79
Diagram - see original document
 

the left.

Diagram - see original document

But as

soon as the Turks went to the

C.T. on / left (at x) to dig

they were shot by a m.g. of ours

wh ws right on / top at / very

front - 8 or 9 fell dead back into

/ trenches & they came back.

Either on this or another

occasion, as our their men entered

this trench a gun of ours on Russells

top saw them: we had artillery

flags up & our guns knew exactly

where to fire & put several

shots straight into these Ts.

Next day Zeki Bey sent a

company to attack, & it disappeared

altogether - he doesnt know if

it ws captured - or killed - or

115

 

80

himself & found that there were

no troops in / trenches on Lone Pine at

all. There were 3 lines there,

& some C.Ts.

Diagram - see original document

Our men held all the trenches

exc. the C.Ts; there were T. posts

in the C.Ts & these & / fire from

J. Jolly were holding our men.

But there were our periscopes

looking over / top down onto /

gully where the Turks were
massed (Zekis Bn) & rolling

over bomb after bombs murderously

(? ws this the 2nd day, Aug 7)

On Aug 7 Zeki Bey wanted  to make the

attack on the left - cutting thro

a portion of C.T. into some trenches on
114

 

81

his men (what time? within a very short time - at once) into

the valley below the monument.

They came under fire the moment

they turned into Owens Gully -

from our men at / valley

top. The only place there ws

shelter ws in that hollow

behind ^ where the monument now 

is. (They lost most heavily there next

day.)  They Zeki Bey went on

to the officer commanding the

Regt (45 or 47 ?) wh had reld

them & asked what had happened.

The offr sd: Oh we're lost, we're

lost! Zeki sd: I want to

know what the position is &

what you want me to do -

"Oh we're lost!" ws all he got

But the  Z. pushed on

113

 

82

offr wdnt & the offr ws

shot by a Turkish soldier.

"A very brave man", he sd.

He wd have liked to take him

prisoner.

Lone Pine.

Our slow bombt. of Lone Pine

had been very heavy on the men

there. Z. Bey's regiment ws holding

it x & ws suffering so heavily

tt it ws withdrawn for rest.

Zeki went up to / trenches himself &

there was / head cover blown

in & the men ^ lying smashed up &

dead - "I ws very frightened," he

sd.  The garrison ws withdrawn

& 2 hours later was summoned

back suddenly.

Zeki Bey went up - brought

 [x My
note 

is
wrong -
see
later 
they
were
in
G.O.T.
CEWB 

6/10/27 *]

112

 

83

men appearing with bayonets

after a sort of bombardment;

& then a message came from

Division to Zeki Bey: What are you

going to do?

What do you mean, he asked

There are troops in yr

trenches, they sd.

He went up & finding the Coy

officer in the line hadn't the guts

necessary he pushed on straight 

himself & got to / front line

& found our men in their trenches

or in / crater just outside 

them. He went to / place

himself & found our men getting

back into the crater, & a

young fine looking officer. He

told / officer to surrender but /

111

 

84

was down but the attack was 

on the initiative of Kemal solely.

Enver ws ^ a bit displeased as he

didnt see the object of it. One

Bn & a half were lost. The

first report ws tt they had

got our trenches - but later they

never heard from / men who got

in, & they dont know today

what happened. Some men took

our front line, they knew. It was

a "black" night - there were the

wd, crying in Nomansland &

both sides rolling out flares &

no one helping them.

When Lt Greig with a party made

a "demonstration" into G.O.T.

the reason for this greatly

puzzled the Turks. They saw first

110

 

85
 

by / initiative of our men

(Zeki Bey says); the Turks cd

not have held it.

Zeki Bey returned a few

days after May 19th & ws gn

command of the ? 15th Regt.

opposite G.O. Trench. In hospital

he had heard tt / trenches at Anzac

were only 5 or 7 metres apart.

He wdnt believe it as it ws

so different when he left. When

he got back the idea at first

was "Why dont we attack &

shove these Australians off at

Quinns?" He went straight up
to Quinns to see. After a short

time he became convinced of the

impossibility.

On June 29 Enver Pasha

109

 

86

attack his men were

scattered & it ws only possible

to get at a part of them. But

the guns were able to do

good work. They cdnt fire on

the beach because it ws too

steep so they fired down the long

slope on our troops.

Kemal (who was a Salonica

Turk) had command of the whole

front till Essad took over for

the attack on May 19th (wh 

ws made by 4 divisions &

one regiment (on the S.) ) & in wh /

Turks lost 10,000 men. After

tt attack the Turkish command

knew tt they cd do nothing at

Anzac by attacking & reduced to

3 divns. The position ws only held

108

 

87
※ They might have done better, but

the Regiments on their left were Arab

(? 77th & 72nd) & they panicked &

came running round behind the 57th

Regt.

They repulsed The 2 Bns of Zeki Beys

Regt drove our advanced troops

back from Battleship Hill. ※

These troops retired to the

sea shore & remained there

covered by the fire of their

warships. The Turkish troops

got about to the Nek.

Zeki Bey with 1st Bn lost

one offr dead one wd in

his first Coy.

The fight ws critical. and

Zeki Bey was wounded

that night afternoon & was

sent away to hospital. The fighting

had become severe in the afternoon.

It was a very difficult

advance, he sd, because they went

straight across country thro the

scrub & when Kemal told him to

107

 

 

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