Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/234/1 - 1919 - Part 1

AWM38

Official History,

1914-18 War: Records of C E W Bean,

Official Historian.

Diaries and Notebooks

Item number: 3DRL606/234/1

Title: Notebook, 1919

Includes information from Maj Zeki Bey on

Gallipoli.
 AWM38-3DRL606/234/1

[*Zeki Beys

Notes

No II*]

AWM38  3DRL 606 ITEM 234 [1]

DIARIES AND NOTES OF C. E. W. BEAN

CONCERNING THE WAR OF 1914-1918        234

THE use of these diaries and notes is subject to conditions laid down in the terms

of gift to the Australian War Memorial. But, apart from those terms, I wish the

following circumstances and considerations to be brought to the notice of every

reader and writer who may use them. 

These writings represent only what at the moment of making them I believed to be

true. The diaries were jotted down almost daily with the object of recording what

was then in the writer's mind. Often he wrote them when very tired and half asleep;

also, not infrequently, what he believed to be true was not so - but it does not

follow that he always discovered this, or remembered to correct the mistakes when

discovered. Indeed, he could not always remember that he had written them.

These records should, therefore, be used with great caution, as relating only what

their author, at the time of writing, believed. Further, he cannot, of course, vouch

for the accuracy of statements made to him by others and here recorded. But he

did try to ensure such accuracy by consulting, as far as possible, those who had

seen or otherwise taken part in the events. The constant falsity of second-hand

evidence (on which a large proportion of war stories are founded) was impressed

upon him by the second or third day of the Gallipoli campaign, notwithstanding that

those who passed on such stories usually themselves believed them to be true. All

second-hand evidence herein should be read with this in mind.

16 Sept., 1946.     C. E. W. BEAN.
AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL
ACCESS STATUS
OPEN

18

The reinfts came - one coy, 2

coys and went in just as

they arrd. on Aug 7.

The attacks were esp. from K -F.

In / evg. they tried ZK but esp

K-F.

The 3rd day they tried the

digging o / trench S.T. Before probly

there had bn a partially begun

C.T. at ST - & probly the arty

on Russells Top stopped it.

The troops & C.O.s were now there

were new to / place - & they

tried it. (see other book) At F.

there were Austlns directly visible

from / valley. Their observatn

o / valley made it most

difficult to put up sandbags or x

make any improvements there.

2

After the failure of ST. Zeki 

Bey ordered abt 8 men under

a corporal & Lieut. to attack

over / top (6 or 7 yds). They

were to throw bombs & then

rush it - & the snipers from a

positn where they cd snipe

over / heads o / attack w some

risk. As soon as they got out

a shell from the little gun (the

shell case) hit the Lieut direct

& badly wd him & the m.gs. at

B got onto the pty at once &

only one ws unwd.

They then understood tt all

measures were useless.

Either tt night or next day (Aug 9).

15 or 20 Turkish soldiers were put

in from abt Q. Before this

attack Tefik Bey who commanded

3

the 47^th Regt ws k. in leading

some similar attempt wh did not

succeed.

Z.B. saw / bombs & then some

young Turks get in w / bayonet.

They sd they had met several

young Austlns w their rifles

broken & / men dead in the

C.T. They bayonets cd be seen

advancing 10 or 12 yds from the

head o / valley. That, to /

end of things ws / situation.

After the check Z. Bey retired

to L, & got together the relics of his

regt. Alirza Bey who ws commdg

at / head o / valley after this

always came to him for advice, 

thinking tt he knew more abt

it than any o / others.

The positn ws now better in

4

the Pine & it ws well known

tt / danger ws elsewhere.

A final order ws gn to give

up / c/attack on / Pine &

make trenches there.

1/57 ws reassembled near

Z & ws gn this part (Owens

Gully) to defend. They stayed

there abt 2 days. When it ws

clear tt all ws safe Major Zeki

Bey wired to Regtl Commdr. If you

want this Bn to be entirely worn

out & finished, keep us in / trenches.

There had bn no time nor place

to eat.

On Aug 9th 1/57 ws withdrawn

behind Edina Sirt again.

From F to Q a junction had then

bn made with the 3/47 at Q.

12, 13, & 15 mixed up were in between

5

this & Owens Gully; Alirza Bey,

C.O. 13^th Regt. commanded them.

6 Aug. L. Pine

7 Aug. Adv. agst Chunuk Bair &

the 14th xxxxx Regt ws

retiring & meeting / attacks

as best it cd w / help o /

rt flank of Mustafa Kemal Pasha.

Night 7/8 Aug. Early this mg. the

G.O.C. 9^th Divn, Kalinkisser

(a German) had recd / order to go to

Chunuk Bair. He had first bn ordered

to L. Pine - at Evg. 6^th Aug he had

bn E of L. Pine coming from the

Southern Group.

With 2 rgts he arrived this 

day at Chunuk Bair - before

arriving there the GOC ws wounded.

Another offr ws appted - one

who knew tt part. These 2 regts

^x "From" is possibly a mistake 

of mine for "on"; or Zeki

Bey may have thought we

reached Chunuk Bair that day.

His knowledge, however, was

usually so complete that I think

the mistake might be mine.

CEWB. 31/3/47.
6

(25 & 64) that day took

part in / fighting at Chunuk 

Bair. They cdnt do anything

but only face / troops

who were advancing from^X

Chunuk Bair (together w /

fragments of 14 Rgt & some other

small bits).

Aug 8. mg: when 4 AI Bde

attacked the m.g. Coy of 11^th

Regt, w some parts of 14^th Regt,

(14 Regt had a xxx ^very large zone) met this

attack & defeated. There wd be

4 mgs. in the Coy. There might

have bn some other mgs. also.

This day 8^th Divn, w 2 Regts,

arrd at Chunuk Bair.

This evg. with one of its Regts

it made a c/attack but failed.

(24^th Regt). In this way Chunuk B.

7

& its surroundings were reinfd.

11^th Regt also ws under the

commd of 19^th Divn. It was

employed on / rt flank o

19 Divn under Mustafa Kemal

Bay. (11^th ws probly behind Kanli

Sirt - probly came w 12, 13 & 15.

But only its mg. coy. had bn in

positn. This is not altogether

certain).

Chunuk Bair & / troops there

were put under the GOC 8^th

Divn. This Divn had been to

Jerusalem & had come back

(but leaving one of its Regts behind

- 22nd went to Persia or somewhere, &

8 Divn ^w 2 Regts came back agn to Gallipoli

where it had bn at Rodosto before

/ landing (but not at / landing).

8

Before this regt arrived, a Bn.

of 64^th Regt (wh had bn. Army Corps

Reserve under Essad Pasha) ws

sent to Chunuk Bair under a

staff offr - to be there agst all

chances happenings.

As 24^th Regt didnt succeed

they remained on / defensive. 

The Southern Group (wh ws being

attacked) sent all its reserves

northwd (& won / admiration of

all by doing so. Vehif Pasha 
(brother of Essad P.) commd. in the

South (Liman Pashas G.H.Q. ws

at Yalova).

As the whole of the Ari Burnu

force ws employed at / Pine,

Essad had sent his only reserves

to Chunuk Bair (1 Bn 64 Regt) as

9^th Divn hadnt succeeded.