Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/126/1 - 1915 - 1917 - Part 6

2        66
the cows at a gallop,
cracking their whips,
rounding them up rather
late & bringing them in at
a forbidden pace.
He had the Then he pulled his
wits together & realised tt
he ws at Anzac & it was
the crack of the Turkish
rifles at the Nek tt he heard.

Aug 29. The conversation
at dinner happened to
turn on the question
of Evacuating Anzac on
the first night. Murdoch
said he understood it
had pretty well bn decided

2   67
on durg the 1^st night. I sd
tt although the Bde Commdrs
thought the men were shaky
then, owing to their experience
during the afternoon, the
critical moment had
really passed when night
fell. Gen. Carruthers
ws very silent - just
nodded when I sd this -
but when dinner ws over
he sd. "Bean, I want
to speak to you a
minute" - & took
me outside.
He referred to what
Murdoch & the rest of us
had said. "Did you

2        68
ever hear / correct
history of tt night?" he
sd.
I told him what I
knew or thought to be true.
"That's quite wrong,"
he sd. And then followed
what ws undoubtedly
the full plain true &
rather dramatic story:
"I was with Canliffe
Owen & Thursby on the
Queen tt night," he sd,
"& we were sitting
up together abt 11 when
a letter arrived to
Thursby from Gen. Birdwood.

69
or- that both divl commdrs
were of opinion tt if the
Turks attacked with large big
& fresh forces during the
night, the landing
position cd not be held
2      70
It sd that he thought it
right to tell him that
both his divisional
commanders were of
opinion tt Anzac the
force ashore at Gaba Tepe
ought to be evacuated, ^x
& tt he thought ws writing
this to let him know
that the taking off of / 
troops tt night or /
follg morning was an
event course which in certain
eventualities might
have to be seriously
considered.
This was a 
staggerer - They had

2      71
decided to go off & see
Birdwood at once when
a flag lieutenant came
aboard & announced
tt the flagship, Queen
Elizabeth, had arrived.
Thursby decided at once
tt he it ws to / Flagship
tt they ought to go.
They went across,
& up / side, & down
into a big room with
a table - probly the
Admirals Captains
dining room. Hamilton
came out of one cabin
into it, in his
pyjamas, & Braithwaite

2        72
out of the next, &
Thursby gave Hamilton
Birdwoods letter.
Hamilton ∧ read it & said
"This is a difficult
business; what are we
to do about it?"
Braithwaite stood
there in his pyjamas,
chewing his big moustache,
but not making any
remark at all, useful
or otherwise.
Thursby said that
he considered did not
think it ws possible to
evacuate / troops. The
boats had many of
tem bn smashed & sunk,

2         73
the transports had
bn scattered - they had
bn shelled & compelled to
stand further out to sea.
He did not think it cd
p be done, either by dawn
or in / morning.
Hamilton asked Gen.
Carruthers what he thought.
He sd that it seemed to
him impossible to do it 
in / time. Gen. Owen sd
/ same.
Hamilton sd- well
on that I decide it;
& he sat down & wrote
the cheering letter to
Birdwood ordering that

2       74
the position be maintained.
And this Thursby,
Carruthers & (?)Owen
carried to the shore -
They reached there
about 2 a.m. - it ws
a nasty wet night
(as I remember it well).
And from tt moment
it ws decided to turn
in & go to bed - a sudden
change wh I also very
very well remember.
Churchill & Carruthers
both think tt tho' the Q.E
came round tt night
she did not fire any 
shells till she arrived
/ next morning. She had

2       75
come up in / evening
on receipt o / news tt /
positn ws serious. But
I am pretty sure tt /
first shell ws / shell wh
everyone watch was so
interested in early on
Monday, wh shook the
hills -
(See also other end 
of book)

2      126
Very important
Notes of [[?]]
re Landing
& Jun 28, Leanes ?
& Pozieres.
See also other
End.