Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/14/1 - August 1915 - Part 7

Ts. by ruses.
All Sat. 7 fierce fighting continued -
our troops mantained positions & reconnoitered
Chunuk Bair & K.C. Tepe for next day.
Godley decided to attack before dawn-
(surely this attack was late).
On Sun 8 Aug. under cover of darkness
NZ Inf (reinforced by 13 Div troops)
agst Chunuk Bair
Cox’s Indians on a centre spur
known as Q
Australians on K.C. Tepe.
Enemy ws now in strong force. But
N.Z. & Glosters gained footing on top of
Chunuk Bair.
Ghurkas & some of 13 reached foothills
to left of N.Z. & made good some way up
slope.
Aust inf “gained Abdel R.B.
from wh point they had hopes to take K.C.T.
But they were met w heavy columns of
Ts who enveloped their flanks & brought
 

heavy x fire & were obliged to retire on
original line.
9 Aug Mon Having gained footing on Chunuk I
decided to break off / action & reorg. my
forces w view to further attempt follg
morning. Arrangements were made
for cooperatn of Naval guns & all
our arty in assault on Q by fresh
column of 5 Bns - 6 E. Lans., 6 S. Lancs,
10 Hamps, 5 Royal Irish [[shorthand]], 5 wilts
under B. Gen A. H. Baldwin commanding
38 Bdes Bombardment began 4.30 am
cont. till 5.15 (9 Aug). Plan ws for
column to attack under cover of foothold
gained by B. Gen. Johnston on Chunuk
in NE direction  , Gen Johnston to
cooperate from Chunuk; & Gen Cox
to attack from his position 1/2 way up
stopes on W. The Ghurkas splendidly
led by Col. Allanson succeeded in
 

crowning heights on Nek betes. Chunuk & Q.
Looked down on Dard. Saw T. motor
cars & [[?]] coming & going along main rds to E
Unfortunately Baldwins Col ws
delayed & C. attack ws delivered
on Ghurkas before B. got up there.
Also shelled - compelled to retire.
N.Z. maintained ground & still held
footing at nightfall. N.Z. Inf ws attacked
all day Aug 9 & as little food, little
water & no sleep for 3 days & nights they
had to be relieved.
Positn ws handed over to Loyal
N. Lancs & Wilts (Genl Baldwin's
Bde) supported by Irish Bde under
BGen Cooper.
10 Aug. at day break these 2 Bns
were attacked by force estimated at
Divn & driven out of hurriedly made
[[Y?]] & oncoming enemy however ws
stopped by warships fire, NZ Arty fire,
 

Maoris were good when once in it.

Thoms of N.Z. Staff says:
The last 2 bns of Monash were
v. late in getting away. Inst.
of starting from parade they
started from their dugouts.
The Turning up Taylors Gap
muddled things. The miller (Greek)
who ws with Overton misled
him & overpersuaded
him - he sd he knew it ws
/ way (& so it probly ws) & wd
lead to a road - It as actually
a shorter way but / trouble
ws tt when you got thro' it
you got into a tumble of
gullies where it reaches /
Aghyl Dere. and whereas going
up the A.D. they cd not have
missed their way, going thro /
Gap they lost 2 hours thro hesitation + meeting [[?]]
 
[*Overton has bn
thro' all this before.*]
 

& our supports. Ts wavered & began
to retreat up hill & over crest again.
Losses severe. Few Ts left on slope
facing us. we kept our positn on
Rhodod. [[?]]
By tt night our line ws estab on
heights a few 100 ft below Chunuk.
& 1^st place of [[?]] ended.
Bdier Gen Baldwin K. leading Column on
9 Aug.
Col. Malone (C.o. Well. Inf) to whose leadg
the footing on Chunuk ws
chiefly due.
Col. A. Bauchop C.M.S. Otago MR. most
wd. leading regt on 6th.
Bdr. Gen Cooper severely wounded at
head of his Bde wh helped to
stem T. onslaught on 10^th