Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/15/1 - August 1915 - Part 4

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approached / trench w

their hands up. Our men

pulled them in, signed to them to

take their rifles off & come in. Then

they sent them back to explain to /

others. All this time / Sikhs, /

Gurkhas, / Australians were

trying for all they were worth

to make / Ts understand they

wanted them to come in. They

But others out of view who didnt

understand (esp. the Tommies)

wd fire & each time a few Ts

dropped & / rest ran back.

Then a chap in white pants

came into / trench & sd "Doctor!"

Next a T. came along towards

the m.g. wh had bn captured by

N.Z. & turned by / Maoris agst /

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Turks. When he saw it he lowered 

his bayonet suddenly & signed to

our men to lay down their arms.

Of course they didn't. Maj. Grigor

then went along to / left o / trench

where he ws alone & spoke to

some Ts there. They had bn shaking 

our mens' hands & he shook

the hand of one big T. too. He is a

small man & the T ws a big one

& the big Ts grip suddenly

tightened on his & he felt himself

being dragged out o / trench.

He pulled back & managed to

tear himself free. T. didnt

fire but G. walked back &

told our men to open fire at

once when of course Ts got

back into scrub. Some were k.

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Later. Our interpreter, Nicholas, passed

my dugout & I told him this story.

He sd. "Thats's funny! that agrees w

what an Armenian officer told me

- & I thought he ws mad. He sd

tt they had got 3 New Zealand prisoners

tt day, & the colonel of /

bn. thought they might get more if 

they gave them / chance. So they he

sent this Armenian officer to / trench

to try & get our men to give up

their arms. The Armenian came 

forward & signed to our men tt
he wanted them to lay down their

arms, & our men signed to him

to lay down his. Het got right into

/ trench and tried to persu our

officer sent him back to explain

to / Ts. tt if they put down their

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arms we wd take them prisoner

& treat them well.

He went back - but as it ws

no good explaining this he told his

men tt our men wanted some of 

them to come into our trench &

put down their arms before we

wd surrender. They did so & we

kept them there & took them 

prisoners.

Nicholas thought / man ws

romancing (he ws very highly

strung & when an Indian passed

he shrank back shivering &

asking "Who's tt? they say they 

murder us!" N. told him

to go & have a sleep - x a rest

- & he did so & had made 

up a different tale by next

morning. But it ws his wild

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tale tt ws true.

The men they got prisoners

were I daresay those I saw

cut off in / trench.

(See also other end) 

of book for Aug 6 follg.

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Cary R.W. Fusiliers on 17^th at Apex

The Apex was much worried by
a blockhouse. Went at it 2
nights. 2nd night Le Motte Lieut & 21
men & Crampton Lt (or commn tt day)

bombed blockhouse & took it & trench.
Damaged the Pinnacle & had
fire all round. He stuck it
¾ hour. damaged it as much
as he cd. It ws built 2 nights
before we got in. m.gs hit it
but hows cant get it.
-----
380 - 390 casualties during the
week.
-----
See also other
end of book
for Aug 21-2

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Diagram - see original scan

Attack of Aug
10 ws all from 
left (N) Rhododend
& from Farm.
------

This attack ws very feebly planned - no time
given by the brigadier.

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Never heard a single man call out; simply lay
there. Sent to Bdier to say we were ready.
----
Some attack ws made abt
midday on the Apex - Aucklds

prob. going over crest. I gathered 
it had misfired.

Got chit saying attack postponed

but be ready to move by covered way
if possible.

Abt 4 got orders to come 
along. I reported at Bde H.Q. 
with only a platoon (2 Coys in trenches).

I ws sent back to make sure of Rhodo.
------
Aug. 8^th - Just at Dawn Wellington &

Gloster went over crest &

walked into T trenches without opposition.
The Coys in support of them were
cut up going over.
We held Rhodo & then relieved

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Diagram - see original scan

Maj Cribb sd cdnt get 2nd
out as fire too hot. 12 & 13
came over into dip where
extended & lay down.

Otago & Well. Coy came back
over our summit. Arty being
collected for attack - thro' Canterby
who were lying down. Anafarta
opened at once & for ¼ hr didnt
hit anyone - then lowered range
& hit 1 offr k 10 w. 200 men
(only 3 unwounded as lay there - 

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We pushed over false top & started
digging in on rt edge (S.) of
Rhodo - (& to leave pickets there became
our duty). Otago, on our left
& Coy of Canterb. Wellington
lying in reserve (Maj Cox) [[shorthand]]
They were digging in over edge of
slope just at dawn.  Shell fire
from Anafarta m.g. at Battleship
Abt 11 o'c. Bdier sent for us
Bdier ws just under Apex.

Diagram - see original scan
He sd he ws going
to attack
Auckland leading
Cant in [[shorthand = ? support]].

1st Cant & 2nd Cant. Coys were
then in trenches over edge.
Decided to leave 1st Cant as
picket.

2nd 12 & 13 Coys were to go

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When we got to ^bottom of T'top we met
some M.R. coming off Destroyer Hill
The place ws We heard them
talking loudly. I sent up some
pickets back there as ^I thought we shd
have some sniping from there. The place
ws swarming w Turks.  There were an 
officer & batman just laying out his breakfast
& abt 8 others. Sanderson Salmonson? ws wondering
whether to make / batman bring him his breakfast.
We went on to Rhodo (I had sent word
back for these pickets to go to Dest.
Hill just before dawn ws breaking.
We took trenches on spur w
prac. no oppositn. A few Ts
were there & bolted.

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Chunuk B.
Diagram - see original scan

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N.Z. Inf: Canterbury. Aug 6/7
(from Col Hughes)
Cant. Right Col. (up Sazli Dere)
Other 3 Left Col.
Wellington left of Bauchopes
(Auck.) Reserve w / Bdier

(Otago) North of No 3 Post

Cant. & Otago were to meet on slopes
of Rhodo & take Rhodo.

Otago were to pass us at 10.30
at mouth of sap.
Order ws passed back tt / Bde had bn halted
We were only going thro sap at midnight.
-----
We got lost & got abt dawn on
a frightfully precipitous ridge
(Table top) where to our great delight
we found Otago & Col.
Moore & went strt on.

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