Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/22/1 - December 1915 - Part 5

To Heliotrope
14 Decr 15
11.31
To Anzac Army Corps from
Rearguard very quiet Turks
busily engaged digging under
& erecting wire. Everything
proceeding satisfactorily.

1.55 Arno alongside - possibly
Birdwood.
1.57 Bomb at Apex
some firing on right.
2am Troop carrier sinking
Men striking matches aboard her
Recurrence of firing
2.1. m. g. working a burst.
First lot of diehards mus
be leaving Quinns -
firing a little heavier.
2.5 Beachy has thrown a
shell onto Brighton Beach
2.10 Rather a lot of firing
2.14. Bomb on Apex
2.21 Something sounding like a
mine at Suvla.
2.25. Bomb at Walkers.
Somebody has brightened up
the incinerator on Shell Green

2.30 Cocoa w / Captain.
Chathams Post must be
deserted by now - & /
last lot is all tt is left now
in Quinns & to Lone Pine
A thick mist has gone over
/ moon
2.48. Maxim on left in 3 bursts
Tabletop light still bright.
Have set camera on Nek
in case mine goes up.
2.55 Quite a fair amt of firing
all from / centre.
Bomb at / Nek.
2.57. Beachy shell on Chathams
2.59 Bomb at Nek
Heliotrope asking Colne where he is
3. Bomb at Walkers.
Beachy. Probably probably at
Brighton Pier.
3.2 Bomb at Nek - firing at Pine
3.5 Last lot now alone left all
along line.
Destroyer fired.

Can still hear a solitary rifle
or two on right as well as in
centre.

Men most be hurrying down
Chailak Dere down paths
amongst hils I know so well - 
can hear them on the left also
just one or two -- mostly in
centre. Moon too dark to see
by
Possibly the isolated rifle shots
are from patent rifles to fire
after we have gone.
Can see Chelmer waiting for left
flanking party - to get them
off in cutters
3.15 Left Lone Pine - poor old
1st Bde.
Gun or bomb on right.
Bomb at Walkers.
A shot at Suvla.
Very little firing now & almost

all in centre.
Just before L. Pine ws left
there ws more firing.
A shot at Suvla - ships I think
Helles pretty quiet.
Quite normal firing
3.20. Quinns & Popes left - 
well - poor its an extraordinary
end to a fine history.
The Turks have got it at last
the place they never cd take -
by our quietly leaving it in /
night. And it in / end
perhaps / suc greatest
success we have achieved there
is quietly giving it to them
without their knowing it.
Light still burning on Little Tabletop.
Two or three rapid shots
from m.g at Quinns
3.23. Beachy.
3.25 Walkers Nek left. The
old Anzac line is now

open to / Turks. A desultory
fire still continues.
- one far on right.
3.26 The mines at the Nek have
been blown up. Tremendous firing
- two huge red clouds. Turks
firing for all they are worth all
along / line.
Message left flank party all
embarked.
- A great finale.
3.35 Firing still heavy - right to
extreme right
Beachy burst a shell over
Artillery Road.
3.40 Dull sound as of gun being
blown up.
3.45. I cn see flashes of rifles
on Snipers Nest.
3.46 heavy mg action
The Suvla wireless man

on Nibrunese Point has 
earthed his aerial.
Birdword sends message
to Russell. "How are you."
4.am Fire at Anzac has almost
ceased except a few flashes
at Snipers Nest I can see no
flashes.
Suvla has just fired all
the [[?Anls] on C.R Lala Baba -
making a gigantic glow &
absolutely giving away the
show for Anzac unless they
have got news that our
evacuation is complete.

3.25 Wireless from W4 - .
"Evacuation completed."

4.26 Heliotrope reports
awaiting arrival of
rearguard Commander - 

Firing fairly constant 
4.35 Godley sending telegram to MM shewing Rane
4.57. Heliotrope made to Chatham.
Commander Rear Party & Commr.
Rearguard Party have embarked.
5 - Turks still firing no one ashore.
m.g. going every now & then.
5.15 - Turks still sending an
occasional sniping shot at our
trenches. Table Top light still
burning.
Heliotrope. Anzac to Suvla
[shorthand] Corps. "Operations completed."
3.57
5.40. All Suvla stores burning
We had at least one man
wounded
Turks still sniping
at Anzac.

Red glow in sky
Every now & then ships a
cask of oil goes up in a
huge whirl of flame. One
fire astern of us explodes.
Dark shape of ships against
red glare reflected in
water
We have to stand by to
see what can be done in /
way of destroying Anzac
stores tomorrow. At present I
suppose we dont know
what men are left ashore.

Anafarta gun firing &
Beachy sometimes.
Order Heliotrope "Take up yr day

position." "Take charge of Mountn
M15 M16 when they arrive at
daylight.
6am, T. fire has practically ceased 
except tt I can still hear shots 
from near back of Nev Post.
Pier lights
& T.Top still burning.          
---
6.45 Olive Grove & other batteries
opened heavy bombardment on
Anzac position - very wild shell
bursting, all over position.
7.5 Signal to Grafton. All ships to
prepare to open on mule carts &
stores; as all wounded have bn
evacuated, firing can be made
without danger.
Bombardment still going on very
high.
[* Please*]
At 7.15 shelling stopped & crowds of
Turks cd be seen running

all over our trenches - attack from 
L. Pine or G.O.T.
We are going to fire on stores
on beach.
7.37 Cease fire.
7.45 Fleet exc us sent to Kephali.
Godley, few more ?guns? stragglers save
Rearguard Commdr reports "all
wounded evacuated & nothing
left wh ought to hv bn evacuated.
Few more guns saved - All
medical units taken off."
----
7000 Gallons Parafin oil SSW of Milo
We fire at it.
^x I fancy I was the first in our ship to see this.
Capt Grace of the Grafton had let me
use his big telescope on the bridge - one on
a stand, I think. I was ∧from time to time watching the skyline,
& as I looked through it I saw what I took to
be a forest of young fir trees on what seemed
might be Gun Ridge. But looked next moment I
saw that the trees were all moving. The Turks must
be holding branches - I thought of the Japanese at the Yalu
(was it?) and Macduff the forest at Dunsinane. Then I
realised that the telescope magnified very greatly, & what
[*I thought was the trees was really the Turks. They ran up to the
trenches, stooped, looked in. I told Grace to look 
& he did so & then ordered
the 
ships 
to fire
at 
the
Turks -
but
only
two
or
three
salvoes.
C.E.W.B.
18.5.24*]