Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/229/1 - December 1918 - February 1919 - Part 4

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Awaiting approval
Accession number:
RCDIG1066689
Difficulty:
5

Page 1 / 10

29 (83 where Dr Butters and Pat (9 Br.) was later in day. (9) where fen. Bridges we k. juot before cutiance to steetes. (0) Position (ale) of N Bde Hgirs. (sater hoad of ttonash vally pst where ( messags began to reach Howes party. Hurry on towards left. Fire over head over Popes us extraordinarily heavy. Mo aod stop & arue in foot goaly wheter thest were caplosive bullets. C. was tallock clearing head of Honase Valley tren or before then). N.B. This Valley (Head of monashes) is also known to F.L.H. as "Popes Reservo Valley & Viney's Road?
(12) (13) (4 e Pins tra on left, 100 yds short of 1 2 Gully leading to Bully Beef sax; all sorts of tgends of a woman suipes connicted with this tree, (proble bec of while Turkish clothes found in the Old camp wh. had bu there.) (Col. Nash we later k. at Entrance of Bully Beo Falle cire of our later outpat up youad wady hort youadd valy pear twrt Prisoners were nct here by Hrowe, return down monast villey. (aust. dead - possibly AC.H. - also Britisl- on lest above tis]. Point where Lient. Morgan went on over welk of Popes, Howe thinks. Shrap. we very heavy here from head of gully & caused a scatter Damole & Pettit Lost Howe here.
31 Note is nove open at the Wet than further 5 NE wend of on Daby 700. Eend of Baby 700 also contains open fields where Tark 6 in gun now is (15) where Howe lay down & fined with min of 12 Bn. (Shrapnel too hot here, so movedon (6) Trenches at which they fired. A line df men have been buried here by the tarks (1B probably exaetly where they fell. One was pr Bn. from One was 2nd B. About 40 praves may be per abt 150 to 300 yds S. of 6in gun. We fot p Bn colours of one, & 2ndBn offanother. One Race of keet or marked NBNMS AOIETA ROEG) 11342 To yds back town rear slope of hill was anthur line of New Zealanders - some of 1612 Coy (waikato) & one WE major.
2 32 or N.E (3 an i meas tin was prad hers. (ay have been from Furkis dump Howe had not been (as far as he knew) on the inlaned side of Fby 700, 50 far as this. He took me over to the ridges on the N. Side of Baby 700 His party track had been as shewn in Sketch B in my field notes, across a little tinnable & on to be main top shoulder of Sucpers vest on Baby 700. (N. side) Abt 150 to rooyds due o of the bench gun they got to I cred & the fire became very beavy as they clearet the crest. Here many may were dead. be found theve ter (I have asked Buchanan to find this spots mark it 22.) Howe says they saw the to coming down Chunk or 161 Batliship hib. & also on the lower slopes of Khodo where there
33 is a small square open patch which Howe thinks he runmbers. when Howe retirnd the to followed & an offe 150 to 2yds N appeared (whom H. shot) abt of the 6 in gun positi. Howe withdrew lowds where they had seen men earlies (probly, he thinks the livs of 150 rad Other Bn on S. stope of Baby 700.) By By this Cig they cdut see anyone on tog of Baby 700 8 So tame back out a vek where he ran over a WE mef, & there by day in in a semicircle. polated rca came in Cale during 1 evs. from ahead of senicirculer hew Howe & I think we located this brench on
56 (23 the actual Nek around the monument erected by the very narrow there – much The Hek Tarks narrowed than I expected. t We found just s. of the aconcunt 3ort little positions - rifle pits still showing duy scret between the Cater tarkink ty looking as if they were part of a Senvcircular Cine Fr make the Monament I have asked suchanan to
85 23. on his map. From there Howes Pty followed the track back a lon. Ca 1t road still clearly seen) walkers Rodge to te lop of Reserve pity. The tarks folld tem pretty close, about opposite the base of the Sphink Howe tripped over a turkish Y & a little farker on picked up Col. Clark's pack. At the Edg of Rest Gully abt 50 yds inland from the Ragor Edge they sot anto a common truch or Turbih Es wh actually san out into the fieky top. Here ty stopped & beat back the turks who day in 100 or roogds away & were there in 1morning
The first Battled(ips shells in the morning butst 20 or 30yds fightenns in on walkers Peatean from the edge of Rnot gully the tarks of. 8
Iaote tal on a map of the British official history his is shown as (Hill) 261- presunably its height in instres, En 31/1147 37 Feb Yorniy. Rode out with Withins, Buchaman, Tax 18 Tames & Seryt with pack male to Battleship Hid. We found that there is a distinct gap between Battleship Hill & the next long rise up to Chamabe Bair? This bug rest has one distinct (crest Hid 161. Cooking from the Irland slope of Bship Hill Northwds this gap betw B ship Hill & 161t is like It is probly the gap visible from Chanak. palo. It is the ga 120 ben 911 wisseen rom Chanch).
I think mis means the same spik sp0 pave wis P:w We searched firot the sour across the vadey from Cutlehip Hille Examined some remains in a gutter A A on my map. Iound them to be turkish. Cameback outs the Spur 200 yds w. of 184 & worked in a line extended at 8 to 10 paces along the Edge of it. The spur has a steep sandy face on its E side & the top is rounded & clothed with holly? On the top of the) scrubby stope on the E side of it the Tarks had been opening theis cardboard amma carriess. Further S. where the ridge rises [(a little hammolk civing a free firefield from the valleys edge there were collections of fired Turk cartrid ns

 

29
(8) where Dr Butlers Aid Post (9 Bn.) was later in day.
(9) where Gen. Bridges ws k. just before entrance to Steeles
(10) Position (later) of 4th Bde Hqrs.
(Note: head of Monash Valley past
(11) ^where messages began to reach Howe's party: Hurry on
towards left.
Fire over head over Popes ws extraordinarily
heavy.  Men wd stop & argue in foot of valley whether
these were explosive bullets.
(? was Tullock clearing head of Monash Valley then or
before then).
N.B. This Valley (Head of Monash's) is also known
to A.L.H. as "Popes Reserve Valley" & "Viney's Road." 

 

30
Diagram - see original
(12) Isolated Single Pine tree on left, 100 yds short of the
Gully leading to Bully Beef sap; all sorts of
legends of a woman sniper connected
with this tree, (probly bec. of White Turkish
clothes found in the Old Camp wh. had bn there.)
(Col. Nash ws later k. at entrance of Bully Beef Gully
from Monash Valley.
(13) Wire of our later outpost up Monash Valley.
Turk Prisoners were met ^near here by Howe, returning
down Monash Valley.
[Aust. dead - possibly A.L.H. - also British -
on left above this].
(14) Point where Lieut. Morgan went on over Nelk of Popes,
Howe thinks.  Shrap. ws very heavy here from head
of gully & caused a scatter.  Dumole & Pettit
lost Howe here. 

 

31
Note.
It is more open at the Nek than further to NE
on ^W end of Baby 700.
E end of Baby 700 also contains open fields where
Turk 6 in gun now is
(15) Where Howe lay down & fired with men of 12 Bn.
(Shrapnel too hot here, so moved on)
(16) Trenches at which they fired.
(17) A line of men have been buried here by the Turks
probably exactly where they fell.  One was 1st Bn.
One was 2nd Bn.  About 40 graves may be here ^from abt
150 to 300 yds S. of 6 in gun.  We got 1st Bn colours
off one, & 2nd Bn off another.  One Piece of kit ws marked
NB or MB 1(or)12TH B or 8(or G) 11342
70 yds back towds rear slope of hill was another line of
New Zealanders - some of 16th Coy (Waikato) & one NZ major. 

 

32
(18.) An Australian ^or N.Z. mess tin was found here. (May have
been from Turkish dump.).
Howe had not been (as far as he knew) on the inland
side of Baby 700, so far as this.  He took me over to the
ridges on the N. Side of Baby 700
His party track had been as shewn in
Sketch B in my field notes, across a little knuckle
& on to be main top shoulder of Snipers Nest on Baby 700.
(N. side). abt 150 to 200 yds due N of the 6 inch gun they
got to / crest & the sho fire became very heavy as
they cleared the crest.  Here many men were dead. We
found them there
(22) (I have asked Buchanan to find this spot & mark it 22.)
Howe says they saw the Ts. coming down Chunuk or 161 or
Battleship hill & also on the lower slopes of Rhodo where there 

 

33
is a small square open patch which Howe thinks he
remembers.
when Howe retired the Ts. followed & an offr
appeared (whom H. shot) abt 150 to 200 yds N
of the 6 in gun positn.
Howe withdrew towds where they had seen
men earlier (probly, he thinks the line of 1st 2nd &
other Bn on S. slope of Baby 700.) But By this time
they cdnt see anyone on top of Baby 700 & so
came back onto a Nek where he ran over a NZ
m.g.; & there they dug in in a semi circle.
Isolated MCu came in later during / evg. from ahead of
them.
Howe & I think we located this ^semi circular trench on 

 

34
the actual Nek around the monument erected by the
Turks.  The Nek is very narrow there – much
Diagram - see original document
narrowed than I expected.
We found just S. of the
monument 3 or 4 little
positions - rifle pits
dug in the scrub ^still showing between the later Turkish trenches -
Diagram - see original document
looking as if they were part of a
Semi circular line.
From
(23) I have asked Buchanan to make the Monument 

 

35
23. on his map.
From there Howes Pty followed the track
(a 7 ft road still clearly seen) down the Nek back along Walkers
Ridge to the top of Reserve Gully. The Turks folld
them pretty close: about opposite the base of the
Sphinx Howe tripped over a Turkish trench & a little
farther on picked up Col. Clark's pack.
At the edge of Rest Gully abt 50 yds inland
from the Razor Edge they got into a Commn trench
or Turkish trench wh actually ran out into the Gully
top.  Here they stopped & beat back the Turks who
dug in 100 or 200 yds away & were there in / morning. 

 

36
The first Battleships shells in the morning burst 20 or 30 yds
in land on Walkers Plateau from the edge of Rest gully & frightened
the Turks off.
Diagram - see original document 

 

[X I note that on a map of the
British official history this
is shown as (Hill) 261 -
presumably its height in in metres.]
C.ew.B.
31/1/47
37
Jan Feb. 18.
Morning. Rode out with Wilkins, Buchanan,
James & Sergt with pack mule to Battleship Hill.
We found that there is a distinct gap between
Battleship Hill & the next long rise up to Chunuk
Bair.  This long rise has one distinct crest
- Hill 161.  Looking from the inland slope of B'ship Hill
Northwds this gap betw B'ship Hill & 161X is like
Diagram - see original document
It is probly the
gap visible from
Chanak.
[Later. (No - It is the gap
betw. 971 & Q wh is seen
from Chanak). 

 

X I think this
means the
same spur
- I should
have said
"this" spur.
C.ew.B.
15.1.47
38
We searched first the spur across the Valley from Battleship
Hill E
Examined some remains in a gutter A A' on my
map.  Found them to be Turkish.  Came back onto the
X Spur 200 yds W. of 184 & worked in a line extended at
8 to 10 paces along the edge of it.  The spur has a
steep sandy face on its E side & the top is rounded
& clothed with holly.  On the top of the sandy scrubby
slopes slope on the E side of it the Turks had been
opening their cardboard ammn carriers.
Further S. where the ridge rises to a little
hummock giving a free firefield from the valleys
edge there were collections of fired Turk cartridges, 

 

 

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