Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/229/1 - December 1918 - February 1919 - Part 6

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

Page 1 / 10

49 vo sign of our men until I found one puller. apparently an officers at the brest of th kill just of of the deep reuly sax (abl rooyds or of sap). Ketch from here. Pt. sh8 be St. H CMu. B. pep/p7) Feb. 19. went out with Williamd James of Bachaan onth ridge behind our caups - starting nd behind camp + working N Tust about 2009 do S. of the big tark sap I found an Auatalian cartriog, not fired, on the. top of the Hill ind on crest. A little Cartie on (we found a number aw Cpmb our cartrious unfired, opened by tarks
50 Farkes Cuear sax?) Ropers found a man tin. Ashed Buchanan to fir this point & wilkind to photipaphy from the six Cowds y. tolly & from Coot us sap. T. Folly I think the end of the ridge between there & T. Folly must have been te little mound if Contit speaks f. Rut if to be never saw the ptogigeto. Came in to Chanah &me Zeke Bey the off defacted by to war office to fmpetme. Fely 20. At chanak. E. Hid diony sail Febit 2. Dey arrived - a dies looking, smal a step apsta owas offe from Constantinply
Note on dotes Feb. 22-5 There is a day (Feb 20) misses but catey there are two congies of Feb 25. th There had been some uncersanal also as to earlies dates in the diary, which saturde was written up at night poi my field book; but to Feb. 20 they are Shoud t. Feb. 22. apparenty grreet, as is evidenced by a letter written from Cranak when I arrived tere on 20th inaccurace The is o explaines by the fact that these notes were wrrken ap at least several days after the searche call to which they relate. I havea t dates in the margin. C2 b. 7/2/52 54 when bat later rew Bas (were being formed. vofantin for command of M Bn SJ Lagt 19 Dwn Groasd with t to anga. Had a Fine wolk (wftes of Conversatio an Held Boph Feb 23 Hill 60. Found the gax in ae not whereI expected it) but purtin Hidg in nomandland beti our towds the W. Hills eventual tine of1/t. King. ws surppised coming tn Our alladh sallow there & swerved to reger anto [[fully o Brushword (wh were here of back(behind bank. Some men held you + fours bit
thes Lated. The ablack ws I thank really made where I haae masted in Jak 96 4 ✓✓ ArB. a8 56 paddpck between ast half way across. found the Tap saning from1 fep 2 apposite Hit 69 Cowt ad w. Hills positi of our our fit up w abt where (I have pan (23 Sepr. Hes4 4 pat the black dots. Isee say a 1 possibly some 24C brave men event i direct of but any went ()
e 3. 71e/4 Sunchart 53 rt of Hill on tBd Hacd a look satch (where the oto gak burs There pwrat trea was burst tre sone of our men t buries right beneat it (6) 53/o d therefore as 2 the badg of a N.2 o4 p. fon Anstratians & as oni gast outside E (with Fawron afcat this day I made sketihes 41
A shools out NW Eurt. 30/1/147 our left as e sanhes Nshd bNE. CusB 30/1/47 Hill 60 (by 2adto we then wentound traca of Anstialins rt ap Asma Dere. tarning of main Axing at alftill we passe Dere away of our left behind by sour phaoting out Su from Abdel Rapman (B. From there on for/ /2 mile there were scattered tracey of our min all of way (ag befhind the ridge held by t. looking down on [Kai as to aghale ? Here (Z. Bey had his final ppsitin. for accordance to Canmans descriptions I flooked for our men or their feit ont left if the Asma Dere (o of it). But there ws little. a few bits of wet kit & son at water bottle or two
a pined [t. bullet & (one of ours. this mess 2. Bey pointed out a kill and left Bat the pally oppointe (in rear of) pis o sd that the coy of mgs. wh had not fled Call rest of troopy had cleaped) was on th hil when (our men camet towdd [[Axona Dere. It ws th coy of mgs of the 11t5 Regt - they hung on there oag had had a proad efect in stoping as bed. the a fire very carnly fot. being themsalver under any fore. I had fr credited at I tind a having a fr cillence on s much commented on. attack he sd)
56 every o fund. headtie If think we shall fand cs of his 600 of t hel betwen to aces of our repulse of sey8 Der & Asna Depe. Haiagit Returned by Roya Chumen Fex. all the tect 0.R. of the ts. of the lek Abole Bair, Zck Bey spys. werein
Should 81 a cental CS. 4/2147. Sunda Feb 23 ( to Q, Chumake Bai Cwp. Seki F26 24 Exxedition Bey says shd be pronounced Tonk Bair and Your Rhado Ghurka went out to find traces of wh reached to on Aug 9. attack went to crest next to 971 (the aixt crest S. along ridg) & worket back southwd along 1 top ofrange in extended orders On the first crest or found nothing? On the second crest (81 central. a little r of ais on the summit
of the hand) we foind a fus traces of english fit. fit. Bey did not truik the english had por to here & ther between was not any obvious correspondina in the pount between & May Allisons account to me. On the next hill (leading up towards its summit) we found 4 tarkist gun emplacements for direct fire right on the Edg of the Cioll. a little to the N. of ous of Chamlk Sair wd came on many traces of English Soldiers including booies. Trey must have got on to the (NIshoulder of the which is open to D o97. lep top of the hill

49

No sign of our men until I found one puttee -

apparently an officers - at the break of the hill

just N of the deep Mule sap (abt 200yds N of sap).

Sketch J from here.  [[*It shd be SK. HI.
C.EW.B. 28/1/47*]]

Feb. 19.  Went out with Wilkins James & Buchanan

onto ridge behind our camp - starting imd behind

camp & working N.

Just about 200 yds S. of the big Turk Sap

I found an Australian cartridge, not fired, on the

top of the Hill just on crest.

A little further on we found a number of

our cartridges unfired, opened by Turks together in a heap.

 

50

Further - (near Sap?) Rogers found a mess tin.

Asked Buchanan to fix this point; & Wilkins

to photograph from the Sap towds J. Jolly & from

J. Jolly ^looking to Sap.

I think the end of the ridge between there &

J.Jolly must have been the "little mound" Loutit

speaks of.  But if so he never saw the straights.

Came in to Chanak to meet Zeki Bey the

offr detailed by T. war office to meet me.

Feb 20.  At Chanak. Z's ship didnt sail.

Feb 21.  Z. Bey arrived - a nice looking, small

offr from Constantinople - a staff offr at start of war

 

Note on dates Feb. 22 - 5:

[There is a day (Feb 22) missing

here, but later there are two entries of Feb 26.

here There had been some uncertainty also  

as to earlier dates in the diary, which

was written up at night from my

field book; but to Feb. 20 they are

[[* Should be Saturday Feb.22*]] 

apparently correct, as is evidenced

by a letter written from Chanak when

I arrived there on 20th.

The omission inaccuracy is xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

explained xxxx by the xxxxxxxxxxxxx

fact that these notes were written up

at least several days after the searches

to which they relate. I have ^inserted the corrected

xxx  dates in the margin.

(C.E.W.B. 7/2/47]

 

51

but later, got some when new Bns were being formed, volunteered

for command of 1st Bn 57 Regt 19 Divn.

Crossed with them to Anzac.  Had a

walk to Pine. (Notes of conversatn in Field Book.)

 Feb 23.  Hill 60. Found the Gap in the

Hedge not where I expected it but further

towds the W Hills - in nomansland betw our

eventual line & / T. line.

Our attack ws surprised coming thro

there & swerved to right into / ^shallow gully, &

brushwood wh were there or back behind /

bank.  Some men held on & our kit is

 

Later.

The attack ws

I think

really 

made

where I have

marked in ink

Thus D&C (D)(C)
Coys.           ↓    ↓

A & B.         (A)(B)

                      ↓    ↓

52

found abt halfway across / paddock between

the gap & the T. trench opposite running from / left

of our positin in Hill 60 towds the W. Hills

Hand drawn diagram - see original document

Our kit ws

abt where I have

put the black

dots.

I shd say tt

possibly some

brave men went

in directn (1) but

many went (2)

 

xH2)

C.E.W.B. 7/2/47)

 

53

Had a look at 4 Bde trenches on rt of Hill

60. There is a burnt patch where the old oak

Hand drawn diagram - see original document

tree was

& one

of our
men

buried

right 

beneath

it (6)

At 5, 5, 3 & 4 there are

Australians - & at 2 the badge of a N.Z. M.R. on

a cap just outside / trench (with "Hauroto" on it).

I made sketches Hx, I, & J this day

 

It shoots out NW

C.E.W.B.

30/1/47

 

xi.e. our left as

we searched.

N shd be NE.

C.EW.B

30/1/47
 

54

We then went round Hill 60 by road & off to

rt up Asma Dere.  No traces of Australians

at all till we passed turning of main Asma

Dere away to our left behind big spur shooting out

SWx from Abdel Rahman B.

From there on for ½ mile there were scattered

traces of our men all / way (i.e. behind the

ridge held by Ts. looking down on Kaiajik aghala.)

Here Z. Bey had his final positn.

In accordance w Cannans descriptions

I looked for our men or their kit on / leftx of

the Asma Dere (Nx of it).  But there ws little -

a water bottle or two & a few bits of web kit & some

 

55

mess tins, a fired T. bullet & one of ours.

But Z. Bey pointed out a hill imd left

of the valley opposite (in rear of) his old trenches &

sd that the Coy of m.gs. wh had not fled (all /

rest o / troops had cleared) was on tt hill

when our men came towds / Asma Dere.

It ws the Coy of m.gs. of the 11th Regt - they hung

on there - & they had had a great effect in

stopping us bec. they cd fire very calmly not

being themselves under any fire.  It had bn

credited at / time w having a gt influence on /

attack he sd - & ws much commented on.

 

56

I think he sd there were 8 guns.

We me  If this is so we shall find

traces of our repulse of Aug 8 on / hill between

Kaiajik Aghala Dere & Asma Dere.

Returned by Koja Chumen Tepe.

All the locket O.P.s of the Ts, on the left

were in Abdul R. Bair, Zeki Bey says.

 

Sunday
Should be Feb.
23

?81 a central

C.EW.B. 3/2/47.

57
[[*14*]]

Feb 24:  Expedition to Q, Chunuk Bair (wh. Zeki

Bey says shd be pronounced Jonk Bair) and

Rhodo Spur.

Went out to find traces of Ghurka

attack wh reached top on Aug. 9.

Went to crest next to 971 (the next

crest S. along / ridge) & worked back Southwds

along / top o / range in extended order.

On the first crest we found nothing.  On the

second crest (81 central - a little N of this on the summit

 

58

of the hump) we found a few traces of English kit.  Zeki

Bey did not think the English had got to here & there

was not any obvious correspondence in between the ground

between & Maj Allison's account to me.  On the next

hill (leading up towards its summit) we found

4 Turkish gun emplacements for direct fire
- right on the edge of the hill.

A little to the N. of / crest of Chunuk

Bair we came on many traces of English soldiers,

including bodies.  They must have got on to the

left ^(N) shoulder of the top of the hill which is open to Q & 971.

 

 

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