Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/229/1 - December 1918 - February 1919 - Part 8

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

Page 1 / 10

54. on inside cover Book ly legally carrisoued. Ther were 15 men, only in of there post; o 5 men were not seen again. A great crater as formed] (this wo att 2wko (before 1. fihe) All the Ct were fitted to dust & all of men were low in their Kelters. The port of part of yws completely blown away. It ws feller up w wird malk later (grolle). (At a late date it was built up thas again a cark from ear adaus parapet made). If we had attacked after to explosion, 3.5 says, they cod grobly have lost 1y there Sehi Bey set aft caploring tis craties ws a Dt of stones in it & afterpulling threas away he came strayg on 2 wires (see his sheteh in field book II) leading bask wwods our lines. He found that they entered a tct intis
(a number of saidbags) piled to the roof of a tunnel the O monts of wh ws closed by threm. He & a soldier w him took away I bags one by one. As they did so some voise tother side made them think to a sentry a a bajonet we there mey fin tok away bays until thy had made a crevice +cd see thro. By then no one w9 in I tuanet- a tunael led away from triem. B. Bey wondered what todo. At firot he tranger. Iil blow this in? he had 507 sticks of exlosiss brought -but it w I sort of explaniss to is uned in blowing up rlys & his had failed before; so he decided not to blow the place. He went w a man & they px 1bags away & he told ( man to to thro. The man dids. There ws a tunael leading abt 10ft abood of them & then blocked. But at this soint it turned off to left,h 3/3 6old 1
man to to along it He did so, o A sergs a him, T. By at corner. There were steps leading down to a deeper tunnel. at 1 bottom a liges ad be seen flicheng & someone ws there Then someone from below fand a resolvers not wh hit apt gatler the wak atend of s where the turn) in fallery ws. bullet 13/3 got his & sent it to kenal & roaad as I firs shot prit an anderpd warfare here? The man came rundning back trembling? There ws some shootingn both sides w rifted. 3. Bey accty. had no prapet made & the hole tamped up a < little above elbow. (ug] He sad a sentry behind thiss LWIR Another sentry ws put in post of 1 opening o I tunnel cunto cratee & andtenon his right. A corsoral had change of
52 3/13 gave the front sentry his revolver. tire Later, voices were hoard behind our (Austhn) sentry, 3sd. The Auths are certainly doing something not sttting down waiting. He pressed they were mining agot him, so he got a ferman expert sentap & this man sel Clistening with 3. Bry in the crater (to 1 3. of the tunnekouke)] Digging is gaing on 2 or 3 metires from here? They wondered what & do. Measures ought to be taken at once - but they had begin miny after we had a thy knew (moment ty started counter measures we shd blow. They didnt start. A few days later there ws an explosion. 3/B3 who wa in I truches ws town down. The ran along & found to or people had exploded a mins. The advanced
Sentry as not found at all. The cuntry at (montho 33 tunnel had bu blown back over 1 parado of G.O.T & killed The sentry on the right (N) of tunnet month ws killed. The tannet ws all right from A to K; but the bend of it had be blown in & a new crater (B) been made. EBdd. The dusthrs wont reat quiet. They cleared away 1stones from I fallen elbow again, sods to look tho a crevics in 1 stone. 3/3 himself (looked tiro; & there ws a soldier, an Custialian (at V) crouching on one tence aget 1 forod edge of crater to his rifte or his knee brushing eark of it quitly tookin intently towds him. Perh, ho had heard somating. 3/B (whose revolves had bu loot in previous blow (w buried sentinal) saw for his revolver? I can
can shoot. to man be thought. Then be refected. Whats use. This evg we will wait + get his man. so abt mid night he intended to send over a few soldiers from (old crates suddenly & capturs of man. The fins man, however, who piped out of big crater is P (jnst S.0 1ord tannel) cind) they guaped out (2 or 3qthran) ducked back ws shot & badly wdl. The others croaching in their crater & hid there. lated the sentry tod 2.8 to to hols where seaty ws. had be shats a wire Entanghent put in crater. That we all they eddee - not a soldier w in crater. A few days later thas sentrees must have bn talling -cond keep quiet - & a bount ws knowe at them from our wire & a sentry flightly injured.
G.O.T is Merkey Tept (centre E)] 75 Teys remained like this. Then our day aft noon some projestiles fell on bok flanks of G.O.T. - not pout lind but abl 2nd tuo. The soldiers gox down & didnt look over. kenal (Pasha noticed this o complaint to 3/B who held an inquiry & found to some had be wod, by 1shells at end of some minates 2B, who had sent a measunges to find if there were anything impt, fot answer The O.C. of 2ad toy whows atst (wend of2 & ws not as very placky man brought back word to there ws nothing in 128. Tast then the Chief of Cosad Pashas staf for on, shore, direct, to 2/B & sd? E. Bey, to enemy) is fetting into your 2. what are you going to do? (The H.B. of eaand ws CounalVery Tnst N of Scrubbyknott, or yreverse stopy - near oe pus a inth bly wh ws ordered on hone Pind day at oned to fire 2. Bey came straight up himself & as soon as he on is
got into (second I he found to bombs were being tioron by this men over into the crater. He came staigns on to front lind himself to see what ws doing ? Jo 1 point where grifle of wire netting wa. As I same time they Lims on the last of the front G.O.T (the A O 1ton on 1 left, a brave yveny chap) who had daod situate by ggether his men at once to fire down their own pront line from the s end of ir- caught ris ara & sd; It is dangerous there, mey reason Exchanging opo to. A to prille ceveral soldiers on both sides were lying dead. one of our aun had aaid his rifte o payonet up ags) (wire. Our wen were applly getting away. A wel dressed young ofice avery fine handsne man-as in crate & has retreated into (tunnet mont. 2/Bey say out. Donl kill this man) - we want to take him. The men ord. He will not allow linaly to be taken. There ws off noolver in hand ago the
far sart at t end of 1 crates by tunnel. Ihem he dropped. He had bn hit is a boart& bok lgs poken? 2/B late found to off cont have got back tho ( tunnel - it want open. He to afterss were not agreed as to where we attached from. some set "out o1E cters onto 1month o1 tunnel y 6007 men were dead - on ws prad lates in next mine Curtins N. 12 or 15 repes were found, Sigg had a little revolver - prot. Antomalis Land afer this thery wo gueat quictuds in the Aust. 24 - no toubs. A number of offes + men were to 3 (Bey in 1 Turkish 2y at the grill. Tere were done your men o allwere dead. Pobly our men
Our wean in our lines thought this men had be capled. They were o to have be not teed to bagone to fined at th tind or eadies when (alack ws made. His attach did a Co2 6 buck upt t. Thy had bn setting very anxious for some time 58 they ditud know whet we meant to do - all our mess. seemed to be beginining to soint towds G.0.+ [(ogolly expecting an adack) & 2/aey expecter and thack there. But now they were able to pine to ths attack + day to the English had made an atempt & had fach+it had a considerable iffience Ao Ao ferst of Et Barran (when we cxpeted a they were returnanxius bee. soe ws saetin attact visiting when they ought to hase bee working. 2 ey went to call on the C.C of line (57) Regt. The C.O to0 tim & had heard from pouse & his children were askig how low

*SK. on inside of cover of Book 231

69 

trench lightly garrisoned. There were 15 men, only, in
post; & 5 ^ of these men were not seen again. A great
crater ws formed. (This was abt 2 wks before / fight).
All the C.T's  were filled w dust & all / men were
low in their shelters. The front of part o / trench ws
completely blown away. It ws filled up w wire
later (grille). [At a ^ much later date it was built up
again w earth from / rear] (and ^ thus a new parapet made).
If we had attacked after tt explosion, Z.B. says, 
they cod probly have lost / trench.

Zeki Bey set abt exploring this crater.  There 
ws a lot of stones in it & after pulling these away he came 
on 2 wires (see his sketch (I) in field book II) X leading back ^ straight towds
our lines. He found that they entered a tunnel opposite - & in there 

 

70

were a number of sandbags, piled to the roof of a tunnel the
mouth of wh ws closed by them. He & a soldier w him took 
away / bags one by one. As they did so some noise / other
side made them think tt a sentry w a bayonet ws there - 
They finished took away bags until they had made a crevice
& cd see thro. By then no one ws in / tunnel - a 
tunnel led away from them.
Z. Bey wondered what to do.  At first he thought: I'll
blow this in!  They so he had 6 or 7 sticks of explosives brought
- but it ws / sort of explosives tt is used in blowing up rlys
 & so he gave & this had failed before; so he decided not to
blow the place. He went w a man & they got / bags away & he
 told / man to go thro. The man did so. There ws a tunnel
leading abt 10ft ahead of them & then blocked.  Presently But 
at this point it turned off to / left; & the main tunn Z/B. told the 

 

71

man to go along it. He did so, & a sergt w him, Z. Bey 
at / corner.  There were steps leading down to a deeper tunnel.
At / bottom a light cd be seen flickering & someone ws there.
Then someone from below fired a revolver shot wh hit agst
 the wall at / end of / shaft gallery where the turn in / sha gallery ws. 
[Z/B. got this ^ bullet & sent it to Kemal & Essad as / first shot fired
in undergrd warfare here]. The man came running back
trembling!  There ws some shooting on both sides w rifles.
Z. Bey accly. had a parapet made & the hole tamped up a
little above / elbow.  Hand drawn diagram - see original document  He put a sentry behind this;
Another sentry ws put in front o / opening o / tunnel into /
crater & another ^ imdly on his right. A corporal had changed 

 

Hand drawn diagram - see original document


72

the three.  Z.B. gave the front sentry his revolver.
Later, voices were heard behind our (Austln) sentry.
Z. sd: The Austlns are certainly doing something - not
sitting down waiting. He guessed they were mining agst him;
so he got a German expert sent up & this man said (listening
with Z.Bey in the crater (to / S. of the tunnel mouth): "Digging is going
on 2 or 3 metres from here."
They wondered what to do. Measures ought to be taken
at once - but they had begun mining after we had
and they knew tt / moment they started counter measures we
shd blow. They didnt start.
A few days later there ws an explosion. Z/B
who ws in / trenches ws thrown down. He ran along & found
tt our people had exploded a mine. The advanced 

 

73

Sentry was not found at all. The sentry at / mouth o /
tunnel had bn blown back over / parapet of G.O.T & killed
The sentry on the right (N) o / tunnel mouth was killed.
The tunnel was all right from A to K; but the bend of it
had bn blown in & a new crater (B) been made.
Z/B said: The Austlns wont rest quiet. They
cleared away / stones from / fallen elbow again, so as to
look thro a crevice in / stone.  Z/B himself looked thro; & there
ws a soldier, an Australian (at V) crouching on one knee
agst / forwd edge o / crater w his rifle on his knee brushing
/ earth off it quietly and lookin intently towds him. Perh. he had
heard something. Z/B (whose revolver had bn lost in /
previous blow (w / buried sentinel) ran for his revolver. I can 

 

74

can shoot tt man he thought. Then he reflected: Whats /
use. This evg we will wait & get this man.
So abt midnight he intended to send over a few
soldiers from / old crater suddenly & capture / man. The
first man, however, who jumped out o  / big crater at
P (just S. of / old tunnel) imdly they jumped out (2 or 3 of them)
ws shot & bdly wd. The others stayed ducked back crouching in their
crater & hid there.
Later the sentry told Z.B tt the hole where /  sentry ws
had bn shut & a wire entanglement put in / crater.
That ws all they cd see - not a soldier ws in / crater.
A few days later these sentries must have bn
talking - cdnt keep quiet - & a bomb ws thrown at them.
from our wire & a sentry slightly injured. 

 

75

[G.O.T is Merkey Tepe (centre trench).]
Things remained like this. Then one day abt noon some
projectiles fell on both flanks of G.O.T. - not front line but
abt 2nd line. The soldiers got down & did nt look over.
Kemal Pasha noticed this & complained to Z/B who held an
inquiry & found tt some had bn wd. by / shells.
At / end of some minutes Z./B, who had sent a
messenger to find if there were anything impt, got / answer.
The O.C. of 2nd Coy who ws at / rt (N) end of / trenches & ws not
a very plucky man brought back word tt there was nothing
in / trenches. Just then the Chief of Essad Pashas staff got on /
phone, direct, to Z/B & sd: "Z. Bey, the enemy is getting into
your trenches. What are you going to do." (The H.Q. of Essad ws
just N of Scrubby Knoll ^ (Kemal Yere) on the reverse slope - near some guns
- a mtn bty wh ws ordered on Lone Pine day at once to fire
 on Nomansland. Z. Bey came straight up himself & as soon as he 

 

76
got into / second trench he found tt bombs were being thrown
by his men over into the crater. He came straight on to /
front line himself to see what ws doing - to / point where /
grille of wire netting ws.  At / same time the Lieut on the left
of the front G.O.T (the Lt of / Coy on / left, a brave young chap) who had
saved / situation by getting his men at once to fire down their own front line from the S. end of it -
caught his arm & sd:  It is dangerous there, they have bn
exchanging shots.  At the grille several soldiers on both sides were
lying dead.  One of our men had laid his rifle & bayonet up agst
/ wire. Our men were apptly getting away. A well dressed young officer
- a very fine handsome man - ws in / crater & had retreated into
/ tunnel mouth.  Z/Bey sang out: "Dont kill this man - we
want to take him!"  The man sd: He will not allow himself
to be taken. There was / offr revolver in hand just agst the 

 

77
earth at / ^ far end o / crater by / tunnel. Then he dropped. He had bn
hit w a bomb & both legs broken. Z/B later found tt / offr cdnt
have got back thro / tunnel - it wsnt open.
The Ts afterwds were not agreed as to where we attacked
from.  Some sd: "Out o / trenches"; others "out o / mouth o/ tunnel";
6 or 7 men were dead - one ws found later in / next mine further
N.  12 or 15 rifles were found.  Grigg had a little revolver - prob.
automatic.
Imd after this there ws great quietude in the
Aust. trenches - no bombs. A number of offrs & men were
w Z/Bey in / Turkish trench at the grille.  There were none
of our men prisoners - all were dead. Probly our men 

 

78
thought their men had bn captd.  The ^ Our men in our lines were sd to have bn noticed w
bayonets fixed at this time or earlier when / attack ws made.
This attack did a lot to buck up / Ts. They had bn
getting very anxious for some time; & they didnt know what
we meant to do - all our m.gs. seemed to be beginning to
point towds G.O.T. (probly expecting an attack) & Z/Bey
expected an attack there.  But now they were able to point
to this attack & say tt the English had made an attempt & had
failed! & it had a considerable influence.
At the feast of El Bairain (when we expected an
attack) they were rather anxious, bec. time ws spent in
visiting when they ought to have bn working. Z/Bey went
to call on the C.O. of his (57) Regt.  The C.O. told him tt
he had heard from home - his children were asking how long  

 
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