Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/26A/1 - April - May 1915 - Part 3

Colonel Begg was laid up the other day by an asphyxiating shell
from the 4.5 down south.  The NZ hospital was moved in 10 minutes
into the next gully.  (They have only one F.A. instead of 2 F.A. and a
clearing hospital.)  Our hospital is moving a little further in.)
Man who got the D.C.M. Birdwood asked him what he got it for.
Well to tell the truth sir I don't know myself.
Old Turk and his filthy message.
They were shouting allah a [shorthand] of the time our men were attacking yesterday.
When Phillips Hughes first arrived the infantry 3rd
Bn 10, 11,  even NZ. used to go along to him for orders.
His men there at first simply in the scrub took what [shorthand] they could from the man but the most miserable communication trenches.
Indians have a great idea of the Australians.
Lately Holmes the [shorthand] 
 

Message passed down to withdraw your
men from Boulder.
July 2.
12.30 some sort of attack Echoing like a [shorthand]

Diagram - see original document
 

12.15-3.30.
[shorthand]
Diagram - see original document
[shorthand] moving
trying to get back
flares
Ran up but didn't use bayonet.  Daylight broke
shot gun
Got into [shorthand]
about 3 [shorthand]
One man found with a basket of 30 bombs
Another with [shorthand] bag of grenades.
[shorthand] on top of the trench.
(2. 68 dead from the Turkish trench.)
[shorthand] were on parapet.
[shorthand] 
12.15 [shorthand] changing saps.
About 300 from each squadron.
[shorthand]

1st and part of 3 LH on Popes
2nd in reserve
12.15 Allah Allah
Popes could see the xxx Turks charging on Walkers Ridge
seemed to get into trenches. by 12.45 came back and
about 12 of them came down the Popes hill gully as if
to attack the trenches in flank  They were bombed out of it
and went back.  Afterwards they were reinforced by about 200 to 250
men who came down Popes Gully.
2nd LH were buried up there in xx gully (2 squadrons)
under Col Stoddart 
They [shorthand] into them and by daylight (3.30) they were
going back.  A wounded man was waving a newspaper.
7 men killed at Popes and 9 in the valley by bombs.

6^th
Prisk
8th were on M'Cays ridge with some of 3 brigade
because some of the 9^th battalion came on with me
They joined in with anyone [shorthand] leads you to the beach to get them back.
I was supposed to watch the right flank.  We were nearest to the sea
and the Bacchante followed us along as we went forward.
Sent half a platoon down the hill towards K-T. We went
on to Gun Ridge. Col Elliot says 7^th went
beyond K.T.  All trenches faced the sea.  The Turks from K.T.
walked round Gun Ridge up to our left.  You could see them
crossing the valley and coming down on our left.
Abt 12 o'clock our left was pushed
back a bit by the Turks' counterattack.
We sent our left back.
We were on Pine Ridge.
Diagram - see original document
We stood at the foot of Gun Ridge
and waited for anyone to come across
[*There was a horse in the valley*]
We went very quietly and were waiting for anyone to
come across.  We sent back and the 8^th fired into us
(or the 12^th)  We went back to Boltons Ridge
of Colonel Field.
12.30 8th were digging in.
 

He told me to dig in in the [shorthand].  I had my platoon lose
1 sectn   some of the 8^th
We stayed 2 3 hours in the [shorthand], we didn't dig in much,
men weren't keen on digging at that time.  I got orders to
return to battalion headquarters behind Boltons Ridge.  As we went
Col. Field told us to return.  He was frightened the Turks might get
into the [shorthand].  We went back and as I could not get
a field of fire so I got leave to go forward.
We went towards Balk Pits and found some of the 8^th there.
Yates was there but had about a company of mixed troops and was
hanging on to the ridge but was nervous about the right flank.
I sent half my fellows to an unoccupied part of the ridge and went
on with the rest to the right.  Bacchante or some ship started
to shell some Turks coming over Gun Ridge. They
presently topped Pine Ridge and we pulled off from there.
They didn't expect to find anyone there and it was rather good
support.  The men were very afraid of having the right flank
turned.
I got [shorthand] there  }
about 5.30  } about 9 o'clock word came to retire 

Diagram - see original document

Macwilliams all day with 
Otago at No 3 Outpost. Duntroon
Boy.
Col Niall. [shorthand]
S. M. here.
9 LH got about 30 of the enemy
Turks pound outpost
Turk shot one  tried to bayonet sergeant.
Sergeant could not get gun into action and picked
up rifle and shot him dead.
Latrine gully.  Tried to get bayonet into Turk
failed.
Turks could not stick all bayonet in.
Sat 29 May  enemy blew up trench at Quinns post
Bombed 9 LH 
4 killed 12 wounded. On Walkers Ridge
First time in the trench about 25 Turks dead here.

Yates was the only one left.  He had a 12th officer
but he was bowled over walking along the parapet.  [shorthand] a time and the
3 men brought him back.  (2 are now dead)  They
carried him back up the steep hill.  Frightened of being shot all the time
by our own men.  They were being sniped at all the way.
Capt Hartland of the 8^th called for volunteers to bring him
in.  The Turks followed and sniped us all the way back.
If I raised my head I got seen and they had to drop him.
Corpl. Holloway, ^ Pte. Mathieson
(both killed at Helles)  Took about 4 hours to get in
Turkish snipers followed us in some
Saw a few Turks on the ridge this side of Pine Ridge.
I don't think anything would have prevented us taking the KT Ridge
It was mostly [shorthand] from the seaside.  I think we could easily have
taken it first day.  We should have had to put our centre
forward before we could have got KT & held it.
You could have got troops from the scrub towards K.T. 
Pine Ridge [shorthand] is much higher than here
You can stand up there the whole time.  You could not see
2 yds ahead. 
I saw the Bacch blown one gun clean over.  In the
hollow of the ridge.  That was the only guns I saw.  It blew over backwards.  9.30 to 10.
On His Majesty's Service.  
COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA. 
OFFICIAL HISTORIAN.
VICTORIA BARRACKS. 
SYDNEY.

You could stand up there the whole time.  You could not see
2 yds ahead.
I saw the Bacch blown one gun clean over.  In the

hollow of the ridge. ^ That was the only guns I saw.  It blew over backwards.  9.30 to 10.
Men got a bit weak from not stopping for lunch.
The Turks seemed to come on to Gun Ridge from the south and extended
the moment they came across it.  They didn't seem to trouble about the
right at all in the morning.
In the afternoon they came over Gun Ridge in artillery formation
Guns were opposite the Pimple.
Diagram - see original document
When the guns got on to them (in 2 columns) they were to fire
over us.  But the guns got on to them.  I said look lads we are
getting some of our own back.  The men cheered like mad.
They seemed to be coming up to the south.
Last 200 yards to the shore was the worst.  "Get on your oars
now then, all together".  Dip dip dip.  Crack above us.  Diagram - see original document
Then you would have to begin it again.
One boat was hit on the [shorthand] and going down.  2 companies
got along our side and the chaps with their necks above water.  Didn't throw off their
equipment.
I filled a landlubber with a shell burst threw him in a boat.  

Diagram - see original document

6th on day of landing.
(To illustrate Prisks a/c)
Diagram - see original document

Guns 
Inf. - 10^th 9^th - 3rd - Even
N.Z. Came to Hughes for orders in 
the early days. 

 
3rd. Bn.
Lamb's } work. Left on Quinns.
Brown's}
[*Sund night*]
On Sunday ^ night a platoon under Butler ?
Got orders to go forward & dig in (60 yds
ahead of line).
Sunday night attacked & digging in - 
men all had entrenching tools & wd 
dig as long as no target & fire when
got target.
[*Mond*]
Monday lay out under shrapnel.
[*Tues night*]
Tuesday night at abt 5 bugle calls
going all along Turk left or left centre. 
Abt 8.30 p.m. 2 Bns appeared  coming down
from Baby 700 directn in artillery
columns (fight or something like our 
fighting column - with xxxxxxxx
2 cols. apparently in fours.
Diagram - see original document  
When they came under fire (abt 200 yds
away) they deployed. There was a
company forward w / outpost & one
platoon ws withdrawn away to left 

[*Tues.*]
under Butler. Abt. 9 p.m. B. ws hit.
Abt this time some of these troops were
lying out w bayonets for 10 hrs without 
ammunition. The Ts. came up / gully 
& down 700 but seemed to break into
small parties under fire & did not
come straight.
The attack ws beaten off. Our
outpost ws finally withdrawn.
These trenches  are now behind the
Turkish lines.
3rd Bn went in on / right o / third
Bde - really it ws as much in / middle 
of them - mixed up w odd bits of them.
[*Tues.*]
On Tuesday Malone had to relieve a
trench containing abt 14 men dug in
on the Sunday abt 20 yds from any
one else. They had no communicatn
till Wed. Like every one else they were
in an odd bits ^ at first; & they 
had no water since the
Sunday. By the Tuesday 
they had only 8 whole
men left - had had no officer or N.C.O.
& consisted of 3rd Bn, 3rd Bde , N.Z. 
all sorts.