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

AWM38
Official History,
1914-18 War: Records of C E W Bean,
Official Historian.

Diaries and Notebooks

Item number: 3DRL606/26B/1

Title: Notebook, April - May 1915
includes references to the 1st, 3rd, 6th, 7th and
12th Battalions, Helles, the transport, GALEKA
and the 28 June sortie.

AWM38-3DRL6O6/26B/1
 

Translation from Shorthand of Book, 26

DIARY No. 26.
DIARIES AND NOTES OF C. E. W. BEAN
CONCERNING THE WAR OF 1914 - 1918

THE use of these diaries and notes is subject to conditions laid down in the terms
of gift to the Australian War Memorial. But, apart from those terms, I wish the
following circumstances and considerations to be brought to the notice of every
reader and writer who may use them.
These writings represent only what at the moment of making them I believed to be
true. The diaries were jotted down almost daily with the object of recording what
was then in the writer’s mind. Often he wrote them when very tired and half asleep;
also, not infrequently, what he believed to be true was not so — but it does not
follow that he always discovered this, or remembered to correct the mistakes when
discovered. Indeed, he could not always remember that he had written them.
These records should, therefore, be used with great caution, as relating only what
their author, at the time of writing, believed. Further, he cannot, of course, vouch
for the accuracy of statements made to him by others and here recorded. But he
did try to ensure such accuracy by consulting, as far as possible, those who had
seen or otherwise taken part in the events. The constant falsity of second-hand
evidence (on which a large proportion of war stories are founded) was impressed
upon him by the second or third day of the Gallipoli campaign, notwithstanding that
those who passed on such stories usually themselves believed them to be true. All
second-hand evidence herein should be read with this in mind.
16 Sept, 1946. C. E. W. BEAN.
 

12 Bn. Landing.

12 Bn ws split up to 4 transports.
H.Q. to Devana
11pm Sat Ap 24 anchored off
NE of Imbros. Coys transferred to
destroyers, xxxx while they
were anchored - leaving / ships
at abt midnight. (The 2
lights, one above the other were
on a point of Imbros.)
The destroyers lay motionless
- came a little way & then
stopped till / men went down,
Came 2 or 3 miles very slowly
& then halted abt an hour,
hardly moving.
Abt 3 pm a start ws
made towds Gallipoli. Passed
 

several battleships w tows of
boats behind, & as we approached
land another halt ws made
& / boats towing alongside /
destroyers were filled w troops. The
destroyers towed / boats near &
pinnaces took / boats from / 
battleships shorewards of us &
moved rapidly to / shore,
quickly followed by / destroyers.
Cd see outline o / shore -
not what sort of land it ws. We cd
see dark ?cliffs ?clouds & hills. We
moved rapidly in & at 4.30 am
heard / first shots fired,
folld by louder bursts of fire.
Machine gun followed. Sounds
of cheering. Fire seemed
to come from all
directions & Gaba Tepe opened fire
 [*hand drawn diagram, see original*]

Tows had not left destroyers
when / first shots came.
Destroyers came within
100 yds. Boats putted for / 
shore. We had many casualties
in tt 100 yds. Jumped waist
deep into water - crossed
beach. There formed up. Five
minutes later were off.
Left packs there, charged
magazines. It ws light then.
Did not fix bayonets.
order of landing from / left ws.
A        D          B         C
HQrs.        Centre Right.

Each coy ws instructed by
Brigadier & was on the ashore in
/ gully where it was to go to.

A Coy. scaled hills & met
enemy who retired leaving
ammunitn & equipment. They
went up just to S. of (later) N.Z.
line & Turk Snipers had their
barrels laid on / tracks. Col Clarke
ws writing a message to Bde H.Q.
Maj. Elliott ws also wounded
& Colonels batman shot dead.
Turks - 225 y 6. Lt Paterson
took charge o / party; & soon
after Capt Burt came up with
2 platoons. While deciding
what to do Capt Lalor
arrived & took command, &
ordered an advance to
237 T 6 to 9. as a scout had
reported - [3 boatloads landed
on / beach after us & were lying
on / beach in regular lines].
 

H. Qrs & A Coy at 224 g 3
- moved a short distance to
/ right, turned sharp to / left,
advanced NE to 224 c 8.
Here the Colonel ws shot by a
sniper writing a message to
Brigadier & maj. Elliott wounded.
Lieut Paterson then . . . with
2 platoons. Capt Lalor w
2 plns of D arrived &
ordered / advance. By short
rushes this party advanced to
237 Z 2-3, well in front
of the main 700.
Abt 4 pm. / Enemy attacked
with vigour & they fell back a short
distance but advanced again
again (driven back each time).
Abt an hour later they were
gradually driven back; but, being
 

↑X Lalor evidently dropped his sword in / scrub.
Lt. Morshead (2nd Bn) was coming up with a
platoon when he came on Lalor at about / Edge
of (?) Malone's Gully. Lalor said: "It's a
beggar! Will you come in on my left?" He
had his revolver then - no sword. He sd:
"The poor old Colonel was killed down by
those huts - dropped just like, that! I don't
know where Witham is - hope he's alright
- he & I were pals. Oh, its a beggar!"
Morshead made his platoon left form
& moved across. Lalor waved his hand and
moved his own platoon across & joined
him. There was nothing to see there.
Lalor presently stood up - they were
being fired on from No 1 post or
thereabouts - (They were on the
seaward slope) - & shouted: "Now
then 12^th Bn!" when he was shot.
————
Lalor had a sword - he ws going to take 900 Hill on
his own with his sword.
————
[Curiously Enough Harry Freame, 1st Bn, told
me a few days after this tt he had picked up a sword.
It ws a ceremonial sword covered with Khaki on
the handle & very bright, with V.R. on / blade, of it & it
was picked up by Freame on Baby 700- well round the
side of it. He told me this before I mentioned / sword. There
was the sword alone - no scabbard. C.E.W.B.]
 

reinforced by 2 plns from
2nd Bn, held ground on position
224 f 1. Col Braund with 2 coys
of the 2nd Bn arrived about 5 p.m.
& took up a position on / ridge
abt 300 yds to / left
This ws held till reinforced,
when those remaining of the 12th
were withdrawn & taken to / 
beach (on / same night).
Capt Lalor & Lieut Paterson
were killed during / advance by
rushes. 
[ X. Insert par on opposite ↑
Page here.]
————
B Coy 12 Bn - Capt? Hilmer Smith.
B Coy 12 Bn landed at 224 G 8
(centre of beach). Instructed to push
over 224 g 9. Went forward
with 6 or 7 platoons. Five or 6
plns landed with centre destroyer
& were ordered to move
 

slightly to our left. Reaching
G9 halted & reconnoitred.
Saw troops on 224 M7 & 8
(Ridge - 400) Ascertained they
were 9^th Bn advancing - so
decided to push on to next
ridge, As cen Abt 224 H 5-7.
Here joined up part of g
No 5 platoon & commenced
to reorganise. Received orders
from / Brigadier to push
forwd to next ridge, 224 i 8.
Gathered men from the 10^th Bn
who were on l ridge, & arrived went forward
(3 Plns B Coy, 12^th; & 1 Pln 10^th Bn).
On arriving here found coys of
10 Bn under Maj. Oldham, &
joined up on their left between
8.30 & 9 a.m. & proceeded to
dig in. The Turks were sniping but
 

nothing vigorous, Shortly afterwds
/ enemy attacked our positn & we
came under heavy fire. We cd
see our troops retiring on our rt
& so decided to hold on to protect
them. The enemy's attack greatly
strengthened, but we were able to
repulse it. Turks came along
/ contour lines.
At abt 12, noon, the
fire lessened & we attempted to
reconnoitre our positn; but found
we cd not advance w safety
from where we were. Therefore
organised / firing line & made all
preparations to hold positn.
Desultory fire still kept up on enemy.
Abt 1.30 the attack commenced
again supported by heavy artillery
fire wh enfiladed our positn,