Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/26B/1 - April - May 1915 - Part 4

to I beach. But I offensive

generally brought them back.

The men that were collected 

from every battalion, but as

they mostly had officers of the

6^th or 7^th they were known as

6^th and 7^th.

[The line at this time must

have been like this. CEWB.

        2Bn.  1st Bde

                  3rd Bde

                  2nd Bde

                  2nd Bde

           2nd Bde

Some of 1^st Bn got mixed up

with 6th away on right, & were sent

at by Col. McNichol to reinforce

5^th Bn.

6^th Bn Helles

 

The leaders were as follows:-

D Coy led

D Bigsley (alive)         Binns

   _____________           __________

                                        C

                                      (a little  behind D)

 

Capt. Keiran failed in his medical

Examination - thro hammer toes and

goître. He got taken as a sergt in 

7th. He was killed while leading -he

ws a born leader. He ws firm

w / men, yet they idolised him.

He ws a good instructor.

 

Bennett came up & went

along / line - These first platoons

were then lying down firing. He

asked, Lt Bigsley if there were

anyone in front of him. he sd

he was quite sure there was no one

in front. If there had been,

Bennett wd have taken the

others on to them. [I couldn't

see any next day, only one

dead Turk. The Turkish

trenches in front were quite 

visible

         ________________

           but the others on

/ left were not much fired at

on this day although you cd

see the flashes. Next day we

turned our attention to it.]

                      CEWB.

 

The stretcher bearers of the

6^th Bn did good work shaming

some of the fellows up into firing

line  XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  They

dressed men in / open during /

night of May 8, even on

day of 9^th - They wd say

to men not in trenches : "Here

-you see where we are -

we're not hurt." And several 

went up that way. There were

a number of old hands of 

8th Bn who could not be

shamed into getting on.

 

The 8^th has now a 

different Colonel - Col. Brand

-whom it greatly appreciates.

 ___________________

Prisk of 6^th Bn

             Landing.

The 8^th Bn were on McCoys

Ridge; with some of 3^rd Bde

because Some of the 9^th Bn came

on with (Prisk)me. They were

grand chaps, always ready

for anything, the 9th. They

joined on with anyone -

very good lads; you had a 

job to keep them back.

 

I was supposed to watch

the right flank. We were

nearest to / sea. And the

Bacchante followed up along

as we went forward.

 

Sent half a platoon down 

/ hill towards Gaba Tepe. We went

on to Gun Ridge. Col. Elliott

says 7^th went beyond Gaba

Tepe.

 

All trenches faced the sea.

The Turks from Gaba Tepe worked

round Gun Ridge up to our

left. You cd see them crossing

the valley & coming down

to our left.

 

Abt 12 noon our left

was pushed back a bit by /

Turks counterattack. We

Sketch                              swung our

Anzac                               left back.

                                           We were on

                                           Pine Ridge.

Gabat  (Turks direction) We stopped at

                                         I foot of Gun

                                          Ridge & waited

for anyone to go across (there

was a horse in / valley) -

We watched very closely & were

waiting for anyone to come

across. We swung back & the

8^th fired into us (or the 12^th).

 

We went back to Boltons

Ridge to Colonel Field. It

ws 12.30pm., & 8^th Bn were

digging in. Col. Field told

me to dig in in / crop.

I had my platoon alone(?) ^ line (?)

one section -& some of the 8^th Bn.

   

We stopped 2 or 3 hrs in the

crop. We didn't dig in much.

Men were not keen on digging

at that time. I got orders to

return to Bn Headqurs behind

Boltons Ridge. As we went,

Col. Field told us to return.

He ws frightened th / Turk

would get into the timber. We

went back - & as I could 

not get a field of fire I

asked to go forward.

 

We went towards Balkan

Gun Pits & found some of

the 8th there. Yates was

there. He had about a Company

of mixed troops & was

hanging on to / ridge, but

was nervous about the

right flank. I sent half my

fellow to an unoccupied part

of / Ridge & went on w / 

rest to I right. Bacchante or 

some ship started to shell Turks

some Turks coming over Gun

Ridge. They presently topped

Pine Ridge & we bowled them

over there. They didn't expect

to find anyone there & it as

rather good sport. The men

were very afraid of having I

right flank turned.

I got bowled over about

5.30pm. Abt 9pm word

came to retire.

 

Yates was / only one

left. He had an officer of the

12^th, but he was bowled over

walking along the parapet.

Six at a time.

 

Three men brought me

back - two of them are 

now dead. They carried me

back to the steep hill. We were

frightened of being shot all /

time by our own men. They

were being sniped at all / day.

 

Capt Hartland of the 8^th called

for volunteers to bring me in.

The Turks followed & sniped

us all the way back. If I raised

 

my head I got sick &they

had to drop me. The men

were Corpl. Holloway & Pte

Mathieson (both were killed

at Helles)

 

It took abt 4 hours to

get in. Turkish snipers

followed us in (?) scrub.

 

We saw a few Turks on /

ridge this side of Pine R. I dont

think anything wd have

resented us taking / Gaba Tepe

Ridge. It ws mostly fortified 

from the seaside. I think we

cd easily have taken it first

day. We shd have had to put

our centre forward before we

cd have got Gaba Tepe & held

it. You cd have got troops thro /