Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/28/1 - 1915 - Part 2

& Majestic began to put Lyddite into
/ column. Turks ran holding head
in hand, like ants nest stirred up,
every way, quite mad not knowing
what they were doing. Q.E. fired
abt 6 big lyddite shell - one of them
ws firing black smoke onto Battleship
Hill - & broke this attack up.

Popes was all goat tracks.

That aftn Col. J. sd We had better see if we
cant get a party onto Walkers Ridge as
Turks are trying to get onto Walkers.

J. tried to get 14^th to move up onto
Walkers, but Monash sd: all rt, 
Sir, I'll reconnoitre myself thank you.

There ws a parson there, white haired, w dead

When warships finished Turks
simply lay down & sniped.
XXX We were withdrawn abt.
4 when it ws a fire fight - there were
only 6 left at tt time & they wd
have gone to Walker's R. if they cd h.
got the men - as seemed wanted there.

Our men, very few, were ^visible firing
in scrub on Walkers abt opp. Popes. 
A few of 11^th under Le Nauze on 
Tuesd. missed others going to Popes
& went on to Walkers & a few
went to Quinns. There ws quite a lot
of water in these days.

From Popes to Courtneys on Tues. night.

[[?]] ^ or Leane went round to support Maj. Bennett.

[Col. Brown (their Capt.) ws at Courtneys. There
ws a sniper on ridge at back on Wed [[shorthand]]
who hit him in hand].
Co. Owen ws [[shorthand]]
Irvine stood up in dugout on bank.
Shells were coming heavily from Gun
Ridge. Irv. had periscope in both
hands & ws shot in back by sniper
from rear.

Leane ws back at Courtneys on Tues. afterwds
& had to be ready all night w fixed
bayonets. But attack never really came.]
[On Monday message came along abt "French & British
are just out back of Turks."
Presently message came: "Indians
are digging in on our right: dont fire."
Some Turks on rt of Courtneys
Post were fo approached quite close
to lines before trick found out.]

11th
xth moved to Rest on Wed aftn.
Before then On Tuesd Col. J., Maj. Roberts & Leane & quite and
a few men had bn at Maclaurins Hill or
Courtneys.

Rested Ap 28 night. On Thurs. took up trenches above
Shell Green - Thurs. Frid. Saturday
- no fighting - (digging in).
----
Night of May 3 (Mond. night) Heane Leane
went to beach w 100 men, & Lt. Rockliffe &
2 Lt. Thompson (K.G. Tepe). Capt Brennan &
8 s.b.s.(?) & ^Med. Sergt, & Engineers (10 men under
L^t......... and Sergt        3^rd field coy).
Slept on beach till 3.30.

Destroyer sent in boats & towed us
(alongside) in boats (under her shadow)
to within 500 yds of point of
G. Tepe. My instrns were to land just
to left of Point, destroy plant in
observing stn & if possible any guns.
No time prob for blowing up bldgs 
but capt. or kill any Turks found
there & get away quickly. To retire
along beach if possible - Not to 
lose men if place were impossible

to storm. Leane had bn observing
it for 2 days. It prob^. shd have bn evg. before.
L. warned. Then scheme ws off. Then scheme ws
on again. (Howe says men volunteered
rather than called for.)
2 destroyers there but only 1 towed us,
Chelmer (?). She cast us off & we
rowed in w oars. Previous to leaving 
boat we saw 10 men of 10^th (Rumball)
under an offr. cutting wire on stream. It
ws [[shorthand]] day & Ts didn't fire a shot.
The 4 boats went in in line abreast
by order rowed by our own men w
4 navy men in each boat helping w
oars & steering. Boats ran aground.
I sd pass wd to land - sailors
had bn shouting before to one anor.
No firing so far. As soon as order
ws g. to land they opened fire w
3 mgs. 1 Nordenfeldt (1 in) & rifles.
(see plan)

Rockcliffe ws hit in boat; some
were hit in boat. Some seamen k. & w.
Many shot on beach.

Total ( 5 k. in landing,  2 missing 
cas.   ( w. 19 xx (1 s.b.)    (3 of these kil as retired)

(Insert opposite where marked)
[From Lt Goundrey, 20/4/19
:X:  This pty consisted of included:-
Pte Goundrey (later, officer)
Pte A. Gee (rescued by Destroyer)
Pte E. Gee
Pte Wilkins
Pte Steadman (known as Ally Sloper)
Pte Les Pahl.

They got so far round tt they cdnt get back (other 4 did)
They went round under / edge o / cliff but found
/ first wire uncut (near / foot of gully). It
went into / sea so they had to dash down into
/ sea & go round it. This involved getting
into heavy fire from mg. on cliff behind them
wh caused all / trouble - it cd almost
look in behind / edge of cliff. Wilkins was
hit just before reaching / wire.
Pte A Gee was left behind this pty. The
mg. put down a barrage ahead of him &
there he had to stay, under / cliff. The 
others gave him up for lost, but /
destroyer saw him & sent in & picked
him off - a fine bit of work (before 8 am)

[Diagram - see original scan]

Party rushed across beach. Only poss.
place to get up ws path - barbed wire
across rest was impossible. L. saw th
wire cutting party had got away under
cover. Discussed w Capt Brennan; he 
thought s.b. cd get away if retreat
covered. I sent 10 men to take covering
positn on high gd. just to left S. of
stream. They got as far as cover went but
m.g. raked them as soon as tried
to get to Ck. :X: A Bugler ws k. there
(Wilkins) & I saw they cdnt go further.
Just then enemy blew up a mine just
in rear of this party wh ws sheltering
under / bank. No one hurt tho all
smothered w dirt. Black smoke &big
hole close under bank - threw clods
over us 50 yds away.

I saw wd cdn't get away tt way &
at abt 5.15 I signalled to destroyer to
sent boat for wounded. They did
so at once. They sent a picket boat w
boat towed. Ts fired on her all way in -
she came in v. fast & let go boat some 100
yds from shore ⇣ 
[*w 4 or 
5 seamen 
inside her*]
& her way brought her in.
Picket boat stood off & used m.g. (had
some Nordenfeldt holes in her). Party
of men volunteered (on my call) under
Capt Brennan & assisted wnd. to boats
Ts. who had bn firing ceased firing
at the wd. Kept firing on w nd. The

Kaba Tepe - as explained to me by Maj. Leane.

[Sketch map - see original scan]
15 yds of beach.
Then cliff, 15 ft, falling away inland to lower height.
Then 50 yds of flat grass - a trap.
Then sheer cliff up which only one way - wire all along
side of it & round W end but one Y path leading up.
Machine gun in hole in front of Y. 

[*Insert ^on opposite page where marked.₸ *]

Stretchers w lying down cases went
1^st, then wounded helped by others.
xxx Wd. were put into boat, boat
pushed off, men assisting returned
across beach to cover - no shot
fired - only wd. alld to leave beach.

Only had fit men left. L. saw no
chance of getting away by beach. 
Destroyers left off firing when Turks
wd. were being got off. Picket boat
ws firing on trenches & trenches on
picket boat - also ( 7^th batty (or
6^th) firing on Oha Gaba Tepe &
Olive G on our guns.
-----

₸ Drs I flagged Commander & he
sent back message to me (after
wd had been safely sent aboard)
"try the beach". I replied "impossible
wd any men who shd be hit would have to be left. If boats
sent I cd get wd away in them."
He made no reply but just before 6
2 picket boats dashed out w two
tows (2 boats in each) wh came in
line abreast. I sent men I flagged
position of mg.s & Nord. to destroyer
Commander - & he put in very heavy
fire, kicking up tremendous dust.

I ordered men to rush out into water
before boats grounded & to spread 
out so as not to overload any 
boat. They did so. Tremendous
fire but ill directed. Got off w
3 casualties hit getting into boat
& in boat. Just as Maj. L ws
getting in he got smack across two
fingers on rt hand. Sergt MacLeary
(got D.C.M) & ws badly smashed w
Nordenfelt.
----
There were prob. 150 in trenches & 
others were seen swarming up w
fixed bayonets thro commn trenches.
----
3 men got around beach under 
heavy fire of retirement into boats.
[? Late in / day another boat was sent in at request of Turks.
This is according to Goundrey].
The man for whom boat ws
aftwds sent in ws ^not wounded but k -
(shot thro brain) & ws moving arm.*
[*This has always bn & still is a disputed matter
acc. to Goundrey].
----
On May 19. Turks at daybreak
opp. 11^th were in Allah Gully on forward
slope in front of our trenches
to Holly ridge w fixed bayonets 
- in lines, apparently waiting

in order to charge. It ws misty
morning. We saw Turks running
over skyline to attack pimple.
Our lot ^of Turks were late & we were
properly awakened ^beforehand. Got T.
Officer & 5 men prisoners

11.30am. later. They were waving their 
bayonets in token of surrender
abt midday. We threw them
notices in Turkish (in German
characters) tied on stone & string.
They cut string (abt 17 yds away in trench) 
Then threw back note in French
saying if they were well treated 
they'd come in. Interpreter
called out - Cadet Officer
(wounded) then came in -
afterwds 5 others.
------
On day of informal armistice (22 May)
T. trenches in south were certainly
crammed w troops w fixed
bayonets. Flag of truce was shown

*Take in these sketches where marked opposite.

[Diagram - see original scan]
:X: Shrap. started when
some of 10^th ws
nearly on top of
Sha Macl. Ridge.
As we got to top
the Bacchante came
close in & shelled G.T.
wh had begun to shell
boats by destroyers.→

10^th Bn

10^th. Major Giles: On Scourge
(A & D ^coys on destroyers slightly behind B & C which
were on P of W)
Just as 1^st boats touched, to I noticed, we were
under way (A Foxhound D Scourge).
½ way.
I thought just after we jumped into boats I heard
a few shots fired. Cd see flashes then but
dawn came quickly. As we landed
whole place ws alive w bullets.
Sparkle of rifle fire ws on / top of
Maclagans Ridge & from edge of cliff
on its N. There were flashes
from / cliff near / Sphinx also. We landed as in the 2 sketches
opposite (:X:) Rallied on top- Past 4 T. trenches
w lot of ammn in them just
over edge of 

[Diagram]

(*Take in here)
Reformed again in gully - went
up White Valley, screen of fastest
men in front clearing Ts. (As
11^th came up we went off
Plugges). Up White Valley stopped
w left abt Wire Gully

This ws abt 8 am. Our men who 
had gone on (Lt Hemming B Co Capt Ryder)
were retiring. We got message "send
reinfs. at all cost We cant hold on"
signed Ryder. Hemming & Ryder came

(*Take in this passage 2 pages ahead where marked)
Impt.

Turks were ^clearly feeling for our flanks by 9 a
or 9.30.
They wd advance till met by rifle fire
as they crossed Mule Gully. Some
wd then swerve to ^their left & still meeting
rifle fire wd swerve still further
left round Lone Pine way. Others
wd swerve to right, & when ^some held up we
by his party on ? upper               
end ? of Mortar Ridge?                
would those tt followed              
began to get still further round &
by 2pm. were pushing in the weak
parties wh he thought to be 12^th Bn
on Walkers Ridge & high ground.

[*  I had only 3  10th
Bn men but abt
150 altogether *]

He retired abt dusk - prob 5pm.
Capt Lean, a subaltern, & possibly 
a third officer were killed out there on
the first day - Turks were afterwds
found in some of our uniforms.

in. Maj. Denton came up w part
of 11^th (his Coy) & Capt Croly (11^th) w his
Coy. Cd see N end of Gun Ridge but
cdn't see Turks tho we knew they were
hot foot after Hemming. He sd Ryder "I dont
know if Ryder will get back."
We saw Turks apptly crossing foot
of Wire Gully & going left - ? up Mule
Gully. I saw it ws necy. to
strengthen the left - there were prac.
none of our men visible in front of
their Chessboard - tho' we knew
tt they were going along Walkers Ridge
or wd proby be there. Ws afrd
Ts wd get in between & G. thought
I'll get in between & bridge.

[Left flank of C. Coy 10 Bn rested on edge
of Wire Gully. D Coy ws on left of them
in a hillock in midst of Wire Gully
digging in.] 

Maj. Lamb ws betw Courtneys & Steeles.

Maj. Denton sent G. with 150 men (only 3 of
the 10^th Bn but about 150 altogether)
Giles met Lean on way, ∨abt Courtneys). G said "I am going left"
G. Thought 12^th were on Walkers
working past further end of Razor
Back (i.e. Popes). At time we started 
one cd see Turks making across
Mule Valley in North direction
Lean & G. went on up Monash Gully