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

D    C    B    A

xxx

10th Btn

(Take in opposite).

Maj:

 

Ri gt up gully past 9. & ^up very steep

xxx onto surface - across 2 small

dips.  Lamb came up to first dip.

Valley ws on our right.  As we reached the

2nd Ridge Turks began to appear on

3rd Ridge I thought, "We’ll hang on here & let these

other fellows dig"

Abt 3p.m. Lear sd. "Turks are getting round

They're enfilading us from / left" - put

his head up - & looked round to the 

left to where they thought the 12^th were

& ws hit thr' right jugular.

Lt Cowey ws on my rt when Lear ws

K.  I pa He ws doing splendid work.

As T.s seemed to were seen getting round on

Walkers & we cd see our fellows

were being pushed back ( xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx we always took them for

the 12^th - we had seen 12^th getting hell at

Fisherman's Hut on left - & so knew

[[ shorthand ]] 

where they had gone )

A few N.Z. (who came in behind us)

had dug come on & done splendid

work but most won't stop - it

ws too hot for them & they got back

to / edge of / gully.  Retirement on

left began at abt 2.  We reached

there at 9 or 9.30 & got back abt

dusk - right incline to Quinns &

.X.

(take in this passage after the other

insertion, at .X. opposite)

Giles says some attempt ws

made to advance ? on Walkers

Ridge? on the Monday - but

unsuccessful.

Maj. Wagstaffe tells me that it

is quite true tt our men were

lining the Bloody Angle past Quinns

on Monday;  they were under

/ crest trying to get at Turks

by putting their bayonets over / 

top & / Turks on / top were trying

to reach down over crest w

their bayonets. 

[ ?For the fate of Read of 1115

See Griffiths of Canterburys

& Waite of N. Z. Engrs. ]

 

Courtneys. We ^Our rt had bn firing on the

enemy crossing end of Mule Gully.  We left

abt 60 dead there.  A gt number of wounded

crawled back & were carried - Sergt ^major in 3 Bn

ws bandaging them - We had no touch w

anyone on left.  Rr rear ws on gully. 

:+: (Take in passage from 2 pages back.)

.X. (Take in here passage on opp. page)

there ws a rounded slope on edge of

Bloody Angle [[ diagram ]] but a square

edge at ^{like this} Quinns: [[ diagram ]] I thought:  there are

plenty of men lining the edge behind

us - we'll incline to right & go towards

tt T. trench -

At Courtneys we found more of the 

3 bn.

Quinns ws then prac. on m.g. in

bushes - bushes all along crest at

this time & heavy fire but we

managed to retire along top.

Cowie (shot in wrist) v. vigorous

in helping to build trenches at

Courtneys. Capt. Walsh (K) in xx ^charge of one

length of trench to right again doing fine

work.  Maj Carter ws K. there in

same trench as Walsh (both shot

from front - Cowie got careless)

Maj. Lamb ws continually there -

Maj. Steele came up abt 3rd day (w 2

other officers) - we were sniped from rear

-we cd see patrols scouring bushes

Capt. Lear,

a subaltern

& possibly 3rd

were k. out

there 1st day.

Turks [[ shorthand ]]

in some of our

uniforms.

 

but left hand spur of Courtneys kept

up from being fired at in passing up &

down hillside.

First night we feinted one charge

but kept Ts off w rapid fire.

2^nd 3^rd 4^th nights we cd see

T bayonets amongst dense bushes

20 yds away - they wd go left

& right -

Message ^arrd arrd abt tt Brit & French 10 a.m. Mond.

tt British & French wd be coming

up from behind Turks abt 4 o'c.

So not to fire when they came 

up.

On Mond. morng. 16th Bn.? seemed

to get along Walkers ridge seemed

ws far as in front of Popes to

line w Mortar Ridge but a

Q.E. shell landed amongst them

abt 8-9 a.m.  Turks were coming

tt way very thick.  Q.E. seemed

to follow them.  They broke &

ran & we followed them w rifle

fire - Cowey & 3 NZs & 3 or 4 of 3^rd

Bn did some wonderful shooting -

as soon as line of men dropped

they fired on them - traversed them from

right to left. 

(G. next day made home made

periscope.)

We very soon realised Ts

wont charge & wont stand

our charge.

 

Tuesd. Q E ws still firing I think

Dardonelles way.  Biggest Naval

shooting on Monday 9 - 10

[Col. Shaw says he noticed naval shells

lobbing amongst T.s on Tues. afternoon,

but Monday ws worse - Ships plastered

whole slopes of main range where

T.s were coming over in groups

& lines of columns. ½ Coy batches -

but chiefly in sections ].

On Mon. Tues nights when we

had to charge N.Z. passed round

"Dont charge - Ts have m.gs ready."

We passed orders - "Prepare to charge!

Charge on the whistle blast!!" Then

in whisper dont go past parapet.

We wd yell - 3 lines of trenches, w

fixed bayonets (chiefly 2nd night)

jump up on parapet - give whistle -

and Turks cleared - you cd see

bayonet flash as they disappeared

(They used to fire from hips as they

advanced) & cd hear m.gs firing

from rt & left abt 10 yds in from of us. We very

soon realised tt / Turks wont charge & wont stand our charge.

The Ts practically had the high knob

at Steele's abt 10 yds away, &

started to scratch ground there - but

they were driven off in this same

Trail, m.g. offr of 8^th,

tells Glasfd he ws 4 times

backwds & forwds to Sun

Ridge - i.e.2ce there

2 a back. G & I think

this cant be true.

 

way at night 2 or 3 times tho'

they kept snipers there - it ws

a death trap by day

4TH BATTN. AP. 26TH.

Ws in Hancock's Wagstaff's dug out tonight

when Glasfurd came in & had a long yarn

Glasfurd tells me in continuation

of the story of Ap26:

(4Bn)

[[ detailed map  ]]

J. Jolly                 L. Pine

Browns Dip

Fanning 

in trenches

18 in deep

Victoria Gully

H.Q

White Valley

Bridges told G. to take up

On Mond afternoon there was a

gap betw. left of M'Cays & right

of Maclagans.  Bridges went to

this point early - & wanted this

straightened out.  He ws w Glasfurd &

he found bits of the 6 & 7 & 5 at

F & E & ws v. annoyed.  Glasfurd

put part of 6.7 at A & part at B

forming the Pimple by the Daisy Field

[[ whole paragraph circled ]]

( [[ circles within circles symbol ]] Take in where marked)

[M'Cay abt 9 am ^on first xx day

had found one of his bns breaking

back & had gone out of his

H.Q. to them.  "You bloody

Cowards!" he sd "you bloody

curs - get up - what are

you doing here - for God's

sake remember you are

Australians."  Several bns

of 2nd  Bde broke this first

morning.  The first thing White

saw after on going S. ws a

battalion breaking back over

the 400 plateau ]

 

[[ whole paragraph circled ]]

Take in on p. opposite where marked :+:

[G. on / edge of Victoria Gully

remembers seeing Clements &

someone asking him wh way

to go, or something o / sort. ]

 

them Bridges told him ^he had better find 5^th.

G xx took Wallis to find the 5^th & lead

them up & the Genl. sd:  "Well then

I think I'll go home". [[ circles within circles symbol ]] (Take in passage on opp. page) G. went across

w Wallis & found 5^th at H & thereabouts

& directed them to go forwd & dig

in in the direction of X.  He got

the people who were digging in at C

to go forwd to where they cd get a good

field of fire (nearer to A)  At C they

were screened by the rise.  [The people

dug in at F were facing S. in an

old Turkish trench!]

Bridges had sd to Glasfurd

-"I want you to go & tell Onslow

Thompson how pleased I am w /

4^th Bn & / way they have acted done"

So after finding 5^th he went

straight down steep side of

Victoria Gully ^:+:, digging in his

heels & up / other side towards

Thompsons H.Q.  He found some

o / signallers there & asked

where / Col. ws.  Theyve just

(g)one out, Sir" sd / signaller - There's

bn a general advance ordered.

He went straight on & as he got up

other side met some of 4^th

coming back.  He asked them what

they were doing.  "We've bn ordered

to ^retire & take up our old trenches" they

sd.  he sd he'd show them where

they were, & placed them along a

path wh ran down along / hill,

& got them to improve / edge o /

path into a trench.  On their right

ws Lt Fanning who had not gone

forwd w / rest but ws in

trenches 18 in deep - "pretty good

trenches" G. sd ys - & he made

him a sort of pivot.  He

put / rest o / line a little

forward - rallying / men &

leading them back a little. 

The charge had some NE (Z)

[just in / directn he had told

the 5^th to go in-]  the 4^th must

charged round / back of

Lone Pine & any valley it met

must have bn Owen's gully,

there may be a stream in Owens

Gully with a sandy cut in /

bank where H.Q. ws placed

as McNaughton described it to me.

A part of the 4^th anyway

retired across Owens gully

across J. Jolly or / foreground

to it for tt is / way Massey

came in very shaken (and no

wonder) having carried Col. O. Thompson

& the Cols. body ws found afterwds

somewhere in the region of Y.

______

Our men certainly got onto

Holly Ridge / first day, for

Glasfurd going over it w Major

Field a couple of days later found

rifle pits on / top of it & dug outs

down / gully w our cartridge

cases in them, & funk holes down

in / bottom o / gully.

_______________________

On the Monday / line betw

Maclagan & M Cay ws still

very open.

On / Tuesday there were rifle

pits all along for Glasfurd

hopped along them.  Top of Wire Gully

of course ws still open.

Two xxxxx ^NZ & A Divns Acct of

attack of May 2/1915 on

Baby 700

Not correct in all details

Night of 2/3 May 1915

[[ shorthand ]]

Intention to occupy line including knoll 224 D 5

[[ shorthand ]]

thence S by W along W bank of gully 224 O, S.W

[[ shorthand ]]

It ws known that it ws entrenched & most of enemy attacks came

[[ shorthand ]]

from 224 D.

Troops:  2 infantry Bdes of NZ & A Divn & 1 Bn of Naval Bde.;

[[ shorthand ]]

was to join right w / left of 1^st Aust Divn wh was not to move

[[ shorthand ]]

The 4^th A.I.Bde ws to advance & make a good line connecting

[[ shorthand ]]

700 w / left flank of Quinns Post in cooperation w the N Z 2nd Bde

[[ shorthand ]]

the Naval Bn ws to form a general reserve on Plugges Plateau Sq. 224 B5.

[[ shorthand ]]

Above all, the NZs & Austlns were to be in touch at / end of / operation

[[ shorthand ]]

the advance ws to commence at 7.15 pm. NZ Bde ws to be in Monash Gully

[[ shorthand ]] 

ready to advance. Otago Bn was to move past to the left of the 4^th Bde towds

[[ shorthand ]] 

Knoll 224 D 5, Canterbury Battln in support, Otago Bn in

[[ shorthand ]] 

reserve.  Wellington Bn to hold trenches.

[[ shorthand ]] 

4 Bde:

16th, 13th Bns were to advance w 15^th in support & 14^th in trenches

[[ shorthand ]] 

At 7pm the Razor Ridge (Dead Mans Hill) & the ground were well

[[ shorthand ]] 

shelled by Naval & military guns till 7.15.

[[ shorthand ]] 

[[ shorthand ]] 

At 7.25 pm they were swept by Rifle & m. g. fire & in a

Mon ?

At 7.15 the 16th advanced NE to head of valley & stormed /

[[ shorthand ]] 

slopes o / ridge & made good by 7.45 - but suffered heavily from enfilade M g

[[ shorthand ]] 

fire.  They then dug in.  the 13^th followed 16^th to head of valley &

[[ shorthand ]] 

gained high ground on left of 16 Bn & prolonged line towds

[[ shorthand ]] 

Knoll 700.  But as Otago had not yet

[[ shorthand ]] 

& as orders were definite abt joining up, / left of 13^th was

[[ shorthand ]] 

held back

[[ shorthand ]] 

15^th Bn had recd orders to give Otago Bn right of way

[[ shorthand ]] 

& come up after them.  15th had therefore to stand fast till Otago past

[[ shorthand ]] 

thro' its lines.  Otago did not arrived at the junctn o / valleys till 7.45

[[ shorthand ]] 

& didnt clear Popes Hill till 8.45 Lt Col Moore Commanding the Bn

[[ shorthand ]] 

had left Walkers Ridge at 4.30 p.m. moving along / beach & Monash

[[ shorthand ]] 

Gully.  The enemys sharpshooters delayed him, & also stretcher

[[ shorthand ]] 

parties.  The further advance of Otago ws made in / face of a

[[ shorthand ]] 

withering m.g. fire from 224 D5 & stopped abt 50 yds from its objve.

[[ shorthand ]] 

They then lay down & opened fire & began to dig. One coy of 15 Bn then

[[ shorthand ]] 

went forward & joined Otago up w / left of 13th.  This Coy reached

[[ shorthand ]] 

the enemys forward trenches on Knoll 700 but had to fall back

[[ shorthand ]] 

into line.

[[ 2 lines of shorthand ]]