Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/31/1 - April - May 1915 - Part 3

19
& knees we crawled up to top
of ridge. It ws all I cd do physically
to get up there & [Shorthand]
He
had [shorthand] waiting for / rest of his
& [shorthand]
at Lemnos x We never got onto
Plugge's Plateau - we got 9 onto
Walkers Ridge not far from /
Sphinx, to S. of it.
[Hand drawn Diagram, see original]
1 x Col 1st seen
2. Packs left

Col ws up before
me - From 3
looking over
bit of rise
beheld (to delight)
the first Turk.
There ws a
trench full
of them.
Men saw
them.
There ws
one leap -
we had abt 50

Probly this ws one trench
from wh we got fired at on
beach.
 

20
men - Turk scrambled over back
of trench & ran - We ran - I ran
& hoped to get here before / others.
I drew revolver - Col Shouted "Steady
you fellows; get into some sort of
formation & clear / bush, as you
go." We got into a rough line at
abt 3 yds interval. There ws a
nick on revolver afterwds - dont
know how it happened. There
were no Turks in trench when
we got there – a level straight
trench w parapet flattened, no
head cover - parapet covered
w dry bushes - (brown). They wd
last a wk before they went brown.
No Commn trench but a track,
well worn, along wh they made
off. The track ran off across the Nek.
Cd only see ^Baby 700 from ∧trench there across
scrub.
Seemed to be abt 30 T.s in
trench - they went off down
track - in brown uniform. They were

[Hand drawn diagram, see original]
Turks took positn at 4
Six Col Clarke at 3.
Patterson at 1
Margetts at 2.
 

21
moving when I first saw them -
we hit 2 or 3 as they ran & 1 prisoner
I fancy. They took up a positn abt
1000 yds to rear & to left. & took up
line in scrub. There ws one officer
w them - we cd hear a lot of jabber.
Every one of them ws talking.
There ws another track crossing
theirs & parallel to their trench &
line they had taken up. This ws
S of the neck. This track went
down into Happy Valley probly
Col Clarke ws just on edge of rise
on right of line.
From 2. I cd see Turks across gully
& I gave range to man next me at
350 yds. We cd see no splash at
all bec. of scrub. Ts got range
also. As soon as I opened up
the Col ws anxious to get in touch
w Bde H.Q. He wrote out
a message & ws just writing it
when he ws shot & fell w pencil
in one hand & book in other.

22
At this time we cd see a long
row of our men digging for all they
were worth across other side of
Monash valley. Col. ws standing on
edge of road. Maj. Elliott got shot
when he came up - w message half
written - & messenger got shot also.
They were shot from the T. position trench
on 700 - the road curved & he ws
just on / curve [Hand drawn diagram, see original] & there ws
no cover at all.
Word ws passed for Maj.
Elliott - he ws shot imd he arrived.
Called Margetts. Elliott sd dont
come here its too hot. Passed word
to Paterson (on left). P. sd what
do you think abt advancing.
We had only 50. I sd No. He
sd I agree. Firing had ceased
from position (it ws not a trench)
Ts had taken up, & we sent
out two scouts (Tully & Vaughan)
up onto 700 & they reported
it all clear - they were 1^st class

Whilst digging here an aeroplane
ws flying backwds & fords & even m.g.
in T. army opened on her - tremendous
roar.
[Diagram, see original]

2 Hollow where formed
1 old path wh we left bec.
it wasnt safe -
3. New line in scrub.
 

23
men. They reported by semaphore
all clear. Capt Burt, who came
w some more men, ws anxious
to reorganise. We withdrew men
a little to a bit of a gully - a
hollow on / plateau - & there were
some of 11^th under Capt Tulloch
there - & formed men into
platoons; reorganised - you take
charge of so many men - & sections -
went forwd at abt 2 paces
intervals. Burt told me to
entrench round our end o /
Nek = Turks had no machine
gun here then.
As we got here Capt Lalor came
up w half D Co (so we had ¾ A Co.
- 3 platoons - ½ D Co - & abt 50 to 70
mixed 11, 10, 9^th)
Lalor ^at 1st decided to stay. Then decided to go up onto
Baby 700. Lalor had his sword
 

24
all covered w rag - dont know if
he had it at tt spot - He ws senior
officer & decided to go forwd.
Margetts w platoon pushed onto top
of ridge (all 12^th). Looked at
watch on top of 700 & thought it ws
dinner time. It ws 9 a.m.
There were 2 dead Turks where
their line had bn. We cd see down
forward slope of hill. Before us ws
scrub covered slope - then level,
then rise of distant high hill
[Hand drawn diagram, see original] 

I put glasses on trench running
round distant hill - on sea side
of it. (we cd see sea & London) Range

Ts. were coming
out in file pretty
constantly - 
 

25
of trench ws 900 or 800 on NW
side of Plateau Contour 210. We lay
down, didnt dig; there ws a track
& we were on downward slope in front
of track - dont think T.s cd see us -
From 1^st there ws a good deal of fire from
our right clipping bushes. Left (under
Maj. Roberts) kept calling for reinfs)
Abt ¼ hr after getting there we began to see
Ts. moving down Commn Trench
on N side of 210; they were coming out
& must have be making towards
our left flank. We opened fire at 900
yds - platoon concentration. "Commn
trench. on left slope of far hill - 900
yds, 8 rounds fire."  You cd only
talk to men who were imd. around
you as scrub ws too thick. By abt
an hour I cdn't find my own men -
tt ws one trouble.
Word came back. "The left are
retiring." We retired abt 150 yds
down slope. Pulled up there & found
 

26
left were going back. We went up
at double (sniping, dont know where
from) & took up line near same path.
Held on good while. This happened
several times. First retirement
we pushed up again till when reinf.
by 2nd Bn. Abt 3rd time I ws told
to line / Ridge overlooking Happy Valley
or steep gully on left - in case Ts came
round tt way. Cd only see 2 of my
own men but knew I had more
as cd pass word down - prob 20.
Presently sent up to front
line again & found a few 2 Bn
men holding it. (Gathered all men
I cd -prob. 10 & went up) I found
ammn. ws running out - (word
ws passed down) - this time as
far as I knew I ws only officer
there of 12^th but there ws an offr.
there of 2 Bn. (I don't know name,
Roberts ws on left). Ran down hill
to see if I cd find 2nd in Command
or C.S.M - & found Lieut Paterson
 

 27 

w platoon back by Nek in
little coffin shaped holes, abt 2ft.
I told him I ws abt knocked out.
(w everything wet - it ws warm - but
one didnt feel too good) Paterson sd
Burt had gone back for ammn or
support - & while I ws there they
were bursting shrap in rear of /
Nek trying to get our range - over
top of Macl. Ridge - gradually
shortening, 6 guns at a time. 1st
time I saw shrapnel used in salvoes
P. being Duntroon boy ws v. interested.
Had not got range yet. When I
got back, stumbling & falling thro'
scrub, I found none of my own
men but only 2 Bn & officer
in charge. I returned - fire became
very hot from ridge N of Nek valley Malones Gully
(Sq. 80. J) on our left flank.
Part of 2nd Bn were on this ridge.
We cd see men moving on this
ridge but didnt shoot bec. we

28
were inf. from left of our lines by word:
"Don't shoot if you see men on left
They are Indians"  We didnt
know an Ind. Bde mightn't have
landed there - They were dark.
We aftwds saw our own men
there. Pat. took part of his men abt 30
up to reinf. 2nd Bn in front,
to left of our positn - he crossed
head of Malone's gully. That ws
last I saw of Pat. I then met
Lalor who gave me drink out of
his water bottle & a whiskey - best ever.
& I lay down. Butler, w ws fast
asleep - unwounded then. A good
deal of shooting. Cry of "S-B” often
but they hadnt got so far.
Word ws sent for reinfs for 2 Bn.
Lalor sd: you take your men up -
No I'll go up - You xxxx go down