Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/34/1 - May - June 1915 - Part 3

June 1.-2
Uneasy night at Quinns.
[Pralis?] ws blown up. this night
Wed June 2. Godleys address to troops
The two Turks beyond the lines.
Turk with water bottles.
Turk who bayoneted observer
in 1 battalion trenches
Dick & I in first battalion trenches.
Observer not from 200.   Good man to [shorthand].
Turks v. jumpy tonight.
200 men [shorthand] in dug out

About 11.40  From 1st Bde. Navy guns have given fire against
Enterprise against German officers trench.
His enterprise failed.  None of our men are there now.
12.5 Quinns Post say they are suffering casualties
from their right in to enfilade fire. Can you help these.
12.10 Message to Courtneys & Quinns.
12.1 Asked to help w fire.
12.15 12.20. Williams came back and reported that the
parties both got in. Left party that day
Right party was a little slower as a few men
were knocked over.
Both in now & working [shorthand].
Digging parties working though right digging party had at first
a little difficulty owing to not finding touch.
Col. Brown thinks they could hold on if the Turkish
maxim is silenced   He thinks that if the maxim
fires at them at daybreak it may cause trouble.
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Shells: Chap who was storing water when bullet
hit it. said "You Bastard." and went on.
Chap who ws drinking with D hit his m.g.
"Come on in - you will get hit. He didnt - 
he simply cocked his eye opened at it.  A
Chap who looked out to see where
shell had come from & got jaw taken off
by fuse.
T. w water bottles
T. Atrocity men lay underneath
Howitzer ammn arrives.
The Vultures.

Beach.
Loud crackling bonfire  We had [shorthand] and [shorthand].  Cricket.     The Saties.
Afternoon at Anzac.                                                                                                   Quinns Post
The morale - not talking etc.                                                                                   The 2nd brigade charge
⇡ The suburb.                                                                                                                May 19.20.
French guns.                                                                                                                 The British landing
Turk adventures how close they got a Bayonet.                                                 The Battle down south

The A.M.C. (Simpson).                                                                                                  The scout
Heroes  - Indian etc.
The Australian under fire (his repartee).
A. Battle.
The Navy.                  Diary.
Signallers                 The day we got bacon.
The ground beyond our lines
What the ground here was.

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Inform Courtneys tt the trench which was

reached which they thought ws empty is
full of Turks and is [shorthand] of their right flank & just at
unguarded sectn between Quinns
Courtneys & at Bn.
12 35 party of prisoners coming down they came in with their
hands up. 

Japanese Bombs Lieut Short.
How are our bombs falling
Very well. Last 2 in trench all
time.  Keep on like that.
A little later: Can you
Cant see any sign of enfilading
onto Quinns   Not firing much in front of
us now.
Probably this machine gun is down the hill.

 

B x.   Beer x.   6 Beer took a
message from brigadier to dig communication trenches and support
at dawn.
A Slow machine gun on right
Diagram - see original document
[shorthand] round us.
Can he see the flash of gun which is 
enfilading him (it might be the
way [shorthand] the Chessboard & German officers trench
a small trench must be left of Courtneys.
I am afraid the machine gun is a good way away.
You could hear the bullets but not the report.
Prob.
NZ about 3 chains of trenches is made first to be there in their own trenches
They got past [shorthand].  Between them and these trenches were more Turks

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The Turks in all stage were firing at them. 

20 prisoners have passed and there are 50 to come.
But don't think can hold [shorthand]  gun sound silenced

Prisoners might stir.

Turks were not bombing as much as expected.

Roofed trenches.

Canterbury & Auckland ½ - ½

Both in quick bursts.
Williams B.M. of sectn

7 or 8 at dressing station.

Overran trenches and got into support trenches

Canterbury nearly all got there   Auckld - about 30
only 10 unwounded got there
and practically no digging party.

Very heavy fire from the right.  Mostly lost their rifles
One man was [shorthand] by a Turk.

Can get the right & left [shorthand] down communication trench there.  Don't know if
[shorthand] can be put in in time. Left about 4 chains of trench right about 40 yards.
Killed a great many Turks. Very little fire there  front and left enfiladed machine gun fire from right very heavy.

 

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500 sent [shorthand].  Godley tells them they must hold on at all costs.
Turks also firing from the support
Auckld. & Canterbury.
Flash of sentry low down the hill.
Diagram - see original document
Screech
More like a backfire than anything else
[shorthand] and Turk prisoners
kiss them you would kill them if you kiss them.
9^th Bns exploitation and found noone in the trench.
1^st Bn. Dark figures agst sky trench parapet
20 p.c. casualties in a rush to enemies trench and back.
Why did you come back  Mr Lloyd told us to   got to parapet.
Lay down firing a round or two; tripped in [shorthand] wire
At the point 1st morning  Where are we?
Beautiful peaceful morning.  O'Gorman thought:
Oh [shorthand] day
go to bed again.
Iron tanks.  tries getting up

JE: No further at Settel Bair.

June 6th.  I heard that the British attacked at Krithia after bombardment but didn't get on
[shorthand] division got on and French took 2 trenches
but came back later.  British had to go back
also.  Took 400 prisoners.
Bomb [shorthand] dropped about 

a ton into water.
You could hear the swish

afterwds.
Had to go past Quinns by bombs.
A man had his clothes ripped off him by a shell.
We saw a periscope.

The foolishness of drawing stores in daytime. Some Lt. [shorthand] sends them down
June 5 battery of these guns behind which Chessboard firing on Phillips
guns.
Get Tuckett to have him send the times.
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June 7. Quiet day till 10.30 pm preparing for Sunday

objective:  to take and destroy enemy's cleared trench and works facing centre of Quinns
remove all materials arms ammunition and possibly recover lost material of 4-5 June

assaulting party 60 men to occupy xxx trench and then cover firing party

working party 30 in 3 parties:  10 to construct [shorthand] to right
10 to construct [shorthand] to right

10 to construct [shorthand] to left

10 to remove all material to destroy all works lying between
enemy's trench and gun trench.

Also. party to fill in trenches between our trench and enemy's
Party to throw bombs to accompany assaulting party  to have Lob. bombs
and to destroy enemy's trench on each side.
Best to [shorthand] and reserves brought up to side of the hill.

Under Lt Col R. Young.
Party left trenches at 10.30.  11 reported that they had some casualties under machine gun
fire but were passing back stores from Turkish trench.
12.15 ^ reported start very fast:  Right party had been driven back left party had sent back 
no reports for over an hour.  Additional party of 20 men had been sent forward to get in
touch with the left party and ascertain position and report.

They didn't succeed in getting touch with the left: at 1am reported that they
were holding 20 yards of enemy's captured fire trench themselves and had built sandbag [shorthand]
 

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Diagram - see original document

They were endeavouring to get communication
over to Quinns from 2A.
1.55 O.C. No. 3 section reported that 
all 3 parties had been driven in and appeared to
have done little [shorthand] to fire towards flanks and front.
There are indications of a counterattack
2.30 O.C. Popes reported enemy advancing
on left but few minutes later further reported that this
isn't serious.
1st Australian division 1st brigade reported signalling from Plugges Plateau
in direction of the Chessboard.
[shorthand]

New trenches and activity can be observed towards Kutchuk An.
Men seen moving behind a small knoll.
A little bit W of the position of the W gun (obviously a shell beach)
Jun 2 officers killed 8 wounded
12 or killed  102 other ranks wounded
17 o.r. missing (killed)
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[*212 B5
guns
250R6.4

[shorthand]
movement of 12 men in
250 B3*] 

Drawing - see original document

 

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Drawing - see original document
Wells.
Heavy casualties in these companies

Snipers shots
Quarter master sergeant Noonan.

Quinns Post next battalion
½ company Canterburys

Local reserve Canterbury "
4th - 5th  {
2 officers 4 NCOs 54 men

1 officer 2 NCOs  30 Canterbury

1 officer 1 NCO  14 greater Auckland
3 killed 45 wounded

(2 officers) Auckld

8 missing
Canterbury 1 officer killed 5 wounded
o.r 8.  37 wounded 4 missing
12 killed 89 wounded 12 missing.

Enemy's loss estimated at 150
8 enemy's rifles were brought back.
 

8 June.
1 officer killed 1 missing 
4 or killed  7 missing  26  wounded
Auckland battalion
2nd day  a man in Australians dress seen by
21st battery with sword.
2 Platoons [shorthand] go off and some clear out.
2 Platoons of 3rd Bn: 48 hours.
Then we are relieved by communicating trench being dug there.
3 other men stayed on in another isolated bit of trench
Brown. Lamb.
3rd Bn occupied ground from 4th Bn present position to Quinns. 
1^st & 2nd day.
Lamb got hold of some [shorthand] and when other officers would not lead this
party and the Turks are on the left and I strongly advise you to charge them.
[shorthand] of 45 days after he was wounded 2ce  finally got your bed but had to go.
Lamb was at Quinns and Courtneys.  Charge rallying of xx all troops
and charging.
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Drawing - see original document
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Drawing - see original document
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