Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/39/1 - February 1916 - Part 3

15
29 
tt night - but a lot
next day - Sergt Maj Harvey
of 16^th made his men dig
in 6ft deep w fire step
at back of trench that was
very wide in those days. 

In morning
abt 7 o'c or 6 o'c after dawn they
X saw 12 to 30 Turks creeping 
down Walkers Ridge. At first thought
that they were NZs. Then Going in 
as well or so. Then men began to fall on 
on back of Popes, not in the trenches

30

[*All the night whistles were
going "Cease Fire". We had no 
whistles or bugles.8]
Mond morning
Ts. attacked
Popes abt 300
came in rushes.
QE stopped 
tt rush - no 
more all day. 

15
31
but behind them.

Finally got m.g. onto
them from behind trenches
but 3s & 4s wd break
thro. That night Turks
attacked Popes
from the two Nek direction 
& from in front. Tuesd.
morning  still attacking. 
N.Zs moved up Walkers
tt afternoon going splendidly 
till our men on Popes

[From Young offr of 16^th
whom I met in Ismailia
the Aust. St Hospl.  CEWB 
18.5.25] 

15
32
fired on them.

Tues. night Bugles.
Got on nerves of some of
16^th who wd get out
forward & lie down 
over parapet to see better. 

----
16^th speak well of RMLI
- and esp of Sergt - who were 
in Quinns w them.
---
On May 2 no firing 
when they went up valley. 

33
--
It ws not till supports 
began to sing Tipperary & 
Australia will be There tt
m.gs were attracted to this
part of the line. These mgs
were behind our left
rear eg Three men had
thrown their rifles into
a bush while they were 
digging. The rifles were
cut to pieces by the fire. 
15
34
Fire when they got over the shelf. 

[Diagram - see original scan]
This knocked ^some of them 
back. Went into lower
slope of Dead M's R.
Got up again from there.
Little firing all night
but constant orders 
to go to the left. The 

left ws in / air,
ws hardly dug in, &

15
35
many dead there next
morning in little pot hole
- trench not 
continuous.

Ts began to come up 
our shooting ws splendid.
splendid targets
T. shrapnel ws v. high 
when whiz whiz 
whiz - 5 shells 

from right behind - 
Plugge's direction - some
men thought warships

15
36
but probly too small

(so seemed to men on 
spot) hit hillside
a foot or two below
edge & blew it up. Our
trench (dug by us) ws

not more than 12 ft
in (or 6ft on ^extreme left
- 20 yds on right).
Men at once began to 
retire. Kretchmar
retired I believe on 

15
37
Quinns.

Sergt Maj. Harvey
came back 3 days later
(?Wed) in half dazed 
condn, w bayonet
stab across chest
& died 4 or 5 days

later.  He sd Ts.
on Mond had found
him in trench, kicked
& bayoneted him &

put him up on parapet

15
38
& he had rolled
down from there.
He had marks on him
wh, so far as they 
went, corroborated
this.

Ts ^(snipers) were behind 

Popes till Wed.
---
checked

39
On / Canal
Ships tt pass in / night
White Godley & J Hs decision
to Hang on. (Thursdy)
White & / Aust & NZ
discipline.
The move.
Brit. Govt wont agree to army [[?secular]]
hosp. The men in 
hosp. The nurses & the 
soldiers.
----

15
40

& / M. Matruh
Mersa Matruh.
Capt Reynolds A.A.S.L: we knew at
early part of Dec tt we shd
have to go to W. Frontier.
Betw 1 & 7 Dec. all Australns
went on to El Daba at head of
present rly 2/6^th Khedivial
rly had bn torn up (3ft?)
but up to Daba 4/8½

Troops went on by 4 days
trek El Gerab, 1st Stage - 
2nd stage El Bagush,
3rd El Jerawala - 

41
M Matruh

15
42
4^th Mersa Matruh.

Road is thin layer of
sand on top of soil
and impassible 3 days
after heavy rain.

In sight of sea all way.
Country gradually slopes 
up to 200 ft at 12-15 miles 
in land __________

All lines of Commn were 
guarded when we began
by NZ troops under
Col Stewart. He ws

L of C. Big camp at Daba

& ^also at Hamam on rly before 

Daba.