Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/4/1 - April 1915 - Part 4

62       32'A'                                                   
This afternoon our men were advancing
on left.  But there was a
heavy pressure at abt 3.  [[shorthand]]          

was wanted. But the 14^th &
NZ. (15^th ws part of this lot) who had
been sent up were entrenching themselves
in the communication trench, clogging 
it & didnt get on at all. Heavy
shrapnel ws coming across across the ridge
& snipers were making trench uncomfortable
Tues Apr. 27.
Col. MacLaurin & Maj
Irvine killed in the afternoon.
Col. M. lived abt an hour
& a half after he was hit.
Yestys charge (26).
The 15^th came off the ridge The 9^th
went onto it 3 times. They came

62        33
back 3 times.  Each time they
retired in good order.  The 3rd time they stayed there.
fire.
Ev one when he was hit was
going to rescue a man
wounded down the forward 
slope.
Maclagan told me that he
& Ross were first out of their
boats. The men went up the
right hill & were on top of it
before the Turks knew where they
were  There were 2 Turks on
the beach weh one with
head smashed in.
One of 3rd brigade who hadnt had
food for 3 days came down with
wxxx that he was glad [[?]]
the army w [[?]]

62      34
The order ws given on 2nd & 3rd days
to put out fires. this was not the
wish of the authorities. They wd
allow fires in the beach & at discretion
of brigade commanders, in the trenches.
This night Turks kept on shelling
during night onto the beach. They were

Order to Queen to stop stop firing was
not a ruse. But I hear they
dressed officers as English. One of
the men to advance into
their trenches - some men
without an officer -
This day a concentration 
camp on beach was ordered &

35
Ramsay & I
went up
the old
Turkish communication trench

62    36
beach was cleared (One interpreter
was found between the two lines,
The rumour got abt today that
we were being joined w /
French. I believe the 29th
division are. 
Some of our wounded were
dressed by the Turks.
Q. Eliz Bacchante of course from the [[shorthand]] which means she
ws not the
QE.
Shell got onto
them & simply smashed
up arms legs, et et.
But once the Q.E. got onto
a trench we had just taken & shelled a Coy
within it, I heard no bitter 
complaint.
you cd see our men be on
left with bayonet being at (I thought it
was a stab of flame from a rifle.
Beach was heavily shelled
all day, sometimes xxxx 14 [[shorthand]]
(smoke clouds) in air at once  

62            37
xxxxxxxxxxxxxx was held.  A super burst at once. Ours
& at times the
beach was not safe. But it made
not slightest diff. to men.
[*Ruse*] They use our bugle calls but we
dont use bugle calls.
By 3rd day our men were getting up to Turkish
ruses & were inclined to believe 
everything was a ruse.  It was
a [[?]] were
[[?]] shrapnel
went thro them [[?]]
Some shrapnel pellets hit without wounding
Ambulance man handing out
water in afternoon. Shrapnel case came between 3
of them.  Didnt care
an atom.
The Navy ws splendid
Little midshipman & seamen
absolutely undisturbed
Snipers were using silencers
Some officers on the beach
one man I saw stunned by shell

38
How many of these bullets
are spent? How many from our
own men?  How many snipers.
What is ? [[shorthand]] "clock" the 
bullets makes near you
when the firing is heavy?
Sw. Sw - 3.s.s of machine
gun bullets overhead.
A sudden rattle of musketry means
that the Turks or our men
are shifting. You can tell
wh. by the way whether the bullet
flies overhead

62       39
Explosion _^ Trembling. Eyes bandaged & alld to sit down
Today [[shorthand]] rations
Startling.  Flamelike.
Today aeroplanes were flying low and
destroyers went....
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
by way bullets come
continuous sigh in the
air. You can tell them easily
In the gully were long
after [[?]]
[[?]]
A complete base on the beach
Aug 2 [[?]]
xxx 27-8 [[?]]
Shelling [[?]]
3 searchlights suddenly shot out.
Impossible to say if sound
were steam or heavy distant firing
(at other times later like mouse nibbling)
Men getting callous. Two in trench
who were getting [[?]]

40      62
2 signallers showing all units
Telephonists way to Turks acting as guides
Larger
The officer exposing himself may encourage
others to fight
How it feels to be hit - a sledgehammer
- even a graze.
Shrap makes ugly wounds sometimes but
often not serious
Explosive bullet is simply a Mauser [[shorthand]] 
We dont know how many prisoners there were
Telephone Lines.
Snipers were sometimes got up as
Australns. Men usually bayonet them
straight.
We have a few bad trenches but
all ground is now covered.
Seldom see Turks exc. when running
for a trench
Shrap. can't hurt in good trench
What Germans do is to blow in whole
trench with high explosive

41
Notes
The snipers  (Special chapter)
Ruses (Special chapter.)
General up tonight
"Good Night, Mc—, " I think you're
quite all right"
"Ah, were all right Sir"
(just (Abt full moon tonight)
Meals. Little use for spoons & forks.
The splendid stretcherbearer (slip wounded
from trench in waterproof sheet.
The officer exposing himself may
Shrap xxxxxxxx
How it feels to xxxxx sledgehammer
- even a graze.
Shrapnel makes ugly wounds
but often not serious
The xxxxxxxxxxx bullet is simply
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
We don't know how many prisoners
Of telephone lines xxxxxxx
Snipers xxxxxx got up as
Australians. Men
generally bayonet them straight
We have a few bad trenches
but all ground now covered.
Seldom see Turks exc when
running for a trench
What Germans do is blow in all

42
Wed

62   43
along w high explosive.
No naval boat searchlight about.
Heavy fire
It is our men few strays.
Put Bacchante onto Turks position
Got a good coy
28th
Is quiet today - cd see French
to S. landing after heavy bombardment
MacLaurin had Maclagans H.Q.
had just taken over composite bn
known as 3rd

62      44
Notes: Yesty:  2nd Bn relieved.
Hand drawn sketch - see original document
Bathing.
Near them 3 boats
on beach.  They were the
first 3 ashore. There were
9 wounded in them - from Sunday
morning to Mond evg. The 2nd Bn
sent along 2 stretcher bearers. Both were shot
one killed other mortally wounded.  Wounded didn't dare
to stir.  Boats are still crammed w dead men.
The men on beach yesty
that Naval Divn ws landing were
bathing as they might at Manly.
Sort of rest camps formed over a day or two.
Officer in 5^th - dazed sort of eyes.
The Beach - supplies, transpt, water,
Ambulances, 4 jetties Hand drawn sketch  - see original document Laden
barges out in harbour. Line of trawlers.
Line of ships. Like great xxxxxxxxx
sea port. 3 wireless stations. One ambulance
jetty. Red Cross stations.  Lines of mules.
Biscuit boxes. Kits of men who have thrown them
down. Ammunition. HQ. Whistle of
steamers. Ships -.  in and out.

One sunk trawler. Flash flash
all day from warships.  You simply dont

62        45
(Tugs)
Shakes hills. So does gun on hill.
Notice it. Every morning regularly
4 or 5 great shells come whizzing 
over from Maidos or somewhere
[* Whistle
toot toot
rattle of
chains
at night
& escaping 
steam.*]
No small boats as Hand drawn sketch  - see original document
in sea port. Naval launches.
Constant of rattle from hills
at back. Occasional plomp of
bullet in water. Now & they
then shrapnel. (Kicking mule
trying to get rid of pack). Concentration
C. Yesty sudden scare. Aeropl.
flying low 3 times carefully along
coastline. Sudden clearance
from beach abt 4 p.m.  Then
terrific naval firing.  Battleship 
went round point:  Landed some
men.  Found 4 guns, 2 knocked out.
[*?Wed
Ap 20*]
Thurs  (Today 2 destroyers rushed to the
pointed & landed men.)
Imbros & Samothrace over opp.
Stragglers & stray men in hill at back of camp
Snow on Samothrace after a 
wet night.
Last night wet.