Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/41/1 - March - April 1916 - Part 3

1  20
 himself will administer
/ force in Egypt - who 
is well meant. But his 
efforts & those of Campbell 
show what an unsympathetic
administratn it wd be 
however well they 
meant.
S lastly there is l
Everything drives 
them back on Birdwood 
continuing to administer 
the force. To us here it 
really means White. 
White is the big 
Australian soldier - 
& there are not 
enough of them to free

1  22

but they are all in 
most indispensable 
jobs. We haven't the 
staff officers available 
& we must overwork 
White - that's about 
it. Griffiths is a 
splendid secretary
- loyal, hardworking - 
but he has not / 
creative ability for doing 
/ job administrative 
work on his own decision.
So we are driven 
back on / old plan; only 
as Cairo is too far

Bridges death
[Hand written sketch]
1  25

in Egypt in minor 
matters. But big
questions of principle 
will have to go to 
Birdwood via the H.Q. 
in London.

Murray thinks it 
is unworkable. But 
we shall see.
From Tess' Diary

1st Friday. Marines
[*30 Apl*] cut up on rear 
slope of Steeles Pt, 
waiting to charge, by
 2 m.gs. (They were pressed 
all day.

1  26
Staff Captain
G.F. Bright
Staff Captain
161st Brigade 3/-
 

Tues Ap 27.

Birdwd Walker 
Godley, Skeen Monash
had confce on top
of Plugges (under 
shrapnel B.V cool
but had to get into
old T. trenches
This day 14^th were _^constantly called
in to reinforce Tilney 16^th
& 13^th who were only

1  27
just holding on.
Becoming clear that
wooded ridge at end 
of valley wd have to
be taken as it 
commands / valley,
Monash called to confer
w MacLauren 
Macl. & Irvine K.
imd. after. 
Tues 27 night. constant
attacks - dead & 
wounded constantly

28
Ap 25
Maj. Butler says that Sergt? Maj Fowler
was undoubtedly hit in the back, 
just to the south of top of Ari Burnu
knoll by some man firing up
the hill some o / second lot lost their
heads. Butler tried to get them to 
charge & get on but they wd hang
back & load their magazines &
fire. A wounded Turk was in the trench
on Ari Burnu. Fowler sd as 
he lay wounded - "I told them again
& again not to load their magazines
but they wd do it." Butler tended
him.
3 o the boats in wh Butler was
got locked & only / two outside
ones cd use their oars - their
outer oars. Fire ws v. heavy.
The sailor who handed B. his
satchel ws shot thro' / chest
as he did so. 

1  29
in gully. Lamb &
Chester to rt of 4^th Bde
just abt worn out -
Capt Jacobs w Rankine
on left of Maj Steele.
"13 & 16 mixed up holding
"Solitary hill at end of
"Gully."
On other side of
gully nothing known
saved tt the enemy
ws somewhere there"
"No knowledge of where 15^th
was exc tt I had seen

30
Ap 25
Auckland. handed & went along back to post
of Walkers Ridge.
Made to put down kit
there. Then _^to put it on again & march back
to Plugge’s  Plateau by partially made 
road up hill. Crossed plateau & 
up Shrapnel Gully. There they first
got command right (to go on left
of Australians) then left - Some
went left up abt Walkers Top,
others right - up the Bloody Argyle
& towards Baby 700. It seemed
a long endless slope covered w
scrub always gradually rising.
- little tracks running thro' it. 
They were abt 100 yds behind the
firing line at 4.30 when the front
line came running back on them. 
"Get to beggary!” they sd - "The
Ts are coming on, 1000s of them."
The line withdrew, part of it on to
Quinns - & part onto Walkers
Ridge & down it. They were stopped
at what afterwds was Walkers H.Q.
 

1  31
Capt Quinn near
MacLagans H.Q. today"
Wed Chatham marines
arrd midnight & relieved
Maj Lamb. Raining
& v. bleak. Led them to 
their places by climbing
on hands & knees.
Thurs Marines took over
Courtney's Post. Units
of Bde starting to come
back & reorganise.
Report tt Ts coming down
gully - Picquets Posted

32
Auck (cont^d)
where / Turks were sniping heavily. 
The little dip there began to fill w
wounded. Two men who went out
to find / way never got back, so 
they dug in there.
The N.Z. were mixed in w /
2nd Bn at this time. On Tuesday
morning / Turks were attacking &
at 8am. Auckl. ws sent up to
support 2 Bn. The front line presently
all came running back; but bayonets
were fixed & they all charged
back again. They cd see / Turks 
trickling down Baby 700 to get
at / back of Popes & Quinns -
(i.e. to get to / head of Popes
Gully, l W. branch of Monash
Gully). But as they came down
(in 2s & 3s) our m.g. & rifle fire
always got them as they came
down / slope. Our front line ws not
yet in trenches - all of it - you still

1   33
(Th) Nelson marines arrd
Frid. Marines withdrawn
from Courtneys & tt
made right of our sectn.
Pressed heavily all day
particly agst Courtneys
rt & marines left.
Abt 4 pm marines
massed for charge
got it from enemy
m.gs. Calls for 
reinfs. Capt Graham
R MLI killed. Heavy
firing - valley sounded
like hell. Brigadier

34
had to get up onto elbows 
to fire. Could see the Australians
in front of them & had to be very 
careful not to hit them. 
By Wednesday when NZ
relieved the 2nd Bn the communication
trench ws so far dug tt you only
had to nip over about 6 yds to get
into it.
——
Auckl, at Helles.
N.Z. had to advance abt 1200
yds in / open before reaching
fire trench (?) started from 3rd
line trench.
(?In afternoon) Charge started from
pink farm in slight hollow
where there ws a dressing 
station. They had got abt
150 yds (in morng) & cd have dug

1   35
& (Jess) self to Hd Qrs
on beach. Brig in
Confce w Col Johnson
& Gen re tomorrows
move. Advance by
Walker towards E
we to move NE & keep
in touch w NZ. 
Returned under fire. Nelson
marines reckoned enemy
in their trenches. Called
for reinfs. When sent
up found front trenches

36 

in but had to go further. The
Bombardment made Ts keep
heads down - & / first line
of Auckld got through
Daisy Field to left of Pine Wood
very well & lay down. But
the reinforcements, coming up
when / Ts had got their heads
up cdn't get thro' it at all.
The Ts had m.gs  on it. Twos
& 3s tried to get across wd
get half way. Then stumble & 
go down. Some got up & 
staggered on, but you cd see
dust of m.g. across field &
it always caught them up.
The troops who got across it
gathered into a depression or
creek running straight towards /
enemy. At abt 2 in the morning
they were ordered to get back

1   37
empty. Terrible noise
of firing all night but
assaults beaten back. 
Sat May 1
Projected scheme for
gen^l advance. Bdr (Monash) &
(Jess) self went to Trotman
HQs to meet Gen Walker
Found Gen Bridges
Glasfurd Bridges 

against scheme - 24hrs

delay - rang up GOC