Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/10/1 - June - September 1915 - Part 1

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Open to contributions
Accession number:
RCDIG1066754
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Page 1 / 10

AWM3S Official History, 1974-18 War: Records of C E W Bean, Official Historian. Diaries and Notebooks Hem number: 3DR1606170// Title: Diary, June - September 1975 includes references to Maoris’' arrival, Ashmead Bartett, Sir John Monash and Phillip Schuler. AWMISS-SDRLCOGHOH
10 Hary 28 516 And PIARY. NE.LO Ariginal 30ll 606 MM3 DLARIES AND NOTES OF C. E. W. BEAN CONCERNING THE WAR OF 1914-1918 THE use of these diaries and notes is subject to conditions laid down in the terms of gift to the Australian War Memorial. But, apart from those terms, I wish the following circumstances and considerations to be brought to the notice of every reader and writer who may use them. These writings represent only what at the moment of making them I believed to be true. The diaries were jotted down almost daily with the object of recording what was then in the writer's mind. Often he wrote them when very tired and half asleep; also, not infrequently, what he believed to be true was not so —but it does not follow that he always discevered this, or remembered to correct the mistakes when iscovered. Indeed, he could not always remember that he had written them. These records should, therefore, be used with great caution, as relating only what their author, at the time of writing, believed. Further, he cannot, of course, vouch for the accuracy of statements made to him by others and here recorded. But he did try to ensure such accuracy by consulting, as far as possible, those who had seen or otherwise taken part in the events. The constant falsity of second-hand evidence (on which a large proportion of war stories are founded) was impressed upon him by the second or third day of the Gallipoli campaign, notwithstanding that those who passed on such stories usually themselves believed them to be true. All second- hand oridence herein should be reed with shis t rind. C. E. W. BEAN. 16 Sept., 1946. ACCESS STA ReeCEEeEte JONE Ke of 21 210
owevy. her monitors Nits, Trawlers. false p. Te Poes. Articles. why noi to sometimes reasons at Angoe wt asat Heles whiter ryt a woray an I goid to rask it. Rest camp, pbos 82p0 mulh pors Recent 1 29Din. Diary 10 Opened on June 28 Closed on Aug 3/6 The Squares in this book are ½ inch. MoO. A Co Lld, Ldn.—Wyeos 20,100. 12714 Helles 5 Regim. Reon Sundtol Aug51 of 213n 0 10 Bn Monday June 2d Far10 There had been heavy bombardment done South durin I night. This morning about 9.30- sast after breakfast, we noticed a whole line of trawlers coming out of Imbros - one after another like anto, Sixteen of them Sn I milst of them wes larger ship, a warship - Somettin like the Hussar to finels wide, apart & one mast. Then, out of tal came the balloon shep w2 destroyers; then anor! cruised (I tought the Talbot) with & distroyer. two distrogers were close into the Coast blaying away, 3 trawlers came out of Subra & turne North, & tent were one or two destrogers besides The cruisers jvined (in the Combaroment wh had be soing on for some time. By 10.40 it was enormorily eay I cd count 801 distinct reports per minite & probt there were may wore. By alt 11 am. the rato had increased 1to 120 per mite 10.50 The tink Shoaprell began to fal on tir right. flank - firt 2&3 birsto - thm 6&8. clearly an attack being made by our people. Dust wo movenyg continuoraly in high wheops t Columns up a valley between as 14 Achi Baba) calways govng S. Clearly the T5 ment be reinforcirg. The turkist Shrapnel - time& percussion - we now bursting on left the Coast - part way down I slops to 1walw on I hell above At 11.30 some of our Lyddite co be seen burahny in 1 trees well on 1 Anzac side O17ise. By 11.30 the smal two pnnelled e cruiser was going back to Imbros but the Talbot ws still foing. Our bombandment from this time on seened to Cuytan away to the right rather. Ar 11.37 it wo very heavy. By 12 it as practically over - until 1 afteroon & evening
The Bombardment at him, Lad by trimendans. Onds see great canliflower of dust chucked from the Turkist SKyline At times the ridge cimply reeked with smohe all aloy HNA B A 83 4 certainly pour old tarks have had to fac bombandmnts Sach as we have nevor had to thenk of in this show. The monitor all while ws kowing a few wormous sheltin where she though, were theny reserved (ee Shefct an Ap 25 boot) Acourss if is cleas we ought to be down Something to prevent troops young down from here to countre allact At att I I got anote from B Canney tetting me that the right us a pretty good place to be at + Rynies or Maclagans Ha. I went straight to Regrees. If turne out that at 9.30 we had read. a request pou to do something to keep 1enemy from senday troops S. from here. The plan ws hurriedly drawn up by Col. Skeen o Col. White & o taken outby Blainey to the 2ndL.H.Ade. + Maclagan as 10.30 Both skeen, & the Bde comndrs. 5d Why did if they let us know carties Havrooy - the scheme was (as worked by Brigadiers) The 2ad 4H.Bde as to sundent abt a Regt to movein I derecter o1 Echelon trunckes (wp dre on the stope of the piet redge to I south of us) Near Ecketon truches are some, obl pits a brown brushwood around then (the Turks never rinew the bush in pont of Kind truches The L.H. were to make for these I pretend to attack Enemy fom there. Meanwhile 2 coys 0/1 9th Bn were to go out & attack in 1 directe of south of Lonesons Pine. Smos Rnost
pe 814 Corps, ws naking attack at Helles al The details were. 2L43 to harrass eneay in director ofchelon O 259. 5L.H. (I squadion and ir Maj Madgley DSC Capt Cameron & Lohn Squadoon) to attack Ballan Gun Pits? O I troop SE.H. to carry picks & shovels in support. From Ballian gun pits they were to fire tow ds. Echelon (tvenches AWack to commence at 1. p.m. 2 Trops /(E37)/ [. 4 to occupy trunchis held by S. C.H. 239. 664 to cmpy tranches fet by 572.4. Artillery Support: tr. (Mbunlam Battery on Fwvin & Echelon truches trucles. Mealy No1m. Sabe 1 W Deatioger 3 in reserve. fired in here Distoyer on twin trin& Balan punbtes work on ridge 212 marke men clambered over here Low scrab when fired on by Distrayes I went to No 3 gun which looks out Chathans Post. this an embrasure in the time (I cant anagans whey it has not bee kno cket to blazes - thy fire abl I shots o then withdard it behind the corner of the enbeasure - but in nornal times if Stares out staught behiend a little sacking & brushwasd. H. Ross is in charge. The L.H had jine out abt cominity by the time I got there & thro the sacking you ad see them lying up agat their edge of ridge. A little way 5 of them on other stope of rige & running at right augles across 1. meddle of a yellow. Wheat paddock were some rows of Sandbags - Echelon Frendes. They were guite impossible to take hold bec the fan ridge
7 4 branches stare straight down outo thin Ourmen bgan to dig in on 1 Edge ofJidge? oneed see them living an augle of it & lonly place I as apait of ws Kaba Tepe - wh mus have looked straight into their backs! Th bereby a part or ey nan at yhl Their line we bent back down I hill, I suppose as a precaute agit K. Tepe It wo just abt 2-30 29.3 wa There ws a crowd in I observate pit of Huhes Baltery where Col. Ryrie went, of so I watched for a time from No3. gun, Preventl Col. Ryrie sot this gun to fire 60s 8 rounds on to tein brenches. About the 7th Round some gun on jun Ridge opposite opened fire (by hate this battery) & A spell l exloced an Ibank ontaide 1) Enbrasm Preatt aseand shell exploded an the Edge o embasted. Then bang - I whole place fille w dud & a tind exploded right in 1 wort of enbrasure with chan gai sthe order from the battey Commander. The ave got dray ropes, handd to gun round, drew it about enty feet down 1 track & left it ther (3p a phots of tis I wat to the observate post as it s 6o hot in ganpet. There were Foster Mag. Hughes, Col. Ryrie, Hogue, Captwaile & B think) Cape Seabe - + partof time Col. Arnott, Blancy & onclow, & myself. I pasable to get a good bok wo my telescope thro 1 Cophole (wh didnt give the podt away). And taat after I got there I saw a
5 bigh Exploain shell burst close to our menor ridge at Ballangren Pits. Then another – Icout sayif it were into the men not I it wight a penn mop havebe too far sonk I say what uns that? I heard Col. Ryris sront. hen came on shot fair into dle of Ran that hoked like a distroyers shell more than anything some one ran outiil to see if I deltiager were firing. They prisut shorted th 1 destroger had fired & afee second tates a great spurt of brown eark leapt from I very thick of our men. For an enemys shot it wohave been a beautiful one. There were three in alt. By I time the third came in haff a dozen of our men yellow Tumpedupt, Ian over the crest into the wreatfield & by there opposite Ehelon truches. One seened to me to be bit as he ran - by the turks who simply tooket down on place from gun ridge. Another presently managed to stagges & roll back to a sort of depresion or patt on top of ridge The dust of bullets covere he several times as he crawled - & pe stopped more than once. I fan be had be hit again - but he managed to coll over into the sak & lie there. All thio1 afternoon, + when our mew retired to evening, 4 men were lying in that depression - I am apaid this one I say must have been amongst the deed The men never retired an inch because of this shelling. They hung on & presenty 1 desti oyed got her shots over iowards the echelor trenches & ten stopped shooting. Ad Ryrie who had his head glued to his periscope was turnin every now + then apostoophinig the onlookers. [thats awful - of tats terrible which was quite true. Peently Capt Waite saw the turks creeping up to renforce te rebelon trences. I hada bok
you could see their heads pist over te edge of the wheeffield, nan tncole all th ae th mnont it h M against sone dark scrub. I saw the aron of some officer wavry tim to keep down Presently they began to creep up on the w to rewforce the Eebelon bruches. Amnessage was paised asking the Mountain guns to fire on the torks renform the right rear (seemet to me a bad message) of the esheloh trenches? A few minutes lates a shell Curot fair over the frent of the stream comin apt bill. Ch good boys. A splendet - thats just right - keep on likett.? shouled old R delightedly fairly stamping for joy at his periscope; The teks ran at I first shot. Not a head is to be seen aou lated. But itebatting toenhon – bang, being, banng wnto I valley behind wheatfield. The sooting ws beautifit. It seemed to me thay fave teks about ten or twelve shots I didn't wait too long to see. A gan on gun ridge to lef of as hedceen, all our periscopts up I didnt have one & had turned onto our observate post. (Really Bele commanders ought to lave their own posts - its hadd lick on Iartiller to rse (then). anywey the gun from INE adbn brsting stropiel Caril close to go -I waldto hear it co under cov before " shots passed. But three shots now and riglt onto the post. One went mb I loose sand parapet out rear of trind andth ustsheand I touch & the third hil a sandbay just by Capt waites &my left sars & toppled it over on top of is filling whole plce is dust- & Spoilin Col. Kyriestea. Te utn Sas St Switehed off o to "twin trenches (Cright down (ant endof redee) where repryading thought
46 2 stretches bearess were hit- one killed. No 3 gun of Haghes Batly had had its trigger fooken by Explocion I saw - the 3rd Hellin 1 qreupit. But my replased this by a tryper from another gun and towards ( and o day A onr men were reterny they got outs the Turks at Balkan gun pits OW Rynie we looking thro hes perisupe. stamping w deliglt. "Stir the Cows up a bit if it does nothing ete he said. the tark were si from ter cetainl were Liky. tirks in there Working. arggiy or manny strench. Coneyent I Turks belieed Elbelon Crerches but a rest a byan to I caagain I saw sal of thim come right up to Balkan Gun Pits in & make themselves a next in the dead bushes just beyond 1Edge o1p 1 furthest pits. There were at last two - one on a whitish skall cep. oter in a Celmet wh Cooker like one of crus. Stpss came crawing up into crb at beck. An reternt had bee or depet – bub oud men did not retire quiskly bec. of necessity of cetting wounded away. one ed see half a dogea of them close to 1 Balkan Pits chattiryg – occasionally firing, a1 Tarks quite close to them. The Tarks were coming up very fasto the ange guan were as to fire again sr on this point, but I suppose they were on antirs targed for no more shots writ ther whilst I was tooking on: you co see our stritches bearers o D.M.C. delails banden over (wounded – [ouly 3 mere were misia & I suppose they were those who were upon I cheatfield.] to thy retured a tuish gun prom Ae grve, began to burst a beg shrapnel shell over1 hel neer Chathans PI. I diopt se it do any damage; but all I a ad have to retirn thio is as thy cive back. The turles too, r meoray ere shelling the men - (they thought we were in Balkan Pits & dospped shapael over it. Our min - probably our trudes- noticed a bout this time that there were Tarks in B. Pits for dust began to fly there as if from Marin bullets, cloeds of it. I saw the white cap of that Turk still in the brown laves - but he may have been doed.
Thene shelld killed 2, wounded 16 drove half a dozen men over the ridge & are sd to have alld the turks to have crept op closer. A mess age came por D.H.C. to 1 Brigadhier asking if he considered it better to retire or to hold Balkan Pits. He sd to retire. News had arrived to 1500 Bde had retired - & I have no doubt be ws right. Col. Maclagan's trew had bu found by the tarks at Lonesonie Pine & the loses amongst them were caused from there - the Turks cd see his lef. Col. M. L. wd have liked to retirn them earlies (- abt 20 minates) but he cdus find the general whom he wanted to inform before be took this step. The stef I am sure, had lif it open to holl on or retture according as preten ws comprtable or not. h hadges t stae B. Pits by 130. Hogues acct is: £39. 5 under maj. Midgdey DSo. & Cast Cameron Started shortly after L. They advanced wo greed dash and excpied Balkan Vits at 1.30. two troops of 712 MHunder Cast. Richardson o Lieut. Gilchrist occapted Holly Spar- to 1cover them. 259, 6(Hunder maj whith + Maj. Skillington occupied tenches vacated by 5C14 & kept ap coverng fire in the enemy reinforced his left. Ht 1.52 the tucks were reported to be maniing behind Lones one Pince we were warned to Expect an attack on our left but it never came off Parties of eveny approached B. Pits but came under macting gun fire. our advanced party (5t) dugin (you cdsee them swrnging their picks bat but at 2.25 pm three high explosive shells were lande amongst them by distriyer Midgeleysays men behaved splendidly - no thought of retiring, Held on till ordered to retire on Green Knolt, Wildraws slowly carried out beg of wounded & killed 1f at 5.39 6LH. & m.9s covered returenng of 5a Capt. Cameron & HGilchrist were severel wounded. Cosnalties officers wounded, 250s killled, 83 or wounded, 3 messry. 1544. Orasw)

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