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

WALKERS TOP                        
Copy N^o 1
30.6.15

Memo to Regimental Communications

 

Brigadier General Throssell Commanding No 4 Section

ANZAC COVE has approved his application 

of the gallant defence of the subsection

WALKERS TOP by the 8^th L.H. and 9^th L.H.

during the persistent attack made on the 

post for three hours during the early morning

June 6. 15. He considers that the loss by

 the enemy of at least 250 wounded killed possibly an

equal number wounded and 12 captured,

against our loss of 6 killed and 24 wounded

to be quite satisfactory.

 

The many troops Commander of the 

Divisional Commander after inspecting the post

expressed their appreciation of the work done

by the troops.

 

Unit Commanders will kindly convey the

above appreciation of the higher Commander

to the troops.

 

I would also add that I consider that the

gallant action of all [[?]] [[?]] upheld

the best tradition of the brigade forces.

 19                                                   

lately along I hillside for more than 2000 troops).

The Base Old J. came off presently, w a lot of medical

stores for looks his Bn. looking very well. He had

two of his men w him. One of them, Owens, ws a

man who had bn recommended for the D.C.M. He

was placed at Mena Camp & set to do squad drill (a man

who had bn with I force since the first arrival at

Mena - one o I first convoy from Australia !) & when

he applied to come back ws told there ws no

prospect of his being able to go. He simply deserted

& came. The base is a perfect scandal - I cant trust

myself to write abt it. The same battalion has had

other good men who have had to do I same - I believe

MacNaughton did also.

 

Jock came up to my dug out & slept

there - It ws wet so Bazley had a corner in it also.

 

Thursday Ju1y 1. Went with old J. up to

his trenches today. Found little Buttes there, back from'

Alex. xxxxxxxxx

 

A private ^(12 Bn) has bn sentenced to 2 yrs hard

labour for absenting himself from I trenches for abt 3

weeks - sentence to begin at once.

 

Friday July 2. The 11th (Railway) Coy of A.S.C. has

arrived.

Gen. Lolbiniere has bn made Director of

Works, at G.H.Q.

Yesterday morning ^afternoon an unknown colonel

20                                                  

went thro I trenches on our right - I wonder if they

have found out who he ws.

 

A man has arrived from the 22nd Bn -

6^th Bde - came on here in order to get into I trenches.

A chap in I Divl Ammn Col came across for I

same reason I other day - He printed 12 in blue

on his arm - (Our officers often have their badges

marked in in delible pencil now) but an officer

o the 12^th recognised him.

 

[Took several photos the other day of Hughes' gun

being fired & withdrawn on June 28; also one of 

Quinns Post from the communicatn trench to Popes

Gully.]

 

Helles. More heavy firing this evening at 8-9pm. I hear 

there ws another unsuccessful T. counter attack today.

Their guns were clearly firing from inland on our left for

the splashes cd be seen in the sea. Our shrapnel

bursting heavily on the near ^skyline ridge for some minutes

a little after 8. Therefore probably they were agn

attacking.

 

12.30 am (July 3) Heavy rifle firing from Quinns or

N.Z lines.

Another stormy night - we are forcing great stones

up the valley below us & are refitting our units w 

picks, shovels etc.
lighthouses & Turks w Bayonet.

Saturday July 3.

There was no excitement here last night.

Glasford & Col. Braithwaite tell me that at

12.30 & till 2 heavy rifle firing ws heard

                                          21

(Note left hand side page is not visible as covered by a blank sheet)

                                   

breakfast time they 
attack had
Turks took 
Killens (I think it

morning got beautifully
& its support trenches
under practice - seeming
successive shots.

 

                             rifs (shorthand)

                              "Times" man - ws

                                going round Bulg.

                                says that Bulg. o

                                ws coin here. The

                                them. But them we want at least 6 divns.

                                (shorthand)

                                I King, who is v.

                                & illness has increased

                                field dressings for 3000

                                 XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

                                XXXXX

                                tonight & so went up

                                have had a little

                                cruiser or battleship

                                [[xxx?]] way - she fired abt

                                 also had the Talbot today-

                                sounded big.) Destroyer

                                flank.

                                of a wierd sort - rather

                                from a catapult.

                                abt 50 yds from J's

                                                 It threw 

Full page contour map

 

                                               21

in I direction of Helles. By breakfast time they

had word th a fierce counter attack had

bn made & beaten off. The Turks took one

Ghurka trench but the Inniskillens (I think it 

ws) retook it.

 

Our howitzers this morning got beautifully onto

Deadmans Ridge & its support trenches

w Lyddite & made splendid practice - seeming

to hit I trench w abt 10 successive shots.

 

Hear from Ross th rifs (shorthand).

 

Amery - the old "Times" man -ws

here a few days since after going round Bulgaria

& Roumania. He says that Bulg. &

R. will not come in unless we win here. The

check to us has prevented them. But then we want at least 6 divns.

(shorthand)   (Postscript: I think this is 6 division CEWB. 17/12 21)

Greece cant come in unless I King , who is v.

popular, agrees. The K's illness has increased

his popularity. I her they want field dressings for 3000. 

 

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

Heard J. ws seedy tonight & so went up

to see. The old chap seems to have had a little

dysentry & sickness.

 

There ws a big cruiser or battleship

of sorts firing down K. Tepe way - she fired abt

10 rounds in here (we also had the Talbot today-

perh. this ws I Exmouth. It sounded big.) Destroyer

ws also firing on our N. flank.

 

A Turkish bomb of a wierd sort - rather

like a fiery comet, & flung from a catapult,

exploded in I air only abt 50 yds from J's

dug out as I went up. Sketch It threw a

                                              22

second bomb into our lines wh ws at least

10 sec. before exploding. Didnt sound as bad as

our bombs. But old J ought to have a bomb proof

roof. He only has 2 inches of earth on I roof.

 

The Turks were very jumpy tonight - firing

constantly - possible bec. our shps were firing.

At 0.30am. we are to send up a fire balloon

shaped like a Zeppelin. Its just that now - no sign so far.

 

Sunday July 4.

I worked all night. The Talbot was out

firing last night & was firing again first thing this

morning. These big naval guns - 6 in. I suppose-

made a tremendous noise after the small destroyers

guns we have got used to. I went out to have a look at her

this morning - could see some Turk out on the edge of

Kilid Bahr      sketch

talking to another

not far from one of the big piles of brushwood. Could also

see some body of cavalry or infantry moving on the

Turkish "parade ground". The Talbot seemed to be firing

at some point on the hidden road to Achibabe just below the

Kilid Bahr Plateau as the dust of her broadsides was rising

there.

 

I believe she was to bombard some point for our

observers yesty. O'G. tells me her captain came ashore

after the first few shots & sent his ship way. He told

Cunliffe Owen th he cdn't observe work for these observers.

They told him his first shot ws 100 yds over & when he fired

a second at I same range they sd it ws 1000 yds short.

(shorthand)

 

                                                              23

Gen. Legge who ws up in his pyjamas this morning

told me we had spotted a battery wh ws firing on the

8^th Corps & wh they could not xxx find. Possibly she ws

firing at that

 

A battery prob. the one on Kilid Bahr ws firing

on the Talbot - bursting shrapnel over her. One of their

big guns has also been wasting ammunition trying

to hit the trawlers quite a long way out to sea-

they followed one trawler a good part o I way to

Imbros. Another trawler today simply came in boldly

& dodged the shots -one of them yesterday seemed to

be testing the guns extreme range - steaming straight

away from it & letting it chase her. From the curious

course our trawlers take over there one rather suspects

there may be a (shorthand).

 

The little show on the right didnt come off

at Tasmania Post. It is coming off tonight instead.

 

The Maoris arrived here two days ago & have

gone into camp in the N.Z. Gully.

 

The 11th (Rly) Coy. A.S.C. has arrived & is

built in up on gully. They have a pretty course

man up there. The dugout he lives in happens

to be built up rather like a pulpit - this evening 

I heard a mans voice declaiming - & there he

ws making an election speech to our side o I valley.

"You cant throw rotten eggs at me -(of course eggs

are a priceless commodity here now tho' we have 

had part of a captured Turkish shipment) - next 

time you'll give me a fairer hearing " etc.

 

He really ws doing it very well - making

his points out of the war.

 

The H.Q has sent its answer to my

                                      24

request to be alld to stay at Anzac. It is

addressed to Gen. Legge.

 

W reference to your letter o I 28 June forwarding 

& recommending an application from Capt.

Bean to be allowed to remain w I division, I have to inform you th I General Officer Commanding in Chief fully recognises the

points brought forward and will give Capt. Bean

every facility to visit the Australian Divn.

as often as he wishes to do so, & further will 

always permit Capt Bean to remain 3 or 

4 days at a time at Anzac.

 

The G.O.C. can however make no

exception to I decision arrived at th all accredited 

correspondents shall live at K. Beach Imbros, 

to wh place he shd go as soon as possible.

Should, however, after a trial o I new

arrangement, Capt Bean come to a 

conclusion th his work is suffering thro"

not actually living w I troops, the G.O.C.

will be prepared to reconsider his 

present positn, & in I meantime I fact

shd not be lost sight of th Sir Ian Hamilton

before I proper authorisatn ws red.

from I war office at his own risk out

of regard for I very natural desire o I people

of the dominions concerned, permitted

these correspondents to accompany the

troops & practice their profession.

 

(This is all right except the last

 

Postscript

C E Hamilton's 

Diary p. 334. I do't

know if this was one of the

changes referred to, or

was a measure consequent 

upon them.

          C.E.W.B. 28/12/21

                                   25

sentence which is wrong - I was not alld.

to practice my profession. Ashmead Bartlett

&Reuters correspt. were the only two

alld to do so until the Admiralty's authorisation 

arrived on May 2 - a week after we landed.

 

This of course means I shall leave

to go to Imbros a day or two in the week. It

is probable we shall be able to carry on -the

only drawback being waste of time & the moral

certainty of being shelled ^almost every time we

come in or out, which is quite unnecessary

seeing the state our business gets no

benefit & the state no security. Of course

L.H. has to write to the W.O. to satisfy it,

or the French.

 

(Paragraph in shorthand)