Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/10/1 - June - September 1915 - Part 5

A case _^sometimes quoted as one of spying is : A gun of
ours - mountain gun - was put into a tunnel
between Courtneys & 1^st Bⁿ lines. The tunnel had
bn prepared for it / day before w a square
opening & a xxx wide place road to drag /
gun out. The emplacement ws timbered.
It was opened at dawn next day & / gun
got two shots onto a Turkish emplacement
at Mortar Ridge - one o / 2 guns there. It got
2 more above it & / next two in. The mortar
Ridge gun had bn laid on it - without questn - 
& got two shots just above the emplacement. But
It ws then withdrawn (there are 4 emplacements)
& it big ws not in / emplacement when
our shells entered it. It ws by this time in
another emplacement from wh it put in
30 shots in quick succession to our tunnel.
It didnt harm / gun.
The secret trenches are sometimes
found by / Turks bec. our people will
stick periscopes up there. M'C wanted to
from the sap between Courtneys & 1^st Bn but
Jess pretended he hadn't got one.
 

36
asked me to dinner & a great little dinner it was - J,
The Col., Padre, Price (the adjutant) & I. M^cC told us
during dinner of a conference he had been to in the afternoon
at Bde H.Q. at wh he and & all other Colonels had been asked 
their opinion on a certain plan & he gave us all his ideas
about it - with the cook looking on. That is the way
news gets out here.
I dont know how news gets from our men to
the enemy - but it does sometimes get there. For instance
there's a persistent statement tt when the 2nd L.H.R.
went first into / trenches at Quinn's the Turks shouted:
"Hallo 2nd Light Horse! We know you're there!" The 2 L.H.
were very green & I daresay / Turks heard them
shoutin - you had to talk in whispers at Quinns
at that time. George Lloyd says he knows of one
case in wh news leaked from here to / enemy.
I sd "are you sure?"(.They think tt bec. of our having
German settlers in Australia - plenty of Germans
have died in this force fighting for us - we probly
have spies. We think they have spies amongst
their greek labourers etc.) He sd "only fools are
sure!"
This afternoon an extraordinary position
arose in No D10 20 sap. We exploded this tunnel
- not very effectively under German Officers
trench the other day - as a matter of fact
we exploded 2 mines one near either end of it.
This ws fairly near the N. corner of it. Part o /
parapet fell in but / Turks remained in /
rest o / trench, & rushed out & occupied /
crater. We didnt in / least object bombed
 

 37
them out o / crater. We had a sentry in / tunnel.
They got into / crater again & began to dig deeper.
We had sand bagged / end o / tunnel but they
dug until day light actually appeared between /
sandbags.
Things were like this when / sentry ws
withdrawn - Why, I dont know. The Turks got seized
/ moment ( it looks as tho' they frightened him)
to steal down & move our sand bags along / tunnel
trench abt 12 feet & take it for themselves.
When Col. Elliott came down to see - there ws /
barrier & a Turk. sentry fired two shots at him.
The Turks were behind the bags & Theodore
(the Greek interpreter) & an officer crept up thro a 
crevice cd see several Turks there w an officer
awfully pleased w themselves at / trick they
had played us.
We have a strong guard now in 
/ tunnel.
The last few mornings the Turks
have opened on Quinns w 2 machin mountain
guns, one in a Communicn. trench abt
350 yds N, & one at the back of Lone Pine rather
further S. They take / risk of hitting their
own trenches & at dawn open up & quickly 
fire 10, 20, or 30 shots at Quinns. They
knockd over / parapet protecting a m.g. on the
left but our men got the m.g. away. And 
they hit 2 men in / trench / same morning.
Maj. Ferguson is going to try to get them with
 

38
one of his Guns tomorrow at dawn.
The 3rd Bn reinforcements have been
giving a bit of trouble. One young fool told his
N.C.O. (when the N.C.O ordered him to go with a water
fatigue) " to go & get — !" He "Come along boys",
he added & 3 or 4 idiots followed him - reinforcements
also. He is up for Gen. Court Martial - The other
fools too were given by M.C the choice tt he
shd deal w them - & they s chose it. He gave
them 28 days. No more insubordination
from those reinforcements after that. The other 
men wd not back them up - they know
the campaign cd nt be run on those lines.
Frid. July 9
The table was turned agst the T
we s The Turk head cover opp. Quinns Post
has bn burning ever since 5 p.m. yesty. We set 
it on fire w bombs. Abt 12 ft of it is burnt.
The N.Z. troops managed to draw Turk
fire excellently last night by cheering & holding
a few dummies over / trench. The reply ws
very heavy - it seemed to me. Tonight there
ws firing at Walkers Top too, but nothing
important. I went up to section H.Q. & had
a look at Williams - nice chap- & Farr,
& had a night cap. Col. Johnston ws there.
A dest trawler was noticed today.
Frid July 9 The abt 6p.m. close up to
 

Germ Officers Trench
Diagram- see original document

↓This barricade ws
/ Tamping for the
1^st Explosion.
Facts as to this tunnel:
July 8. At 11.35 this morning engineers reported sound of
enemy moving behind bag barricade ↓  in Tunnel D 21. It turned
out tt they were removing / bags. A sentry ws posted.
1.57 D.H.Q. ws informed tt light cd now be seen
thro' the tamping at head of tunnel where mines fired on
night of Sunday July 4. "Instructions awaited".
1.58 Sergt Brown instructed to drop a Jap. bomb
into the crater.
2.p.m. Left subsection ws inf. of this & told to warn /
sentry in / tunnel. Message ws received correctly
but was twisted in being verbally passed into a
message to / sentry to "withdraw". He withdrew.
When he returned 15 mins. later he found tt / enemy
had broken down our sandbags & come 8 or 10 ft
along / tunnel, bldg up sandbags again & placing
a sentry post behind. We built a barricade 12 ft
from their barricade.
6.30 Reported to D.H.Q. Also reported tt no instrns
yet received.
6.38 O.C. Left Subsectn ordered to take action to
prevent enemy taking advantage of darkness.
July. 9^th (3.30 p.m.) Charge placed in front of our barricade in
D. 21 fired. The old crater ws swept by / explosion but /
roof o / sap between / two barricades (12 or 15 ft of it)
had subsided. A post is now stationed at / head & /
Engineers are constructing a bomb pit.
[*The Turks were
firing at our
bags 1 minute
before this and
were therefore
in their sap & crater.
It is a wonder they were
as about 30 periscopes
went up from onlookers
& were watching
for 5 minutes
before the explosion!*]
All our tremendous digging out towards enemy has enabled us
to live fairly comfortably to this extent - we know if he is mining
us or not. E.g 4 a.m. today we heard faint enemy digging from tunnel
D 9 A & D 9 B

39
some smoking object in / water. Two
destroyers came up at once & the thing
went on smoking. Afterwards / destroyers
went away & clouds of blue smoke came
out o / trawler & lay along / water. I 
believe they idea is have nets out to 
catch submarines. When they see / net
move / place is at once marked by
some substance wh burns in water.
This ws what they did - but I dont
fancy they had a submarine in their
net. [Sketch - see original]
[I believe they found the net broken & oil floating on top o /
water; and the trawler let out the smoke to attract / destroyers.]
Friday July 9.
We have turned / tables
on / Turks. A new gun cotton charge ws
put in tt tunnel today - the back of it
ws tamped up; it ws then exploded - & /
sandbags were blown all over / Turks.
Probably all / T.s in / crater are dead - at
any rate / tunnel is clear of danger. There
is light at / end of it & a sentry w a 
revolver stands there.
Our new brigades in Egypt are
being formed into a new Divn. We come
fully equipped as brigades (under agreement
w / British Govt some years ago) w
ambulances & signallers - We need 
engineers, but can easily get them in a 
force like this. M'Cay, I fancy, will
get / Division. I dont know what his
 

40
staff will be. They're sd by Maj. Scobie, who
saw / troops in Egypt, to be fairly well trained.
War Office has had / proposal before it 5 days now. M'C. might
go as Div^l. Commander & Blamey as C.O.S.
At 2.40 - 3.10 enemy displayed a large yellow flag
on Johnstones Jolly - No consequent action ws noticed.
We have bn getting more amn.- quite a bombardment by us at 
5 today. Enemys 6" howitzer near Scrubby Knoll fired 8
rounds abt 6 - 6.30 pm.
[*[shorthand]*]
July 10^th.
At 7^th Bn I heard that / snipers 
in Jackson's Post (wh is a little higher up / hill
than formerly) had noticed an officer (w helmet, blue
uniform & some gold) on his visiting / trenches
opposite Pope's Hill every day. He wd come there
in / morning - nod to / men, show two rows of
beautiful white teeth (they say you cd see his 
smile thro / telescope) & then borrow a rifle
from a sniper & lie down & have a shot or two.
This morning they waited for him - one o /
prize Ballarat (?) shots & a couple of others with
B.S.A. rifles & pinhole sights - regular rifle 
match apparatus - lay down w others observing.
The officer came along as usual. As he leant over /
parapet to take his shot the first of our shots struck
/ dust a little ahead of him; the next struck
it a little behind him. He must have seen
them but he ws very gallant & went on w his
 

41
aim. At the third shot he threw up his hands & fell
back; the rifle dropped.
This afternoon the Lord Nelson came in
& gave a tremendous shelling to a part of the
top of Kilid Bahr Plateau (19 4 B 8 I shd say).
The guns in Olive Grove - several of them point to
/ sea whilst one ws firing on us - were firing at
The Lord Nelson - They hit her once or twice.
She ws simply pounding clouds of dust out o / top o /
hill & a point a little way down / side.
Diagram- see original document
I saw a long beam or rail go up in /
air at one shot.
Afterwards the Chatham or Dublin came out &
let off a lot of shot in very quick time - I dont know
what she ws firing at. Our 'plane was up flying very low
right in / middle of T. shrapnel & I fancy she dropped
a bomb. I took Bazley with me up to the trenches
& Maj. Gellibrand took him back over Plugge's Plateau
& brought him back safe.
Will go to Imbros on Monday as I believe
there's a little show tomorrow. The Turks are very
nervous - they are firing quite a lot tonight.
It is curious how men get back to simple
habits during a time like this. I have found one or two
 

42
officers starting to read the bible - & one told me he
found it extraordinarily interesting. I wish I had the
time - but I havent. That reminds one tt / men
of the 2nd Brigade after the battle of May 8 when
they came out o / trenches specially asked for a 
church service (on Sunday May 16.).

Sunday July 11. This morning before I woke
the monitor came out from Imbros with one
destroyer. There was just light enough to
see the _^four mounds on Kilid Bahr. There outlined against /
sky. She was firing both her guns _^at them & by as
fast as ever she could; by / time I was about
as up they were mounds no longer. Through
your glasses you could not even see where they
had been. It was as though you had taken a 
razor & shaved them clean away.
Tonight This evening we had another naval
exhibition. the Talbot came out very close
to the bay on our north. She fired a couple of
ranging shots, w / balloon ship further out
observing for her. Then she began to let loose
broadsides - six guns at a time. The 
explosion ran just like liquid yellow lemon
coloured flame down her side & the next
- not like a flash - and the next minute
she was almost hidden in rusty smoke. The
salvoes were slow at first - later they followed
one another as quick as they could - & we 
heard first the echo from the land & then the
 

43
bang from / ship. We couldn't see what she
was firing at - Boghali or some Turkish
camp or depot _^far at our back I shd say.
A six in shell & five 4.7s bursting all at
the same time in the space of a little village
cannot be a nice experience. We havent had to stand
anything like it.
The warships are very bold just now.
I believe there was a German Submarine
damaged / other day. The French are sd to
have seen a Torpedo boat come down & tow
it away - they are sd to have taken it for a
British submarine. That is the yarn anyhow.
The trawlers were out at this same time
with a net. Whilst / Talbot ws firing
you cd see a line of them stretching like little
water fleas across / horizon - 10 or 12
of them. As / Talbot went away (w a 
Turkish 3 gun battery potting at her &
raising geysers all round her (we cd just
hear / faint distant song o / shell - almost
like a  musical whisper w a high shrill
note - & we cd clearly hear / report o /
gun (somewhere up at Anafarta or
971) The Cruiser turned Northwards to avoid 
this net. She had three small destroyers
moving round her restlessly all / time like
Mowglis' wolves.
The first Turkish shot went not
 

He had bn to see Col. Jackson Elliott. He went back
by this way exposed to snipers. Jess followed. Jess
saw him run 3 steps & then fall. "By God they've hit
me again, Jess", he sd. He Jess dropped down &
felt his leg till he came to an Excrescence (The snipers
were shooting now) "Is tt your knee,'' Jess asked.
"No" sd M^cC. "Well your leg's broken" sd J.
"Damn it I know its not - I know when I'm hit"
sd M^cC. But he didnt. His leg bone had evidently
been pierced by / previous bullet - & now it broke.
I have heard of a precisely similar case - a
gunner whose leg broke one hour after his wound had
bn dressed & he _^had returned.

44
far from / hospital ship - but it ws a ranging 
shot - & / range immediately altered. One of our
destroyers afterwds went very close to / Hosp.
ship, but no shot followed her. Presently /
hosp -ship moved back to another positn. I
fancy she had very properly moved from there
in order to let the Talbot fire.
Col M'Cay this morning, going thro a nasty
tunnel in / Communication trench from his
H.Q. to the 7^th Bn, fell & broke his leg. This is
real bad luck. He was, I believe, approved as 
General Commanding the Second Australian
Division - o wh Blamey wd probably have
bn chief of staff. It was real bad luck. I fancy he
will still be General - but the Command of
course has gone. I rather hope Maclagan
gets it - unless it cd be White.
The troops are to be (if they wish)
innoculated for Cholera. This takes means
7 days & after that a second innoculation.
The last o / first lot of troops will be given
their innoculation on / 7th day. Therefore
2nd innoculation on 14^th - .: —
The monitors are due to arrive very
soon. Blamey thinks they are to be /
capital ships o / future. It seems to me
they are not good eno' sea ships for tt
 

45
- if they were built before this war I dont
know what they were built for. The capital 
ship will be - it seems to me - either
the fast light armoured cruiser - a small 
fast ship anyway, or / submarine - or
both; but with / disappearance o /
big ship a great part o / value o /
submarine goes. She is unhealthy; &
she finds it difficult (at present) to fight
other submarines. But I dont believe /
big ship can long continue to be cossetted
about w nets etc. as she is at present.
Before one of our big ships makes a move 
now they seem to have / sea almost 
netted off for them.
——
[*[shorthand]*]
The Turks this morning early got into the crept up to
the bomb proof constructed by us at /
head of sap D 20, & tried to get in but
were driven back - 3 or 4 of them.
They probly came thro their own
trench. [They were sapping towards
our sap. Our explosion blew thro
their sap into their trench as well as thro 
/ crater. They then used their trench sap as 
a communication trench]. They are now
probly sapping towards us all they can from
/ crater, but they must hit our next sap.
We were sapping towards them from 27 as place