Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/16/1 - August - September 1915 - Part 4

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brump brump brrrump of
heavy bombardment. I cdnt
sleep for it - struck me it was
most likely to be xxx our guns
rolling into the Turks after a
heavy advance on knoll 60
& / Northern half of Anzac -
& I ought to be there - However
I know. I must have this
spell or I shant stand a chance
in / winter - so it cant be
helped. (Howse suggested sending
me away in a hospital ship
but I stood out for Imbros)
In afternoon we went over
to G.H.Q. & there asked
Col. Tyrrell what had happend
& what / meaning o all /
firing was & he sd he had
 

41
heard nothing new at all
as far as he knew everything ws
absolutely stagant.
On we arranged w Maxwell
to leave tomorrow morning for
Mitylene. Grey day all day
- the first as far as I remember
Sept 13. Monday.
After The wind was so
fierce last night, and with a
shower of rain in addition,
that I didn't think we
shd start. But we did. There
is a little white swan bowed
Steam yacht formerly owned
by a Russian but lately
bought by a Mr Chalmers of
Constantinople, (a merchant
 

^X ensign
 

42
who ws dispossessed of his steam
tugs by / Turk Govt on Nov 1 & who
left on Nov 2 Constantinople on
Nov. 2). He calls here / 
Victory & runs here under /
red flag^X between Imbros & Mitylene.
Her owner kindly offered to take
us for nothing this voyage &
Mitylene to give us our
meals - we to pay for wine
It ws roughish getting
out but before we reached
Helles it was smoother & by /
time we got to Tenedos
it ws absolutely glassy.
We saw 3 monitors behind
Rabbit Is. Tenedos, shelling /
forts on / Asia side. The Turks
 

43
also from some gun over opposite
put a shot into l sea quite
close to Tenedos.
We came down through
between these Islands & l
mainland & by lunch cd see
Mitylene. The villages on l
Turkish shore all seemed
deserted & they say they are
except for one Turk (or Gk)
standing on l bank near l river
& then going down & walking
to some bright coloured objects
on l sea shore wh I think were
women. By afternoon tea
we were off Mitylene, steering
 

Adramitic
 

44
down between it & l mainland,
the Gulf of — (something like
Adramitica) Smyrna is 70
males further S.
It was after dark before
we steamed into l harbour -
only 12 hours from Helles.
A new crescent moon was
up. The water ws glossy
black. Across it lay the
waving path o l moon &
out against this background
stood the black outline o l
ancient fortress on l
promontory N. of l harbour.
 

45
The harbour itself ws a collecting
of dancing bright lights - all
cafe's as we learnt afterwds.
There were two ted lights at
the end of l moles on either
side o l entrance o l tiny
Inner harbour. Crowds were
moving up & down the street
outside o l brilliant Cafe windows
- there are 70000 refugees (Gk)
in Mitylene, & 70,000 ordinary
towns people.
be landed & took rooms
at the Gran Bretagne.
Mr Hesketh Pri Smith came
in during Dinner - l Brit.
 

46
Consul. Britain has no status
here under International Law but
As l Gks are willing & l Turks
& Germans have & recognise no
international law Britain
Just stepped in &, w l consul
of Greece, runs Mitylene.
The cafe of l Hotel, where
we had dinner, ws full of
people - many officers in
white caps, white tunics or
red & gold. arm Shoulder
straps, & ^light blue & red str
trowsers with a double red
stripe - scores of them
seem to be about. After a
 

47
very good dinner we went
for a stroll ending in a little
square and where we sat at a
table w Heathcote Smith
under trees & palms &
listend to l band & yarned -
12 hours from Gallipoli,
Tonight a bed!
And tomorrow we go to Thermae
for a bath.
I hear a wireless says
There was an heavy attack
agst l Northern Zone at Gallipoli
- doesnt say how it ended.
Well - cant be helped.
We're all here; that's one
thing.
 

48
Sept. 14. Tuesday.
By the news. Hear that the
"attack" ws clearly the bombardment
I heard when I was w
Charlie Taylor & the 4 Essex Bn.
Nevinson & I went
out this morning & walked
to the old town & from these
up l hills - struck a road
over them. - & finally down
to the We rearched l top
abt 2 miles out & found
ourselves looking down on a
beautiful inland harbour -
miles of water reaching away
back into l hills ^(N) & l xx
South as far as we cd see.
We went round the hill
shoulder on our left to see if
 

49
we could catch sight of l
Entrance from there - but although
we went a long way & finally
went right down to l shore
of l lake itself cd not
see l Entrance. There was
l Canopus behd & a couple
of cruisers a several destroyers
lying behind a l net - we
we cd see l buoys - and with the
red roof of an olive factory opposite
on l far shore.
We had lunch in a
village cafe - very simple
people straight out of Sinbad
l Sailor, & very pleased to see
us. We thought this ws l
big harbour on wh old
Mitylene stood but on reaching