Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/5/1 - April - May 1915 - Part 4

1st Day. 1st Bn (exc. one Coy) went to right, up gully, then
up Walkers ridge & over plateau. When they got in
front of positn N.Z. now holds there was a narrow
neck wh Lt Shout told Corpl. Freame to hold whilst he
& Maj. Kingdon went beyond (Maj K. puffing pipe all day).
Freame got 14 men of all sorts & hung on - telli making
them number off from the right every fiv ten minutes.
The first numbering there were 14. The next 9.
They finally got down to one beside Freame himself.
Towards evening they retreated between shrapnel
bursts down the ridge to / beach on / left of our
positn. There they made (Shout ws w him then)
a post for / night & in / morning went up & found
/ bn on / ridge again.

Hand drawn diagram - see original document

Whilst I was down at the beach for lunch I heard a message sent to the troops
from D.H.Q. - Tacked on to another message:  "_^ heard incidentally tt the 23rd Bde is getting on."
Up / hill one cd see / engineers making their road. The Army Corps Signallers & our own
xxxx xx HQ section were just above H.Q. I noticed a man signalling down from / top o / hill above
for abt 5 minutes before he attracted _^ their attention. This seemed a trifle slack considering /
circumstances. Also the ammunition supply up the hills certainly wanted more
supervision if officers cd be spared to supervise. A slack man in one section cd disorganise
a the whole line up wh ammunitn ws being passed by xxxxxx] relays.
1.30 Shelling the beach _^ where NZ are landing. N.Z are reinforcing our left - landing at present.  As I came down /
hill I saw one party wh had bn sent round / beach to / left being sent back &
up our way. I fancy they were aftwds put turned round again & sent round / beach.
Our left is being pressed. The 2nd Bn is just going in to attack now - probly the
men I saw were all 2nd Bn. Tremendous broadsides from Triumph down south.
A chap wounded in the eye tells us as he comes down that "they were nearly cut up
round / left flank, but now they're reinforced all right."  _^ 2 p.m. machine gun going heavily on our left. 2.10. Heavy firing on the left.  2.30 firing 
on left still heavier. Only one of the warships is firing at a time. They say this is due to
the difficulty of finding targets. The _^ rifle firing is getting more & more to the left.
The enemy is shelling / ridge above our heads. The Queen is replying to getting at them.
They seem to have a big gun on our left. 2.38 A very lively cross fire of shrapnel 
& rifle fire on / ridge. A string of wounded men is returning down / hill & along /
beach. The Turks are shelling two t.b.ds wh are landing troops - their observing is well
done.
A wounded man ws being carried along / beach when a stray bullet hit him in the 
foot: "Ain't I an unlucky bastard!" he sd.
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[*Some of these " bullets have a shriek like a tiny shrapnel.*]
The 3rd Brig. were going to have _^ ammunitn from / other Brigades & men o / 1^st & 2nd Brig. to help them carry it. So one was
relieved to see tt it was going forward so well.
As I came down destroyers were still landing troops, & /
battery wh I had heard playing over / hilltops seemed to be switched onto
them for / moment. At any rate 2 guns from somewhere to the East
of us (if one cd judge by / sound & / way / shrapnel ws flung I wd say
due east) were shelling them. Two o / boats had come in side by side with part
of the N.Z. Inf. Bde (who were now landing) aboard - & these two
guns seemed to be bursting shell after shell just over them from
behind / hills

Hand drawn diagram - see original document

Presently 4 guns from the N started shelling / road up the N.
edge o / hill, up wh / troops were continually moving - or
else these shells were meant for the troops landing, I
cdn't say which. As I sat on the hillside above the Northern
knoll - just at / Northern ridge edge o / hill-slope up from
/ beach - they were coming over my head, high over, in
salvoes of 4 & bursting rather high over / beach
& / water in front o / destroyers.

Hand drawn diagram - see original document

I cant say I like shrapnel
although it seemed to be
quite familiar by this
time. I sat watching
it by / road for some
time & then walked
down thro / scrub towards
our gully. On / way I
saw several o / men of Jock battalion carrying ammunitn . They
had a depot in / scrub there & a Sergt. who evidently recognised
me ws in charge of it. He sd / doctor had bn attending to men on /
beach, he thought, for a time & had now gone on w his battalion.
Then I came down to / beach & had a little lunch - that
is, some biscuits, a little chocolate, & some water.
The General was there - They were making him a dugout
on / right hand corner o / mouth o / creek as you looked towards
/ hills. He ws sitting or standing outside it – w Col. White; x every now &
then a pink signal form wd be brought to him. Watson & / other signallers

Diary.
were there just above the Generals dug out.
1 p.m.   1 p.m.(?) Ist N.Z. Rifle Regt. landing. Our left flank has signalled for
reinforcements. [I _^ still thought Mackay ws there acc. to / plan, but found
later tt he had had to go to / right & / old plan ws topsy turvy.]  Casey
tells me / General is a terror - he doesnt take / least heed of bullets
& his staff have to follow him into / most awkward positns. Just
after he landed he had a man hit next to him & killed.
The firing is coming much closer on our left.
So far in our first operatn we have had (as far as xxxxx they
can tell me) abt 250 killed & wounded. Col. Clark has bn
wounded; Col. Hawley wounded; (12th) Capt. Annear (11th) wounded killed
whilst just getting into a trench; Lt. M' Donald slightly wounded.
Sergt Seccombe, an old S. African soldier, killed on / beach; Lt.
Walker severely wounded. Q.M.S. McCubbin wounded &
Sergt Wilson wounded.
After lunch I went up / hill at / back of / camp beach for a bit,
& finally decided to go & see if I cd find old Jock. I went up to / communicatn
trench on / hilltop & through it, inquiring where Jack's dressing station
was. Several men had told me if I went over tt way I shd find it down
in / gully. I asked several in / trench (along wh ammunitn ws being
passed) the way, but they told me they didn't know - they were mostly 10th
Bn. but also some 1st. - I passed Col. Cameron on / way up, standing above
this trench, just at / edge o / plateau above / beach. He told me that the 11th
as far as he knew were held up on a spur or bluff to our left - and couldnt get ahead.
Gone up & found the New Zealanders running away. They didn't seem
to have any officers who cd ^or wd lead them, he sd. He stopped them, asked them
what they were doing, & sent them up again. I left him there & went
along / trench to near its exit on / further slope. I got a photo
from this exit, but a man ws _^ seemed to be sniping in at it from / other side o /
valley - the men at / exit were well tucked into / sides of it.

Hand drawn diagram - see original document

- so I didn't stay there. I waited tucked up in / trench - & /
shrapnel began to plump x in salvoes of 4 shots regularly
into / backs o / men lying out on / opposite side o / valley. You cd hear
/ shots going overhead & see the bursts, I think, sometimes. It went on
with monotonous regularity - apparently neverending & one began to think
/ chaps there must be having an awful time. I couldn't get a man
from Jacks battalion - every other sort seemed to go thro / trench.
A number of N. Zealanders came along it & filled it up, w some officers
& orders seemed to be passed along from a Col. Plugge at / back. From There
ws a signaller in / trench, / reader in / trench with a telescope & the sender
somewhere on / face o / slope outside. I knew - I don't know how, but one guessed
from / way those guns were firing, unhindered by any firing at all of ours, tt / troops
were being very severely tried. It was sickening to hear it. I thought there ws only a
party of troops on tt further ridge but it ws / main party line of our men really. One cd
tell something from / messages passed along. A request came back (from 1st Brig
I think) to know how / other landings were getting on. That meant they want
something cheerful to tell / troops, I knew. I am not sure it didnt come along
twice. A message went back presently to say tt the 29th division ws getting on.
 30
(we heard tt all landings had bn effective. Naval Divn at Bulair,
Gen British at Settil Bahr, French at Kum Kale & ourselves).
I got a bit anxious as to whether / ammunitn in / trench
ws getting along fast enough. It got up to / mouth o / trench &
then stopped- & whenever anyone asked messages from behind were
constantly passed up asking if more ammunitn were wanted
in front (it) seemed to be going to the 10^th Bn) & messages always
were sent back from / men in / front end o / trench, next to me, tt there ws
plenty of ammunition & it wasn't wanted at present. It just crossed
my mind tt / trench ws a comfortable place & something made me
suspect tt they didnt want to carry it. Some of it was eventually
fetched from outside. The New Zealanders, if I remember, got into /
trench from / S. side of it. After they had bn there a long time, perhaps half
New day ^.X^.  The New Zealanders amongst whom I got told me that two
of their officers had been captured through a mistake. A Turkish
party advancing was mistaken for Indians - they sd themselves they
were Indians. Orders were given not to fire on them. Two officers
(a capt. & a lieut.) went out & the Turkish party seized them.
Some of the Turks afterwds captured admitted that it was a trick.
[That ws / story told by the men. A month later in the 4^th Bde I heard the
particulars - What made one inquire ws tt / Turkish papers of
April 26 announced tt they had a number of Australian & English
prisoners including tw a captain & a lieutenant.
On the night of the 25^th, when it ws too dark to see clearly
a message came down to the 16^th Bn. to Col. Pope to expect
Indians on his right & get into touch w them. Some time later
a message ws passed along tt _^ a party of Indians had come up & asked
for an officer.  Lt. Elston was sent with a man who sd he cd speak
Hindustani. When he got there the lndians asked for a senior
officer. The Colonel sd, you'ld better go along M' Donald - (M' D. ws
Adjt. of the 16^th, Capt R.T.A. M' D., belonging to the A & I. staff)
M' D went along. Presently a message came tt they wanted to see
the Colonel. Col. Pope's suspicions were aroused. "I don't believe
they're Indians at all"; he sd, "What Indians can there be here?"
He went up - M' D. insisted tt they were Indians - they had bn
talking to them. There were abt 5 of them present. As they stood talking
two of the "Indians" came up & one laid his hand on Col.
Pope's wrist. Pope immediately swung him a blow under
the ear & dived over the bank on wh they were. But they
got M'D., Elston, & the interpreter.
Col. Popes own report (wh he showed me) on this ws as folls: 

√ [An aeroplane of ours came overhead - I didn't see it but one cd
hear it - & their guns stopped at once. They never fired while tt aeroplane  →
was there & if only it cd have bn kept there it wd have meant a great
deal to our men; (I dont know if tt has ever bn tried - to stay up so long as
to compel / enemy  either to disclose his guns or keep them silent)]
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The 16^th Bn. (Sunday April 25) abt 6p.m. 1½ Coys. were landed from destroyer Ribble
being shelled - but only few casualties. C.O. ws ordered to take them w 1 Coy of
15^th Bn, & 1 Coy Auckland Bn, to reinforce the 3rd Bde who were heavily pressed.
This composite force = 400 rifles. A staff officer took them up gully - they had packs &
200 rounds. The pace ws slow; 200 men went to right flank. Rest to Popes Hill.
[*Popes Hill:*] They found Capt Jacobs holding it w 50, 100 men drawn from every unit.
Informatn ws rec'd. tt certain Indian troops were in occupatn of ground to /
left. (i.e. N.) & tt it wd be desirable to join w them. Lt. Elston (A Co.) & Pte.
Lassington, who understood Hindustani, were sent to / left. Lt. E. reported
that he had obtained touch w Indian soldiers but stated tt a senior officer
ws required to discuss matters. The Adjt. (M'D.) ws therefore sent forwd. He
called back thro the night tt the C.O. alone cd be dealt with.
Col. Pope accordingly went forwd abt 150 yds along / N. ridge o /
gully & found M'.D, Elston, & Lassington in parley with 6 soldiers who had
rifles & bayonets fixed. Considering these men to be Turks & not Indians
the C.O. warned / others - whereon the 6 soldiers formed around the
party. The C.O. burst thro' & jumped over / edge o / ridge in /
gully & ws fired at. (Nominal rolls, records etc were all in M'Ds haversack.)
[Popes Hill needed 450 men. The machine guns o / 16^th were
disabled by / enemy there on Monday - but replaced by _^ a guns from /
Navy. On Ap. 29 the latter ws put out of action. Their m.gs. used
to suffer at first (1) bec. insufficiently concealed (2 )bec. we had no artillery
& cdnt stop / enemy from shooting them out when he found them. Our new
troops always a bit bad at concealing e.g. Light Horse relieving 1st Bn
later on gave away their machine gun positn at once -their gun had
a steel shield.
The 16^th ws relieved by 15^th on April 30. Their casualties to
then were:              K.       W.       M.
Officers                    2        4          2
Other Ranks        49      119        25     Total. 190.
                                ___     ___      ___
                                  51     122       17
____________________________________________________
an hour, one of their officers led them from the trench over in a Northerly
direction. There were plenty of our men in front of them whichever
way they went; I knew that.
The afternoon wore on and I suddenly saw men crossing /
trench a little way to my right - amongst them ws Col. Owen. I
wished afterwds I had gone along & spoken to him - that ws really
my chance & I shd have found Jack ; but he ws some way away
& I didn't. The shelling went on & on - of course a good many
bullets were nipping over head - you heard / whistle & the low
scrub just above / trench bank looked pretty dangerous. That
pounding o / men on / hill opposite (I thought it ws just a party of

The 3rd Bn landed abt 8 a.m. & went over Maclagans Ridge,
across the Plateau - lined Braunds Hill & then to / left, left on Quinns,
right on Maclagan.
Jack placed his first dressing stn on the top of the plateau in a
bit of a hollow. But it wsn't a good place - if got all the overs. So he
moved on down into He ws hit on / head by a bullet - just grazed -
his men found it & gave it to him. After that he moved down
into / gully, a splendid place just before you turn into Monash
Valley. Many other dressing stns were placed here afterwds but
it ws / only one tt day & they treated 600 men there / first day
& night. (Gen Birdwood complimented them when  he passed
/ next day,) on / work they were doing). Dr Butler (9^th) Black, Brennan
were all in the firing line this day, more or less, besides John. And possibly others.
All this afternoon Lamb on / left & Brown on / right were going xxx holding the 
Turks main T. attack (near German Officers trench) at bay. They wd
collect 100 men or so from / stragglers in / valley & lead them up wherever
they were most wanted & put them in. Maj. Bennett invented
a divisional order tt as soon as 100 men of any units were
gathered together ( they were to be led up into / firing line, so all
/ time they were stopping any men who were breaking making down / valley
& taking them up. Whenever / Turks looked dangerous Lamb simply charged.

Hand drawn diagram - see original document

√
The New Zealand Battns had bn sent in by Walker over Plugge's
Plateau - He didn't want to split his brigade & have it chopped up
piece meal by Ts - didnt know how many Ts might be ahead & he thought
Plugges Plateau & Russells Top were continuous. As/a matter of fact they
aren't - there is / knife edge between - & / troops coming over tt top
were badly open to fire. Walker used to send / bns back from Walkers
Ridge Spur & up over / top & some of them were very slow, in getting accross / top.
Some men may have reached Battleship Hill first day, Capt Thomas thinks.
32
them) ws horrible. At last a message ws passed along fm xx New Z Col. Maclagan: The N.Z.
howitzer battery is landing & will shortly be supporting you." Up to then no
reply whatever seemed to have bn made to these horrible guns up to / north.
It ws simply ______Bang______Bang______Bang______Bang; then half a
minute. Then the same Wheeeooooo. Bang Bang Bang Bang again - &
so on. Not a gun of ours seemed able to answer them at all - It ws
getting on towards evening so I decided to go on & find the 3rd Bn, if
I could, myself. I went along / trench to near / mouth, jumped out,
& ran across xxx the top & at once found myself in a little dip
in / front side o / hill. There were a few men there, all lying down
under the brow of the slope. On / edge of / slope ws standing - I
think he came up at tt moment - Evans,
/ machine. gun officer of the 3rd Bn.
Hand drawn diagram - see original document
I thought he ws Carter (who I heard had bn
wounded) I always confused the two, & I
told him I was glad to see he wsnt hit.
I lay down under / cover o / edge o /
ridge - it ws slight cover - but he sat up
on / edge of it all by himself, treating / bullets as if they didnt exist, &
they were pretty thick. The men were lying down pretty closely & I did the same.
He didn't know where Jacks dressing station was & the men of the 3rd Bn with him
didnt either. [I think it must have bn in tt very place to start off with). As I lay there
a lot of New Zealanders came up the hill & lined this ridge, to left & right. The
firing seemed to be very heavy away on our left all the time & I cdn't help thinking
that the Turks were getting round our left flank – I thought I ws looking at
the left of our positn (I cd see it across / valley w / men entrenched on the
rear slope o / hill / other side as well as the xxxxx top of it. You could see them
hanging onto the edge of the hill  [→ Hand drawn diagram - see original document]  and you cd see them
further to be right entrenched on both faces, several tiers of 
dugouts facing our way. It looked as though they were
preparing for fire from their left rear.
Hand drawn diagram - see original document
As we were lying there xxxxx six guns just behind us somewhere opened over
our heads with a delicious salvo. It ws like _^ a soothing draught of water
to hear those guns blaze at the Turks. I dont know what they were firing
at - I guessed they were the Howitzer Battery spoken of in tt message - 
It was good to hear the men appreciate those guns.  Presently They had their effect.
The enemy suddenly switched off / long ridge to our left right & four shells
went over us xx not at all far down / slope behind us. Presently four more
shells came along & burst almost over us. Then four just in front of us - swishing
down / slope. One of them hit / xxx edge o / ridge not more than a few
yards in front of where I was lying. There was a flash & bits of mud & broken
bush were thrown into / air. I thought my xxxxxxx xxxx what sort of a
hole ws this I had let myself into. The chap next me sd it ws common shell; 

33
he seemed to know. I expected they had seen all these N. Zealanders bunching
up there, & these shells made / New Zealanders bunch up worse than ever
right into the hollow where we were - a beautiful bag for a shell. I
thought - by Jove, they wont miss this. It must be what they want.
One o / men next me sd: "Its these _^ d-d guns _^ behind us tt are bringing this on us."
"Well, they're doin' great work those guns". Said his mate - "There's
nothing wrong w them". Of course it ws / guns tt / shrapnel ws
looking for. The next shot salvo lengthened & went down / slope & they
began firing away down / gully & we got no more. It ws sun set
then & very shortly afterwds, I noticed they shut up for / night.
I knew that relief was tremendously valuable to our men - &
wondered why / Turks had done it - ws it part o / ordinary
formula of war?
Before this, however, just before / shrapnel altered
its length & cleared whilst it ws still on us a massage ws
passed along / New Zealanders from / right rear: "Pass / word to
retire." It ws shouted along & reached / men about me. Then
Evans asked "What's that message." "Word to retire, Sir" ws /
answer. "Who sd to retire?" he asked. "Pass back and ask who
sd to retire?" "Yes, who sd retire?" sd a few o / men
abt him – "Pass back & ask who said to retire". This
ws done, & / next minute back came quite a different order:
"Advance & dig in on / forward slope o / hill". I thought this
looked a pretty risky operation (I dont think now tt it was) but it
ws in / right spirit. The troops gathered themselves & their rifles
up, & then went over / crest ahead of me.
Whilst we were still on / grass, after / New Zealanders
had come up, word came along by some means - (I forget
how (the rumour generally gets along almost without words)- 
tt a man had bn hit on / right. Two stretcher bearers of the
3rd Bn immediately stood up - one smoking a pipe - & strolled
in a leisurely way down towards / man. I cdnt see him -
he may have bn 20 yds away down / slope; but these fellows
didn't hurry. They didn't seem to care two pence for / chance of a
bullet. They were busy w / chap for abt 10 minutes & then came
back. I fancied they had found some means of burying him.
As it ws now abt 6 o'c. & I didn't know / country & didnt
know where Jack was Or where / Turks were I got into / trench
again & went along it. It was chock full of men from every
battalion - largely the 3rd Bde. I knew they must be stragglers.
They asked me again & again how things were going. I sd /
landing had succeeded at Helles & we wd be getting our artilly

I believe the Queen Elizabeth was firing shells over Kaba Tepe
on this tonight evening - I don't know at what target.
 34
ashore tonight - that ws / thing they wanted. When you told them
that, their delight ws almost pathetic. At / end They wanted it more
than water. It had bn good to hear / guns they had - six & a solitary
seventh at intervals ; but they did want some guns tt cd give put
them on an equality to / enemy. That ws clearly / chief need - tt & water.
I found Col. Cameron at / end o / trench. He ws sitting
in it in his overcoat blocking / way of anyone who wanted to go
down to / beach. "No one is to go down past here tonight," he
said. The men quite accepted this. He told me he ws going to sleep
up there himself. He didn't know himself what ws going to happen,
but he held it wd be suicidal to go back. Any influence tt his opinion
had, he sd, ws all for hanging on & not letting a man move back anywhere.
I went down & found H.Q. abt dinner time. I thought I
noticed / fellows seemed rather quiet with me - I cdn't help
wondering if they had heard tt anything ws wrong with Jack.
After dinner – I forget what time - Col. White told me tt be had seen
Jack & he "HE has was very cheerful - I dont think Howse thinks
he's been badly hit," he sd. That ws / first I heard of it. Howse
told me he had seen him & he never saw a wounded man
better - not / least chance of being sign of collapse. "I dont think
/ bullet hit any important part," he sd. "It ws still in - but
I dont think it hit any the intestine." He sd Jock had gone off
to a hospital ship - he didn't know which. It ws abt 4 o'c.
in / afternoon J. ws hit. He ws / only medical officer wounded.
I believe the Que
When I got down to / beach I found tt almost everyone had
a dugout - a sort of ditch cut, almost like a grave something between a grave and a cave, into the creek side.
The generals ws pretty well finished. Next it ws a little one wh Glasfurd ws sharing
with Casey - they asked me to sit in it - a sort of little kennel place. They were
awfully kind - but something in their manner made me, as I say, afraid that
something had happened to Jock.
I presently got my things & started on a dug out for myself. I started
first up amongst the signallers. Several of them were lying cooped up there
in little half circular places, not unlike tiny sandpits. I found a vacant
corner - only a few feet for the whole place was covered with these dugouts especially
on the South side (for protection agst Kaba Tepe). I started to dig. The man in the
dug out next door strongly objected - I dont know who it was. He didnt "What do
you want to keep a man awake with that damned digging for?" he asked.
"Haven't you got any bloody consideration?" I thought that was a bit humorous
- a chap who was safely cuddled up in his dug out objecting to me making
one on a night like this. However I went on - but I presently got a better
place on the other side o / creek a little way up / bank just above / beach.
As I ws digging Ramsay & Murphy came up & gave me a hand – it really was
a welcome help for I was fearfully hot. When they finished the dug out
looked quite well - we heaped the earth on the Kaba Tepe side of it,
Hand drawn diagram - see original document 

35
which wd keep out shrapnel bullets. But after they had finished I went
on & dug & dug until it seemed to me ordinarily safe against gun fire from
either flank - Kaba Tepe might get your boots, but not much else. There was
every chance that when they knew where we were they wd bring up much
more artillery -(one pictured them dragging it from Bulair & all the other places
where aeroplanes had seen it) & give us a tremendous bombardment.
That ws / danger Blamey had told me he expected. Griffiths asked me if said: "My word
you're making a good place." "Yes but it seems to me we may have to be here
for a couple of months," I answered. "If we're not able to get do more
than that within a day or two I don't think we shall stay," he sd. I thought:
well, if I wake up tomorrow if find this rain of shrapnel & high explosive
falling on us I shan't be able to dig then & I'll wish I had dug in now.
I dont know what time it was - perhaps 10,- when the dug out
ws finished. The staff were mostly sitting somewhere around not far from
the General's dug out. In front of it was another dug out for the office which
was also used as a mess room - tea was going there at meal times. But
I, like most others, never felt in / least hungry & very needed v. little to drink.
After the dugout ws finished I fetched my pack, haversack & things there.
Hatterick, Murphys batman, had very kindly sd he wd give me
a hand w / place next day, & Simpson, the H.Q. orderly, also.
[Both of them were as good as their word. Ritchies, the interpreter (a Lieut.
in the R.A. formerly in the H.A.C.) gave me the tip that you cd get sacks on the
beach - they hardly realised then tt all these were needed in / trenches
& you cd get xxx empty sugar or flour sacks half hidden in / sand by simply
going  & pulling them out. I got a number of these & they helped me
to stack them at the sides. The follg morning first thing I went out & cut
some arbutus branches & spread them overhead w / waterproof sheet
over them for a roof. I had a pool across / top & Riley helped me
heap sand bags there for a bit of head cover - very heavy work but
it made / dug out reasonably safe & ws certainly needed for the roof ws
hit w shrapnel pellets. The dug out ws never wide eno', but it ws safe.
I used to write there at night after turning in – scribbling notes into the notebook
from which I am transcribing this. The nights were moonlit & fortunately one cd
see to write by / light o / moon (for I had no other light) on most nights.
But on _^ Sunday & Wednesday nights when it ws wet, & before / moon rose or
after she went down, one cd only guess at the position of the words
one wrote, & I found pages next day afterwds scribbled over in / same with lines
written one on top o / other. One had not many hours of sleep - 3 or 4
this Sunday night, & perh. from 10 to 4 the following nights. There was a
cup of tea at 4.30 & breakfast at 7. This continued for about 7 4 or 5 days
when / hour became 7 o'c. breakfast, 1 o'c lunch and abt 6 or 7 o'c. dinner - I
was always very irregular so I dont never really knew what hours
these meals were. I ws out / whole day & wrote at night what little
I did - bare notes. It was the 3rd day - or perh. the second evening before 

36
Hand drawn diagram - see original document
I discoverd tt / mess was going for I was out nearly all day long. The My meals
until then consisted of chocolate & biscuits & water. (I generally took / waterbottle
to / trenches in case / men might like a drink). You filled your waterbottle
at some large tins on / beach into wh water ws pumped from a barge through
a canvas hose.  An A.M.C. man stood over these tins & there were several
pannikins for ladling water out. There ws also a low trough or tin for the
mules. After the first few days these water tins, wh were opposite /
end of our gully, just on / edge o / sea, became very exposed to shrapnel,
& they built up sandbags in front of them. The water ws taken up to /
firing line in petrol or kerosene tins painted khaki & carried 2 on each side
of a mule in wooden paniers. Hand drawn diagram - see original document  The mules carried them v. well, but / sight
of a mule bucking about & kicking with w an Indian holding its nose for / centre & its kicking legs
as / circumference ws very common. Our men cd never resist cheering it.
They knew / value o these mules tho' they never liked them. As you went along
/ jostling crowded beach, a kick from a mule ws a very easy thing to get.
You mind them! a man wd say - Reckon a kick fro I'd rather have a
bullet than a kick from a mule any day.
A pile of the kerosine tins & a pile of biscuit boxes gradually began to
rise in front of my dug out - higher & higher every day. The kerosine tins
often had water in them & both they & / biscuit boxes formed shelters for
/ men on / beach when shrapnel came, altho / working parties
usually disregarded / shrap. altogether. Abt the 3rd 4^th & 5^th nights
the beach ws shelled about 10 o'c or thereabouts. I went down amongst /
men to see how they were taking it. There ws Col. Lesslie superintending /
giving out of water until he shouted himself hoarse. Lines of men were waiting
for water & for food. Lines of mules were tramping in and out along / beach.
Numbers of men sent down to draw rations, ammunitn, water; & not
yet being supplied were sitting talking some under / shelter o / boxes, some
lighting a small fire & warming their hands out in / open.  som Piles of cheeses,
sugar bags, biscuit boxes were in high sta growing stacks down the shingle & / piles of
them were constantly growing.  As I lay there at night in / dug out
with that pile of tins not 15 yds in front of me I cd constantly here the
nip bang of shrapnel pellets into them & yet the men there were hardly
as often hit as they have since been. xxxxxxxx The shells generally
burst too high up the gully to do much real damage & being 12 or 15 pdr I
daresay they did less than the shells of our 18pdr field guns would. But all this
ought really to come in later - on the Tuesday or Wednesday when we
considered ourselves quite old soldiers. This first night  It is
wonderful how soon you do become an old soldier - After the mornings
experience of shrapnel flying over the right shoulder of the ridge - I sat &
watched it overhead for some time with a good deal of nervousness -
& the afternoon in the trench, I had shrapnel pretty well measured.
I knew the wonderful assurance tt a trench gives (altho I didnt realise
how much difference it wd make to our men next day). But I
did not reaslise tt all their guns were in more or less fixed positions
& tt we shd not hav did expect - & x I think did everyone 

4th Bn.
[* [[?]] C*]
The 4th Bn.  The 4th Bn ws on / beach in reserve until 4 o'c losing some
men thro' shrapnel. Wounded men kept on trooping past them - wh might have
affected their nerve but it didn't seem to.
At abt 2 or 3 in / afternoon Macnaughten recd. a message from
Col. Maclaurin to go & pick a _^ second line positn to cover retirement in case it became
necy. to retire to / beach & reembark. He went up w two men & settled on the
Razor Back or Braund's Hill as the best second line.
At 4 Blamey came down to take them up into position. When
they got to this positn Macnaughten was going to find his location on /
right when he saw a little officer of the 8^th with a nickel plated revolver
waving it, very excited, saying. "Come on over here! The Turks are over
/ hill here in mass _^ & we'll have to charge them!" M:  thought "If they are its a bad look out for us two."
He got 100 men & brought them over / hill w bayonets fixed but he cd
scarcely see a Turk. The Bn. took up its positn x A Co in Reserve. : B Co. C. Co. D Co.
They were between the 8^th & the 6^th & 7^th not far to 
the left of where Rosenthal's  guns were next day.
The Turks didn't properly attack that night;
they came up occasionally shouting "Allah" trying to egg one another on
but never made an attack - never got within 30 yards. The 4^th didnt
see any attack made on the 8^th either altho the 8^th fired a lot & so
did the 6^th. The 4^th did not fire very much. Snipers worked up
all night but and sometimes lay 70 yds away.
√  On the Monday afternoon abt / time when everything seemed
to happen down in this corner – when the Turks drove the 15 off the Northern
Side o / 400 plateau & the 9^th & 10^th were gathered by Blamey & put in
by Maclagan Hand drawn diagram - see original document to retake it - & when Maj. Campbell saw /
men he thought were Turks coming across / hill towards him - 
at this time - Gen Bridges ws out w Glasfd & Casey to see if Mackays
left joined up w Maclagans right. It ws the ticklish point just
then. Bridges went over / top of Mackays H.Q. & along towards the
6^th Bn (where / covered way now is) & he ws very annoyed to find
certain odds & ends of troops sheltering there under / brow o /
Hand drawn diagram - see original document
hill where they xxx were useless for firing. He ws annoyed w
Mackay for allowing them to stay there & he spoke to the men very
strongly "Get up, damn you, what are you skulking here for? x
& so on. Get up the whole lot of you" & so & so on. Glasfurd
got Clements an officer, who ws there, & gathered them together & took them
up until he got to the "Daisy field" (i.e. the field opposite Lone Pine
where the 2nd Bn aftwds were) & put them there facing N.E. Then he went
back. The Gen. meanwhile had gone across the plateau & had found
another bunch of men, many of them 5^th Bn, in shelter in /
 37
Diary
Else - tt now / Turks had placed us there wd be a tremendous shelling
/ next morning. I ws always anxious abt howitzers - shrapnel we
now knew (except tt I did not realise tt shrapnel can burst without
giving you any warning if it is fired at close range or with a swift high
velocity).
Our troops were undoubtedly shaken by this first afternoons experience.
They could face anything w / support of their own guns – they had /
greatest contempt for / Turks whom they had never seen facing a
charge of theirs yet. But shrapnel to have to lie out unprotected agst
his artillery hour after hour well knowing tt their own guns cd not
xx help them ws tremendously trying. There were not many stragglers
during / morning - Most o / small parties boatloads o / covering force
had rushed inland as soon as they landed - perhaps waiting 5 minutes
to charge magazines & fix bayonets under cover of the inner side o /
beach. They became split up often into two & threes during / day &
these twos & threes finding no one o their own bn around them & _^ w their
own officers & n.c.o.s dead & wounded often imagined tt they were / only
survivors of their battalion. They did not know where to go - & as 
the afternoon & evening wore on, with the shrapnel apparently making
the small hollow or unevenness in wh each man lay untenable - 
apparently certain death to stay in it - they wd move out & wander
down / gully to / beach in search of someone who cd tell them where
to go. Many of course were stopped & taken back by officers on / way. But
many xxxxx came down to / beach. The stronger sort wd go at once to
Divl H.Q. or some officer & try & find out where their bn was (of course
D.H.Q. scarcely knew – it knew where the H.Q. of each most bns ws, tt ws
all.) I saw many men come up to D.H.Q. even to / General or Col. White
& ask this. The others weaker sort wd get into dugouts on / hillside,
& sleep there. It ws very difficult for anyone in these early days to say
find out what everyone's business was - & many had no
business – I saw many who were simply down on / beach for
information, swapping yarns.
Of course the beach ws fearfully congested. As / night
went on a great number of these stragglers were organised into
parties to carry water, ammunition, & food, up to the lines.
I have heard their number put at anything from 600 to 1000.
They many of them came down with wounded men. This is an
offence in war, but few realised it at this early stage. This helping
down of wounded did not really begin until about 4 or 5. Then it
began to reach serious fair proportions - 6 men xx came down w one
wounded officer. It is very easy to persuade yourself tt you are really 

same sort of way between the 400 Plateau the Razor Back where the new
x Bnd 1st Bde H.Q. (now June 21) are. Glasfurd got together either these men
or some of the same lot as before & took them up & put them on the right o /
other lot on / Dairy Field, facing more E.  Hand drawn diagram - see original document  He cd see some fighting going
on to his North, along Maclagans front - our  troops lying down in line
& firing away. He ws really making / beginning o / Pimple.
He went back to Bridges at Mackays H.Q.  Bridges told him
to go along & tell Onslow Thompson how pleased he ws at / way he had held
on. Gen Bridges sent to tell Col. Wanliss to dig a line of support trenches behind /
others on this hill. G. went along & found Thompsons H.Q. w / signallers & a few others
& they sd the 4^th ws making an attack. He went out to see & presently
met a line of men coming back. They sd: We've bn told to return to our old
trenches. They sd someone had given / order to retire ; the Col. ws killed
& MacNaughten hit, they knew. Glasfurd sd: Oh no don’t retire to yr
own trenches - come w me, & took them to I Dairy Field & formed 
them on a line there abt to / wheatfield wheatfield & from there they
formed / remainder o / Pimple. He told them to dig in there - it
ws a good way in front of their old trenches.
In / interval had happened / charge o / 4^th Bn. This way:
The Col. Maj. Macnaughten, Maj. Storey  & others o / 4^th Maj. Massey,
& others were in the H.Q. o / Bn when a messenger rushed in:
Order for a general advance - / whole line is to make a general
advance."  Its easy to see mistakes afterwds - but this seemed very
natural.  Macnaughten sd:  "I'll take / right, Gen. Col if you're on /
left."  They went out - there ws no time for a bn. order to be got out
or anything - they simply got / line to move as it was. M'N. went down
to D. Coy wh ws n't moving & got it off – it cd ws behind C by this
time & so formed a sort of second line. They went down past a
mia mia (?in Lone Pine) into / valley. M'N. saw tt the 8th ws not
moving - the 4^th ws in the air & it seemed a desperate sort of attempt.
However they went on. Presently / right became separated from /
left  -  He ordered them to bring their right shoulders forwd & presently
they joined up again. He went over to see Massey & found
he knew no more of what ws happening than he (M.N.) did.
The Bn ws halted & he went to find / Col. He found him w his H.Q.
in a bit of a gutter crossing a creek.  Hand drawn diagram - see original document  The Col. had no idea
of what ws to be done - no orders - & as they were talking
(there ws a good deal of fire) M.N. _^ put his head up & suddenly found a line of men
coming back. He asked what ws / matter. They sd / order to
retire had bn given. There followed a bit of a panic. M'N.
ws / last to leave - managed to get some order - and ws going
back when he ws hit thro' / chest. An n.c.o. stuck to him - they were told
[*The 4th Bn left one machine gun out in front. One officer found it out but we where it was but 
as / orders were uncertain he didn't dismantle it - & it ws left behind.*]
38 
doing a charitable soldierly action in helping a wounded soldier to
/ rear. In later actions this has bn _^ chiefly done by / wounded themselves -
one wounded man helping another - the men now realise tt it is
not right to leave / firing line. However They were raw soldiers new
on tt first day.
However, straggling did reach serious proportions altho'
there ws every excuse for it - many, as I say, going down to / beach
bec. it ws / only place from wh to get instructions what to do. Many
men were legitimately there - sent down for water or ammunition.
The Casualty Clearing hospital under Col. Giblin was
working might & main under a cliff, or rather bank, at / south end
o / beach. A few wounded men brought down some startling tales wh the doctors
there were inclined to believe at first. Sergt. Larkin o / 1^st Bn ws
said to have bn found mutilated when his comrades, who had
left him for a time during retirement came across his body again.
He had bn an M.P. in Sydney & was a fine n.c.o., - officers on /
Minnewaska had noticed him particularly (I think he ws a tram
driver who got in for Waverley). The wounded almost all sd they had
seen few or little or nothing o / Turks at all.
Water ws one o / most urgent needs & it ws sent up in
the kerosene tins, either carried by hand or on donkeys landed (& also
some mules) for / purpose. The mules had Indian drivers, the
donkeys Greeks. Water & ammunitn were being dispatched u The troops had fortunately found a certain
amt of water in / big gully which started from / sea just to / right o /
beach hill, & ran inland behind tt hill away to our left centre.
Hand drawn diagram - see original document
They were able to get some water even during / day from this gully
- the first job o some o / engineers ws to find water & sink wells.
The water ws being dispatched from / beach all night right
into / hours of daybreak - & one ws very relieved to hear from /
men who came down tt it ws getting through to them & tt w this &
/ water in / valleys they were not badly off for water. That was
one anxiety gone.
_____________________________________________________
The Col. ws over / next ridge.  M.N ws hit again in / throat & managed to get
ahead to / dressing stn - never hoping to get there, staggering along, grateful for help &
yet almost cursing because he did nt wanted to lie there & die. The surgeon gave
him some sal volatile & whilst he ws there he heard M'Nichol saying tt there
were a lot of men skulking behind there. The sal vol. bucked him up so he thought
he'd go & see. He found only 3 men - he drew his revolver to them & they went
ahead. Then he flopped over & fainted.
On his way as he ws carried down he remembered again & again
tt he had seen an interpreter - he bent over / man & ws sure he ws one of
two interpreters, lying in khaki dress, dead, shot thro / stomach abt 230
yds out from our lines. He told / Dr at / Beach Stn to send MacLaurin a
message saying tt he didnt trust these men.
He came back from Alex. w his wound still unhealed in abt 6
weeks, and The wound is no better today (June 21)