Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/5/1 - April - May 1915 - Part 9

28

Extracts of Signals.

Apr. 26.

 

3.42pm. Queen Elizabeth OK Aust Div. (Priority)

4.1 Queen Elizabeth OK continue

6.35pm ∧Queen Enemy are shelling 224 on 8 from the NE can you locate & engage?

4.10pm Queen Ships firing on left of our line O.J. 500 yds continue. Aust Div. (Priority)

3.55pm (Priority) Queen The naval ships tt are firing on our left fland shd fire 500 yds further in advance of our men. Aust. Div.

(80) 4.19. Queen. Search valley 237 Y 7 Aust Div.

(continued) can you get a battleship to fire at 224.0.9

4.30 Queen (Priority) OF. 224.0.9. with one ship please (Aust Div)

(repeated 4.40pm)

4.45pm. (Priority) Queen Z.OF 224.K. 225.A, 237.Z.9 Arty Aust.Div.

4.35pm. (Queen) Continue Please but keep further ahead on our left. Aust Div

(43) 10.37pm. Queen (Priority) Please blow fisherman's Hut sky high Aust Div

(47) 12.5pm. Priority Queen CA Knoll 224D.4 careful observation necessary avoid hitting our troops (Aust Div)

3.5pm. Maj. Brand. It is far quicker and more accurately to write what 

you want to say & have it telegraphed. Mackworth

10.18am. Queen BJ Aust.Div.

(35) 9.55am. Queen BA 245 J 3 to 6 & 224.6.2. Urgent Aust.Div.

6.20pm. Queen (Priority) Be on look out for battery shelling landing place

again one shell dropped just as you recommenced Aust Div.

4.57pm. Queen. 2.O.F. Ridge 224 F to 224 0.9. Aust Div.

(79) 4.16. (Priority) Q. Elizabeth. O.K. give them a dose.

Queen. Lengthen their range 500 yds the guns on the left. Also Queen

Elizabeth shells are bursting on graze, lengthen their corrector, & they

should shorten their range by 300 yds.

3.50pm. Queen Elizabeth O.F.

3.52. Queen Elizabeth O.K.

3.46. Queen Elizabeth (Priority) 5 200

3.45. Q.E. priority will spot now (Aust Div).

3.56. Queen B.M.

(81) 4.12. Queen Elizabeth O.K. Let them have it.

(78) 2.15. Enemy reported falling back on our left. Watch & increase

range gradually. (Aust Div)

5.27pm. Priority Queen OF 225 V 8 Enemy Battery Aust Div.

5.19pm. Priority Queen Fire on our left flank O.K. increase volume.

5.33pm. Priority Queen OF 237 WS Aust Div

5.45pm Priority Queen BM all ships please Aust Div

6.38pm Queen B.M. many thanks Aust Div.

6pm. Queen Priority Please reopen fire same targets Aust Div

6.49pm. Queen guns somewhere about 224 p. are seriously troubling our

infantry in 224 M8 Please try to locate & engage.

(same again 7.10pm).

(6.57pm 1st Bn reports army base are observing site 224 C 2)

 

29

From Glasfurd.

[Hand drawn diagram]

 

Ap 25  26

 

3rd Bn sig.

Enemy will have

in g or [field?] [guns?]

at head of gully on

left of 3rd [infantries?]

ship take position

2235 or 2223 to

enfthat  prevent

[?]

3rd

 

11.47. 3rd Bde we

want every available

round as soon as 0.

([? sentup?] w reinfs)

11.50-

Send guide

from each

Brit.

report to DHQ

& lead water [?]

 

End of 1st day.

1. Where were our guns this day?
2. What ws strength of enemy at various times
3. What were [?] guns & where?
4. Other losses.
5. Where were 16th.

 

27

To 16th Bn

Two Bus going

forward to help 3rd

Bde. You must

do your best to

organise

entrench & hold on.

 

11.35 2nd Bd.

Message to Gen.

Birdwood. Must organise

entrench & hold on.

 

24

75 from 3rd Bde

4th Bde urgently

by

(NZ troops sent)

 

Hastie taking

stragglers to

take up ammn.

 

To Queen 2nd Brig how 2

Enemy (shorthand)

224.05

Ships please 

engage

 

To all 3 (shorthand) Do you

(shorthand)

To Gen Birdwood

Gen Godling & I both

consider (shorthand)

ashore at once

no 23 Aus 11 coy's being sent off

I shall fn you late after

getting everything off

 

7.14 8th Bn

reports [[?]]

 

7.5 6th Bn holding

same line as 2 hrs

before digging in

Same [[?]] of HQ

Still (shorthand) shrapnel

7.45 [[?]] returns to tt [[?]]

 

10.26  8th Bn reports

enemy attacked w

bayonets shouting allah allah

but were driven back strength weakened

 

10.45 6th reports attack threating

on left of [[?]] I think reserve half of bn of 8th has bn taken into firing line.

5th 6th 7th want ammo

7th report sneak attack in front

Gap of 300 yds Gets left of 5th & 3rd Bde

[[?]]

 

11.15 16th Bn on left

of line wh I was

ordered to reinforce

Turks / Captain

Capt McDonald

Lieut Elston

Strict confusion

owing not firing

[[?]]

4.20 68,000 units

sent till 3.30

Another 40,000 being sent

 

5.12 Send 20 gunners of 2nd

Bde [[?]] ashore to helbo

to assist Indian Gunners

(many of / knocked out & our

gunners were long at them)

 

5.45 pm from NZ Inf Bde to NZ&A DHQ

Cannot give Bridges Wellington Inf

Psn situation bad here. Require whole bdw

Send Wellington & as quickly as possible

 

5.37 3rd Heavily attacked

5.44 DHQ to Queen

4th Inf Bde [[?]]

reqd. Can you 

expedite the 

disembarkation

5.55 To Queen

237 Z

6-3 can you engage

enemys guns to 22qT 6&9

From K.B. 5.55 send guns (prob not more

than 3) due eff 224K5

 

6.15 rd Bat

Firing line being 

(shorthand) on left [[?]]

rapidly

 

6.4 Troops on ridge 224H

being shelled 

forging direct

238m outships help

From 236A Serious

(Message

sent to Queen)

 

2nd Bde

Has anyone seen 8th?

If so, tell to return 

at once to right

 

4.45 3rd Bde

Has not seen 8th

 

5.20 Regret say

(shorthand) wounded

(shorthand)

 

5.50 12 [[?]]

now on its way to you

on mules

 

2.20 Maclayan

Aust Locate 

Wh shelling his left

 

2.6 (From 3rd Bn)

NZ 2 Brg apparently

now up

have secured

[[?]]

 

From DHQ to Queen 

3.10 hostile shelling located

in 238M5

(3.25 Field Guns

arrived on 

beach)

(3.25 water

[[?]])

 

Please send as many 

[[?]] as you can

(Reply) 15 Pack mules sent

 

Lotb to Queen 3.34 Send us pumps hoses

water tanks for water lighter

 

3.35 to 3rd Batt

Has ammn arrived

 

3.56 From [[?]]

can you see how

far 9th Divn 

has reached

 

4.30 DHQ to

KC 68,000 rounds

have been sent you up

to 4.30. 40000 is

being [[?]]

 

4pm 29th Div captured

Siddel Bahha

Landed on their left

4.7 Ammn not arriving please

Distant over the front

 

2.55 to 2nd Bde

Establish yourself

on line RND wh

[[?]]

 

7th Bn 6th Bn 8 th Bn grp 1600 yds / [[?]]

In trench

3rd bde

 

From 3rd Bde

[[?]] Locate'

/ ish to shelling

7.24M

 

3rd, 6th, 8th built up

firing line but

shape is still (shorthand)

 

Guns located by

/ [[?]] Bn says enemys guns are in position on south 224B

Mackay doesn't vouch for it. Divl staff says cannot be accurate

3.30 A Bn promised it would be 

3.36 Order to hold RN(1) (staff say it not needed)

[[?]]

I will not be holding the line 

in satisfactory strength (from K.B.)

4.50 4th Bn ordered to

Firm up

 

4.45 Blasing to lead

4th Bn up

 

3rd Bde