Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/29/1 - April - July 1915 - Part 1

AWM38
Official History,
1914-18 War: Records of C E W Bean,
Official Historian.
Diaries and Notebooks
Item number: 3DRL606/29/1
Title: Notebook, April - July 1915
Includes references to captured Turkish
documents and prisoners.
AWM38-3DRL606/29/1

29
Ret. V
Original DIARY NO. 29.
AWM 38   3DRL 606 ITEM 29 [1]
DIARIES AND NOTES OF C. E. W. BEAN
CONCERNING THE WAR OF 1914-1918
THE use of these diaries and notes is subject to conditions laid down in the terms
of gift to the Australian War Memorial. But, apart from those terms, I wish the
following circumstances and considerations to be brought to the notice of every
reader and writer who may use them.

These writings represent only what at the moment of making them I believed to be
true. The diaries were jotted down almost daily with the object of recording what
was then in the writer’s mind. Often he wrote them when very tired and half asleep;
also, not infrequently, what he believed to be true was not so —but it does not
follow that he always discovered this, or remembered to correct the mistakes when
discovered. Indeed, he could not always remember that he had written them.

These records should, therefore, be used with great caution, as relating only what
their author, at the time of writing, believed. Further, he cannot, of course, vouch
for the accuracy of statements made to him by others and here recorded. But he
did try to ensure such accuracy by consulting, as far as possible, those who had
seen or otherwise taken part in the events. The constant falsity of second-hand
evidence (on which a large proportion of war stories are founded) was impressed
upon him by the second or third day of the Gallipoli campaign, notwithstanding that
those who passed on such stories usyally, themselves believed, them to be true. All
second-hand evidence herein should be read with this in mind.
16 Sept, 1946.   C. E. W. BEAN.

AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL
ACCESS STATUS

OPEN
[Regimental RECORDS √]  a.a.
23.2.78

Enemy Names:
Krimzi Sirt Red slope. (Baby 700) ? Lonesome Pine
Kanli Sirt. Bloody slope. ? J. Jolly.
Eyerli Tepe xx Hill 706
Kum Tepe Sq. 193 g
Sazli Dere. Valley ending in Fishermen Huts
Matik Dire Head of Nullah running past Kojadere abt 1200
yds S. of Biyuk Anafarta
Kurt Gechid
Khodja Chimen Dagh = Hill 900
Adie Liman- Ejelmer Bay
Madalek Liman )
Kemikli Liman   )  Islets N of Ejelmer Bay.
Kuyouth Liman Sq. 315 L
Despot Liman Along coast Sq 352.
Merkez Tepe Central or HQ Hill ([shorthand].)
1

Sun Ap. 25:
Landing: Opposed by 27^th Regt (9 Div III A.C.)
2nd Bn. & part of 3rd Bn were present
at least
3rd Bn agst our right.
[apptly 1^st Bn still here on 5^th July as soldiers pocket
book appty recently lost ws then found by 2 LHB]
19^th Divn (3^rd AC.) attacked us on Sund.
It consists of 57^th Regt. 72^nd, 77^th.
The 77 ws adv. guard.
The attack o / divn when deployed was
2 Bn   1 Bn    3 Bn.
77                   72^nd      57^th                      
77 attacked towds S. end of Pine Ridge. Bimbashi
Saib who commands 3 Bn accompanied Turk envoy
on request for truce from K. T. His adjutant
Camp prob in Olive Grove.
A prisoner captured Ap 26. sd he belonged to
3rd Bn. 37^th Regt (13^th Div. V A.C.) He sd it belonged
to 19^th Divn. of III A.C.

4^th Bn. 28^th Regt (19^th Div III A.C.) wounded Armenian
2nd Lt captured on Ap 26 claimed to belong to 4 Bn

? was 64^th Regt here? See "Information" of Sept 7. This order (before
Lone Pine) refers to capture of our m.gs. only 2 were captured
as far as I know - one from N.Zs on Ap 25 & one of 4 Bn on Ap 26.
3

May 2
III. 19. 28^th. 4 Orthodox Gk who claimed to belong to
this surrendered on May 2
II. 5. 13^th 1 & 3 opposed to our right.
14^th ws here (part) on May 19 attacking
Maclaurins Hill
15^th os here on May 6.

May 6. Arab officer, deserter, sd he came from Tripoli
in Africa. Trpt officer of 5 Div. Came from Adrianople
via Keshan abt May 1.
5 Div H.Q. abt sq. 237 p & u.
Stores & animals at 237 a or 238 q.

Most of 5^th in trenches. Supplies now taken via Biyak Anafarta
by new rd thro hills now being made by 3 Bns
Many officers of 13. 14. 15 (5^th) 57 (3^rd) 32 (?) bn killed
13^th more than half disappeared. Bns of 6^th Divn wh went into
action 1200 strong now muster 300 - 500.
He says
3 Div I AC ^came here first abt 24^th April
5        II________________________24^th_____
16      VI_______________________ 29 _______
12      IV________________________4 May
Advanced base for his force ws near Sharkeni
Camel Trpt in good conditn
Much water has to be carried on animals. Local water has
given men diarrhoea.
Men get hot meal every 2nd day
Ammn plentiful.
Owing lack of officers fire control is bad over newly
arrived troops.
Heavy casualties on night of Tues. June 4.
He dislikes Ts & says troops have to be driven into battle at
the point o / revolver.
4

5
Turk Troops identified on Peninsula 7/5/15
Corps. Div. Regt.
 

Corps	Div.	Regt.
II	4	11
II	5.	13   14   15	agst Anzac.
III.	7	19
		20	Anzac
		21
		21	Rifle Bn
III	9	25
		26
		27
III	19	57 )	Anzac
		72 )
		77 )
IV	10.	28
		29.
IV	11	33	? Anzac.
		126
		127
IV	12	35
V	13	38
		46
V.	15	45
		56
XV	3	31
		32	one composite Regt.
		39

May 19.
II 5. 13^th attacked Maclaurins hill.

14^th (part) attacked     "               " (Later Quinns)

? 15^th (here on May 6).

III. 19. 57 ) ws here at date of armistice May 24
           72 ) from 1st day.
           77 )

VI. 16  47^th  ) 1st & 2nd Bns of 47 attacked.
            48^th ) 3 Bns of 48 attacked near Owens Gully
            125^th ) This Regt sd to be here.

I  2n 1st. 1 & 3 Bns. prisoners captured
here on 19 May.
IV. 5.  11^th 3. Two men captured here on

19 May.

             
III. 9.  27^th 1 Bn. Part Rest of Regt here on Ap.25 & pocket book
of soldier belonging to / Bn picked up on
May 19 July 5^th
6

After May 19 we collated from prisoners & documents
follg:
Troops now or recently employed at Anzac.
28 Div. 1. 5. 6.
5 Div. 13. 14. 15
16 Div. 47. 48. 125.
19 Div. 57. 72. 77
Also. 20. 27. 33. 64. 76 Regts
(At full strength this wd be 51,000 men. Prob. 35,000)
6 Div. 16. 17. 18. & 8th Div. 22. 23. 24 are bel. to have
arrived at Yenikeni. No. of troops at Anzac
prob. 35,000 mostly untrained or elderly reservists.

-----
Ammn apparently v plentiful.
T. officers reported to have driven some of troops into action w
sword, revolver

------
L v. Sanders ws in Peninsula & sd to have directed attack
of 18/19 May wh ws sd to be ordered by Enver ^intended to push
us into sea before reifs. arrd.

------
Many T. officers killed & much dysentery in T. lines.
(There is a concealed road by wh T. reifs are brought
(up from Gallipoli. This passes near ruins of Biyak Anafarta

------
Our wounded & prisoners sent to Ghulane Hosp in Const. & well treated
[Later in London stated these only 65 Brit]
(Many light prey uniforms lying in front of our trenches.
(These are gendarmerie from Brusa of whom large
(contingent are from Brusa.

-------
All agree T. losses v. severe & men anxious to surrender
if can do so without being shot by own side.

-------
Germans are spreading stories of gt victories by
sea & in Egypt, but these scarcely believed by Turks

-------
Diary of T. officer wh found says:  Two of our
shrapnel fell amongst 1st Bn 33 Regt killing
12, wounding 5. In another Bn only 2 officers alive.
7

8

28 May. See. 5^th Army Order of 28 May
Blamey has follg note.
18^th replaced by 64^th Regt on June 7
?33                14

72                  15

18                   16

                       18

27                   Mehmet Chaoush

57

45? 48?         19^th

125                  16^th on left

77

June 24. Following Regts sd to be opposing Anzacs
Regt.
13  )
14  ) 5^th Div        14 on extreme right. H.Q. & 2 other

15  )  8500 str.      regts in reserve at on slopes Mal Tepe

16^th  6^th Div         In firing line
         3000

47  )

48  )  16^th Div      H.Q. at Kojadere  Part of Divn.

125 )  6000             in firing line

45     2000           One Bn was in trenches agst Anzac

                                  but withdrawn to join two other

                                  bns wh suffered heavily in S. &

                                  gone to Gallipoli to reform.

27  )

57  )     19th Div    H.Q. near Eski Keni. Part of

72  )     6000             Divn in fire trenches.

77  )

Gendarmerie  800  Guarding & patrolling country N of

Biyuk Anafarta

Cavalry  600   One regt in plain near Biyuk Anafarta

------

Possible 28 & 63 Regts also here. Without these,
but including troops at Gallipoli, enemys
strength wd be: infantry 25,000.
9

Note 16^th July  5^th Army Order

ANZAC. Files
It is reasonable to suppose tt / units attacked dispositns 
obtaining in / T.  forces opposing Anzac previously
in / main are still in force.
The units are slightly altered.
33rd Regt has gone S. but 18 Regt is here.
Rest of 6 Div. may have gone S. for a
rest as stated on July 14 but no reason to
suppose 18^th has gone. (Note. prisoners of 16 & 17 captured)
yesty down S.)
One bn of 45 ws here last month (prisoner captured)
64 Regt also known to be here.
This gives a total of increase of 4 bns over end of 
May.
N. of Battleship Hill came to be called the
"Anafarta" sectn. Troops in it on May 28
were

( 33rd Regt.
( 1 Bn gendarmerie
( Cavalry Regt.
It is estimated now tt the defense of this sectn
has bn increased by a Regt & strength therefore 6000.
The reserves are at Matik Dere exc. one bn
on N. slopes of Khoja Chimen Dagh.  Duties of
reserve are to prevent a landing at Ejelmer Bay
& Suvla Bay & also act as A.C. reserve.

------
The actual firing line agst as – Battleship Hill
to right of our line, - ws divided into 3 sectors held
by 19, 5, & 16 divns from N to S. - say 19000 men.
Prob. 9 bns in trenches & 18 in reserve & support. 
10

Also 77^th Regt (wh suffered heavily in a "regrettable
incident" & ws at one time thought to have bn
incorporated in 72^nd) supported ? right of 16 Divn.
but ws called Kaba Tepe section & ws apptly in
liaison w / 16^th Divn. (Strength 2000 at outside).
Kaba Tepe to Kum Tepe is garrisoned by 2nd
Divn (& certain artillery units) wh prob. consisted of
one regt only as 5^th & 6^th regts went to Southern
sphere & folld shortly by 1st Regt. The garrison in
tt district is available agst Anzac & is in the
same command. It is prob (as in June) one Regt. The
Turks clearly fear a landing near to Kum Tepe.
Garrison of N. Coast from Ejelmer Bay
to Sheitan Keni - Coy of Gendarmerie w H.Q.
at Turshten Keni.
The villagers deported to Asia Minor are Gk.