Diary of Trooper Ion Llewellyn Idriess-1915-Part 3

and helped. A man will want the strength 

of a mule if he was to walk far on

Gallipoli in the mud. Late afternoon. We have

just disembarked, walking across other steamers,

on to this boat. As usual the Australasians were

rowdy. The New Zealanders yelled their Maori

war song, and among the row and slowness

of the re-embarkation the Australians were

imitating the calls of the mob of sheep

being driven into a sheep yard by the

sheep dogs. The noise was very appropriate

It was evidently new to all the different 

ships officers and English officers, judging by 

their grins. Side by side with the steady and

sedate progress of the Tommies it did look

and sound a life very funny.... The

sun is out strong. I hope the damned sea

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hole down three feet and thus

had partial cover shelter.

Then one poor devil, Watson

of B squadron, was shot

clean through the head.

Crack! Crack! Crk! Crk! Zip Zip.

Ping! Ping! A bullet sent a

clod of dirt down my neck

and an icy shiver down my

spine. We belted into the earth

again, but a bullet went

through Nixs' hat and  we

crouched flat again. Then I

saw our men using

explosive bombs in the 

trenches, a present from the

Japanese government.

The result was awful.

At the same time the knowing

that we Australasians

can fight these furious battles

with the greatest of courage

and with all the most

terrible modern weapons

filled me with a strange

feeling of satisfaction.

Straight up into the sky

is not too rough outside. We have not room to sit

down, unless it is on another mans body. 28th We

arrived at the landing 10 a.m. last night. A

hospital ship was beautifully lighted on the

bay waters, and here and there odd fires

gleamed on the old dark hulls, especially

far down on the new landing at Salt

Lake. Desultory firing was going on, with

an odd sharp outburst of machine gun fire at 

Salt Lake. All night we were disembarking

just a few hundred men, sitting and standing

on the open barges in the miserable cold. The

steam pinnace took hours to tow the 

three barges the stones throw to the shore. 
We landed at daybreak, and started

the damned solid walk to the regiments.

Or rather I should say, the remnants

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from the cliffs to a great height

shot two flaring bombs.

They descended straight down 

into the Turkish trenches.

During those few seconds the

rifle fire had entirely ceased.

Then came a tearing roar

that shook the very ground

we were on, a huge

cloud of black smoke. The

panic stricken Turks who

were unhurt jumped from 

the fume filled trench and

tried to run. But the whole

air vibrated with the concentrated

rifle and machine

gun fire that was turned on them.

I think the whole thing was

terrible... And thus the game

went on all through the night.

After our shift we went

back to camp, and lost no

time tearing down that road

either. .....Last night we

we sapping again, right up 

at Quinns Post. No more

were shot, but we are deadly

of the regiment. An old mate met me and

told me of our troop, and all the old mates

who are gone. Poor Fitzhannam, shot through 

the head yesterday morning. I just didn't

see him. I have got a bonny little 

dugout in the trench, facing the sea,

where I can lie and see the cruisers

stealing round the shores. I am going

into the firing line now, straight away.

I will see if I cannot avenge my 

mates deaths. Late afternoon. This trench

sniping is very amusing. Not seeing any

Turks, I blazed away persistently at one 

of their loopholes. The result was successful.

After a while ping, ping, ping Johnny

the Turk replied. One of his bullets struck

the loophole plate, which rather suggests

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tired and want sleep badly. The 

air was foetid with the smell
of dead men... We are frightfully

tired, and have to

shift camp once more....

The war boats have been

running about the bay all

day, the torpedo boat destroyers

circling around at a furious

rate. A Turkish submarine is 

in the bay, and to see the way

she is stirring up these stately

big grey ships is amusing, if one

did not realise the significance

of it... Our new camp is on a

big hill against the sea. We

went for a swim this evening,

but as the Turks keep sending

an occasional shrapnel on the

beach, the bathing is liable to 

be a bit hurried. All along

the few yards of beach is 

thrown away equipment,

numerous mess tins all with 

shrapnel holes in them, relics

of the landing of our first

brave battalions. Their graves

letting a sleeping dog lie. However, when he

quietens down again I'll worry him more.

Perhaps one of us may get the other... The

sandbags along the trench are all spattered

with blood stains. Makes a man remember

this thing is in dead earnest. Aug 29^th Put

in a bad night. Standing during the watches

eyeing the Turkish trenches through the night

does no good to my leg. I sincerely hope

they give me a chance to get properly right.

..I could just see the top of the Turks trenches

by moonlight and used to snipe now and

then. Some Turk was answering, his

bullets hitting the sandbags and striking

close around the parapet. He must have

fixed his rifle during the day, or else our 
trenches are to him are on a sky line... Gus

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line the beach, with their

shrapnel torn boats lying overturned

near the waters edge.

24^th May. The Turks have got a

7 hours armistice to bury their

dead. They are rotting in 

thousands in front of our trenches.

The air is horrible... It is

raining. By Caesar! We have

just had 10 shrapnel shells

dropped right into camp. All

the men were sitting by their

dug outs, talking and laughing.

Immediately the first shell burst,

there was not a man to be seen.

It was just like a great rabbit

burrow, when a man with a 

gun comes up along. As each

shell burst a great roar of

laughter went up. Not a man

was hurt. It almost is a miracle.

Shrapnel is frightfully deadly.

By Jove! Here they come again.
Good night. We can hear the
shrapnel bullets pelting the

bushes around our dug outs.

25^th May. We have just

Gaunt tells some good tales of the night

stunts the 5^th have gone through. Also

some amusing yarns. Lieutenant R was out

on patrol one night win six men. Suddenly

a Turk stood up between his own party

and the trench. The Lieutenant gave the 

hurried order to retire, and commenced

running back to our trenches. But one of 

his men was a good runner, and reached

the trenches just before his Lieutenant. The

officer reached out and said, "What did 

you run back for when I gave the 

order to retire. I could hardly keep up

with you". Next morning his batman

saw asked him "Who won the race

back to the trenches last night" Mr R. I

believe it was a close go!"

25

witnessed the torpedoing of the

Triumph. We were having 

dinner when there was a sudden

commotion among the craft in the

bay. Then Suddenly small boats

tore out from the shore towards

one spot. We rushed to high

ground, and there, close in

shore, with a destroyer standing

by and firing like blazes, was

the cruiser, lying on her side.

Boats were taking the men off,

while from all over the bay

was the dense smoke of big

ships cle running for their

very lives. Slowly she moved,

over, over, great green water

flooded over her deck, we

could see down her funnels,

then she went completely over,

and floated bottom upwards.

Great belches of steam came

up out of the water. Then the

Turks, no doubt seeing their

chance, tore the shrapnel

into us, and we ran like

blazes back to our burrows....

The cruiser has completely

I spotted a while for Billy Sing. Billy came

down on the same as boat as me from

Townsville. He is a little chap, very 

dark, with a jet black mo and a 

goatee. An arrant bushwacker. His 

possy is in a good position, and he has

already got 105 Turks, which is the 

record for a single man on the Peninsular.

He has a splendid telescope, and through

it I could see a Turks face at the 

loophole. He disappeared. Two minutes

after a part of his face appeared.

It disappeared. Five minutes after

he showed his moustache and forehead,
and disappeared, Then he showed

all his face and vanished. And

so on all the morning. But at last

26

sunk... The Turkish

battery is giving us their evening

by-bye of shrapnel. Something

over 100 men went down

with the Triumph... One shrapnel

shell just got 5 men of the 2^nd 

L. H... There is work every day

and night for the stretcher

bearers. It is sad thing to see

so many of Australias splendid

manhood going to their death

each day... It is raining. 24^th

May. Rifle fire has been very

quiet through the night and

today, but the Turks have got 

a lot of our men with shrapnel

The cruisers have all cleared

out, and the Turk is making

hay while the sun shines.

Our boats sank a submarine

last night. Three torpedoes

were fired at the Vengeance,

but they all missed. We hear

that the submarines are German

and Austrian. Torpedo boat

destroyers are landing more

troops on the beach. The Turks

shrapnel is exploding right

one man showed his face at a distant

loophole, and stayed there. Billy fired.

The face disappeared instantly, and I

could see the motions of a man as if

bending over another mans body.

It was one more to Billys Tally.

Dr Dods has just been hit in the 

shoulder by shrapnel. The news

went round the trenches like wild 

fire. Every man is genuinely 

sorry. The man who is looked 

up to and respected and admired

since the beginning of the regiment

is Dr Dods. We are all relieved

that he is not hit too badly. Aug 30^th

The night was very quiet, desultory

firing, the destroyer putting in a few

27

over the boats. The destroyers

have pulled further out.

We are getting good tucker

now, and have had a free

issue of tobacco. We deserve it.

... One of the Turkish shells

struck a destroyer loaded

with troops. It killed two

and wounded ten. The troops

are landing on the beach now

under shrapnel. They do not

look as if they are enjoying

themselves. We are quite

used to shrapnel now. When

we hear the screech we dive

for the nearest shelter. We

can tell now when a shell

is going to burst near us,

provided of course it is on

its solitary own. When half a

dozen explode together then
things are complicated. 26 May.

The snipers got 17 of our men today

in practically the one spot. Two

of my mates and myself volunteered

to go through the enemys lines

and get information. Our

lieutenant would not hear of

shells on the Turkish trench in front of us.

There is a Taube 'plane buzzing up

above us now. He visits us every day, and

xxx drops a few bombs, but never seems to

do much harm. Could barely keep myself

awake last night, had to rock to and fro,

backwards and forwards, and then fire a

few shots, or I would have fallen asleep

in spite of everything. A wee bit of the

trench fell in last night. More work.

...Things were a bit amusing up at the

Lonesome Pine last night. The Turks sneaked

up to the trenches and threw in half a dozen

bombs, which did not explode. Instead

of lighting and slinging them over

against the Turks, our boys let them lie

there and examined them in the morning

28

the idea, practically laughed at

me. "Certain death", he said. But I

bet that us real Australian

bushmen are equal to and in

cases better than the best Turk

that walks Gallipoli Peninsula.

Some of them are no doubt smart

and brave men, but I swear

that there are plenty among us

who can beat them at their own

game. 27^th May. The Majestic 

was torpedoed last night. It 

is terrible to think of these

great ships stricken so suddenly

but how does it feel to us, who

can almost feel their helping

hand as they give us the 

support of their great guns...

We are being shelled with

shrapnel again. We of the 5^th

have had many marvellous

escapes. Fragments of shell

have plunged into our dug

outs daily and nightly, bullets

have gone through mens 
hats and equipment, and

with all we have only had a 

few men hit. ..We are

it was then found that the fuses were

instantaneous, so that if our boys had 

lighted them they would have been 

blown to smithereens. So Johnny the

Turk was "had". Afternoon. I have just

been having an amusing duel with a

Turk, shot for shot. I'd fire, and the dust

would fly up against Johnnys loophole.

Then slowly Johnnys little open circle of

light would fill up with half his ugly

square face, a rifle barrel would

slowly be pointed through, then a spurt

of smoke, Bang, Ping, and Johnnys bullet

would bury itself close by in the sand bags.

Then my turn. I'd wait until with 

the rifle sights levelled evenly at the circle

of light which was Johnnys loophole, then as

29

expecting a big move soon.

Our big howitzer is replying

to the enemys fire. She invariably

does when the firing gets too

hot for us. It is very cheering to

hear that big shell tearing through

the air on its vengeful errand,

rending its way over the big

hill tops and the "Bang!" Fair

in the enemys trenches, or fair

in their battery, we hope...

We were bathing just now. A

shell came and wounded MacDonald

and Liddel, both of in my

own troop. Bathing is off —   

until to-morrow. 28^th. Snipers

got 15 this morning, and a

shrapnel got four of our own

AmC. men. It is wretched to

think of so many men getting

killed and maimed when they

are not in the firing line. No

matter on what peaceful errand

we go, there is death all about.

We ever know whether we
will wake up alive... The

enemy have been very quiet

these last few days and nights.

soon as it blotted out with his cautious

face I fired. Instantly Johnny would duck.

And vice versa. It is a most fascinating

game, especially as you know that the

other man is employing every skill and

cunning in his power to put a bullet through

your head. This game will suit me well.

If only there was not so much night works.

Billy Sing got two more Turks to-day.

Evening: Dr Dods was wounded severely but

not dangerously. He was attending to a wounded 

man at the time, one of the 11^th L. H. just landed

a few hours... A few evenings ago some

of the 6^th L. H. off duty were amusing themselves

by playing two up behind the trenches.

The Turks started shelling them, but they

two up enthusiasts took no notice until

30

I saw a man just now with

his leg blown off. The doctors

were working at it while it 

looked like a big red lump of

beef. War is a sickening thing.

...They are bombarding us

with shrapnel. Their aim is

getting fearfully close. They

must have shifted their guns

nearer during the armistice.

Did I mention they buried 3000

dead during that armistice....

Last report that the Turks big

18 pounder is silenced. We 

sincerely hope so... To night is

the first night we have had
no shrapnel. We are sitting by

our dug outs on the hill side,

little groups singing, others

smoking, the Colonels gramophone

playing the Marseillaise, d and 

the rest watching such a 

beautiful, peaceful scene. The

sun is just sinking, a great

ball of gold behind the island of 

Maidos. The sea is a beautiful

blue, with the strong little

destroyers just gliding through it.