# 2nd Light Horse Regiment Gallipoli

2nd Light Horse Regiment
Gallipoli
May 11th
Volume 1
George Green,
May 11th.Most of the original Second Light Horse looked upon the Gallipoli Peninsula for the first time from the deck of the troopship “Devanha” at 6 p.m. on a beautiful evening 11th May 1915.
We had left Alexandria on the evening of the 9th well-trained light-horsemen converted into infantrymen at 3 days notice. The passage through the Grecian Archipelago had been delightful – we had a close view of the two dummy cruisers of Tiger class after passing Chios ― & were all eager to get to the war. “We didnt enlist to fool around the desert & Cairo” had been a very common sentiment in Egypt & then suddenly it seemed we were at the war indeed. All troops were crowded to the forecastle of the ship. Yes: these warships with guns booming on either hand were firing at the enemy, and the distant sound of rifle & machine gun & artillery were indeed shots in anger. No practice stunt this at fancy targets: there was the clouds of dust & smoke rising from Achi Baba, glasses were handed round to view what remained of the village of Krithia & there well within view was the “River Clyde” beached ​Then all heads were turned to gaze up at an aeroplane ‘spotting’ for the guns & cheers went up when it was missed by several bouquets of enemy shrapnel. We were excited spectators of the war “Struth” said one man “this is better than the pictures!” Within a few hours this realism was to be superseded by realization and plenty of it, but I think it true to say that in the majority of cases all through Gallipoli days of suffering & hardship the men of the 2nd L.H. never entirely lost this schoolboy ^ ardour & enthusiasm with which they landed.
We waited off Cape Hellas for orders until about 8 o'clock. I believe there was some idea of landing us there to assist our 2nd Inf. Brigade which at that moment was were fighting so gallantly toward the left flank of Achi Baba. However we steamed around & at night-fall were lying off Anzac Cove – some three miles out.
No one knew exactly what we were in for. We had very vague ideas of the general situation. Nothing official had come to men in the ranks. Even the heads couldn't have had much up-to-date ​information for we had some horses, bicycles aboard & on another transport the “Kingstonia” was our A.S.C. column & all its paraphernalia including horses & wagons. All we knew was what we had gathered from the confused tales of the early wounded when they arrived at No 1 A.G.H. at Heliopolis. Some of us had fondly imagined that by this time(it was 16 days after original landing) the infantry would have advanced some miles inland, that we would be held some distance back probably awaiting such time as our horses were landed & could be used. What a sudden awakening from such dreams was the first sight of Anzac beach! There was simply a terrific & continuous rattle of rifle & machine gun fire & the tops of the ridges seemed ablaze. Lieut T. B. McSharry who was leaving on the bulwark beside me watching remarked “We are hanging on by our eyebrows Sol” It was an exact appreciation of the situation. All on the "Devanha" who could see & reflect knew that we were up against it.
“Im obsessed with strange feelings of anticipation wondering what experiences Im in for ere this time ​next week". So I find written in my dairy under this date. That must have been the predominant feeling of many just then as I could judge by the commissions I got "If anything happens to me Padre, you know, this is my home address & there's a little girl ..." One calculated that ones chances of landing on the Peninsular & coming off unscathed were about as six to four against.
We were ordered to dispose of all surplus kit and keep only such things as could be carried on ones person & were all expectant to land that night. Why we did not is one of many military questions a layman can ask & receive no answer. A Landing under the cover of darkness was obviously safer than by daylight & later became the rule. At 10 p.m. we got orders to turn in for the night. The noise of the bombardment seemed incessant through the night.
We found a stowaway on board. A ingenious lad of 16 from Birmingham. He had deserted a trading vessel & this was the third transport he had boarded in the hope of effecting a landing ​wanting as he put it "to go with the soldiers". His keenness was genuine although he had seen shiploads of wounded & we all felt proud of his breed although of course the Colonel had to see that he was kept on the transport & sent back to Alexandria.
May 12th The destroyer "Ribble" was alongside when I awoke on the morning of 12th May. it was commanded by a typically breezy naval man who joined us in what for many there was to be the last civilized meal for many a day. Disembarkation commenced after breakfast. The men were loaded like camels. Thankful I was that I was exempt from being burdened with ammunition so I was able to cling to a little bag of Church outfit instead. We first descended on to the Destroyer which soon came within range of enemy machine gun fire as we neared the shore & then on to open barges which were towed by pinnaces. So crowded were we on the barge that it would seem impossible for a bullet to hit the barge & not a man, yet ​just by me a bullet splintered the deck between a mans feet. The pinnace which towed our barge was from the warship "Bacchante" & most of the 2nd L.H. remember the two "middies" in charge. Who would not be impressed. Two youths they were, one about 16 while the other didnt look more than 13, yet so nimble cool alert & efficient giving quiet orders to seamen old enough to have been their fathers. I know it did me good to talk to them.- they were all keenness to get to the trenches, "Wish I were going with you Sir Good luck" was their parting word to me. A few bursts of shrapnel greeted our arrival & we landed on the historic beach about 11.15 a.m. Tpr Elliott received a slight wound on the head on stepping from the barge & although he wasn't evacuated became our first "casualty".
For an hour or more we rested on the beach under cover of a cliff by Ari Burnu. There was enough novel sights on the beach to keep us amused. – the evacuation of wounded & the staking of stores, the chaos of the Zionist outfit with their appropriate "donks" the bathing & shipping activity – and we had time to give an exhibition. So characteristic of our regiment of "justifiable ​appropriation". All hurried conversions are unsatisfactory & our in the matter of equipment ours was no exception. In lieu of the leather bandoliers of a lighthorseman we had been given a flimsy drill haversack blown together in Egypt in a few hours to do the office of a pack. Quicker than the most efficient Q.M. could have managed it we issued ourselves with regulation infantry web equipment from a dump of stuff left by casualties & "handed in" what the men termed the "pillowslips". During this time the O/C had been seeking orders, & on his return we moved off. It was a hot day & each man was loaded to his utmost capacity, - as you can imagine in the case of a regiment moving without a stick of transport. Moreover it was impossible to dump anything such as the big iron dixies we were carrying for others wanted them as much as we & would adopt the same methods as we to get them. Turning at Steel Spit we wound our way in Indian File up Kumur Kapu Dere which was better known as Shrapnel Gully and at the valley head as Monash Gully. We were ​to find a camping ground just evacuated by the 13th Infantry Battalion. There were no guides. When as a Brigade we treked to Helonan beyond Maadi & were to camp as everyone knew on exactly the same spot as before "billeting parties" went ahead & galloped back to report with some pomp & circumstance. Here there were no guides. We rested in all innocence at points by the road which as I well knew later were no safe abiding places. Shells were bursting along the valley. "Ours or theirs" was the naive concern of such as I & Hockey who knew, sport that he was, didnt answer. Subject we were to another barrage as we sat there - that of innocent banter from passing infantrymen. "Struth! its the bally Light Horse!" What a come down – "Where are yer GeeGees?" "Find the pack a bit hard dont yer?" This mainly from men of the 4th Inf. Brigade who had been camped by us at Aerodrome Camp & with whom there had been some rivalry. We could stand their chiack. Proud we were to belong to the Light Horse & had we been given such work as that
[On opposite page alongside the comments:
O Lor! it's a circus. where are yer showing tonight?] ​for which we had been trained it would difficult to find troops to equal the 1st L.H. Brigade at that form of warfare. Nevertheless, all came (we had no option it is true) but all came eagerly to assist the Infantry at some sacrifice & in a few weeks original members of the 4th Inf. Brigade acknowledged us worthy to fight by them - & that is high praise. Indeed for all their talk they were more than glad to see us coming to reinforce them – and Chaplain Wray of their Brigade voiced this welcome to us as we rested by the side of the gully.
At least we reach our camping area. How we had come up that gully almost without casualty is a marvel, for the 3rd L.H. Regt had about 30 killed or wounded doing the same march the following morning. And what an awful spot we were to camp on! It consisted of a few half-cut trenches about 3 feet deep & was situated about half up the gully some 200 yards back from the Headquarters dugouts shared by the 4th Inf Brigade & our 1st L.H.B. ​Bullets whistled over continuously. It was unsafe to stand upright. Stooping & crawling around we fed & disposed ourselves for the night I marvelled then & have often since as I've observed other troops in comparison at the wondrous adaptability of the Australian soldiers. Here they were in a situation absolutely strange to them, it was unique – old South-African men acknowledged it a hotter spot than they had ever known yet these lads weren't strange. Forthwith they set to work to make the best of the situation – several improvising fireplaces from tins other doing salvaging to make their "possy" as safe & comfy as possible for the night. To me they seemed as miners on the sapphire fields camping on a new patch so unconcerned were they. Yet this was a hell of a place & the continuous rattle of rifle & boom of gun would not let you forget there was a war on & the enemy not more than 400 yards from us. Mother earth was our mattress for that & many successing nights but lolled by fatique most of us slept profoundly. ​Thursday May 13th Ascension Day
We were up by 5.30 in the morning. The firing seemed to be as heavy & incessant as ever. A rumour had been circulated overnight that we were to go into the trenches at Quinns post today & we knew enough by this time to guess its significance though none could have imagined the content of experience for 3 months & lifelong memories that name would hold. You must know that our holding at Anzac in early days was roughly as a triangle with Quinns & Popes at the apex. The ground was most irregular in character.
It was only 690 acres of land. Think of it! & your imagination can fill in some of the details. Moreover only part of this ground was habitable for much was in direct observation & fire from the enemy. Now there must be such things as hospitals, incinerators, cemeteries etc etc & there were over two divisions of troops on Anzac! One is at a loss to know where & how they all dug in – particularly when trenches were ​few in those days. A most commodious place is a trench. Major Logan said he slept his second night on a dead Turk whose presence he suspected by the particular stench (general stenchs were very general) but he didn't discover some inches underground until the morning.
Yes, this time rumour proved true, we were to relieve the infantry (15th Battalion) at Quinns post & most of the morning was occupied in the move & arrangements preparatory to taking over. Captain Macartney ("Dad") the regimental M.O. got a pitch at the foot of Quinns at the junction with popes Hill – next to Captain Luther the famous medical officer of the 15th. Captain Luther was a god father to the Regiment in these days & we owe him much. A few yards up the gully Captain Macgregor the Doctor of the 16th had his above so we often designated this sector as "Macquarie Street". Our M.O. also had a bit of a dugout near the crest of Quinns for ​receiving wounded – some forty yards from our front trench. Quinns Post was a steep ascent of about 150 yards – and at the top, as I was able to verify with my own eyes on the Day of Armistice, our front trench was at one point only 15 yards from that of the Turks. So it had been on the day of landing so it was on the day of evacuation. But at what a cost. Part of the price was to be paid that very afternoon by some of the 2nd Regt. [We took over from the 15th Btn at 2 in the afternoon] Furthermore the situation was made more perilous by the fact that our communications trench connected our position with that of the Turks! Neither side had been able to fill it in & it remained a menace to each others operations.
In this sector we took over from the 15th Battn at 2 o'clock that afternoon.I was at that time under tutelage of Captain Luther seeing to the burial of a man who had been lying dead for a day or two on the slope just behind ​our front trench. The Turks must have known that fresh troops had taken over. At 2.5 p.m. they opened up with such a fusillade of fire & bombing as would startle any veteran. Its intensity was terrific & so deafening that we couldn't hear each other speak. It was our 'B; Squadron that were in the line under their O/C Major G.H. Bourne. What an initiation. The wounded were coming out in an almost continuous stream for five minutes. Lieut E. G. G. Boyd, Sergt D.O. Butler (761) Tpr G. H. Robertson (378) Tpr. J. C. Cobon (310) all four seriously. Then L. Corp. Mal McDougall (365) Tpr H. A. Clark (558) Tpr H. Sinclair (388) & then more lightly Tprs. R. J. Oscroft (653) W. Browning (301) J. W. Boadle (296) and J. Teddiman (393) Lieut Boyd had been in the trenches three minutes when he started retaliation with his revolver over the parapet. His forearm was at once shot through & afterwards amputated: he saw no more war. It was Captain Luther who helped us through. Round the trenches he went shouting to our men. "This is all a ruse. They know you are new & are trying to bluff you. Don't fire – lie doggo". ​It proved the right word. "It was not his business" you may say. Thank God he had made it his business & every day & almost all day on Gallipoli Luther was doing such guiding fatherly deeds & was in the act of such a similar service to another when 7 weeks later to the profound sorrow of all who knew him a bullet laid him low.
By 2.15 things were quieter again. It was well for I remember wondering as I helped with the wounded that if we have casualties at this rate in the first five minutes where will the dear regiment be in 3 days time.
How did the enemy know so much about us? Their information was very good in these days: there must have been espionage. They even greeted us by name on arrival in the trenches "Come on 2nd Light Horse yes –". We had three mongrel interpreters which we had brought with the Brigade from Egypt – picked up God knows how – an Armenian ​a Syrian & a Montenegroian. Simple guileless souls they seemed bad and one professed never to have seen a rifle before & was most interested in a troopers exposition. But the Syrians profession of Christianity to me was I thought a little too insistent to be wholesome. However after two days one of these innocents was found making quite an intelligent sketch map of the situation showing gun positions etc. They were marched off & haven't been seen since.
Again the adaptability of our men. Let it be remembered that our training had not been for infantry. Many had not seen a bomb thrown before & trench-warfare was new to us. Yet the unhesitating alacrity with which the men threw themselves into the new job was such as an outsider or Turk would not be able to distinguish between them & the neighbourhood infantrymen – and I say again that the 4th Brigade were a high standard to match.
There is old Sergt 'Scotty' Loch a miner from Mount Morgan within 2 hours mastering the art of bomb-throwing & exhibiting it with ​some effect on 'Jacko'. Near by is Lionel Macnamara applying himself to the same task with absorbing assiduity. What a startling revealer of character this forward area is! You get surprises both ways. Some bold talkers in Egypt are now seen quite wobbley while others we thought 'blobs' while training are displaying a nerve & resource which make one marvel. It is as a Day of Judgement – you quickly learn to know men "on the underneath" & already on this first afternoon of fight one was vowing you would be friends with some of the chaps for life.
Early this afternoon a deserter in a Tommies cap crept along the communication trench aforementioned crying "Greek Greek" Major Bourne led him blindfolded down to our Brigade Hqrs. He looked a piteous object of bewilderment & it seemed true that he was a Greek who had been living in Constantinople & pressed into service.
Later the enemy threw over to our trench ​
    Lieut H.G. Hinton
    199 Tpr T.C. Phillips
    241 " J. McMahon
    481 L. Corpl. R. Beetson
    559 Tpr J. O'Connor
    705 " F. P. Noonan
    473 " B. Biggin
    413 L. Corpl N. Kiddel
    462 Corpl J. C. Graffunder
    580 Tpr B. Wallwork
    569 L. Corpl W. Staines
    455 Sergt E. H. Tuck
    541 Tpr F. C. Mulvey
    522 L. Corpl Hornby
    565 Corpl E. Smith
    247 Tpr Lush
    114 L. Corpl G. Morris
    294 Tpr E. J. Alwyn
    187 " Nutting
    485 L. Corpl T. Wittenbrock
a stylographic message signed 'Sergeant' inviting our men to come over, that theirs was the winning side & that they would be treated humanely even to luxury as prisoners. It would have taken more than a knowledge of the English language on the part of the enemy interpreter to get the full significance of our mens peremptory reply. The following were wounded while in the trenches 13 -14 May (see Opposite)
Friday May 14th That was a pretty awful night for most of us I know I was weary of the ascent & descent of Quinns post ere the next morning. That day (14 May) General Birdwood came to view the situation at Quinns – I had met him while guiding some re-inforcements for the 3rd Regiment up the gully. A bullet struck the periscope through which the General was overlooking the parapet & the shattered glass cut his forehead. Shortly after this visit our men were withdrawn from the front trenches which were manned our stead by men of the gallant 15th Btn which had been fighting almost continuously since April 25th. However the 2nd Regiment received orders to ​make a raid from the post at mid-night. Colonel Stodart alloted the charge to Major Dugald Graham & 'C' Squadron which he commended well knowing that the honour of the Regiment in this their first charge would be safe in such hands. You wouldnt have found keener men although most of them by this time could guess what they were in for. The infantry had attempted this stunt before & a few survivors were left. Still our men were bravely silent & eager for the venture. Well at midnight they hopped over – some of them their Major leading. It was not ten minutes ere this gallant Major Dugald Graham was carried back mortally wounded in the chest. He died in the advanced dressing post attended by 'Dad' Macartney some five minutes later. In him we lost a promising leader & a real gentleman. Yes and 24 other splendid fellows went to glory at the same time while another 25 were wounded. What happened then had happened before & was repeated after. The wily Turk let the attacking party get to their front ​trench which was of crescent formation with comparatively little opposition & then ere they could consolidate enfilated them heavily with well-trained machine-gun fire. When Captain Birkbeck found the party reduced to
he gave orders to retire & it was a miracle any escaped alive. Lieut Ogilvy must have had a charmed life.
It was a ghastly morning. One can see the faces of the survivors now as they filled down the gully. That of Squadron Sergt Major Wasson who had nursed those men into soldiers was a study. It seems invidious to make distinction among such heroes but for the general high regard they were held in the Regiment one must mention Trooper J. C. Sams & C. G. G. Buchanan two mates from the Central-West of Queensland & in build, brain & promise of the best that State could give.* Already we felt sad gaps in a Regiment where regimental feeling was more like family attachment.
That day 3rd L.H. Regt went into Quinns with the Infantry. Among the other casualties that memorable night were :​13 men killed – 9 men missing and 27 wounded. Two subsequently died of wounds received. No trace was ever found of the missing so they too were presumed killed.
Killed:-
    462. Corpl J.C. Graffunder
    596. Tpr A.E. Anderson
    586. " A.G.M. Wilson
    583 " J.A. Beyers
    472. " A.A. Burton
    650. " A.H.B. Levein Returned to Australia
    514 " L.P. Garvey
    516 " T.L. Goodall
    456 Sergt J. S. Wade
    557 " A.E. Oswin
    459 Corpl J.C. Alexander
    541 L. Corpl F.J. Mulvey
    645 Tpr R.M. Underhill
Missing: presumed killed in action:-
    571 Tpr A.W. Tallantyre
    611 " W.H. Adams
    489 " S. Crowther
    592 " C.E.G. Buchanan ​
    490 Drv P.Casey
    504 Tpr T. Davis
    523 " J. Hannah
    593 " J. Sams
    17 " L.B. Mowritz
Seriously wounded:-
    723 Tpr E.R. Butler
    554 " M. J. Newton
    624 " O. Harris
    458 Sergt W. E. Taylor
    647 Tpr C. E. Wragge (died of wounds)
    563 " J.C. Snow
    595 Corpl H. J. Crowe
    484 Tpr H. T. Buckley
    584 " F.J. Wentford (died of wounds)
    565 Corpl E. Smith
    530 Tpr A. Howard
    629 " S.B. Langrush
    148 " W. H. Eddington
Slightly wounded:-
    Capt G. Birkbeck
    450 S.S.M. J. Wasson
    13 Tpr H.A. King
    328 " A.M. Geoghagn
    460 Corpl R. Dickson
    652 Tpr N.C.N. Kennedy
    617 Tpr F.W. Crutch
    542 " S.A. Masterton
    572 " H.L. Turner
    544 Sergt T.G. Mulherin
    578 Tpr J. W. Watson
    532 " J.C. Jurd
    580 " J.B. Wallwork
    501 " E. Donovan ​
The Regiment had already passed through its baptism of fire but the above were the first to give their lives in action
    "My land, if age brings scorn to thee
    We pray that sons be born of thee
    To stand as these have stood for thee"
We felt their loss as a family bereavement but at the same time were prouder than ever of the Regiment who now had fuller traditions and new obligations.
We buried Major D. Graham ^ at 11 am on the morning of 15th side by side with Corpl. A.C.J. Graffunder & Tpr G.A. Anderson half way up Quinns as you turn to the valley which divides it from Popes. It was an awful spot. I had had unpleasant experience of it the previous night when Father Power & I had resorted to the cover of a grave with the dead until the tyranny was overpast. The Colonel with the two Squadron leaders Majors Logan & Bourne were at the burial. All had a struggle with their emotions. We had lost mates & white men.
It was after that service I remember registering ​the resolve to be studiously callous about funerals etc otherwise it was obvious I would not last another week.
The regiment was in & out of Popes Hill & Quinns Post – but mostly in from them until the end of August. Perhaps the best method is to attempt a rough sketch of the general life in the Gully & then give diary extracts of particular events.
First it was beautiful weather although very hot with a Mediterranean sea & sky at its best and long twilights. Indeed, but for the war it was a beautiful spot – ideal for a picnic. We resembled nothing so much as ants on a hill. Fatique, rations, ammunition water parties filling down the gully passing & repassing in sap or trench & here & there crawling into some small hole in the cliff. Sometimes the men were burdened with loads as disproportionate as that of ants. "Struth! Bill we only want blinking tails to be blinky horses" was the remark of one overloaded trooper to another struggling along the track. ​ The congestion of the place enhanced its appearance of activity. For the first week or two the Turkish snipers made parts of Monash Gully hellish. One feels the necessity of plasticene to give an idea of the contours and irregularities of the country we occupied. Following the gully towards its head Quinns was a sheer ascent on the right & Popes Hill equally steep still on the right hand side of the gully. The left was flanked by Russells Top. A gorge of some depth lay between Quinns & Popes opposite which on the enemy side with the point known as "The Bloody Angle" & the ground in front of it was untenable to either side. On the Turkish side however this Bloody Angle position led on toward "The Nek" & "Chessboard" and at one point became a ridge – not extensive but sufficiently dangerous and as the valley turned exposed much of it to the direct fire of the enemy. One morning there were forty men hit before breakfast at one ​short stretch outside our Brigade Headquarters. To tour up & down the gully in these days was to run the gauntlet indeed. There was the insignificant well disguised loophole up on the ridge & it is terrible to think of the amount of deaths & wounds which issued forth from it. After a while however our men were top dog. First sand bag barricades half way across the gully at intervals on alternating sides. This and a deep sap – due I believe to the initiative of Lt. Col Rowell of the 3rd Regt considerably minimized the evil. But its real conqueror was that most efficient "Snipers Band" organised in the Division under Captain Grace of the N.Z. Forces & in our sector under Sergt Murdo Mack of the 1st Regt & to which the 2nd Regiment contributed some fine marksmen. They worked in pairs. Constructing a 'possy' of sand bag for protection the one would have his rifle at the loop-hole & the other alongside with a telescope keeping continuous observation on the aperture where the enemy rifle appeared. "Fire!" "At ten yards to the right". So in ​shifts while daylight lasted which was for 18 out of the 24. It was a contest of wits. The wily Turk was known to send a puff of smoke from one crevice but another with a bullet from elsewhere. But our men loved the game – and many would quite voluntarily build a 'possy' on a site of their own choosing & worry a snipers nest by the hour.
After a week on the peninsular we were all lousy and unashamed. There was no avoiding the menace when one had to sleep on the ground in garments worn all day. Looking around at any time of the day one could always see men busy in an effort to cast out these irritating intruders from their clothing. There were some good 'chatty' stories circulated. I think the best I heard was from McSherry. McSherry by the way was by this time attached to the 15th Battalion and was acting Orderly Officer of Quinns Post. His yarn was of two men sitting by the track absorbed in this sanitary search.
"I dont reckon this does any good Snowy. ​Yer know Ginger – just picking 'em out. They only breed again.
Ginger: "Of course it does no good. What yer want to do is to turn yer shirt inside out immediately yer feels the first nip. Yer see reverse yer shift every time yer get the first bite from one the blighters".
Snowy: What the – does that do? It doesnt kill 'em does it?
Ginger: No but it makes em damned tired of marching – it breaks their 'earts.
And there never was such a rag-time looking army. A shirt, shorts, hat & boots was the regular outfit. There had been some wild rumour on the 'Devanha' ordering us to cut down our Australian slouch hats since they were supposed to be too conspicuous. Cut down therefore the majority were & into the most grotesque shapes. In some cases the rims were cut right off, in others the side rims only leaving a weird flap at back & front, while ​some left merely the peak jockey fashion to a pot shaped crown. Under some such head-gear as this was a well-tanned face dusty & dirty with hair skin-cropped (otherwise it would have been a refuge for the 'corries') and a beard of some weeks growth. One would reflect on meeting such a gawk "Is this the dashing young trooper who used to swagger forth from Flemington Camp in October 1914".
In an endeavour to recall the atmosphere of the place we should not forget the flies. And who experienced them there in May & June could forget them. They were bad in Egypt, I had known them worse in Western Queensland at times but such were as nothing compared with the plaque of the swarms in Gallipoli gullies. The air was literally laden with them. There is no exaggerating how bad they were & I would not dwell on details to assist your imagination. The medicos who knew they couldnt all be killed thought that the evil might at least be mitigated by a supply of chloride of lime & parafin to sprinkle ​on the infested ground. They therefore requisitioned for these articles but were refused! Some Surgeon General on Headquarters Staff at Imbros refused sanction in a letter which for infantile futility was the climax of red-tape stupidity. The document should be preserved to explain the sort of thing which make some of us lose faith in the Army regime. Here was a man away from the conditions having the final word against experts on the spot. And he recommended "tangle foot papers & strings" to combat the evil! Fact! Why if the whole of Anzac was plastered & festooned with them there would have been enough uncaptured flies left to blacken Imbros!
The rations in early days were decidedly rough. We had some scores of consecutive meals on bully-beef & hard biscuits cheese & jam. And such jam. In England I saw the factory from whence issued that concoction which of the consistency of water masqueraded as 'apricot jam'. The building was still standing though I had heard many ​threaten to burn it down & commit unheard of outrages on the proprietor should they ever get near either. Surprising ingenuity was displayed in obtaining variety with such limited means. Bully beef was converted into a substance & called "rissoles" often seasoned with herbs gathered in the gully ( I was never quite sure of the botanical knowledge of the men in their selection) and the hard biscuits were crushed by shell cases & with the addition of water made into a pap which went by the name of bergue. Water of course was one of the greatest difficulties. A pannikin per man per day was the allowance for the first week or two being dependent on the meagre wells of the gully where the supply trickled & was probably infected. Often as I returned from burials at 1 & 2 a.m. have I seen long queues of "undisciplined Australians" who had been waiting patiently & orderly for four & five hours for the filling of their water bottle. Sometimes on the return journey the vessel containing the precious liquid would get knocked & then the language! Could any person raise an eyebrow at it under such circumstances. ​Have I dwelt on all the unpleasant features of Gallipoli in this attempt to give you some impression of the life there? No. But enough. Why then is it that many look back on Anzac memories as the pleasantest of the war? In 1918 I was talking to Major-General Glasgow in France & we agreed that Gallipoli was as fine a thing to reflect on as we had experienced in the war. What was it? If it can be given in a word I would say it was the camaraderie. We were great mates there. If you didnt want to be it was fairly easy (for all the Army organization) to get away from the place. Those who remained knew and helped & loved each other and as time went on this comradeship deepened till a wounded or very sick man would be genuinely loath to be evacuated & when of necessity they had to go it would be with a look quite wistful & pathetic on being wrenched from their mates. Perhaps the fellowship was fostered by the thought that we were all in it. There were no back areas ​There was an equality there which would have delighted any Socialist heart. No one had any money – there was nothing to buy. Its only use was to do a bit of bartering on the beach – where you might on very rare occasions be able to snare a tin of condensed milk for 2/6. Once I saw 5 sheets of Y. M. C. A. note paper & envelopes sold there for 2/- ! I spent 18/- in 6 months on Anzac & that was entered in my pay-book for Canteen stores. The un-levelling element of clothes was in influence as their quantity almost nil. We were all equally dirty and almost equally ragged.
Among the norms of this life one must not omit the beach & its bathing. It was the great joy of existence. The water of exactly the right temperature & always a glorious sunshine. What a unique & fine sight it was to see as many as two or three thousand men of such physique as this 1st Expeditionary Force which was finer than anything Ive ever seen ​disporting themselves along that sandy stretch & them as 'Beachy Bill' opened up scatter as one man for cover. The report of 'Beachy Bill' or 'Anafarta Annie' could always be heard a few seconds before their shell arrived & in that few seconds the crowd of bathers would get under – for undoubtedly shrapnel did lose its kick, unless very low bursting through water. Later on when the enemy got the exact range bathing was really dangerous & I know I reduced it to rare intervals after I saw 18 hit by one shrapnel burst on June 24th.
Let that then be an attempt to sketch the background I can now proceed to fill in odd details of Regimental life from May 16th.
On May 17th I note in my diary that things were quieter and that there were fewer casualties although Turks was persistently sniping the valley. ​This night I opened a plot of ground at the end of Shrapnel Valley as a burial ground which later grew to such pathetic desperation area. An order is issued that all funerals were to take place by night.
On the morning of the 18th “Jack Johnson” made its first appearance. This was the nick-name given to an 8" shell with a black burst of smoke which was believed to have been fired from the Turkish forts at Chantik on the southern side of the Narrows. It fired intermittently for a week. Three were killed by it the first morning but its casualties were extraordinarily few.
Rumour had it that the Turks were likely to make an attack in force the next day & every one was busy in preparation. The “heads” had something more than rumour to plan on. Never was our information better. We knew how when & where they would come & we were ready for them. They were broadminded enough to attack on the whole Anzac front. It is awful to think what would have happened if they had concentrated ​on certain previous positions. The story has been told elsewhere. After an artillery preparation which commenced on the evening of the 18th & which grew to some intensity by midnight & the first wave came at us at 2 a.m. and my word the "Aussies" were ready for them. The 2nd Regiment were scattered; some in Quinns, others in the neighbouring trenches of Popes, the remainder in supports & doing fatiques for the fighters. Ere the attack finished our men had their share of the shooting. "Fine sport" seemed to be the predominant impression of the fight on our men. At Quinns we were finely supported by the excellent gunnery of Sykes battery falling well on the Turkish trenches, which considering their juxta-position to ours was no mean feat. Wave after wave of the enemy were 'stoushed'. It is said that they left over 3000 dead on the Anzac front as a result of their effort "to push us into the sea". I can well believe that the number isnt exaggerated judging by the sights I saw ​five days later on the Day of Armistice.
In this encounter Corpl Graeme Wilson (230) of the 2nd Regt was killed & his death caused deep concern & regret in the Regt. As the Infantry got exhausted our supports stepped into their place. "Four more men for C sector". Graeme eagerly went to his place but a few moments later received an abdominal wound to which he soon succumbed.
Other casualties that night were:-
    626. Tpr H.C. Jones wounded
    156. " A. Gardiner "
    61. " J. H. Kirk "
    68. " E.W. Rose "
    59. Sergt H. Hackney (M.G.S.) slightly wounded ​During this day 19th May
the famous "Donkey man" was killed. A hero indeed Since the landing he had plied his heroic & merciful trade carrying wounded men on his 'donk' ("Queen Lizzie by Dreadnought" was the breed according to him) from Quinns & neighbourhood back to the beach Ambulance. His energy, cheery wit & nonchalence were an inspiration to us all.
Our casualties were, regarding the strength & vigour of the attack remarkably small. Nevertheless I know I was kept busy with the wounded & dead until mid-day of the 20th. With Chaplains Gillison & Wray I buried 47 Australians & 6 Turks.
May 20. At 5.30 on Thursday afternoon of the 20th a strange unofficial armistice came & lasted more than half an hour. It was due to a misunderstanding the result I believe of some parley between the Turks & the 1st Division on our right. Anyway the word "Cease fire' passed along the line & one so to speak felt the silence. Till that moment ​there had not been ten seconds day or night wherein one could not have heard rifle or machine gun shot. The peace was of short duration. By 6.30 the firing re-opened & by 8.30 as the sun went down in splendour behind Samothrace the hellish noise resumed its former intensity.
This lull proved to be the harbinger of an official Armistice which after negotiations was arranged for May 24th. For the intervening days there is nothing exceptional to report. The Turks bombarded with extra vehemence on the night of May 20-21st & at 7.30 pm on the evening of the 21st he gave us another ration of "Jack Johnson" pills which in doses of 200 lb fell fair on our position without causing a single casualty.
The majority of our Regiment were in these days bivouaced in rear of the 2nd line trenches near Brigade H'qrs in Monash Gully. ​ May 24th
Monday May the 24th was then the Day of Armistice it had been agreed that from 7.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. hostilities were to be suspended mainly to bury the dead which are a menace to the health of the soldiers. Jacko the Sniper was dealing out death and destruction until the last second; indeed it seemed to me some two or three minutes after 7.30 when they cry "Stretcher Bearer" arose from a spot opposite my dug-out. Two of those who responded to the cry were wounded – one I believe fatally. Then peace. What a relief! Burial parties, doctors padres ​scrambled up the slopes over the top into "No-mans-land" there to behold an unforgetible sight & to scent a stench indescribable Dead in all stages of decomposition were strewn over the ground. In the valley opposite "Quinns" and "Courtneys" the Turkish dead lay as a battalion in open bivouac and one was assured that the accounts respecting the enemy losses on May 19th had not been exaggerated. But over all the stench! It was in ones system for days. My job was the burying. Cotton-wool in my nostrils & occasional nips of rum & water fortified me for the ordeal. There was a line of demarcation equidistant between our respective trenches marked by guards so that friend & foe stood face to face that neither should trespass. All military equipment was stacked on the dividing line. In most cases the only identification on bodies were their boots and thus one distinguished Australian New Zealander or "Tommy". One Lieut Hindman of the 15th Battalion who had ​held his commission for one day only lay dead in the communication trench which had given us so much trouble on Quinns. The trench became the grave of him and 3 others interred with more earth and ceremony than it was possible with some & so the menace if this trench was overcome and these heroes served their mates in death & in life.
The body of Tpr T. L. Goodall was the only one of the 2nd L.H. Regt that I found & buried that day. He had gone over with Major Graham on the night of the 14-15th.
I was pleased to get away from the scene and stench early in the afternoon – although the taste of the latter didnt leave one for days – for social calls & a bathe. it was a day of general visitation & everyone was very cheery & brave. Precisely at 4.30 pm hostilities reopened, however I note that it is a comparative quiet night & that there was no artillery fire until after 11 a.m. the following day. Tuesday May 25th however soon brought intimate reminders to the Regiment that we ​were at war. McAlister of A. Squadron is shot through the head. Then four more of our fellows got hit with shrapnel which fell fair on to our bivvy. Tpr J. F. Ballinger (120), Corpl Chambers (311) Tpr J. M. Hawke (16) Tpr De Raeve (14)
Later in the afternoon came the news that the "Triumph" had been torpedoed, and could be seen sinking from the higher ground which commanded a view of the sea to Imbros. I wouldnt step 10 yards for the spectacle being satiated by sensational sights ere this. Submarines off Anzac – what a glorious sight for the enemy – these were my predominant thoughts.
Our Regiment stood to arms this evening evidently some developement of the mines & counter mines on Quinns was expected but the men were dismissed before midnight without any untoward happening.
Tpr N.G. Clarke (497) and Tpr J. Hopper (58) were also wounded on this day.
Wednesday May 26th
There is a theory that the enemy has ​May 26 advanced outposts to a position in the No-mans-land between Popes & Walkers which may account for the sniping being extra bad this morning in the gully. He was peppering bullets all around our dugouts More than a dozen were hit in almost as few minutes. Twenty six were wounded by 10.30 a.m. two of our Regiment among them. Capt J. Macdonald, who was the Medical Orderly to 'Dad' Macartney, was shot through the leg but not seriously and Sergeant Alex. Glasgow – brother to our Major- received more dangerous wounds in the leg & wrist. Macdonald returned to us again on but Alex Glasgow was too severely wounded & by being invalided to Australia was lost to the Regiment.
This day (26 May) the Regiment went in to garrison Popes Hill. Here we were not in such close proximately to the Turk as at Quinns but had a valley roughly 70 yards across & on our left about it dipped to a depth of some yards while on the ​right it merged into the no mans land adjoining Quinns. The irregular trenches which connected the two posts was also manned by the men of our Regiment who were thus at hand when things got lively at either place. The first two days of our garrison here were comparatively quiet.
On the 27th the "Majestic" was sunk off Cape Hellas & from that forward we saw few warships of the larger class off Anzac; destroyers & Minatours giving us bombardment & protecting fire.
There was continuous mining & counter-mining on Quinns and at such operations certain men of the 2nd Regt not unfamiliar with the underworld at Mount Morgan were a valuable asset. On the 27th May we blew up a mine on Quinns in the nick of time for "Jacko" was within a foot of us. On another occasion Sergt Crane of 'B' Squadron was mining on Quinns when the Turk got in first.
Crane escaped but without his tunic which contained his pay book etc. ​ During the operations 6-8 Aug a tin box was found at a captured Turkish Headquarters & therein was the missing pay book with treasured personal photographs.
Saturday May 29th is a memorable day Perhaps it is best to transcribe from my diary written at the time .
"Captain Luther awakened me at 3 a.m. saying "There's something doing on Quinns" By Gosh! so there was. From then till now 10 a.m. there was a continual procession of wounded. Surely I will never forget the sight. For courage I can imagine nothing finer than these men.
There had been mining & counter-mining these past few days & this morning the enemy got in first. The theory is that they had been mining under our sap for ​some days. Anyhow at 3 a.m. this morning there was a terrific explosion which blew up a lump of our front trench, head cover falling in & our mining tunnels collapsing. Then the Turks rushed throwing bombs by the hundred. Our men stuck it. The 15th Inf. were glorious. It was fearful for some time. The Turks were in our trench for a while & their bombs were falling thick & it was an inferno of dust fumes smoke flame & fire amid such bustling and swerving as never was. Still our men held on – passing, lighting, throwing bombs. The enemy brings skilful machine-gun-fire to bear defensively on the position they temporarily hold. Simultaneously they pelted shrapnel into the valley. Then our men drive them off & hold our original position. Glorious. I shall never forget the hour of dawn – it was a piteous yet bracing sight. The ​wounded, dying & dead lying around with the noise a flash of firing & the quiet splendour of the sunrise. Not one complaint from the wounded. Doctors Luther & Macgregor splendid. Dad Macartney is working hard higher up the hill. Our Regiment on Popes didnt suffer so heavily. The 15th & 13th bore the brunt – but we had some men engaged tunnelling on Quinns & those on Popes had a busy time. There must have been 120 casualties that Ive seen this morning & about 40 lie around as I write.
Among our casualties of the 2nd Regt were
Colin Morgan Reade – a taking lad of Southport School, the youngest member of the Regiment- not much over 18 years of age – was shot through the head this morning. I was with him at the last but, thank God, he was quite unconscious. Major Glasgow our 2nd in command (I omit to copy out certain comments ​on his character, but most will guess their tenor) was wounded this morning a shrapnel pellet went through his leg but luckily at a fleshy part & it is not serious. Lieut M.C. Trotter was more serious – penetrating the chest. Corpl C.J. Bonde (484) was killed
Wounded
Tpr W. Sedden 211 (in the eye) Tpr W. H. Glenn (153) L. Corp T.P. Winterton (72) & Tpr Mccreedy (74) (M.G.S.) slightly Tpr S.F. Parker (189) Tpr A. Watts (582)
Slightly wounded
Lt. A. Martin Tpr F R. Jamieson (531) Tpr P.G.A. Bartlett (128)
Of the Turks who got into our trench 17 were taken prisoner – they have just passed. Major Quinn of 15th was killed defending the post to which he had given his name – also Lieut King Little & Capt Forsyth were wounded. The worst or the best can never be told. An hour here would make the most indifferent slacker enlist. 11 a.m. Things quieter now.
Major Glasgow when I was expressing sympathy for him on his wound this morning replied "This! (those ​who have served under this fine soldier can give the note of exclamation its full content. "Why one would do anything – its an honour to be blown to bits to support such fellows as these!'
The cheerfulness & unselfishness of the wounded is magnificent. Dr. Macgregor tells me of a young fellow whose face was shot away asking for a piece of paper & thereon wrote down some information [repecting] the enemy for his Brigadier – and then fell back dead.
Such stories are typical.
General Godley visited gully dressing station & said to the wounded how proud he was of their splendid conduct.
Had an afternoon doze.
Apropos the above story of a message from the wounded, I had a curious message from one. [Scored out - It actually happened to me on Saty June 5th although others have appropriated the story. He was early down &] Many ​wounded were lying around awaiting attention at the time & one poor fellow was in my dug-out shot so badly through the mouth that he couldn't speak. He made signs to me for a piece of pencil & paper & seemed most anxious for it. Would this be some tender greeting to his home folk? or perhaps to me a padre some pious aspiration. No. "The blighters wont face the bayonet" was what he was so eager to communicate.
Major T. W. Glasgow although sent down to the beach of evacuation stole quietly to the right & quartered himself on the 3rd Field Ambulance where he had some pals among the doctors & was able to have his wound dressed. He returned to the Regiment practically well on the morning of June 4th & well pleased all were to see him.
May 30th From 1.30 a.m. to 6.30 a.m. on Sunday May 30th I was busy with burials. Chaplain Wray & I buried 26 of our men & 20 Turks. It was ​no a pleasant job- but I omit details. To make matters worse the enemy turned a machine gun onto the cemetery at dawn.
McSherry who is acting Orderly Officer of Quinns called at our dug out & told us stories of the fight of last night. During the afternoon another sortie was made from Quinns this time by men of the 10th Light Horse Regt who came from their position on Walkers to make the attack - they were supported by some N.Z. Infantry. The thought of another charge made me feel sick but with the arrival of the first wounded (3.30 p.m.) we got most optimistic accounts. –" Have gained enemies front trench & are consolidating position" etc.
At 4.30 however the usual reaction came as we learnt that almost all who got forward were casualties & we had to abandon trench. Position status give casualties about 50.
The Regiment only had two men wounded this day. Pte P. Marson (23) of Mt Morgan & Tpr T.A. Ellison (146) ​On May 31st the 4th Inf. Brigade were moved away from our sector for a 'rest' in a gully at the foot of Walkers Ridge & from now to August we were surrounded by New Zealand infantry. On this day Tpr V. Denton (618) was killed & Corpl T. Locke was wounded. We continued to garrison Popes Hill until June 2nd & these days were uneventful & without casualty. It was the 1st Regt (L. H.) which relieved us at Popes when the 2nd went again into bivouac in the 2nd line of Defence trenches.
On June 4th Tpr E.J. McIndoo (538) was shot dead under my eyes at few yards off. It was instantaneous death. Our Colonel came out of his bivvy to see what had happened & another bullet came over the bank & just cut his nose. One stick put it right – but if he had been 3 inches in advance! My friend Dad Macartney & his orderly were also slightly wounded this day in a temporary Dressing Station they had down the road. ​ The next 20 days were uneventful for the Regiment. Sorties continued at intervals on Quinns & there were at times many casualties which kept me occupied – but they were mostly New Zealanders & that is another story.
On Tuesday June 15th our Brigadier (Colonel Chauvel) was evacuated with an attack of pleurisy.
Although my diary is full of incident at this period, records of conversations & casualties etc there is nothing of historic interest & perhaps the story can be given in outline with a list of casualties. ​
| June | 13th | Tpr | C.F. M$^c$Dougall – | 364 387 | wounded | wounded | | | | |
| June | 14 | " | J.L. Stark – | 387 | " | " | | | | |
| June | 16-23 | Regiment again garrisons Pope's Hill. | Regiment again garrisons Pope's Hill. | Regiment again garrisons Pope's Hill. | Regiment again garrisons Pope's Hill. | Regiment again garrisons Pope's Hill. | Regiment again garrisons Pope's Hill. | Regiment again garrisons Pope's Hill. |
| June | 19. | Tpr | A. Abercrombie | 26 | seriously wounded | seriously wounded | $\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \\\ \\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,$ | |
| June | 19. | " | T. H. Boadle | 296 | " | " | $\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \\\ \\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,$ | effect of one |
| June | 19. | " | A H. B. Bliss | 127 | " | " | $\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \\\ \\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,$ | shrapnel |
| June | 19. | Corp | H Topp | 104 | " | " | $\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \\\ \\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,$ | burst on |
| June | 19. | Tpr | C. Leitch | 604 | slightly" | slightly" | $\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \\\ \\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,$ | Popes. |
| June | 19. | | | ♁ | | | | |
| June | 18. | Tpr | W.O. OConnor | 371 | $\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,$ | died of wounds & buried | died of wounds & buried | died of wounds & buried | died of wounds & buried | died of wounds & buried |
| June | 18. | " | W. Norton | 366 | $\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,$ | at sea ex Hospital ship "Saxon" | at sea ex Hospital ship "Saxon" | at sea ex Hospital ship "Saxon" | at sea ex Hospital ship "Saxon" |
| June | 18. | Sgt | B.W. Curtis | 282 | wounded | wounded | | | | |
| June | 18. | Tpr | C. Hannington | 357 | " | " | | | | |
| June | 20. | " | A. North | 249 | " | " | | | | |
| June | 22 | " | W. Keld | 170 | ― died of wounds | ― died of wounds | ― died of wounds | ― died of wounds | ― died of wounds |
| June | 22 | " | R. Brown | 470 | wounded | wounded | | | | |
| June | 25 | " | J.S. Drylie | 503 | " | " | | | | |
| June | 26 | " | A. Riddell | 736 | " | " | | | | |
| June | 28 | Captain A. Martin | Captain A. Martin | | " | " | | | | |
* ↑ Four only were hit & those very lightly – Lieut A.J. Ogilvy. Tpr W.A. Elliott (318) Tpr L. H. Arthur (292) Tpr R. Mc Alcase (551)
* ↑ The sight of wounded comrades was then a novelty to us, "Hit old chap" I remarked to the first walking case I met. "Yes went in my jaw and out me nostril. B—lucky" was the reply he emitted from his gory face.
* ↑ It was while inspecting these sand bag barricades near the 'bivvies' of the 3rd Regt on Sunday May 16th that General Bridges received the wound which afterwards proved fatal.
* ↑ Under the heading rations must come the word Rum. In the case of a few it was a mystic monosyllable looming disproportionately on their mental horizon. But who am I, who knows how a weak solution of the same with hard biscuit & jam at 2 a.m. after hours of burial work gave comfort & sleep, to inveigh against it?
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