3 June 1915

HELLES - In the final days before the next leap forward - the planned attack all along the line at Helles on 4 June 1915 - the practice of sapping forward to reduce the distance they would have to charge across during the attack was continued. This eminently sensible measure threw up an example of the continued intransigence Major General Sir Aylmer Hunter-Weston 's and his unwillingness to adapt to the grim necessities of circumstance.

Photograph of Major General Sir Aylmer Hunter-Weston, GOC, VIII Corps

Brigadier-General Marshall had been attached to the 42nd Division to provide assistance to the inexperienced staff of the 127th Manchester Brigade when he learnt the details of the proposal for the night of 2-3 June 1915.

"A night advance was to be made on the night of 2nd June and all the troops destined to carry out the attack were to dig themselves in within 200 yards of the enemy trenches. In front of the Manchester Brigade the line of the enemy trenches formed a re-entrant, and, with an almost full moon, I would have preferred not to advance into this re-entrant, so I ventured to point out that the resulting casualties might be very heavy. However the orders were very explicit and had to be carried out. The result was the brigade made the advance successfully, and dug itself in all along the line within the stipulated 200 yards. Luckily the enemy fired high and the resulting casualties only amounted to fifty or sixty, nearly all being wounded cases. Hunter-Weston came down on the 3rd personally to congratulate Lee's Brigade on their successful effort; to me he said: "There you are! You see the thing has been done with no casualties". I gently murmured "Fifty" to which he retorted: "Well, that's nothing, it would have been worth doing if you had five hundred". (Brigadier General William Marshall, (attached) 127th Brigade, 42nd Division)

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SOURCE: W. Marshall, Memories of Four Fronts, (London: Ernest Benn Ltd, 1929), p79

 

4 June 1915

HELLES - THIRD BATTLE OF KRITHIA - To start the Third Battle of Krithia the bombardment of identified Turkish strongpoints opened up at 08.00, then at 11.05 the concentrated barrage of the whole Turkish front line began. Once again only the French 75's, some of which had been loaned to the British sector, were well supplied with high explosive shells and by far the great preponderance of shells fired by British guns were ineffectual shrapnel.

Probably as a result of this imbalance reactions to the bombardment varied widely amongst the troops depending on the amount of destruction in front of them. Some, like Private Ridley Sheldon, were mightily impressed.

"It was such an inferno of noise, that I was stone deaf for a fortnight afterwards; and there was a tornado of hellish fire, so fierce and terrible, that spread death and destruction all around. Any orders that were given had to be passed down the Trenches from man to man, by his yelling in to the ears of his mate as loudly as he possibly could. The bombardment consisted of shrapnel and lyddite; and shells in thousands were dropped, blowing parts of the Turkish Trenches to atoms, and completely carrying away the barbed wire entanglements which the enemy had erected. Every shell that dropped seemed to tell; for we saw, hurled up into the air, Legs, Arms, Heads, bodies, parts of limbs and every imaginable thing. It was an awful and fearful sight, most gruesome in the extreme, and blood curdling." (Private Ridley Sheldon, 1/6th Manchester Regiment, 127th Brigade, 42nd Division)

But in other area it was a sad disappointment to those who knew their lives might depend on the efficacy of the bombardment. In the middle of the British line

To the right of the 29th Division was the 42nd Division attacking on either side of Krithia Nullah. The Lancashire territorials had been rank amateurs when they had landed at Helles just 4 weeks before. Frightened by the noise of battle, afraid of the dark, terrified by sight of mangled human remains; unable to perform even the simplest of military tasks, they had been all but useless. Their training had not been sufficient to withstand the shock of war. But they had matured in the trenches, gained that vital experience, learnt to control themselves under fire and now they were ready for battle. The attack was carried out by the Manchesters of the 127th Brigade. As Private Ridley Sheldon found it a terrific trial.

"I shall never forget the moment when we had to leave the shelter of the trenches. It is indeed, terrible, the first step you take - right in the face of the most deadly fire, and to realise that any moment you may be shot down; but if you are not hit, then you seem to gather courage. And when you see on either side of you, men like yourself, it inspires you with a determination to press forward. Away we went over the parapet with fixed bayonets - one line of us like the wind. But it was absolute murder for men fall like corn before the sickle. I had not gone more than 20 yards beyond our first trench, about 60 yards in all when I was shot through the left leg about 5 inches above the knee. At once I realised what had happened, for it seemed as enough someone had taken a red-hot gimlet and suddenly thrust it right through my leg. I dropped immediately and could not go any further. Then began one of the most awful and trying walks I have ever had to face in my life. Just think of it! Five miles to face, in full marching order, with my rifle and all my equipment ... all the way from the firing line down to the base; however I did it, I do not know, for my rifle weighed nine pounds five ounces. I walked, I crawled; I dragged myself along as best I could, resting every few minutes; and I never knew there were so many Field Telephone Wires before, for I was continually stumbling over them. But somehow or other I kept pressing on; and the fact that I was going further and further away from the Firing line, each step I took, gave me courage to plod on - nay, it was nothing less than an inspiration."

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SOURCE: IWM DOCS, R. Sheldon memoir, pp46-48 & 63

5 June 1915

HELLES - THIRD BATTLE OF KRITHIA - Across all fronts at Helles on 4 June the attacks had varying success, if only initially. Especially in the British centre and on the right all began well, with two to three lines of trenches almost a kilometre wide being captured. However most of this ground had to be evacuated owing to lack of support and the failure of neighbouring attacks.

The attack on Gully Spur was little different, but mainly due to the weakness of the artillery support, the attack also failed. With Turkish wire uncut and entrenched positions largely untouched by the bombardment, the heavy machine gun and rifle fire from the Turkish posts on both banks of Gully Ravine proved devastating to the advancing troops, whom the Turks were able to destroy with ease from behind the protection of their barbed wire. Because the Lancashire Fusilier attack failed in the middle of the Indian Brigade, this neutralised the success of the Gurkhas nearer the coast and of the 14/Sikhs in Gully Ravine. This failure on Gully Spur also affected the 88 Brigade advance east of the ravine, which found its left flank wide open and enfiladed from across the ravine. It soon became clear to all that the attack was a failure.

Reverend Creighton on 5 June described the scene in and around Gully Ravine:

"The gully was in a perfect turmoil, of course, guns going off on all sides, and the crack of the bullets tremendously loud. They swept down the gully, and one or two men were hit. I cannot imagine anything much more blood-curdling than to go up the gully for the first time while a fierce battle is raging. You cannot see a gun anywhere, or know where the noise is coming from. At the head of the gully you simply go up the side right into the trenches. You see nothing except men passing to and fro at the bottom, and there is the incessant din overhead.

The place was very full of wounded, who were being got off on boats as quickly as possible. Everywhere, of course, I was hearing about the battle. The left had been held up, unable to advance. The centre had advanced. The casualties were heavy. The whole situation was terrible - no advance, and nothing but casualties, and the worst was that the wounded had not been got back, but lay between ours and the Turks' firing line. It was impossible to get at some of them. The men said they could see them move. The firing went on without ceasing." (Rev O. Creighton, C of E Chaplain to 86 Brigade, 29th Division)

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Source: Creighton, Reverend Oswin, CF, With the Twenty Ninth Division in Gallipoli: A Chaplain's Experience, (1916), p.121-123

6 June 1915

HELLES - THIRD BATTLE OF KRITHIA - As the Turkish reserves arrived in the days following 4 June there was some desperate fighting. The Turkish counter-attacks were pushed with such vigour that at times threatened a real breakthrough themselves as there were few Allied reserves at hand to plug gaps in the line.

The desperation can be judged by the award of the VC to the 18-year old Second Lieutenant Dallas Moor who despite his youth was acting as commanding officer of the 2nd Hampshires when on the morning of 6 June there was a dangerous outbreak of panic in the salient left by the partial retirement of the 42nd Division. Terrified of being cut off, the troops occupying the front line trench (known as H12) went running back promoting equal chaos in the second line (H11) whose garrison also fell back in terror. This was becoming serious as the Turks were threatening a complete breakthrough. Moor rushed across and stemmed the retreat by the abrupt action of shooting up to four of the fleeing soldiers. He then managed not only to stop the rout, but to rally them and lead them forward to retake H11 although still leaving H12 in Turkish hands. This level of chaos and panic was not an isolated incident as the Turks pushed down the gullies, seeking to penetrate as far as they could out of sight as they probed at the weak points in the line.

His citation for the Victoria Cross reads:

"For most conspicuous bravery and resource on the 5th June 1915 [sic], during operations south of Krithia, Dardanelles. When a detachment of a battalion on his left, which had lost all its officers, was rapidly retiring before a heavy Turkish attack, Second Lieutenant Moor, immediately grasping the danger to the remainder of the line, dashed back some 200 yards, stemmed the retirement, led back the men and recaptured the lost trench. This young officer, who only joined the Army in October 1914, by his personal bravery and presence of mind, saved a dangerous situation."

Whatever one thinks of Moor's precipitate actions on 6 June 1915, Moor was to prove himself a brave officer who was subsequently awarded the MC and Bar for services on the Western Front. He died from influenza on 3 November 1918 and is buried in the Y Farm Military Cemetery, Bois-Grenier.

7 June 1915

HELLES - The Army Service Corps had a never ending task trying to attend to all the logistical needs of the best part of an Army Corps from W Beach where there was only a few rough piers and they were constantly under the threat of artillery fire to boot! Gillam was running backwards and forwards throughout this period to an advanced supply depot located at Pink Farm. You can still see much evidence of a depot to this day just past the Pink Farm Cemetery.



June 7 was Just another day for Captain John Gillam.

"Heavy gun with -high explosive kicking up a devil of a row all day, but not reaching the beach, bursting in the valley on the way to Brigade H.Q. Plenty of artillery duelling all day. Asiatic battery fires on transports and hits one several times, setting her alight, and she now has a heavy list on. French crew rush to boats and clear off quick. British torpedo destroyer goes alongside, puts crew on board the transport, and they put out the fire. All transports move further out to sea, and Turkish battery shuts up. I have to feed the prisoners, and a party of them come up to our depot under a guard to draw rations. Transport is provided by two G.S. wagons. There are ten of them in the party, and one of their N.C.O.'s. They fall in in two ranks, and wherever I move they follow me with their eyes. I then motion to their NCO to load up a certain number of boxes. He gives an order in Turkish, and they load up in remarkably quick time. They are then fallen in by their NCO, and one of them who is rather dilatory is pushed into his place by the others. Marching in front of their G.S. wagons, they go back to their barbed wire enclosure. They appeared most anxious to do the right thing. Many of them were raggedly clothed, with their boots almost out at heel. No shelling during night." (Captain John Gillam, Army Service Corps, 29th Divisional Supply Train,  W Beach)

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SOURCE:  John Gillam, Gallipoli Diary, (London, George Allen & Unwin, 1918), pp. 125-126

8 June 1915

ANZAC - Sapper Cyril Lawrence arrived at Gallipoli on 2 June 1915. He was soon working on digging out the B5 tunnel from the front line which would then form the basis of a new line closing the distance to the Turkish front line. He is one of the great diarists of the campaign.

Photograph: of Lawrence having his hair cut at Anzac. AWM (P02226.020)

"Up at 6.30 - glorious morning. Started on the 8am till 4pm shift this morning. It is much better working in the daytime, as one can get proper sleep at night. The flies are simply the limit and won't let one sleep in the daytime. Our tunnel is still being driven ahead but today it was decided that a new firing line was to be formed along a front 90 feet out in front of the firing line, and with this in view we started two tunnels running right and left on the 90 feet mark in the main B5 tunnel. I have charge of the tunnel running towards the left and have four infantrymen under me. They are supposed to do the work and me to supervise, but it generally ends up that they do all the grumbling and we do all the work. Today we went in 15 feet for the 24 hours. Of course on these works, work is carried on day and night and only ceases when we are listening for the sound of enemy picking. We Australians and New Zealand armies who hold this position are badly placed for everything necessary. We cannot possibly by any means get into an absolutely safe position, as we only hold a few mountainous ridges and their shells can get us anywhere; they come from all directions. As for water there is practically nil and what little we do get here has to be obtained from wells which supply only a small quantity which is unfit for drinking unless boiled. Nearly all our water is brought here in barges. We get about one water bottle full (1 quart) per day. This has to do for washing as well, but we always use the sea. All water rations and goods, ammunition, shells etc. has to be manhandled right up to the trenches - in some cases 500 to 600 feet up. The poor infantry chaps either sleep in the firing line itself or else in the support trenches just at the rear of the former. They have no dugouts like we have but just lie in the trenches anywhere and anyhow. Each man has also to cook his own rations, get his own firewood and everything. They do 24 hours in the firing line, 24 hours on fatigues and in the support trenches and then another 24 hours in the firing line and so on, but go where you will you can't possibly get out of the range of bullets etc. Our rations are as follows. Breakfast: tea & sugar, no milk, six biscuits per day (hard as Hell too), a small piece of cheese, ¼lb jam and one rasher of bacon. Lunch: tea only. Tea: stew or bully beef and tea, no milk. When one first arrives here with his blood in good condition and feeling fit he does not notice the food, but after a while it gets absolutely unbearable." (Sapper Cyril Lawrence, 2nd Field Company, Australian Engineers, AIF)

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SOURCE: C. Lawrence (edited by R. East) The Gallipoli Diary of Sergeant Lawrence of the Australian Engineers, 1st AIF, 1915, (Melbourne, Melbourne University Press1981), pp.26-27

9 June 1915

ANZAC - Quinn’s Post had become a feared death-trap. Overlooked from all sides it was considered fatal to even peak over the top for fear of the Turkish snipers. Sapping by both sides had reduced No Man’s Land at some points to just a matter of a few yards or some disputed barricade. Bombs rained down with just wire netting to stop them from landing in the trench alongside the long-suffering garrison.

Sleep was almost impossible and the defenders were soon haggard wrecks of men worn down to a frazzle in just a few days. That was the situation when the New Zealanders of the Wellington Regiment were assigned the defence of Quinn's on 9 June. There could have been no better choice. Colonel William Malone was a man of the old school with a veritable mania for bringing order out of what he perceived to be chaos.



"There is an awful lot of work to do. Such a dirty dilapidated, unorganised post. Still I like work and will revel in straightening things up. Quite a length of the trench unoccupiable, owing to bomb throwing superiority of Turks. No places for men to fall in. The local reserve is posted too far away and yet there is at present no ground prepared on which they could be comfortably put. I selected a new headquarters shelter for myself, and gave orders that every rifle shot and bomb from the Turks was to be promptly returned at least twofold. We can and will beat them at their own game."

Working to a clear plan, with the inner steel to take his officers and men with him, Malone made a huge difference to the situation at Quinn's. One man could make a difference.

"We soon got the upper hand of the Turk riflemen and bomb throwers, and have completely changed the position. We have terraced the ground so that the troops in reserve are together instead of being dotted about in all sorts of holes. We have made roads to the top of the hill at the back so that we can counter-attack. Fire positions have been fixed for the supporting troops and in less than a minute we can sheet the hillcrest with lead from 200 rifles, the men being side by side in lines under their NCOs and officers. I got two machine guns mounted to sweep half of our front which before had to depend on some fifty rifles to stop the Turks who had only some 15 yards to cross to get from their trench to ours. Above all the men are inspired with the conviction that they have superiority over the Turks and are getting a fair run for their lives. We have so wrecked and racked the Turks trenches, that they now have the 'dread' and have almost abandoned their front trenches opposite us. Improvements made every day, overhead cover erected over terraces, making them sun and shrapnel and bomb proof. Blankets nailed along west fronts keep out the glare and heat of the westerly sun and can be rolled up at night, out of the way. The post has become absolutely the best in the defence and the safest." (Lieutenant-Colonel William Malone, Wellington Battalion, New Zealand Brigade, A&NZ Division)

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SOURCE: . G. Malone edited by J. Crawford, No Better Death: The Great War Diaries and Letters of William G Malone(Auckland: Reed Publishing Ltd, 2005), pp.236-237