World War, 1914-1918 -- Campaigns -- Turkey -- Gallipoli Peninsula
I learn that this is called “C” Beach. It is a small beach, flanked
on its north side by a high rocky promontory called Lala Baba, the
other side of which is Suvla Bay. Suvla Bay is in turn flanked on its
north side by a high rocky promontory, jutting nearly two miles from
the mainland into the sea. Where the bay washes the mainland, there
starts a salt lake, looking like a large flat, sandy plain, evidently
under water in the winter. In the background are high rocky hills,
covered with gorse, looking beautiful in the early morning sun. At the
foot, on the left and right of the Salt Lake, lies meadow land, with
occasional clusters of olive groves. The hills on the promontory to
the north of Suvla Bay continue in a range inland, curving round the
low land immediately in front of us, when to the right of where I am
standing they join and rise to a high peak called Sari Bair. Sari Bair,
which commands the right of our line—for I learn we are on the low
land—sweeps down to the Australians’ position at Anzac or Gaba Tepe.
One or two smaller hills, from fifty to a hundred feet high, stand near
to us, rising out of the low meadow and wooded land. Some are in our
hands, and some are still Turkish. One hill in particular, lying at the
other end of the Salt Lake, inland from its centre, is called Chocolate
Hill, and I learn D.H.Q. are to be there to-night. I hear also that
there is to be a battle to-day. Many troops are landing, including a
whole Division of Yeomanry, amongst them the Warwicks, Worcesters, and
Gloucesters.
I meet one of our D.H.Q. Staff, and he, with Panton, proceeds to
Chocolate Hill, while I continue to make inquiries as to where I am to
go. Nobody appears to know or to care, and so I go on to the top of
Lala Baba and have another look round. On the opposite side of the bay
I see the promontory alive with troops. In the centre of the bend of
the bay I see hospital tents pitched. Four battleships are at anchor
in the bay, together with a few transports and Supply ships. They are
shut in and protected from submarine attack from the outer sea by a
boom of submerged nets stretching between the ends of two flanking
promontories. Over the wooded low land now and again there begins to
burst Turkish shrapnel. Half-way up the promontory on the opposite side
of the bay I see stacks of Supply boxes. I go back to “C” Beach and
call at the depot to make further inquiries, and learn that the Supply
depot that I have seen on the other side of the bay is on “A” Beach,
and, as no orders have been received to feed the 29th from “C” Beach
depot, the “A” Beach depot must be my destination.
As I stroll across “C” Beach I notice a damaged aeroplane, around which
men are clustering, inspecting it with curiosity. A Naval Lieutenant
comes up and clears them away, saying to me that if only a few men
collect together in a bunch they are very soon shelled by a Turkish
6-inch gun on Sari Bair, which commands the beach.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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