World War, 1914-1918 -- Campaigns -- Turkey -- Gallipoli Peninsula
Our front line is always warned when any such stunt is on, so that
they may not arrange for their working parties or patrols to be out in
front. Looking at the country in front of me, I can see that here on
these rugged slopes the Turk would have but short shrift if he attacked
us—as of course would we if we attacked. Result, deadlock, like two
cats spitting and sparring at each other. Morris says he is always
pleased to show people round his pet hobby. I was immensely interested,
and Morris might have been showing me round a farm.
We come back in the gloaming, Morris now and again stopping to order
paper and litter to be picked up, for General de Lisle is around here
frequently, and has the eye of a hawk.
_October 27th._
A fine morning, with a very warm and strong wind, almost a gale,
blowing from the sea. Smith, of Hampshires, pays us a visit, and as
we sit in our dugout we hear “Whistling Rufus” coming over from Sari
Bair. One corner of the roof over our dugout is only of tarpaulin,
for corrugated iron is scarce. Rumour says that a ship which set out
from England loaded with corrugated iron has been torpedoed and sunk.
An officer, newly arrived, who is sitting with us, appears to rather
scorn my advice to move from where he is sitting under the tarpaulin,
which is of no protection to him from shrapnel bullets, when, “Crash”
from “Whistling Rufus” is heard overhead, and the sound of bullets
spattering on our roof follows immediately after, just as if an unseen
hand with a bowl of pebbles had taken a handful and thrown them with
violence down on to our abode. A shirt hanging outside on a line to dry
receives two bullets through its tail, causing large rents. The new
officer immediately gets up from where he is sitting and comes round
to our side of the table, where we sit under a roof of corrugated iron
with a layer of sand-bags on top, safe from everything but a direct hit.
This 5·9 shrapnel is followed by others, and in the distance we hear
the roar of Turkish artillery and bursting shrapnel. “Whistling Rufus”
ceases worrying us after a while, and we go up to behind our dugout and
look inland at the Turkish shelling. All along our line and behind,
Turkish shrapnel is bursting thickly, being more concentrated over
Chocolate Hill and on Hill 10, which is situated on the left of the
Salt Lake and half a mile from “B” Beach.
About half an hour after, we hear rifle fire, which dies down quickly,
and all is quiet. What it was all about I do not know. Probably the end
of the Turkish festival, or probably Enver Pasha has paid a visit, and,
sitting on top of Sari Bair, has asked for a show to be demonstrated
to him. I must say such a show, viewed from the top of Sari Bair, must
appear a wonderful sight.
_October 28th._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account