World War, 1914-1918 -- Campaigns -- Turkey -- Gallipoli Peninsula
Once, outside the dugout, leaning against the wall of sand-bags talking
to an Australian officer, I heard a shell coming clean for us. I had no
time to get to cover. I saw men several yards away dive for cover. I
watched the Australian. He did not duck, but I noticed that he gripped
his pipe tightly with his teeth. I leant hard against the wall behind
me, and the beastly thing passed low over our heads and burst in the
sea. I said to him, “I wanted to duck, but as you didn’t, I didn’t,”
and he replied, “Same here, son.” Gale has been blowing hard the last
three days, the Navy having great difficulty in landing stores, etc.;
but to-night—the night of the 20th—the wind is dying down. Hardly any
shelling at all now, except inland.
Our flimsy bivouac very draughty and cold. It is hard work keeping our
accounts and doing our office work.
_November 22nd._
Gale blowing hard now and wind much colder. Hard at work building our
new camp. Hunt falls ill and has to go to bed, but trying to stick it
out. Turks very quiet.
We are woke up at twelve midnight by a dugout on fire, and all turn out
to get the fire under and prevent it spreading in the strong wind to
neighbouring dugouts. We curse heartily but manage to put the fire out
in half an hour. No one is hurt.
_November 23rd._
Wind quieting down, thank goodness. We pull down our “summer
residence,” in which we had lived for close on three months. In a
short while not a sign of it is left, and we are hard at work shifting
the whole camp into our new quarters in the late IX Corps Gully. Each
regiment’s Q.M.’s staff, and a few regimental transport details and our
A.S.C. Supply details move with us. Also the two Brigade post-offices.
Our camp is not properly finished, but we are all glad to be in it, for
it is much warmer at night in our dugouts.
_November 24th._
The weather is now much more settled. It was making us all very
anxious, as landing stores was very difficult for the Navy. Brigade
H.Q. country walk again. But life very monotonous. Battleships now and
again pop off. A little shelling from the Turk, but not half a dozen
all day. Hard at work on new camp.
_November 25th._
Hunt very seedy, so I send him to Field Ambulance. At night hear a
rumour that the evacuation of Suvla Bay has been decided on. Go down on
beach in the evening to see about arrangements for getting off, but am
led to believe it is only baggage for a Division which is leaving.
_November 26th._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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