World War, 1914-1918 -- Campaigns -- Turkey -- Gallipoli Peninsula
left on August 20th last, but appears perhaps more orderly than it was
then. More light railways are about.
Foley is there to meet us, and it is good to see him safe and well. Up
to a fortnight ago, he tells me, it was very quiet on the Peninsula—in
fact, they have been playing football matches in the aerodrome, and
on shore, in a large dugout, the band of the R.N.D. have been giving
concerts. But lately two guns from Asia have been throwing over at odd
intervals of the day 8-inch Naval shells, and life on the beaches is
becoming jumpy again. Also some new guns have been placed in position
on the slopes of Achi Baba, which have been worrying the rest camps
further inland. He tells me that the Turkish ammunition had improved in
quality. This was what we had found at Suvla, due to Bulgaria’s entry
into the war as our enemies and the opening of the road from Germany
to Constantinople. The war will not end before this road is cut by the
Allies. We shall never succeed now in forcing the Straits, and so this
road will never be cut in this manner. We must, however, hang on to
this end of the Peninsula, and I pity the troops who will be detailed
for duty to do so through this winter. It will not be the 29th, for
shortly we shall again be leaving, and this time for good. Three weeks,
I think. Three weeks only on “W” Beach, the bull’s-eye of a target.
_C’est la guerre!_ As we march up on to the Helles Plateau we notice
fires burning in the distance up the coast of Suvla—the Suvla Supply
depot and other stacks still burning.
On arrival on the high ground on the left of “W” Beach looking inland,
I turn into the same dugout which used to be our home in the early
days of this “round in circles” campaign. Matthews is there to welcome
me, and a new officer named Harris. As I turn in, I think of our old
dugout at Suvla, now occupied in all probability by sleeping Turks.
How strange! During the night I am awakened at intervals by loud
explosions. Only Asia firing on “W” Beach at intervals. One bursts on
the slopes of our cliff, and large lumps of earth fall on our tarpaulin
roof.
_December 21st._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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