World War, 1914-1918 -- Campaigns -- Turkey -- Gallipoli Peninsula
Perfect day; wind dropped, but still a slight breeze. Have got into our
new “bivvy” on side of cliff. Went up to Brigade H.Q. in front of Pink
Farm. All well. Hear they are moving forward to-morrow three hundred
yards. Creeping nearer to our goal. General Doran gone back to England,
ill after last battle. Lieutenant-Colonel Cayley, late O.C. of the
Worcesters, now Acting Brigadier-General. “Asiatic Annie” popped off
and dropped shells nicely on Krithia road, on spot that I and my mare
had passed five minutes before, and she sends some nasty ones.
Also she is dropping high explosives in French camp in Morto Bay. I
don’t think I shall bathe there for a bit.
_5.30 a.m._
French aeroplane falls into sea. Pilot and observer can be seen sitting
on top of wing. Destroyers come to the rescue, and also several
motor-boats. Officer picked up and aeroplane taken in tow.
_June 15th._
Many reinforcements have arrived, and troops are everywhere now,
covering the Helles plateau up to Pink Farm with their camps, dug-in
in trenches called rest camps. There is not much rest for them to-day,
for Asia as well as Achi is making them their target. As I assay to go
up to Brigade H.Q. I find the West Krithia being shelled. It is almost
impossible to ride across country on account of the camps, and one has
to keep to the roads, so I postpone my journey to later on in the day.
I get laughed at for this. But it is the first time that I have started
to go to Brigade H.Q. and funked it. I reply that if they would like a
nice fat shell in their tummies they can ride up the West Krithia road
now. However, they are only ragging, and any man who looks for shells
is a fool.
We are being shelled very badly from Asia to-day. They appear to have
six big guns over there, somewhere opposite Morto Bay, and, no doubt,
they have observation posts at Kum Kale or Yen-i-Shehr, and can see
all that we are doing. We must make perfect targets. Their shells
are reaching all over the Peninsula now, and one fell right over our
“bivvy,” exploding in the shallow water of the sea, killing a quantity
of fish. These shells from Asia are doing a lot of damage; every time
they come, men lose their lives or get wounded, while the casualties
among the animals are keeping the hands of the Veterinary Services full.
A 6-inch shell came right in the Supply depot this afternoon, but did
not explode, yet it caused a sad casualty. It struck the leg of an
A.S.C. driver, a boy of twenty, and severed it clean from his body. He
evidently did not realize it, for he made an attempt to stand up and
hold back his mule, which was bolting with fright, but, of course, he
immediately fell back. Shortly after, he died.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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