World War, 1914-1918 -- Campaigns -- Turkey -- Gallipoli Peninsula; World War, 1914-1918 -- New Zealand
A platoon of Maoris led by a Wellington officer also crept quietly
up the Chailak Dere in order to get round the back of Table Top to
co-operate with the Wellingtons. In the gully between Bauchop's Hill
and Old No. 3 a party of Turks fired on the Maoris, who saw red and
slew the Turks to a man. Chasing the enemy up the gully, the Maoris
never stopped until they were round the back of Table Top, and were
only with great difficulty restrained from tackling Sari Bair by
themselves!
Bauchop's Hill.
The Otago and the Canterbury Mounted Regiments were to move off from
No. 3 Post, traverse the flat ground to the northward, wheel to the
right, and work up towards the high ground of Bauchop's Hill.
Lying in the low ground from about 9 o'clock, the South Islanders saw
the white beam of the searchlight on the scrub and heard the scream of
the destroyer's shells. At 9.30 the searchlight went black out. The
men rose quietly--this was the signal for which they had been waiting.
The Otagos wheeled to the right toward the trenches on Wilson's
Knob--trenches they had lain opposite and observed with periscopes the
last two months of waiting. Spurts of rifle fire ran round the scrub
above Taylor's Hollow and on Walden's Point. Pushing up the Chailak
Dere, the other squadrons of the Otagos came to the heavy barbed-wire
entanglements stretching right across the dere and enfiladed by
fire trenches on the spur. There was nothing to be done but tear
the obstruction away. A section of the Field Troop of New Zealand
Engineers, gallantly led by their subaltern, attacked the wire with
great determination and, after sustaining many casualties, succeeded in
opening the dere to the Otagos and Maoris who pressed on up the gully
towards their objective.
[Illustration: LITTLE TABLE TOP.
Little Table Top was of little military importance, but its
water-scored cliffs are typical of the surrounding country.]
The Canterburys with some Maoris in support, advanced in short rushes
across the flat ground towards the trenches on the foothills. Not a
shot was wasted. Bayonets alone were used. A Turkish machine gun on the
spur leading to Walden's Point was responsible for many casualties, and
this section of the attack was momentarily held up. "Tap, tap, tap"
went the gun, exacting a heavy toll; but a subaltern, named Davidson,
who gained the ridge higher up, collected a few ardent spirits, and
with fixed bayonets, charged straight down the slope. The dirt thrown
up by the angry bullets flicked in their faces as they ran straight for
the gun. Down tumbled the subaltern, killed leading his men, but the
remnants of the party fell upon the gun crew. The keen bayonets did
their silent work, and the gun ceased its death-dealing tapping.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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