World War, 1914-1918 -- Campaigns -- Turkey -- Gallipoli Peninsula; World War, 1914-1918 -- New Zealand
By their dash and audacity the crestline was soon gained. We now had
a footing on the ridge, and to cling to that foothold and extend from
it was now the pressing need. The Wellingtons and Gloucesters started
to dig in, but the enemy evidently made up his mind to cut the New
Zealanders off. A body of snipers picked off all the machine gun crews.
When Malone's battalion was seen marching along the skyline four
machine guns were pushed up to him. These guns never came back. When
half way up the ridge a veritable hail of lead burst round them, and
they were so badly damaged that only one gun could be reconstructed
from the remnants of the four; but it got into position and did good
service until the whole of the gun crew were killed or wounded.
Two machine guns that were to support the right flank of the
attackers from the Apex were pushed forward on the slope to avoid
being silhouetted against the crest line. The Turkish snipers now
concentrated on these guns. Soon all the personnel were killed or
wounded. A Maori machine gun close by lost their officer killed and had
nine other casualties, but a few men fought their gun all day without a
murmur. This was the only machine gun left in action on this flank.
The devoted party on the crest was assailed with every variety of
shell, hand grenades and maxims. Time after time, Turks advanced to the
attack but were driven off at the point of the bayonet. The Gloucesters
who had lost all their officers now came down the ridge to the help of
the New Zealanders. They seemed dazed, but instinct and the example of
the New Zealanders convinced them that the bayonet was the weapon for
the Turk. Time and time again they charged and cleared their front.
The Glory of New Zealand.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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