World War, 1914-1918 -- Campaigns -- Turkey -- Gallipoli Peninsula; World War, 1914-1918 -- New Zealand
Just as it was getting light, six battalions of the 10th Division
arrived from far-distant Mitylene. These troops were to go out to the
extreme left flank. They should have landed at Beach A, but owing
to the shallows and the difficulties already experienced there, the
Navy took them to Beach B, south of Nibrunesi! This again upset the
prearranged plan. These battalions fell in and marched along the
mile and a half of open beach towards the left flank, passing behind
and through the men who had earlier experienced the mess caused by
inefficient reconnaissance.
By the time the remaining battalions of the 10th Division arrived, the
Navy had found a small landing place in one of the little bays on the
southern side of Suvla Point, just inside Suvla Bay. These men of the
Irish Division scrambled ashore and pushed on to the high ground of
Karakol Dagh.
When noon came the sun beat down on those poor citizen soldiers, worn
out and tired by their long sea journeys, harassed by daring snipers in
the dark, not very resolutely led, not at home in this hot and dusty
country, tortured by thirst, the improvized and intricate machine went
to pieces at the first rough jolt. Most of that day the Suvla Army sat
down and waited for something to turn up. But during the afternoon some
bold spirits led two battalions of the 11th Division across the flat
ground and secured a foothold on the Chocolate Hills. So, from a point
above Karakol Dagh, the line ran through Hill 10 and past the Salt Lake
to the Chocolate Hills, about two miles from the outpost of their New
Army comrades on Damakjelik Bair.
That night the Anzac troops, as we know, were holding the line
Damakjelik-Asma Dere-Rhododendron Spur.
The Morning of August 8.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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