World War, 1914-1918 -- Campaigns -- Turkey -- Gallipoli Peninsula; World War, 1914-1918 -- New Zealand
General Birdwood had located his Army Corps Headquarters in the little
gully debouching on to the centre of the beach. Close by were the naval
shore parties with their wireless plant for maintaining communication
with the fleet; the Headquarters of the Australian Division were tucked
away a little further up the gully.
The southern extremity of Anzac Cove was christened Hell Spit. Jutting
out into the water, this point got the benefit of fire from both of
the flanks. Here were situated the engineers' stores of explosives and
materials; working parties sent for wire, sandbags or timber, did not
dwell too long in the vicinity. Close by, under the sandy cliff, the
mule drivers of the Indian Supply and Transport had made their little
dugouts--the waves of the Ægean lapping their very thresholds. At the
foot of the track leading over the spur to Shrapnel Valley were the
dressing stations of the Australian Ambulance, with their little Red
Cross wharf from which the wounded were evacuated. Just opposite Army
Headquarters some of the many stranded barges were made to serve as
landing stages for great quantities of bully beef, jam and biscuits,
which, placed in high stacks, gave some protection from the shells
constantly arriving from the Olive Grove and Anafarta. Hereabout the
water barge was also moored; the water being pumped ashore into tanks.
The New Zealand Sector.
The beach north of these stores was allotted to our Division. A little
gully running up to the foot of Plugge's Plateau gave excellent
cover for the New Zealand battery of 4.5 howitzers--the first New
Zealand guns to get ashore, and the only howitzers at that time on
the Peninsula. In those early days, infantry carrying parties were
constrained to rest awhile in order to observe the shell pursue its
lobbing course over Maclagan's Ridge towards the distant target.
[Illustration:
[_Lent by Lieut. Moritzson, M.C., M.M., N.Z.E._
MULES AT THE FOOT OF HOWITZER GULLY.]
At the foot of Howitzer Gully were the New Zealand Ordnance Stores--for
a time the most frequented place in Anzac. Fresh water was unobtainable
for washing purposes. Continual washing of clothes in salt water made
all undergarments very hard, so down to the Ordnance would the soldier
go to procure new shirts and socks. Here, also, were piles of captured
rifles and ammunition, and a pathetic heap of kits which had been
thrown away during the first advance and since collected. A one-time
famous old wrestler stood guard over these kits, and one had to
establish an undeniable claim before the property was handed over. Very
many of the kits were never claimed, being stained with the life-blood
of those impetuous spirits who had established the Anzac line.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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