World War, 1914-1918 -- Campaigns -- Turkey -- Gallipoli Peninsula; World War, 1914-1918 -- New Zealand
Two Wellington squadrons went out, but were held up. Later--this was
the night of May 31--two troops of the 8th (South Canterbury) Squadron
and the 10th (Nelson) Squadron proceeded to fight their way from No.
2 Outpost up to this new ill-starred outpost, now known as No. 3.
They joined forces with two Wellington squadrons, and with Turkish
hand-grenades lighting the gully, the relief party pushed aside all
opposition, got into the post, and relieved the Wellingtons. There was
to be no rest for the unlucky garrison of No. 3. On came the Turks
again, and the performance of the night before was repeated almost
without variation, the throwing of hand-grenades, calling on "Allah!"
and rushing up to the parapet, but never daring the final assault. For
some hours the inferno continued. About midnight word came through from
Headquarters that the post might be abandoned. The task of removing
the wounded presented no small difficulties, but they having been
removed down the dere, the perilous retirement commenced. In the
faint moonlight, the Turks could be seen flitting hither and thither.
Now that our retirement was commencing, their exultant yelling and
squealing burst out afresh. Down the dere slowly came the rearguard,
calmly and methodically picking off any too adventurous enemy. When the
troopers reached the "Big Sap" running out past No. 1 and 2, they lined
the two sides of the gully and the trench and waited for the Turk. A
squadron of the Auckland Mounteds now arrived, and based on No. 2 Post
and the Fishermen's Hut, the whole party made a determined stand, and
enabled the 9th Squadron, who had been fighting for forty-eight hours,
to be withdrawn.
[Illustration:
[_Photo by the Author_
THE BIG SAP RUNNING PAST NO. 2 POST.]
To the highly-strung men, many of whom had not slept for three days,
the yelling of the Turks, the ghostlike sea lapping on the beach in the
background, and the enemy jumping from bush to bush in the moonlight,
the whole business resembled a frightful nightmare. Gradually the
Turks grew tired of yelling, and retired to occupy "Old No. 3," while
the weary troopers trudged along the dusty sap to their much-needed
bivouac, leaving the squadron of the Auckland Mounted Rifles out
watching the position until daylight.
A new No. 3 Post was established by the Otago Mounted Rifles on rising
ground about 200 yards north of No. 2 Post. This became the extreme
right flank of the Anzac position until the great advance in August.
CHAPTER XI.
Supplying the Needs of the Army.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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