The 28th: A Record of War Service in the Australian Imperial Force, 1915-19, Vol. I: Egypt, Gallipoli, Lemnos Island, Sinai PeninsulaCollett, Herbert Brayley
History
The 28th: A Record of War Service in the Australian Imperial Force, 1915-19, Vol. I: Egypt, Gallipoli, Lemnos Island, Sinai Peninsula
Collett, Herbert Brayley
Australia. Australian Army. Battalion, 28th; World War, 1914-1918 -- Regimental histories -- Australia
The net result of the August fighting gave to the Anzac and IX. Corps a
continuous line of about 12 miles. This ran from the Brighton Beach to
the Gulf of Xeros. Behind this the depth did not average more than 1-1/4
miles but the Anzac area was enlarged from 300 acres to 8 square miles.
This gain cost the Australasians 18,000 casualties. The exhausted troops
remaining were gradually relieved by the 2nd Division pending the
further development of the British plans.
* * * * *
To return to the record of the events with which the 28th Battalion was
concerned after leaving Alexandria.
The knowledge gained during the voyage of the "Ascanius" enabled the
troops to settle quickly in their new quarters. In addition to the W.A.
Battalion there were on board two companies and the headquarters of the
27th Battalion. The transport, the "Ivernia,"[L] was a comfortable ship
of 14,000 tons register belonging to the Cunard Line. The captain and
officers at first displayed a rather cool and curt manner towards their
new passengers but in the course of a day or two visibly thawed. The
captain afterwards, in explanation, stated that from information he had
received in regard to the Australians he had expected to find in them an
absence of discipline and a tendency to "smash things." He was now
agreeably surprised to discover them so tractable and
well-behaved--comparing them in a most favourable manner with other
contingents he had carried.
[Illustration: CHUNUK BAIR.
Taken from Table Top--looking East. Corner of Rhododendron Spur at top of
right-side.
_Official Photo. No. G. 1830c._
_Copyright by Australian War Museum._]
Routine was quickly instituted. Special precautions had to be taken in
regard to enemy submarines which at this time had become very active
and had lately torpedoed the "Southland" conveying the Brigadier and
portion of the 6th Brigade as well as the G.O.C. and Staff of the 2nd
Australian Division. News of this occurrence had reached the Battalion
just prior to embarkation and naturally excited great interest. However,
the voyage proved uneventful, the weather good, and the colours of the
sea and evening skies a never failing attraction.
Heading towards Crete, the transport skirted its western coast and
thence wended its way through the Grecian Archipelago. Arriving off
Mudros Bay, Lemnos Island, on the evening of the 8th September, it was
found that a boom was across the entrance and the harbour closed for the
night. Nothing remained to be done but to stand on and off during the
hours of darkness. To cast anchor would have rendered the ship an easy
prey to the underwater craft. The sight of the "Southland" on a
neighbouring beach lent point to this possibility.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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