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
In country of the nature mentioned the most careful arrangements and
fullest exchange of information between neighbouring units, when the
sending out of patrols was contemplated, was of vital importance.
Through the neglect of these measures collisions, resulting in
casualties, occurred on two occasions between patrols and the men in the
front line trenches.
On the 25th September Captain Montgomery's party rejoined from the
Beach.
On this day, and on the 27th, the Turk showered quite a considerable
number of the broomstick bombs into the position. A few casualties
resulted. Our artillery were telephoned and retaliated with 6-inch
howitzer and 18-pounder shells. The arrival and powerful burst of the
former missiles were received with cheers by the harassed garrison, and
the enemy soon desisted. There was a strong back blast from our heavier
projectiles and a few men, some distance down the Dere, were struck by
splinters. As there was some uncertainty as to the exact daily error of
our guns, it was, on occasions, necessary to thin the front line
garrisons in order to guard against a shell falling short. One man,
engaged cleaning up the trench which led down to the 27th Battalion, was
buried to the neck as a result of a naval shell landing a few feet
behind him and driving in the wall of the excavation. Fortunately he was
able to call out and was quickly released.
The 26th and 27th were days selected for inter-company reliefs. "C" and
"D" Companies went back into the line.
As it was believed that the morale of the enemy had been lowered
considerably by the heavy losses he had sustained, attempts were made to
induce him to desert. One of the means adopted was propaganda
literature--in Turkish and Arabic--which was attached to "dud" grenades
and propelled into the enemy area. It is not known whether this method
had any success, but the infantry sent along a story--told at the
expense of another arm of the service--that one man did come in and
surrendered himself to the commanding officer's cook, whom he had to
awaken.
Enemy espionage was suspected and a native barber, who used to wander
around the support and reserve areas, came under surveillance. He
disappeared, and his ultimate fate is unknown, but rumour had it that
the Light Horse had "given him a start over the parapet."
CHAPTER VII.
GALLIPOLI (continued).
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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