The Children's Story of the War Volume 4 (of 10): The Story of the Year 1915Parrott, Edward
History
The Children's Story of the War Volume 4 (of 10): The Story of the Year 1915
Parrott, Edward
World War, 1914-1918 -- Juvenile literature
The July fighting was of the same nature as that of June. On 4th July an
enemy warship fired on the Australian lines, and aeroplanes tried to
drop bombs on our trenches. This was followed by an infantry attack
which was successful at first, but, later on, the Turks were forced to
retire with great loss. We were now up against the main strength of the
Achi Baba fortress, and on 12th July we made a resolute attempt to
capture it.
The bombardment began at dawn, and the first attack was made by the
French and the Scottish Lowland Division on the right and right centre.
The Scots reached the third line of Turkish trenches, but they lost
touch with the French on their right and could not hold their gains.
Another and even fiercer cannonade began at four in the afternoon, and
the Scots, surging forward against a great Turkish redoubt overlooking a
ravine, carried it at the point of the bayonet. By dusk some 400 yards
of ground had been gained. Through the night the Turks came on again and
again with bombs, and the wearied Scots were obliged to give up two
lines of trenches. Next day these positions were recaptured, and there
we stuck. We had reached the limit of our advance from the south. We
were very near to Krithia, but the heights of Achi Baba were as far off
as ever.
* * * * *
The following officers and men won the Victoria Cross during the May,
June, and July fighting.
Lance-Corporal Albert Jacka, 14th Battalion Australian Imperial forces.
A private of Lance-Corporal Jacka's regiment thus describes the deed
which won his chum the V.C.: "There were four Bendigo boys, all mates,
in the 14th, and Bert Jacka and I were two of them. The 14th was
stationed at Courtney's Post, which shared with Quinn's Post[49] and
Pope's Hill all the worst of the fighting during the month of May. On
the night of 18th May and the morning of the next day the Turks tried to
drive us into the sea, and left eight acres of dead between Quinn's and
Courtney's. In the middle of the scrap a wounded man crawled to our
trench, and said the Turks had rushed a communication trench, and there
was only one man keeping them back. There was a call for volunteers, and
I was one of them. When we got near we saw Bert guarding the end of the
trench with his bayonet. He looked like a mad thing. When he saw us
coming, he let out a roar like a bull and rushed into the trench. I made
after him, but I received two bullets, one in the side and the other in
the hand. Well, down I went, and before the others got into the trench
Bert had done it on his own. Five shot and two killed with the bayonet!
He came to see me that night in the dug-out, and I said to him, 'Well,
Bert, you've done a big thing;' all he replied was, 'I think I lost my
head.'" For this most gallant deed Jacka received not only the coveted
cross, but a sum of £500 and a gold medal promised by Mr. John Wren of
Melbourne to the first Australian who should win the great distinction.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account