Trooper Bluegum at the Dardanelles: Descriptive Narratives of the More Desperate Engagements on the Gallipoli Peninsula — John Shaqi
Trooper Bluegum at the Dardanelles: Descriptive Narratives of the More Desperate Engagements on the Gallipoli PeninsulaHogue, Oliver
History
Trooper Bluegum at the Dardanelles: Descriptive Narratives of the More Desperate Engagements on the Gallipoli Peninsula
Hogue, Oliver
World War, 1914-1918 -- Campaigns -- Turkey -- Gallipoli Peninsula; World War, 1914-1918 -- Personal narratives, Australian
It was a double-barrelled attack, and was opened after the shore
batteries and the ships' guns had completed the preliminary
bombardment. The first phase was an assault by the French and our
155th Brigade, who captured the enemy's trenches after a splendid
charge. But they had to fight like grim death to withstand the fierce
counter-attacks which were made from the maze of Turkish trenches in
the vicinity. This done, the second phase was entered upon by the 157th
Brigade. They, too, after fierce fighting, gained their objective,
with the help of the Royal Naval Division. Meanwhile the French pushed
their extreme right on to the mouth of the Kereves Dere, where it runs
into the sea. The whole position was maintained, despite the persistent
counter-attacks of the Turk.
So much for the southern--and main--operation. Our rôle up north at
Anzac was so to harass the enemy that he would expect a big attack, and
so be unable to reinforce his comrades down south. The Australian and
New Zealand Army Corps early in the morning engaged the enemy, and
after our artillery had opened the ball, the 2nd Light Horse Brigade
advanced from the new position it had taken up at Ryrie's Post towards
the Turkish trenches. The 6th Light Horse (Colonel Cox) and the 7th
Light Horse (Colonel Arnott) sent a squadron over their trenches. The
troopers jumped on to the parapet with a cheer, and swarmed down the
hill to the comparative safety of the valley below. By a stroke of luck
not one man was hit in this charge, though they encountered a hail of
bullets. The Turks were too surprised to shoot straight. Later on the
enemy's shrapnel did much execution, but the only casualty in this
initial manoeuvre was when a trooper of the Sixth tripped over some
of our own barbed wire and rolled, kicking and swearing, down the hill,
to the huge delight of his comrades.
Pushing out over Holly Spur, towards Pine Ridge, the Light Horse
advance, under Lieutenant Ferguson, drove the enemy's patrols back and
opened a hot fire on their trenches. Meanwhile, to stimulate a general
attack, the parties were sent forward in full view of the enemy, and
withdrawn under cover to their original position. Long lines of
bayonets were seen passing along our trenches and disappearing at the
communication tunnels, thus lending additional colour to the idea
of a general attack. Further demonstrations by the 5th Light Horse
(Lieutenant-Colonel Harris) on the right wing provoked a wild fusillade
from the enemy, who promptly reinforced his position all along the
line, and the fusillade became general.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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