THE ANZAC V.C.'S
THE LUCK OF THE GAME--UNKNOWN HEROES--YOUNG JACKA--CAPTAIN SHOUT--LONE
PINE--WILD COUNTER-ATTACKS--THE HEROIC SEVENTH--LIGHT HORSE
THROSSELL--KEYZOR AND HAMILTON--MEN WHO NEVER WERE SEEN
As there passes before my mind's eye a kaleidoscopic picture of the
wildly hilarious fighting of the early days of Anzac, and the rough and
tumble jumble of Lone Pine, I can't help thinking of the luck of the
game. "Were honour to bestow her crowns on those who had a right to
them, the skull up on the battlefield would often wear a diadem."
So many unknown heroes lie buried on Anzac. So many passed the crucial
test of supreme trial and with strong arm and true heart performed
prodigies of valour--but no one saw them. As a rule there was hardly
time to take stock of everything. Time and again did individual
Australians do great deeds, but the historians will never know of it.
They are mostly too modest to talk of it. And the officers who might
have reported and recommended are dead.
Take that wonderful landing on the fateful day, April 25, when
Australia made such a gloriously picturesque début. How many men of
Maclagan's gallant 3rd Brigade in that never-to-be-forgotten charge up
the heights won the greatest military honour that the King can bestow.
But so many officers were picked off; so many men really deserved the
V.C. The only solution seemed to be the conferring of the coveted medal
on the whole brigade. But there was no precedent for this. So none of
them got it.
Our first Australian V.C. was young Jacka of the 4th Brigade. He was
young and not of the splendid physique of most of the Australians,
but he was greased lightning with the bayonet. It all happened on
Courtney's Post. The Turks had been sapping in towards the front
trench, and after a shower of bombs they swarmed in and captured the
trench. But Lance-corporal Jacka, posted behind the traverse in the
fire trench, blocked their advance. An officer and a few men hurried
up and volunteers were immediately ready to eject the intruders. Then
while the officer and three men engaged in a bombing exchange with
Abdul, Albert Jacka jumped from the front trench into the communication
trench behind, ran round and took the Turks in the rear. He shot five
of them and bayoneted two. The officer's party then charged and shot
the four remaining Turks who tried to escape. They found Jacka leaning
up against the side of the trench with flushed face, a bloody bayonet
in the end of his rifle and an unlighted cigarette in his mouth.
The boys that took Lone Pine, who did that fine charge amid a shower of
lead and shrapnel such as the war had not previously seen, got no V.C.
for their valour. But the lads who held the hard-won post against all
the subsequent counter-attacks did manage to secure a few. One of these
was Captain Shout. But he never lived to wear the cross. For three long
days and longer nights he participated in the furious hand-to-hand
fighting in Lone Pine. Captain Sass and Lieutenant Howell Price both
did great deeds in that thrilling time and each had several scalps to
their credit. But Captain Shout with his bombing gang was ubiquitous.
Laughing and cheering them on he time and again drove the Turks back,
and then when he reached a point where the final sandbag barrier was
to be erected, he tried to light three bombs at once and throw them
amongst the crowding Turks. To throw a single bomb is a risky job.
To throw three bombs simultaneously was a desperate expedient. One
exploded prematurely, shattered both his hands, laid open his cheek and
destroyed an eye, besides minor injuries. Conscious and still cheerful
he was carried away. But he died shortly afterwards.
The heroic Seventh Battalion--victorious Victorians--participated in
the great charge of the 2nd Australian Infantry Brigade down at Helles;
the charge that made the French and English marvel at the dash of
the young colonials. Then the Seventh managed to bag four V.C.'s in
Lone Pine. The 2nd Light Horse Brigade and 2nd Infantry Brigade were
holding the line against repeated counter-attacks, and it was then that
Captain Fred Tubb, Lieutenant Symons, Corporal Dunstan and Corporal
Burton won the V.C. On the night of August 8, while the British troops
in the Suvla area were struggling to wrest the hills from the Turks,
the Turks round Lone Pine were vainly endeavouring to recapture this
stronghold from the Australians. On the right of the 7th Battalion
things were particularly sultry, and early on the morning of the 9th
some determined attacks by Abdul resulted in six of our officers and
several men being killed and wounded. A bit of the front sap was lost,
but Lieutenant Symons headed a charge, retook the sap, shot two of the
Turks with his revolver and finally erected a barricade which defied
all the attacks of the enemy. It was a bitter struggle and Abdul set
fire to the overhead cover in the hope of driving back the Seventh. But
the fire was extinguished and the position held for good.
It was give and take, attack and counter-attack all through August 9,
that showed the qualities of pluck and determination which won the
V.C. for Captain F. H. Tubb, Corporal Dunstan and Corporal Burton.
Three times the enemy attacked with bombs, blew up our barricades, and
swarmed into the trench, but each time Tubb and his companions returned
to the assault, repulsed the invaders, rebuilt the barricades, and
in spite of a shower of bombs held the post. Captain Tubb was wounded
in the head and arm, but stuck to his job and baffled all Abdul's
machinations.
Lance-corporal Keyzor was one of a band of heroes who did wonders in
the hell-zone at the south-eastern corner of Lone Pine. It was a murder
hole and after much slaughter we found that we could not hold the outer
trench, while Abdul found that he also was unable to hold it. Finally
it was abandoned as no man's land. But round about here there were
lively times during August. As a bomb-thrower, Keyzor was pre-eminent.
He was one of those who repeatedly caught the enemy's bombs and hurled
them back before they could explode. It was here that Colonel Scobie
was killed shortly afterwards, and here it was that for days and nights
Keyzor moved amongst the showers of bombs with dead and dying all
around, and threw bombs till every muscle ached and he could not lift
his arm.
Young Hamilton was very young. But lots of these young Australians had
old heads on their young shoulders. It was at Lone Pine where the 3rd
Battalion was defending a section of the line against the repeated
attacks of the Turks that young Hamilton won the coveted honour. He
climbed on to the top of the parapet and with a few sandbags as a
precarious shield against bombs and bullets he stayed there for five
solid hours sniping merrily, potting off any stray Turks that showed
up, and giving warning to the officer below each time the enemy started
out to attack. There was plenty of shrapnel flying and the zip of
bullets into the sandbags grew monotonous. But young Hamilton hung on.
It was away on the left of our line at Hill 60 that Lieutenant
Throssell of the 10th Light Horse performed his great act of valour.
There was one section of the enemy's line that obstinately defied the
Australasian attack. At last the 3rd Light Horse Brigade received
orders that the redoubt had to be taken. The brigadier sent the 10th
Light Horse Regiment out to do the job. Just after midnight--August
28-29--the Westralians suddenly leaped on to the parapet and charged
ahead. They were met with a hail of machine-gun and rifle fire and a
shower of bombs, but nothing could stop those horseless horsemen. A
brief mêlée on and in the Turkish trenches and the position was won.
But holding it was a far more difficult matter. Lieutenant Throssell
in charge of the digging party worked overtime putting the new line
in a state of defence. Soon the Turks massed for the inevitable
counter-attack, and Throssell, with Captain Fry and a troop of the
Light Horse, repulsed the first charge. But just as dawn was breaking
the Turks came again with a shower of bombs as a prelude. The grenades
were smothered as they fell or thrown back again, but Captain Fry paid
the final penalty. One bomb rolled over the parapet into the trench,
and spluttered. The men yelled "Let it rip." But the only safe thing
to do was to smother the bomb or heave it out. The gallant captain
chose the latter alternative, but the bomb exploded and killed him. The
holding of this threatened elbow of the line devolved upon Throssell,
who rose manfully to the occasion. With his rifle he shot half a dozen
Turks and with his cheery example he heartened his command, and Abdul
attacked in vain. Twice indeed they swarmed in and the Light Horsemen
had to give ground. But only a few yards and a fresh barricade was
immediately erected. Early in the afternoon Throssell was wounded in
the shoulder. But he kept on. At four o'clock he got another bullet in
the neck. He kept on. Then just after nightfall relief came and his
superior officer sent him back to the field hospital.
There were other Australians who gained the V.C.--Captain Hawker of
the Flying Corps, Corporal William Cosgrove of the Royal Munster
Fusiliers, who did such a fine performance down at Helles, and others.
But other historians will tell of their deeds. Corporal Bassett of the
New Zealand Signallers won his V.C. for a daring exploit--laying a
telephone wire right on to Chunuk Bair in broad daylight under a heavy
fire. But Maori-land will do him full justice.
The 2nd Light Horse Brigade had a sultry time in Lone Pine during
August. After the big attack early in August they complained that for
twenty-four hours they did nothing but bury dead Turks. The stench was
shocking--sickening. There was no time for decent burial. Dozens of
Turks were placed in the short communication trenches between the lines
and covered up with earth, and the ends of the trench bagged up. Partly
to kill the insufferable stench the boys smoked dozens and dozens
of cigarettes.... Later on the boys had more than their share of the
bombing. Sergeant Ryan won the D.C.M. But scores of the boys did big
things that in lesser wars would have won distinction. Here they just
were numbered with the unknown heroes. Every man on Lone Pine deserved
special honour. If they had been Germans they would have been covered
with iron crosses. As it is they are just satisfied that they were able
to do their job. Anyhow, Australia won't forget Lone Pine.