The next four days were chiefly remarkable for the carrying through of
the negotiations for the suspension of arms, which actually took place
on May 24. About 5 p.m. on May 20 white flags and Red Crescents began
to appear all along the line. In No. 2 section a Turkish staff officer,
two medical officers, and a company commander came out and were met
by Major-General H. B. Walker, commanding the Australian Division,
halfway between the trenches. The staff officer explained that he was
instructed to arrange a suspension of arms, for the removal of dead
and wounded. He had no written credentials, and he was informed that
neither he nor the General Officer Commanding Australian Division had
the power to arrange such a suspension of arms, but that at 8 p.m. an
opportunity would be given of exchanging letters on the subject, and
that meanwhile hostilities would recommence after ten minutes' grace.
At this time some stretcher parties on both sides were collecting
wounded, and the Turkish trenches opposite ours were packed with men
standing shoulder to shoulder two deep. Matters were less regular in
front of other sections, where men with white flags came out to collect
wounded. Meanwhile it was observed that columns were on the march
in the valley up which the Turks were accustomed to bring up their
reinforcements.
On hearing the report of these movements, General Sir W. R. Birdwood,
commanding Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, ordered his trenches
to be manned against a possible attack. As the evening drew in the
enemy's concentration continued, and everything pointed to their
intention of making use of the last of the daylight to get their
troops into position without being shelled by our artillery. A message
was therefore sent across to say that no clearing of dead or wounded
could be allowed during the night, and that any negotiations for such
a purpose should be opened through the proper channel and initiated
before noon on the following day.
Stretcher and other parties fell back, and immediately firing broke
out. In front of our right section masses of men advanced behind lines
of unarmed men holding up their hands. Firing became general all along
the line accompanied by a heavy bombardment of the whole position, so
that evidently this attack must have been pre-arranged. Musketry and
machine-gun fire continued without interruption till after dark, and
from then up to about 4 a.m. next day.
Except for a half-hearted attack in front of Courtney's Post, no
assault was made till 1.20 a.m., when the enemy left their trenches
and advanced on Quinn's Post. Our guns drove the Turks back to their
trenches, and beat back all other attempts to assault. By 4.30 on May
21 musketry fire had died down to normal dimensions.