Early in the afternoon we had a goodly number of shells. Yesterday,

when I was up The Gully, a large piece of shell flew through our mess

tent, where the servants were sitting, and landed in a jam pot on the

table, splashing an orderly all over; he, mistaking jam for his own

blood, did not know whether he was really alive or dead.

_June 30th._--We had seven large shells during the night, all landing

on our side of W. Beach. Two traction engines have been fitted up

lately down on the shore, and one of these was smashed, and a

tool-house beside it blown pretty well to pieces. There was also some

fighting about our left and centre, but I have not heard the result.

The Turks have now a plentiful supply of ammunition, and all yesterday

afternoon and this morning have poured a constant stream of high

explosives into the French side of Kereves Dere.

Soon after 8 p.m. lightning flashed thick about Imbros, which had an

inky black cloud hanging overhead. The storm moved to the east, till

it came over Achi Baba, and by this time the flashes were almost

constant and the thunder loud. It was one of the grandest

thunderstorms I ever saw, and what made it more impressive was the din

and flashing of all our guns, the searchlight from Chanak, which

always plays over the Dardanelles and us, and then we had a severe

shelling from Asia all to ourselves. We just wanted a good rattling

earthquake to complete this fearsome picture of hell where both man

and the gods warred.

The Turks have started a new form of frightfulness. They shell us

every now and then from Asia, and from there last night they dropped

into W. Beach a huge shell that detonates with a terrible crash, and

every twenty minutes or so they treated us to one of these, and made

the whole night hideous, and sleep impossible.

This afternoon a French battleship stationed herself off the entrance

to the Dardanelles, and fired about fifty rounds from her biggest guns

at a point on a hill about a mile beyond Kum Kale. As the Turkish guns

are believed to be in tunnels they were firing practically at right

angles to these, and I could not possibly see how they could get a

direct hit, and prophesied that as soon as the ship left they would

show that there was life in the old dog yet, by giving a worse

cannonade than usual, and this was just what happened. No fewer than

five shells fell in the C.C.S. beside us, killing the cook, and

wounding two orderlies, and a number of the already wounded. I saw

several horses and mules fall to their bag also. Then as soon as it

got dark they made up their minds that we were not to be allowed to

sleep, and every fifteen to twenty minutes we had a terrific crash in

the camp up to 5 a.m. This becomes very trying, and all wish that

something could be done to silence these guns. Nothing will do but a

landing on the Asiatic side.

_July 1st._--I came out to Aberdeen Gully after breakfast. Here one

feels comparatively safe, and we are enjoying the peace after our

nocturnal shellings, and the thought of a good night's sleep braces

one up wonderfully. Fiddes and I walked over to the Artillery

Observation Post to see the extent of our advance, the other day, and

I was surprised to find our front trenches so far forward. Some of

these front trenches we still divide with the Turks, and during their

attempts to recover some of these last night the darkness of the night

and the thunderstorm terrified the Gurkhas so much that they nearly

lost their most advanced line.

_July 2nd._--Spent a quiet day out at the dressing station--as far as

work went. I went over to Y. Beach by the mule track, but as shells

were dropping about both these places I returned sooner than I

intended. In the afternoon a message from the Turks, dropped from an

aeroplane, gave the whole army half an hour to clear out of the

peninsula, otherwise they would shell us into the sea. The shelling

had to be resorted to, and commencing at 5 p.m. they worked so

vigorously that plainly they meant what they said. The artillery duel

then started was on this left side, and, our Gully being between the

two fires, all the shells went right over our heads, and the shrieking

was as bad as any I ever heard. At periods during the three hours this

lasted they crossed at the rate of 200 per minute. We were close to

three of our own batteries, and these had to be peppered over our

heads, and most of the shells being shrapnel, timed to burst in the

air, we had many an explosion immediately above us. We all cowered as

well as we could up against the rocks, and although shrapnel bullets

and half a shell base came among us no one was hit. In spite of all

this bombardment, an artillery officer told me next day that all the

casualties he knows of are one man and five horses wounded. All these

were hit in a small side Gully like our own, a shell bursting in their

midst.

Padre Creighton came back tired and hungry at 8.30 and found no supper

nor fire to cook it with, the cook's life having been frightened out

of him he forgot the necessity for bodily sustenance for the rest of

us. I noticed the cook at one time flourishing a spade like a cricket

bat, and on asking him what this was for he declared, "You can easy

see the bloody thing comin'". He intended to let fly at the first

shell that came his way. Creighton in his usual energetic way buckled

to, and prepared an excellent supper of fried onions on toast, with a

little bacon. This was much enjoyed, as was also the Bivouac cocoa

with which it was washed down.

_July 4th._--Aberdeen Gully. A glorious Sunday morning. A slight

shower during the night has refreshed the air and nature's dusty face,

and now, with a brilliant sun and a gentle breeze, one can feel as

happy as one can out here, thousands of miles from home--but are we

downhearted? No! There is also almost an absolute calm from those

noisy death dealers, shots being only very occasional. A big howitzer

is going off at times, but apart from that the unnatural silence seems

ominous, like a calm before a storm.

Padre Creighton is to-day offering five pounds to a shilling that it

will be Christmas before we take Achi Baba. My forecast is we will be

there before this day week, while any combatants I have spoken to say

it will take us to the end of July. At the present rate we will take

months, but in my opinion it will be necessary to push on faster than

we have been able to do so far, although I believe by wearing out the

Turks slowly our casualties will be less. But a more rapid advance

would be a greater help to our comrades fighting in other parts of the

Continent.

_Afternoon._--Had an excellent lunch cooked by Fiddes, who is a

first-rate _chef_. An officer lunched with us who says he is the last

of his battalion. He came in slightly wounded, but his nerves have so

completely gone that he says he will never be able to shoot a rabbit

again, and sheds tears at the thought of such cruelty. Many will

follow in the same condition if we cannot get relief, and out of reach

of the Turks' guns for an occasional rest.

_July 5th._--We have had a terribly hot morning, we opening the

artillery ball at 3.45, when the Turks made an attack on the most

important front trench we now hold, and took from them this day last

week. Now, at 9 o'clock, things are still very warm, but nothing to

what they were during the first three hours, when the fire from both

sides was about equal. After the first rush of the Turks the fight has

been nothing but an artillery duel.

In Aberdeen Gully, we are wonderfully protected by our high rocks, and

natural banks which have been improved by ourselves, and although many

pieces of shell have fallen in it to-day no one was hit.

The Turks are said to have suffered enormously, being taken by

surprise in a nullah along which they were marching in close

formation. An officer with a machine-gun says he alone accounted for

about eighty. We have had about twenty-four wounded Dublins so far,

some mere boys. Those boys who are slightly hit are in great glee over

their prowess, one as he walked proudly in exclaiming, "Py Jasus, we

gave them a holy paestin' this mornin'".

Last night we had a call from the M.O. of the Scottish Rifles. He was

telling us about the casualties in the Lowland Brigade on Monday last.

They went in 2900 strong and only 1200 came out. Their Brigadier and

three Colonels were killed. I have spoken to several officers of the

Brigade, and they unanimously put this loss down to some tactical

mistake. They charged much too soon, and moreover the men had to

assault trenches that had never been shelled. This M.O. says he had

been speaking to an officer who said he assisted to cut the rope by

which one of the Turkish gunners was bound to his machine-gun. To

prevent their running away we have heard that they are sometimes tied

to their guns by chains.

6 p.m.--I am back again at W. Beach where I find they have had a

perfect hell of a time. A big French transport was sunk off this by a

torpedo on Saturday.

In the morning after the fight of the 29th I met in The Gully three

wounded soldiers of the Lowland Brigade, two of them trying to put a

sling on the third, who had a smashed hand. I assisted and asked about

their casualties. One said, "We lost our Brigadier, Scott-Moncrieff,

did ye ken him, a wee wiry beggar?"

After dinner to-day I walked to the Dublin trenches with Creighton,

who was to bury some of the men killed last night. As we passed a

workshop and engineers' dump on our way back, Creighton was again

asked to bury a man. While he was doing so I sharpened my pocket knife

on a grindstone standing by, and asked a soldier if that was all the

killed they had last night. "Yes," he said, "and we had an officer

buried to-day." "Oh," said I, "when was he killed?" "He wasn't killed

at all." "Then why did you bury him?" "A shell blew in a trench on the

top of him, but we dug him out, and he was none the worse."

Another mule--but it was a horse this time--toppled down from the path

above us this afternoon. He started on his career with his full load,

but he had nothing but his saddle when he dumped himself down on the

path three yards from my sleeping bunk, after a drop of about 50 feet.

I would much rather have a whole mule flying in among us than a chunk

of shell. He picked himself up and looked scared, and went away

puffing hard, but quite unharmed except for a bleeding nose.

_July 6th._--W. Beach. What's wrong? Not a shot in our neighbourhood

during the night, and I must have slept seven hours.

_Later._--By afternoon we had a few shells, some dropping

uncomfortably near--forty-five in all, so many from Achi Baba, and ten

huge ones, with big explosions, from Asia. These last were aimed at

our ammunition dumps, where some damage was done.

At supper our Q.M. Dickie told us the following little anecdote,

which I jot down as it was connected with our Corps. One evening a

recruit presented himself at Fonthill Barracks, Aberdeen, and informed

the CO.--Captain Robertson--that he wanted to "Jine". "But we are full

up," says R. "Oh, I thocht ye wintet men." "Oh well, as you are a

likely looking chap, I think I'll take you; when would you like to be

examined?" "I'll be examined noo, far's the doctor?" "I'm the doctor,"

said R. "God," says the chap, "ye dinna look muckle like a doctor."

"But why do you wish to join?" "It's jist like this, I hid a dram, an'

the maister said I was a damned feel, so I telt him if I wis a damned

feel, he wis a damneder, an' he telt me to gang tae hell, sae I jist

gaed, an' here I am." "When can you join?" "Weel, this is Saeterday

nicht, it wid need tae be Tiesday or Wednesday. Ye see I drive the

milk caert, a damned responsible poseeshen." Not much of a story but

real Aberdeen.

_July 7th._--Had seventy shells to-day on W. Beach, mostly big ones

from the "Asiatic Annies"; bag, two killed and three wounded.

_July 8th._--W. Beach. Yesterday we had a big mail--great rejoicing.

When we came out of the mess tent to-day at 1.15 we found a great

swarm of what we all think must be locusts, but no one is sufficiently

well up in zoology to be certain. All are flying inwards in the same

direction, as if they had come out of the sea, but it is more likely

they have come from Asia, across the Dardanelles. There is a slight

breeze and they have difficulty in flying, and are resting everywhere,

and bump up against tents and everything that comes in their way, and

are not strong flyers. They have powerful grasshopper legs, red from

the knee downwards, and an inner pair of wings, which are also red

and give the whole animal a red colour when in flight. Now, after an

hour, they are still more plentiful, and are flying past actually in

myriads.

At 4.30 I got a message to relieve Col. Yarr at Corps H.Q. An

aeroplane was drawn up there, and along with myself a second one

arrived. Now I am in for a shelling, I said to myself, and I had just

entered Col. Yarr's dugout when the first shell exploded a few yards

off, and this was immediately followed by two others. Near the middle

of the aerodrome a large gun emplacement--or whatever it is--is being

dug, which, it is hoped, will draw some of the fire away from here.

The swarm of locusts (?) did not diminish for three hours, when it

tailed off. Their bumping into one's face made walking almost

impossible.

_July 9th._--Head-quarters. We have had a quiet night. The shelling

does not commence here till the aeroplanes arrive from Tenedos. Last

night at dinner various subjects were discussed, such as the duration

of the war. The views of all were very depressing, although no one had

the slightest doubt as to the ultimate complete smashing up of

Germany, and the longer the war lasted the more complete would the

smashing be. One man was sure it would be ended by next spring,

another, who had lived long in Macedonia, is positive it will take two

years from now. General Hunter-Weston took no part in this discussion,

but looked interested and amused while his juniors threshed the

subject out. All agreed that it was most laughable to read the

forecasts in the papers at home, and that it was only now that England

was realising how enormous the task before her was, and that the war

will continue till both sides are just about played out, but there can

be no doubt of our ability to hold out longest.

The plans for the next big attack were also discussed. The General,

who commands the whole army on the peninsula--including the

French--arranges all details, under the Commander-in-chief, Sir Ian

Hamilton. The dates of former attacks were known to us all several

days before they took place, and these invariably reached the Turks.

To avoid this more secrecy is now observed, and it amused me last

night to hear the General emphasise his dates in a voice that denoted

that he did not mean them to be taken literally. This was to bamboozle

me, I thought, the only non-combatant present, but occasionally he

stumbled. As it was always with regret that I came to know the dates

of former attacks some days ahead I was glad to observe this attempt

at secrecy. I remember we were once to commence at 7 o'clock, and the

Turk let fly at us at 6.45, determined, sensible man, to get in the

first blow.

When talking about crushing Germany, all regretted that our country

was so soft, and would not crush sufficiently; however, they thought

they could rely on Russia and France insisting on this being carried

out very thoroughly.

After breakfast I walked down about 300 yards to Helles point,

wondering what had come of all our shipping. The hospital ships are

there, one small supply ship only, a few mine-sweepers, and close in

under the rocks a British and a French submarine, lying beside the

keel of the "Majestic". It appears a German submarine had been sighted

last night, hence as many of the ships as possible had fled. A French

ship is battering Kum Kale, and kicking up a tremendous dust. An

officer from H.Q. was regretting the inability of the Navy to help us.

At last, I hope, even the Navy has discovered this for themselves, for

land operations they are of little use. Then we must rely on our field

guns and howitzers, and these only. Another 5-inch howitzer battery

arrived last night, I hear, and we have 9.2-inch guns somewhere, but

I fail to gather whether these had been actually landed.

_July 10th._--We had an unusually good dinner last night, a feast fit

for the gods to one who has had nothing but camp rations for three

months, where the staple diet is bully beef. We had various liqueurs

before dinner, and excellent cocktails made by the General's A.D.C.

But I never enjoyed anything so much as a bottle of Bass the night

before. The A.D.C. is a jovial fellow, always happy, with plenty of

foresight, and with a fatherly interest in everybody. General

Hunter-Weston has been spending the night at Imbros with Sir Ian

Hamilton, and the Staff had asked several of their friends to dine

with them. I was able to find out from one of our visitors that there

is absolutely no truth in a most persistent rumour we hear, that the

whole of the 29th Division is going home to be re-equipped, after

their almost complete annihilation. He says we are to get a rest, but

we only go to Lemnos. Why send troops away in the meantime?

The Turks for some days back have been making a huge excavation on

this side of the actual peak of Achi Baba. Its purpose is a great

puzzle here. The first object one would think of is that it is a big

gun emplacement, but, as they say at H.Q., they have made it on the

wrong side of the hill. Still I cannot see why not, if they front it

with a big enough mound. But there could be no advantage in making it

on this side, where we could so easily "spot" our shots.

We, too, are making a big excavation on one side of the aerodrome, but

when the first aeroplane enters it for the night I am mistaken if the

Turks do not knock it out within an hour. It is intended for a

monoplane that can fly 113 miles an hour, and its special purpose is

to give chase to the first Taube that appears.

That Achi Baba excavation makes one suspicious that the German

officers with the Turks are to be up to some form of frightfulness. It

cannot be gas, but, if it is, we have been prepared for that for some

weeks, and every man has his respirator. To-day I was asked by the

A.D.C. about a paper dealing with gases, with which we are to

retaliate should the Turk use these first, but it contains names I

never heard before, and can give him no enlightenment on the subject.

6 p.m.--I have been on the General's observation hill with one of the

staff, and his opinion about the excavation is probably correct. It

must be a redoubt, in which the Turks will have a large number of

field and machine-guns, which will mean some taking, but our artillery

should make short work of it.

_July 11th._--Was knocked up at 6.30 to see the General who is ill.

This is awkward, as I have just gathered at breakfast that the next

big fight ("stunt" is the word always used) comes off to-morrow. I

also heard at breakfast that in our last stunt when the first lines of

the Turks were slaughtered, new troops as they were brought up refused

to cross the masses of their dead comrades, and that one of the

reasons for General Hunter-Weston refusing the armistice asked for by

the Turks two days ago was that he wished to retain their dead as a

wall of defence.

Much business has to be transacted in preparation for to-morrow and

the General is getting little rest.

6 p.m.--I walked over to the Ambulance to notify them about

to-morrow's stunt. The road between the aerodrome and the Beach was

being shelled, so I took the other side of the aerodrome, past the

Ordnance Stores, and as I was nearing these the Asiatic gunners

thought they might pepper this side, and I had some big crashes near

me. A shell entered the road just behind the 89th F.A. without

exploding, and one of our men pushed a 7-foot stick down the hole

without reaching the bottom. The hole was the cleanest I ever saw, 7

inches in diameter, and every mark of the rifling of the driving band

was beautifully moulded in the clay. Here at H.Q. they dug up one of

these new and unexploded shells, and it had penetrated 14 feet into

the ground.

A New Zealander was telling me yesterday that his people closely

resembled those of the old country in every respect, while the

Australians seem to completely alter. When the British and New

Zealanders hear a shell approaching they duck, while an Australian

straightens his back, gets his head and shoulders over the parapet,

and swears.

General Hunter-Weston kept improving during the day, and by evening

was much better.

_July 12th._--An important battle took place to-day, and still rages,

beginning at 4 a.m. but in real earnest by 5, when many new big guns

were used for the first time. Our centre (Naval Division) and the

right (French) are mainly involved, although the whole line took part

in the preliminary bombardment. News came in that the first attack

failed, but that by 7.30 the first line of the Turks was captured. On

the top of the Observation Hill at H.Q. I met an interesting fellow,

who said he was the only civil surgeon who had got permission to join

us. He had a Government appointment in the Soudan, and having three

months' leave he was allowed to spend it here without pay. He said he

would have been ashamed to go home.

The General feels better to-day, and by lunch time looked as if things

were going well at the Front. However, the French have a most

difficult piece of work before them, namely, the capture of Kereves

Dere, which has blocked their way since April 28. This gully runs in

a S.E. direction from the foot of Achi Baba to the Dardanelles, is

flat at the bottom, and about 400 yards wide, with steep perpendicular

cliffs on both sides, nearly 200 feet high. At the bottom each side

holds a trench facing the other, while there are others half-way up

wherever there are slopes. In a spot or two the French are said to

have pushed through before, and for a time held a piece of the other

side, but the difficulty is to get the Turk entirely out and the

position consolidated.

The enemy submarines would like to do some mischief to-day, could they

find something worth a torpedo, but all our shipping has gone, except

three hospital ships and the torpedo craft. Within the last fifteen

minutes a destroyer has given a long blast on her whistle, followed by

two short, the signal that a submarine has been sighted. Three

destroyers are at the present moment grouped together evidently having

a conference.

6.15 p.m.--The battle has raged the whole day, but less violently from

11 to 4, but at the latter hour, a warship, lying close in, with all

our field guns, raised a great roar, and a solid mass of smoke and

dust rose high in the air enveloping the whole of the Turkish lines

from the west of Krithia to the Dardanelles. The Turks have replied

all day, but feebly in comparison.

Most of the day I had been watching the battlefield from the

Observation Hill, then at 5 went to tea in the mess where I was alone.

General Hunter-Weston entered in a few minutes, and sitting opposite

me said, "What an extraordinary thing war is". The progress of the day

had greatly satisfied him I could see, and he was in great glee.

"Yes," I said, "but I wish to goodness it was all over." "My dear

sir," he replied, "we'll have years of it yet." I asked if he thought

there was any possibility of its ending this year. "Absolutely none; I

think there may be trouble in Germany over the food supply by the

beginning of next harvest and, if so, there will be a chance of its

ending in twelve months, but it is more likely to take two years." I

was afterwards speaking to Major ---- about this, and I have always

agreed with his remark, "It is all damned nonsense to talk about

starving Germany".

After tea I returned to the Hill where several of the Staff were

collected. We watched a body of Turks, about 200 in number, leave

their own lines and come towards ours with a large white flag. Within

three seconds after their forming into a body five of our shells

landed among them, and there was nothing to be seen when the smoke

cleared off. But in a few minutes those remaining gathered into a body

again, and immediately two more shells exploded in their midst. The

few remaining could now be seen coming out of the smoke and tearing

down a slope to a nullah a short way off, and they were not seen

again. Major ---- was here called away to interpret to three Turkish

prisoners who had come in, but I have heard no particulars of their

examination.... I hear from one of the orderlies that a prisoner

complained that their own guns opened on them as soon as a body formed

up to surrender. (This is what actually happened, Turkish shells, not

ours, fell among them, a lesson to others what would happen if they

surrendered.)

We seem to have made a great advance in front of our Naval Division.

It is more difficult to say what the French have done, their line is

more hidden from here, owing to the contour of the ground. It will be

dark by 8, and now at 6.45 it is high time we were straightening up

our line, otherwise the forward positions will be enfiladed by night.

I heard our Artillery Staff-General being asked at the Observation

Hill if he was satisfied with the day's work, and he replied, "Quite,

on the whole, quite, quite".

I was interested to find that none of our Generals left H.Q. to-day;

everything is worked from there by telephone. Each was at his own post

and spent little time on the Observation Hill--much less than I did

myself.

_July 13th._--Rumours after a battle are always plentiful, but at H.Q.

one has an opportunity of sifting these, in fact I could always get

the exact truth by asking members of the Staff, but I feel as a

non-combatant that I have no right to openly poke my nose into purely

military matters. Rumour said we had taken 700 prisoners yesterday;

another rumour puts the number at 2000. I heard at dinner that eighty

had come in. Mention was laughingly made of "the lost regiment". I

could not imagine at the time that we had lost a regiment and thought

it was a joke of the General's, but to-day I find that a whole

battalion of K.O.S.B.'s are amissing. Those must be prisoners in the

hands of the Turks. They had lost so heavily before that they could

not have been at anything like full strength. The curious thing is the

officers are said to have turned up, and can give no account of what

happened. I expect this is not the exact truth. They are said to have

pushed too far forward, which is the usual cause of our worst

disasters.

Three violent counter-attacks were made last night. Fighting had never

ceased the whole night, and I hear we had to retire all along the

line. The extent of our falling back I do not know, but the news is

most depressing.

Major ---- told me yesterday that the best troops in the world would

get so completely demoralised under a shelling like that we gave the

Turks that every man would be absolutely limp, and could not even aim

when firing. Then, the more shells we have the better, as we all know

here and at home. Yesterday we used very little shrapnel, it was

almost entirely high explosives. At home it was discovered that we had

used too much of the former in France. The demoralising effect of

shrapnel is slight, and it has little effect on troops under cover,

but you might as well fight an earthquake as the other, if it is

anywhere near you.

Yesterday's casualties up to evening were put at 3000 to 4000, but

this number will have been added to over night.

10.55 p.m.--Fighting has gone on all day, and with great success on

our side; we have regained our lost trenches and taken several new

ones.

I had a very exciting and hot motor ride in search of the Liaison

officer, at General Hunter-Weston's request, word having come in that

he was badly wounded. I had many narrow escapes, especially from high

explosives fired at a battery astride the road through which I had to

dart, and afterwards from bullets when I left the car and went forward

on foot. On stepping out of the car a man seeing I was on business

stepped up to me and immediately dropped dead with a bullet through

him. I searched our own and the French front lines amidst showers of

bullets but could find no trace of the man I wanted. I had taken Col.

Yarr's orderly with me, an old regular. After clearing the battery,

where big shells from Asia were dropping on all sides of us, and at a

terrific rate, he picked himself up from the floor of the car and

swore roundly, and said Col. Yarr would never have taken him into such

a hot place.

_July 15th._--About 5.30 a.m. we had a Taube overhead, which dropped

two bombs on W. Beach, the acres of boxes at the Ordnance Stores being

aimed at. A man's arm was blown off and two or three mules killed. We

have moved our ammunition from Tekke Burnu, where it was too exposed,

and the Turks seem to think we have mixed it up with these stores as a

deception, hence these bombs to-day. The machine was at an enormous

height, and its approach was neither seen nor heard, and the French

monoplane gave it a start of at least five minutes before pursuing.

The Taube went in a westward direction, ours directly north, evidently

with the view of cutting it off from its usual landing place. Our

machine returned after forty minutes, but I have not heard if it was

successful.

I went to Aberdeen Gully this morning having returned from H.Q.

yesterday forenoon.

_July 16th._--Woke this morning about 6 after a delightfully peaceful

night. I lay in my bunk, surrounded by muslin to keep the flies out,

and felt wonderfully contented with my lot. Such peace could not last

long, soon the booming of guns was heard some way off, others nearer

followed, and one over our heads joined in the chorus, and by 10

o'clock rather a fierce Turkish cannonade commenced.

6 p.m.--I took the temperature of the air to-day for the first time

and found it 92.5--not the hottest day I have felt here, still

uncomfortably warm. Walked over to Y. Beach in the forenoon, and up

The Gully later, meeting the Hants and Worcesters marching down with

their full kits--all off to Lemnos or somewhere out of the reach of

shells. These are the very last of the 29th Division to leave except

the three ambulances.

_July 17th._--W. Beach. Returned from Aberdeen Gully to-day. Last

night the Asiatic guns were troublesome about W. Beach, also a Taube

which dropped bombs about the ammunition dump. By shell or bomb a fire

was started that cost us 1,000,000 rounds of rifle ammunition.

I had an order in the forenoon to inoculate the H.Q. Staff against

cholera. On going over at 6.15, the appointed hour, I found General

Hunter-Weston had gone some hours before, along with Col. Yarr, to

Lemnos for a much-needed rest. I inoculated two other Generals and

forty-five others, finishing up with a dose for myself.

One of our men had a letter from a friend who is with the 2nd Highland

F.A. in France. He spoke about them retiring out of shell fire for a

rest, and after pitching camp a shell fell in the next field. They

then struck camp and went back another 5 miles. "Good God," some one

heard him declare, "an' here's his, we could na gang five inches."

_July 18th._--Last night about 11 o'clock seventeen shells came over

from Asia, and one hit a huge pile of cartridge boxes and set it

ablaze. It burned furiously, with a very alarming sputter, bullets

flying everywhere, although their velocity was not great. They were

flying over our heads and we had to go underground. Several about the

fire got rather badly wounded. When fully alight the noise was the

most earsplitting I ever heard, not that it was so very loud, but

there was something painful about it. This pile was composed of

cartridges taken off our own dead and wounded, and those picked up

about the trenches, where a sinful waste goes on, although I believe

the big half was captured Turkish ammunition. Many millions were

burned.

In the morning I was asked to spend the day at H.Q. to relieve Col.

Yarr's successor. Major-General Stopford (afterwards in command at the

Sulva landing) was acting as G.O.C. Everything seems very quiet at

present, as if we were to be in no hurry to make another attack--a

pity, I think.

At 9.30 p.m. I went over to the "River Clyde" to guide an ambulance

that was coming out from England. They landed at midnight, and are to

encamp with us--we fondly hope and believe for the purpose of

relieving us. Asiatic shells were flying as they landed, and for some

hours afterwards, an unfortunate and alarming experience as all were

raw to warfare.

_July 19th._--For some days we have been looking for orders to go

somewhere for a rest. The order came suddenly to-day at 8 p.m. and we

were ordered to be on board at 10 at V. Beach. A tall order indeed,

all had to pack up and stow away what we were leaving behind. The most

of B Section was at Aberdeen Gully, 4 miles away. Word was sent to

these, but the note miscarried, and by the time they were able to come

in it was long past midnight.

_July 20th._--Last night C Section was sent off in advance, A

following about 11 o'clock. We hoped to get off quickly, the object of

the rest being to take us out of shell fire. We had to pass along the

road at the top of the lighthouse cliff, and C Section, as they waited

for us beside the "River Clyde," observed a signal about the time we

had been passing that point. The Kum Kale guns gave us what they

considered a fair time to cover the remaining piece of ground, and

just as we were coming up to the "River Clyde," under whose shelter we

were to embark, we heard the whistle of an approaching shell. We lay

flat but there was no time for shelter. Instead of one shell, as we

thought, four (some say six) burst simultaneously about us, all high

explosives. Not a man was hit, which was an absolute miracle; all had

burst beside us, and actually among us, as I thought. I rushed back

through the dense smoke and dust, expecting to find terrible havoc in

our ranks, and found the men had bolted to shelter, leaving their

packs in the middle of the road. I shouted but got no reply, but in

twos and threes they collected near the pier, and rushed along to the

side of the boat. Other men had been passing along this pier when the

shells burst, and a number were killed and mangled, one of the barges

being simply splashed with blood. All this was most unfortunate, but

it did not end until we got sixteen shells in all. The officers after

the first salvo sheltered at the entrance of a deep dugout owned by a

Frenchman. Whenever he saw the flash of a gun over the water he

shouted "Kum Kale" and pointed to his dugout, when we dived down in

beautiful style, tumbling over each other down the dark steps. At last

our mine-sweeper came in and we boarded her about 1.30 a.m. to-day.

She took us beyond the reach of the guns to the "Osmanieh," a fine

boat of the Khedivial mail line. I had had practically no sleep for

the last three nights, and I was soon on the top of my bed half

undressed and fast asleep.

We breakfasted at 8 as we were entering the outer roads of Lemnos.

Here we had two more transfers before we landed on the most

inhospitable looking shore we had ever seen. We soon wished ourselves

back in Gallipoli with its shells. The wind blew, and such a dust. All

the land round the harbour, and far inland is one large camp. The

harbour is covered with battleships and transports, most of the former

flying the tricolour flag, and among the others are many of the

largest liners in the world, the "Mauretania" with her four funnels

being one of them. We trudged on for 1-1/2 miles through the most

terrible dust, underfoot and in the air, and took possession of a

rushy piece of ground, the only natural piece we could find, all the

rest being under cultivation of vines, French beans, maize, and other

crops. It is a god-forsaken place in the meantime. We could get

nothing to eat or drink, but finally, after 4 o'clock, we managed to

"borrow" sufficient water to make tea. After a meal of bread, and a

small tin of salmon between us all, we felt a bit revived, and the

desire to return to the shells of Gallipoli lessened. But we are

ordered to strike camp, we are interfering with the privacy of some

fellows who have the honour to belong to H.Q. of the 87th Division,

and we must be off to-night.

_July 21st._--I expected to have to go to bed hungry last night, but

Pirie of the Lancs. called and asked Kellas and myself to dine with

him, so that I finally went to rest under the stars feeling quite

comfortable. I spread my two coats on the ground, thought twice about

undressing, but, wishing to have a good sleep, got into my pyjamas,

and with a single blanket over me slept till about 3 a.m. when I woke

up feeling bitterly cold. We are now encamped in the midst of

vineyards, where there is an excellent crop of grapes, but they are

sour and unripe. I got hold of a Greek yesterday and asked him if he

could bring a supply of fruit to us in the evening. He did a big trade

among the men with oranges and lemons, and when he saw me produced a

special sack with some really fine pears and oranges, and a huge

red-fleshed water melon which we had for breakfast, in spite of the

warning that we were to guard against all sorts of fruit, but melons

in particular. This morning I gathered a supply of French beans and

think a good dish of green food will benefit our health. Except at

H.Q. I have never had an opportunity of anything of the kind.

The 29th Division, which left Gallipoli less than a week ago, are

ordered back already, before they have time to benefit much by the

change. An officer of the Dublins was lamenting about this to me, and

compared his men with Kitchener's army, which is largely represented

here, being on their way to the Front for the first time. All the old

campaigners are thin, hollow-eyed and haggard. I know I myself have

lost over a stone weight, and feel very tired--to do anything is an

exertion.

Here the heat is intense, and we have not a particle of shade, there

being no trees where we are, but this morning we are arranging about

tents, and in a few hours we may be able to escape from the sun's

perpendicular rays. I hope within the next day or two to explore part

of the island and its villages. The natives are inclined to be very

friendly, the Greek who brought me the fruit absolutely refused

payment, saying, "It's for the commander, he take Constantinople and

me give him this". I promised to take it in less than no time. If I

could fulfil my promise the Greek would have the best of the bargain,

but this has been characteristic of the race from all time.

Towards evening Thomson and I walked to Mudros by a back road, and

were fascinated with the primitive ways of the natives. Their mode of

threshing in particular interested us. We wandered through the

village, meeting crowds of native men, women, and children, the men

mostly squatting in front of dirty cafés, or lounging inside, sipping,

as far as I could make out, syrup and soda water. This love of syrup I

have seen in Holland and Belgium and in France, and I fancy is

universal in hot countries. We visited the church, which I had been in

three months before. An old verger--for such I took him to be--took us

round, a venerable old fellow with kindly eyes, and long beard, long

robe, and tall brimless hat. He pointed out everything, talking a

mixture of French and Greek; showed us the Bible on the altar, a

beautiful silver covered tome, the various pictures, etc., and the

pulpit of the "Episcopos". "Oh, the bishop," said I. "No, no, Castro

Episcopos." He meant the Bishop, who perhaps pays the place periodic

visits, his palace being in Castro, the largest town on the island. A

candle--a mere taper--had been lighted for each of us on entering, and

was set in a circular candlestick. For this performance we were

expected to pay of course. Before leaving I dropped a piastre

(2-1/2d.) into a plate, and handed Thomson another, but he finding he

had three British pennies dropped all in, greatly to the delight of

our guide into whose pocket all this wealth went. "Merci, merci," says

the old chap who dives for another candle, and lit a second for the

good of Thomson's soul.

_July 22nd._--Thomson and I set off after breakfast to Rosapool, a

village to the N.E. On the way we studied the method of threshing the

wheat, which seems to be occupying the full time of every member of

the families at this time. The threshing floor on which the operation

is conducted is twenty yards across, circular and laid with flat

stones. About sufficient sheaves to form half a dozen of our "stooks"

at home is evenly spread on the floor, while a pair of oxen draw a

sledge made of two stout boards, about 5 feet long, turned up at the

point, and studded most carefully with flints projecting fully half an

inch. The driver, who is usually a woman, stands on this and directs

the cattle round and round, prodding them freely with a goad. Some of

the larger floors have a second team: several I saw to-day consisting

of two donkeys and a pony. These were not muzzled like the oxen, they

had no sledge, their hoofs doing the work, and they were kept going

round at a good pace. The winnowing follows, after the whole is

reduced almost to snuff. This is carried out by throwing shovelfuls in

the air, the slight breeze we have to-day carrying the pounded straw

away and leaving the heavy grain.

Rosapool is off the beaten track and is not much spoiled by the

present influx of men. We managed to get a drink of excellent

beer--Pilsner, from Athens--the old fellow who served us explaining

that he had no right to let us have it, but as soon as a military

policeman who was standing at his door, moved on we were placed on

chairs at a small table and had our repast. We visited the church

which was not unlike the bigger one at Mudros. With her head on the

doorstep was a wizened old woman fast asleep, guarding three piles of

salt she had laid out to dry in the sun. She got on her haunches,

mumbled to us in a friendly way, and showed us how she worked her

spinning machine, which she had with her. This consisted of a pole

about 2 feet high, with a base which she clutched with her great,

coarse, bare toes, and as she teased out the wool from the bunch at

the top she twirled a short spindle with her right hand making a

remarkably even thread.

We next climbed a hill near this, which we found rough and rugged, as

every hill here is. It was scorched absolutely brown,

thistles--especially yellow-flowered ones--alone showing signs of life,

along with a pretty, dwarf Dianthus. The rocks are covered with an

orange-coloured lichen which gives them a warm colour. When lying on

the top I could almost imagine myself in Scotland, if I kept my eyes

above the villages and valleys, and viewed the hill-tops only. Away to

the north of us was a large, pure white lagoon, shut off from the sea

by a sandbar. No doubt this was a layer of salt formed the same way as

the inland lakes with their salt we were accustomed to at Mex, and it

was likely from this the "old wifie" had got her salt.

Every village has its fig trees, the largest under 20 feet high, their

large leaves rich green and luscious. Almost every house has one or

more of these. There is but one pattern for their houses, a square box

two storeys high, often with a bit of balcony covered with vines. The

general colour of a village is grey, cold, and forbidding, but this is

relieved by the fig trees, and the bright green and blue paint many

use on their doors and windows. Everything is primitive, and long may

it remain so; all seem happy and contented on the small pittance any

of them can earn. There is no attempt at farming on anything but the

smallest scale.

Was it in Lemnos, the Ægean Isle, Milton lands Satan when thrown out

of Heaven?

We hear that Achi Baba was to be stormed to-day, but we do not believe

it. Big gunfire is distinctly heard at this distance (over 40 miles)

and we have heard but a very few shots. Last night the booming was

constant for a time.

_July 23rd._--To-day we had a route march of nearly twelve miles, the

first since we left England. We went through Rosapool to the northern

shore of Lemnos, where the men bathed and rested for an hour. We found

a fine beach of silver sand. We reached camp a little after 2, with

excellent appetites. By a little clever manœuvring--and with the aid

of Sergeant-Major Shaw--Kellas and I managed to reach Rosapool while

the men rested outside, and we had a long, cooling drink of Pilsner.

_July 24th._--Went over almost every street in Mudros this morning.

There were five of us, and we made many purchases for our mess--white

wine, plums, Turkish delight, preserved fruit, tomatoes, etc. In the

evening Thomson and I inoculated every one in camp against cholera--my

second dose.

_July 25th._--When we landed at Lemnos we chanced to meet Padre

Komlosy, who has looked us up in camp a time or two since. He had a

service at 10 for us and the Welsh Fusiliers who are on their way to

Gallipoli for the first time. These Welshmen wear a cockade of white

feathers in their helmets and the officers three black ribbons down

their backs, from below their coat collars. Padre Hardie also visited

us in the evening.

H.Q. of the lines of communication is on the "Aragon," a magnificent

ship lying in Lemnos harbour. The "Aragon" is notorious for its number

of monocles. Up to now any officer has been allowed to go on board to

any meal on payment, but evidently that privilege is about to be

stopped. If anyone went in his grimy, war-worn garments, and many now

have nothing else, he was glowered at by these toffs, as if he had no

right to be there. Besides, many officers who were not sick enough to

enter a hospital, but too ill to carry on at the Front, were sent

there for a rest. These too were attacked by these fellows and told

that if they were ill they should be on a hospital ship or if not ill

they ought to be at the Front. These men have no intention themselves

of going nearer the Front, they are all fat and sleek and live on the

fat of the land, are faultlessly dressed, and strut about with their

monocles, looking with contempt on all the poor devils who are doing

the dirty work. Every one is now up in arms against them.

In the evening the CO., Kellas, and I climbed a rocky hill of about

800 feet, lying to the east. The view of the harbour with over 100 big

ships, and about as many small craft was very fine in its setting of

rugged hills. We watched the sun go down in all his glory on the

distant side of the island.

_July 27th._--Still in Lemnos. There has been nothing doing to-day. We

lie about camp a good deal where we have an abundance of light

literature, sheltering under two large, double-lined Indian tents we

were lucky enough to secure the day after our arrival. Yesterday we

had a mail, which of course had to go to Gallipoli first, and was

delayed at least a week by this short double journey.

At 9 a.m. Fiddes and I took the men for a route march through the

village of Romano and up a hill beyond.

_July 28th._--Another slow day. I amused myself in the morning with a

fine specimen of a tarantula which I caught crawling up a tent. I had

seen three others in Gallipoli but this was the finest of all. Kellas

and I had a praying mantis in a large tin box with gauze as a lid so

that we might watch him at his devotions. The mantis reminds one of a

small, green monkey, the fore pair of legs being well developed and

used in prehension. A large number of the insects we have are of the

grasshopper tribe with well-developed hind-legs. The tarantula was put

beside the mantis and he pounced on him like a cat at a mouse, seized

him round the middle and with his great mandibles chewed right along

to his head, squeezing every drop of juice out of him. Nothing was

left but a few dry pellets. Kellas next gave him about a dozen flies

and he found room for the lot. These he sprawled at with his

fore-legs, rarely missing a dart, keeping his mouth open till a fly

was grabbed and forced between his jaws. He has had another meal of

flies and looks well satisfied with the easy way in which he has been

able to capture his prey to-day, and is much inclined to sleep.

An aeroplane crossed directly over us at 4.15 this morning, coming

from the S.W., probably Smyrna. It was flying at a moderate height,

and was quite visible in the dim light. After completely crossing the

harbour and taking careful note of our shipping, it turned and dropped

a bomb at something about the harbour entrance. And all this happened

without a single shot being fired by us--like our watchful

authorities!

_July 29th._--To-day I had a very enjoyable tramp with Stephen to the

top of a hill, then to Rosapool, which is the only place near where

one can quench one's thirst with bitter beer, or even the local sweet

wine. All shops are strictly forbidden to sell either, and military

police are everywhere on the prowl. Still the trade goes on, a Greek

can never refuse money, he will sell his soul rather than miss the

chance of making a penny. Our usual place of call is kept by a very

knowing and intelligent Greek, but he was from home to-day--gone to

Varos, we were told, to buy beer. The son, a boy of eleven or twelve,

was in sole charge, a keen little chap as ever lived, with a genuine

Greek eye for business, but a fine and intelligent boy, and by taking

a seat in the shop for fifteen minutes and threatening to spend the

day if necessary, he was at last persuaded to produce a couple of

bottles of beer from Salonika, which we found to be really good. The

boy has a smattering of English and French, and says he has been at

school. I have never seen any sign of a school in any of the villages

so far. He says "the English soldier drink, drink, he no good," and

shakes his head, as though the national curse would end in our losing

the war. We discovered in a corner four barrels of mysterious looking

stuff that attracted flies. These were full of cheese floating in

water, little more than stiff curd, but palatable, and this along with

biscuits and beer made an enjoyable little lunch. Then we set off for

"home," Stephen carrying a kilo of cheese, I with a bottle of beer

inside my shirt, as a very small treat for the other fellows.

_July 30th._--Stephen, Dickie, and I set off at 9.30 to have a day's

enjoyment at Varos, a village we had heard a good deal about. The day

was scorching but we covered the 6 miles, via Lychkna, at about 3-1/2

miles an hour. In the last-mentioned village we were studying a notice

on a house door when we discovered a nicely dressed woman beside us,

evidently regarding us with some interest, and, what was most

unusual, with a smile on her face. "Are you English?" said Stephen.

"No," she replied, "but I have been in England." "What part?"--answer

"America". She went for her husband, who, she said, would give us

beer, although she admitted it was forbidden, but he was hard as

adamant and absolutely refused, saying "He cared for the notice" we

had been reading. This vowed dire punishment on all who dared to

supply anyone with alcohol. We shortly afterwards reached Varos, with

its twelve windmills all in a row. This being in French occupation

there is no prohibition for the British, so we searched out a suitable

place for a cooling drink, and chose a very interesting spot in the

village square. All the shops are somewhat alike, bare, black rafters,

with earth or stone floor, and in this particular one a flock of

swallows had their nests in every niche in the ceiling. Each of us had

a bottle of beer on the pavement, alongside a French sentry whose sole

duty was to see that no Frenchman had a drink. He seemed to think that

it was unfair that his countrymen were not allowed to quench their

thirst, so he defied the law by having a drink with us, and allowing

every Frenchman who made the request to enter and have his big

water-bottle filled with water--but really with red wine, a whole

litre of which they could buy for sixpence. Delicious wine it was,

although rather sweet.

We had very interesting talks with several of the younger men, who had

all been in America, but had been recalled by their Government lately,

when there were signs of Greece taking the field, which, according to

our informants, she would do in September. All we spoke to seemed very

desirous to have a blow at Turkey, they wished the Turk turned out of

Europe. I had an idea there were no schools here, but I was told every

village had its two schools. Young children were taught together, but

as they grew up the sexes went to different schools, and education is

compulsory to the age of fifteen. All are taught to read and write

English. This is due, our man told me, to Alexandria being their

greatest mart.

We had coffee, real Turkish coffee, at another place, where we were

attracted by a curious advertisement. It was an oil painting of a

Scotch lassie in kilt and plaid, dancing with a jug of foaming beer

above her head, and alongside her it was announced that they sold

"tea, coffee, and milk". Stephen at once wished to buy it, but the

terms were exorbitant. To make Turkish coffee you put a teaspoonful of

ground coffee in a little pot with an equal quantity of sugar, then

run in about two ounces of boiling water, and push this into

smouldering charcoal until it boils. Along with this is served a large

tumbler of ice-cold water, which you sip time about with the coffee.

Before we could get Dickie away from Varos he insisted on being

photographed by Stephen, astride a huge cask in front of a shop, but

the cask refused to keep steady--so Dicky asserted, although to all

appearances it was most solidly fixed to a substantial stand. Plainly

Dickie was feeling weak after his long walk.

_July 31st._--Dickie much stronger to-day. I accompanied him to

H.M.M.P. "Aragon" to get some money from the army cashier. We lunched

on board and had a glorious meal, everything to eat good, excellent

cider with ice, and comfortable lounges in which to smoke. Such things

are almost unthinkable after our simple--very simple--fare on

Gallipoli. I sat between two New Zealanders who had come over from

Anzac last night. One of them said they were only 10 yards from the

Turks' trench in one part of their line. The other day a New Zealander

shouted across, "Do you want any jam this morning?" "Yes," said the

Turks from the depths of their trench. "How many of you are there?"

"Eight," was the reply. "All right, here's one pot of jam," and a pot

of real jam was thrown over. The next morning the same proceedings

were gone through, and the eight got together to get their jam. But

this time the pot was filled with nitroglycerine and the Turks were

blown to pieces. We are now using hand grenades from home, but till

just lately when we had to retaliate on the Turks, who took to using

deadly grenades, ours were made hurriedly of empty jam tins. These

were filled with nitroglycerine mixed with pieces of old iron, such as

shrapnel bullets and pieces of burst shells which we all

collected--and most deadly weapons they proved, if a Turk got one in

the stomach it simply blew him in two.

Word came in the early hours of last night that we had to prepare for

our return to Gallipoli on Monday August 2. No one seems actually

sorry, we feel that we have got all the good out of this place that is

to be had, and the sooner we are all in our places the sooner will the

war be over. We had much wind and dust in the morning, the wind

falling later when it became uncomfortably warm. We had few flies in

our camp at first, but they soon found us out and became as trying a

plague as in Gallipoli. The Kaffirs say God made the bees, and the

Devil made the flies.

_August 2nd._--We left our camp in Lemnos at 12.15 and marched in a

solid cloud of dust to Australian Pier, where we had to wait in the

grilling sun for another hour before we got off to the "Abessiah," of

the Khedivial Line, which sailed at 4.15, taking a long time to

manœuvre before she got her head towards the entrance of the harbour.

We had a good afternoon tea of crisp toast and real butter, likely our

last respectable meal for many a day.

As we passed through the shipping the old familiar cry of "Are we

downhearted?" came from some of the shiploads of fresh troops. There

was but a feeble reply from our men, very unlike their shouts as we

passed through Malta on the way out. We could not raise a cheer

now-a-days, we are still too tired in spite of our rest. We feel a lot

of desperate men, prepared to go back and face the worst if need be.

We passed a British and French submarine just inside the boom guarding

the harbour.

Before midnight our ambulance was transferred to a mine-sweeper and

landed at V. Beach, leaving myself and twenty-one men behind to look

after the baggage, which is always landed at W. We had a weary night

of it, the trans-shipping of our heavy goods with fifteen mail bags

which we picked up just as we were leaving Lemnos, being a big job. On

coming round to W. Beach we were told we would have to remain where we

were till 7 o'clock, or perhaps later.

_August 3rd._--It is now 6.30 a.m. and the captain and crew are still

sound asleep, at any rate not a soul is stirring.

We overlook our old Beach, which looks as forbidding from the sea as

it is in reality. A few minutes ago I watched a Taube drop a bomb

beside our Ordnance Stores, another near the C.C.S., and a third a

little further on. What has come of that French monoplane whose

purpose was to chase such visitors? At 7 we transferred to a pinnace,

and after much bother about baggage we reached our familiar dug-outs

about 8. On our way up from the Beach, we passed the Signal Station

which was a heap of ruins. A shell fell on the roof two days ago,

killed six men outright, and wounded ten, one of these afterwards

dying. The numerous recent shell holes in the road and elsewhere

showed that the Turks had not been idle in our absence. The 88th F.A.

beside us had several casualties, one day losing ten mules and three

another, with one man wounded.

_August 4th._--It is twelve months to-day since war was declared by

England on Germany. The number of men slaughtered in that time should

be an easy record in the whole history of the world.

We are ordered to relieve the 88th F.A. at their dressing station near

Pink Farm on the West Krithia road, and I walked out in the morning to

view the place and to see what extras it would be necessary for us to

take with us. I found Whitaker there with thirty men. Towards evening

Fiddes and I came out with thirty-two men, and we are now in our

dug-outs, which are really part of an old trench. It is a narrow

bedroom but airy. We have a stretcher or two as a roof to keep the sun

out, but with their huge blood stains they do not form an artistic

ceiling.

It is now 10 p.m. and having come 2 miles nearer Achi Baba I had to go

out and study what was doing. The usual all-night rifle fire goes on;

roars occasionally from the batteries near us; Asiatic shells I can

hear exploding over at V. Beach; star shells are going up from our

lines, and the French, but theirs are superior to ours. Ours are

merely rockets, theirs have parachutes which open when the rocket

reaches its highest point, and they remain practically stationary for

a considerable time.

We are in a very exposed position and have been warned that we will be

sniped at once if we show a light. A few stray bullets have come about

us, and I could wish that my parapet was a trifle higher, and I am,

moreover, doubtful whether my candle light is not reflected through

the roof stretchers which have a wrong tilt. But I will risk both

dangers to-night, and will heighten my wall by daylight.

The Achi Baba guns shelled W. Beach rather furiously to-day, and in

the afternoon a large number of shells fell in the harbour.

_August 5th._--Had a quiet day at Pink Farm (in some of our maps this

is called Saliri Farm). In the forenoon, our water-cart not arriving

when expected, I had a long hunt for a well where we could draw a

small quantity of water, but it was with great difficulty we got it,

every well being reserved for some particular unit.

We are on the eve of a big battle. To-morrow the front of Krithia is

to be captured at any cost. We must get on and the cost must no longer

be counted. In preparation for this there has been much ranging by all

the batteries, to which the Turks feebly replied. We have no right to

have our dressing station where it is, we have dumped ourselves down,

and have erected our largest Red Cross flag, in front of several

closely packed lines of reserve trenches, which is contrary to the

rules of warfare, and if we get shelled it is our own lookout. To-day

these trenches swarmed with men, and four shells were fired at them,

the first just grazing the trench we are in. In the same way two

submarines lie off the coast, close to the C.C.S. on one side and the

hospital ships on the other, hence shells are continuously dropping in

the former, but for this we cannot blame the Turk. So far, all are

agreed that the Turk has not only put up a valiant fight, but a

straight one, and if he continues as he is doing it will be better for

him when the day of reckoning comes round.

_August 6th._--When sitting at dinner with Fiddes word reached us that

Kellas had been killed. Such a blow to us and to all who knew good and

gentle Kellas. Curiosity had frequently led us both into positions of

danger where we ought not to have been, and I always noted how

fearless he was. To-day he had been along a deep communication trench,

along which wounded were to be carried in the action we knew was about

to take place, and he had been viewing the ground, and while standing

at the extreme end of this trench a sniper had caught sight of the

group he was standing in and a shot laid him low. About an hour after

this sad event I had orders to take his place in The Gully. As the

fight was to begin at 2 p.m. I had little time to get into my place,

at least three miles distant. I set off at once to our advanced

dressing station at the Zigzag, three-quarters of a mile up The Gully

from Aberdeen Gully.

To-day's battle has been a most bloody affair, wounded beginning to

drop in at once. As often happens, out of our four first cases three

were wounds in the left hand--one a bullet through the centre of the

palm, another was minus the first phalanx of his fore finger, the

third minus another finger. All these were undoubtedly self-inflicted.

We are bound to notify all these suspicious cases to their C.O.'s and

until a guard is sent for them we retain them under a guard of our own

men. If a hand is found blackened it of course shows that it was done

at very close quarters, but to avoid this a glove or bandage is

applied before firing.

I was kept very busy and had no time for food during the rest of the

day. The wounds were particularly severe, and very few had single

wounds, many having four to six.

_August 7th._--The Turks failed to make their usual counter-attack

last night, though firing never ceased. I worked for nine hours

without one minute's halt, and by night felt very tired. I lay down on

a stretcher and tried to get a little sleep, but got none. The snores

of my neighbours, the groans of a few wounded we had retained

over-night, and the death rattle of two dying men beside me were

sufficient to banish sleep.

Two of our battalions have each lost 700 out of the 900 they went into

action with. We have gained very little ground; we took trenches and

lost them. The long interval from the last fight to the present gave

the Turks time to dig trenches almost proof against shell fire, so

that when the bombardment began they retired back to these, knowing

there could be no assault on their front trenches by the infantry

while this lasted.

Yesterday our army made a fresh landing which we hear was most

successful, one Division landing at Anzac, the other a short way

beyond on fresh ground. Our casualties we are told were two, another

report says five, so that it was practically unopposed. Our attack

yesterday and during the night kept the whole of the Turkish army

concentrated here. Looking at it in this light some think our losses

were not excessive.

Yesterday I spoke about three cases we suspected to be self-inflicted.

A guard took these away to-day, and they are to be court-martialled

to-morrow. Our fourth case also came in just as the action was

beginning. A zigzag path comes down a steep cliff behind us, and down

this came a man at full gallop, and I thought he was coming to warn us

that the Turks were using gas, but, instead, he threw himself on the

ground and yelled and kicked like an infant, and for about an hour

nothing could calm him. It was a simple case of funk, quite a common

ailment. A Tommy was sympathising to-day with another who was severely

wounded and he replied, "I don't care a damn, I did for the bloke who

shot me". That is the sort of men we want in the army.

_August 8th._--Two Divisions were landed at Suvla Bay, beyond Anzac,

and it is said a third Division will also land there. They are said to

have made good progress inland, on their way to Maidos, and if they

succeed in cutting the Turkish line of communication Achi Baba is

likely to be evacuated--so it is said, but the Turk has already given

us more than one surprise--we shall see.

On my hurry round from Pink Farm two days ago an orderly dumped my

pack at the Zigzag among a pile of packs belonging to the wounded, and

since then it has not been seen. I set off to-day for Gully Beach half

expecting to find it there as it was from here the wounded were

transferred to the hospital ships. I next went on to W. Beach and

inquired at Ordnance and the C.C.S. but all to no purpose; however, I

was able to pick up a few necessities from each of these places. I

dined at our base, the C.O. and Dickie being the only officers

present.

I afterwards attended Kellas's funeral. We buried him in the little

cemetery inland from our Beach, to the music of flying shells, one

landing at the entrance as the ambulance wagon with his body drew up,

and several others followed. The padre who officiated said this was

the first time he had seen a funeral shelled. During the service we

all stood in the big grave for safety, and, I am afraid, were forced

to think more of our own protection than the solemnity of the

occasion. The whole company consisted of four officers and eight men,

all that we could muster. Poor Kellas we left sewn in a blanket of the

usual military type and covered with a Union Jack. I never met a man I

respected more than Kellas, he was most gentle and brave, and in every

way a good sort. If a man really deserved to be "sat upon" no one

could squash him better than Kellas.

_August 9th._--Fiddes and I came to Aberdeen Gully last night with

most of the men, leaving twelve and an N.C.O. to act as bearers in the

Zigzag track, these to be relieved every twelve hours. A few wounded

stragglers reached us, but there was little doing to-day. We had one

cowardly chap, who had had his fill of fighting and tried to do away

with himself by taking a draught from a cresol tin. He is now under

close arrest and will be handed over to the tender mercies of a

court-martial.

_August 10th._--Walked up to our advanced dressing station at the

Zigzag, and found some unknown persons had dumped there, during the

night, a body in an advanced state of decomposition. I managed to

unearth his recent history. He had been killed on the 7th, being

wounded by the Turks, and when crawling back to our lines, along with

some others in the same condition, he shouted in the dark, "Don't

fire, we are English". Thinking this was a ruse so often practised by

the Turks an officer ordered his men to fire, and this poor fellow was

killed.

In the afternoon a well-known lion hunter looked in and had a shrapnel

bullet removed from his shoulder. He was a most interesting man, and

gave us all his views about the conduct of the war. Every mistake that

it is possible to make has been made, he thinks. Once more we are hung

up for want of ammunition. He is no optimist with regard to the

duration of the war. Unless the new landing pushes on and keeps

hitting he fails to see how they will do much. Even though Austria and

Turkey are knocked out, Germany is one vast fort, with everything

within herself, and will hold out for long. He condemns our statesmen

for even now not initiating conscription, and making every unmarried

man serve. He severely criticises the quality of our shells, half per

cent. of which burst prematurely. The fuses of all those available,

where this has happened, have been picked up and examined and all have

been correctly set. A French battery of 75's is stationed behind this

man's battery, firing its shells just 8 feet above his head, and since

it took up its position it has only had two premature bursts, and one

of these was caused by the shell striking the branch of a tree. We

have been buying shells everywhere, and he says those supplied by

America are far and away the worst.

_August 11th._--While we were at tea this afternoon de Boer rushed

into our mess in Aberdeen Gully to say that he had brought down, by

our bearers at the Zigzag, Captain O'Hara, whom I have spoken about

before as the only officer of the 86th Brigade left alive and

unwounded. He had lately been sent to Egypt to look after prisoners,

and I was unaware that he had again joined the firing line, but I

fancy he had found the other job much too slow. He was full of pluck,

it was not from attempts to save his skin that O'Hara had escaped so

long. To-day he and a Turk were sniping each other, and after a time

O'Hara had such a poor opinion of his opponent's firing that he got

upright to walk away when the Turk hit him through the back. When I

went up to him I said, "Hullo! O'Hara, I haven't seen you for ages".

"No," he answered, "and perhaps you'll never see me again." He was one

of our greatest heroes, and a most likeable fellow. (Long afterwards I

heard that he progressed well for three weeks when he suddenly grew

worse, and died on his way home.)

Twenty-four K.O.S.B.'s came in between 2 and 4 a.m. to-day. They had

blown up a Turkish sap, and on rushing forward to seize and hold it

they found themselves greatly outnumbered. Most of them were very

badly wounded, and four died in our station before morning.

_August 12th._--Feeling lazy I rode from Aberdeen Gully to W. Beach,

where I spend the next four days. This is only about the fourth time I

have been on horseback since I left Mex, the reason for my walking is

that I require exercise--and a lot of it--and besides you cannot dodge

a shell when mounted.

_August 13th._--We had a big mail to-day. The papers of July 21

announce that all lieutenants in the R.A.M.C., T.F., become captains

after six months' service. My captaincy will thus date from April 16

last. The Turks made an attack on the French and our centre last

night. We replied with a furious cannonade, then rifle fire continued

for the remainder of the night.

_August 14th._--W. Beach. Beautiful, still morning, as most mornings

are, but to-day is unusually calm. The sea without a ripple, and a

heat haze hangs over all. Our harbour at W. Beach is full of ships,

and just beyond it, at anchor, with their smoke rising lazily, are two

hospital ships, white to their mast heads except for their surrounding

belt of green broken by three large Red Crosses, all dazzling in the

sunlight. The harbour is a busy place, and is now a good and

commodious one, formed by a pier which it has taken months to build

from the rocks of Tekke Burnu. As the work proceeded slowly, the water

it was desired to enclose was further shut in by sinking two large

steamers, a costly method of pier building perhaps, but here I believe

it may be the cheapest, as Greek labour which built the stonework is

dear, and the Greeks poor workmen. They are so nervous that when a

shell comes their way from "Asiatic Annie" they bolt like a lot of

rabbits to their holes, where they cannot be unearthed for the next

half-hour. They were not engaged, they rightly say, to work under

shell fire, and this often happening several times a day the pier made

little progress. We have also put the Turkish prisoners on this job,

and this morning I watched two bodies of these being marched down

under French guards with fixed bayonets--a capital idea this to put

the Turks under their own fire.

10 p.m.--Tremendous blasts came floating in from the sea about 5

o'clock, so I went over to the lighthouse ruins to find out what was

doing. One of our monitors lay beside Rabbit Island and was throwing

her 14-inch shells at a ridge on the Dardanelles beyond Kum Kale,

where we know "Asiatic Annie" and her sisters live. These had been

firing at V. Beach and the French lines just before. All very well, I

thought, the monitor can do no harm, but she will stir up these guns

to give us a lively time at W., and I was not many minutes back when

they started, the shells coming in fours, just to prove to us that

their guns were all there. We received about fifty shots in all. We

had seven destroyers all afternoon at the mouth of the Dardanelles,

which looked as if they intended something unusual. Now again after a

pause these guns are firing at their hardest at V. Beach--aye, and

here too.

_August 15th._--I wrote the last clause (aye, and here too) just

before a shell burst behind me. It was one of a group of four, and was

two seconds at most in front of the other three, which were

simultaneous absolutely. Howls and cries for help at once came from a

tent 15 yards in front of my dugout. A shell had crashed into this

tent where five men were lying, exploding at the feet of one, and

shattering his leg at the ankle. The other four were untouched. Some

of the fuses of yesterday's shells have been dug up to-day, and we

find from the brilliant orange colour on these that lydite had been

used, in some of the shells at least.

To-day a snake 38 inches long was caught in our camp. About twenty men

armed themselves with sticks, axes, etc., and surrounded it, but kept

a most respectful distance away, having great faith in its springing

powers. Sergeant Gavin Greig, who has been in Ceylon and knows

otherwise, got it by the neck and put it in a bottle which he filled

up with methylated spirit much to the poor brute's dislike as was

witnessed by its contortions.

An order came yesterday from the A.D.M.S. asking if we could move off

with our present equipment on a sudden call. This has stimulated all

those responsible to overhaul all our material, which, though

deficient in some points, is adequate. Our greatest deficiency is in

personnel; we are short of our original number by three officers and

thirty-eight men, this being due to casualties and sickness. Kellas

was killed nine days ago, Whyte and Morris are home on sick leave.

_August 16th._--At 8 a.m. as Fiddes and I were preparing to go out to

Pink Farm, a message came that we were to embark any time after 17

o'clock (i.e. 5 p.m.). We withdrew all men and equipment from our two

advanced dressing stations, and had a busy day in camp packing up all

we possessed. We left at 8.30 after a supper of chicken and

champagne--something very unusual--and got on board the "Ermine," a

Glasgow boat. The officers made themselves as comfortable as possible

for the night in the smoke room, where several K.O.S.B. officers had

already deposited themselves. I managed to sleep a little at first,

but my nearest companion, a K.O.S.B., being unable to persuade me to

put my legs over his, placed his over mine while I was in an awkward

position, and rather than disturb him, I lay still. My friend was less

considerate, he next planked his big, dirty boots alongside my face,

which were anything but pleasant, they smelt as if their owner kept

cows.

We only steamed about one and a half hours when the anchor was let go

with the usual rattle, and we heard some one from another boat

shouting that the troops were to remain on board till morning. No one

took the trouble to look out to see where we were, such a thing seemed

to be of no interest.

_August 17th._--Suvla Bay. Tuesday, 2 p.m. We landed at Suvla Bay

about 5 a.m. and marched to the point of the projecting piece of land

on the north side. The bay is entirely closed by a boom, and inside we

have a fairly large fleet of battleships and transports, and a large

number of smaller boats, while three hospital ships lie outside. The

Turks have been shelling these rather furiously, but I have seen no

hits. Our troops on land are also having their share. All our

equipment was sent off on a lighter, which has not yet arrived, and as

all our rations are with it we are in dire straits. Luckily another

ambulance took pity on us and gave us tea and hard ration biscuits,

but there is no sign of further meals, nor do we expect any.

I am sitting on the side of a rocky slope, and just in front, in a dip

of the hill, are crowded the whole of the 87th Brigade to which we are

for the present attached. All arrived this morning and there is

nothing but confusion. The heat is terrific, and is intensified by the

large amount of bare rocks, which are so hot that it is impossible to

lay your hand on them. The surrounding hills, especially hill 972,

S.E. of the Salt Lake which glistens in the distance, are barren and

rugged, with no sign of cultivation, except about the foot of that

hill, where there is said to be a village, but it is invisible. Round

the Salt Lake a good many trees are dotted about, likely olives and

figs, and a good deal of bright green scrub exists on the lower hill

slopes. This scrub Ashmead-Bartlett calls furze in his articles, but I

have never seen furze in Gallipoli. This plant is generally 2 to 3

feet high, is in very solid bushes of a stiff, fibrey nature, with an

ovate, dark green glaucous leaf. Thyme and numerous other plants

abound. I have been interested in the weathering of the rocks beside

the sea, this reminding me of the Brig at Filey. This follows a most

peculiar pattern, like a number of leopard skins spread out on the

rocks.

I wish night was here, even though we are to go supperless to bed; one

would give anything for the cool air one can be sure of after sundown.

It was here that a landing was made by Kitchener's army ten days ago.

They are said to have put up a very poor fight. Trained and steady

troops, it is said, would have had practically a walk over, as the

opposition was slight, little more than a brigade of Turks having

checked two divisions of our men. A few shells fell on the top of a

ridge where they were advancing. This made a number of the men bolt,

others were seized with panic, and all seem to have got out of hand. A

splendid opportunity of turning the Turks' flank, joining up with the

Australians, and seizing Achi Baba from the north, has been lost, and

the difficulties in front of us are much increased. There is nothing

for it now but to land troops in such numbers that defeat is out of

the question, and it must be done quickly before the wet season sets

in. I am afraid we must be content to hold the Germans in check in

France, and withdraw the necessary troops from there.

_August 18th._--Yesterday and to-day have been the warmest days we

have experienced in Gallipoli. The reason that our present station is

warmer than the point (Helles) is the attraction and retention of heat

by the rocks, and our camp is on the south face of a high ridge, where

we have absolutely no shade. Last evening a Taube sailed over us and

discharged four bombs at the warships, all missing, but one was within

a few yards of its mark. This evening two came over together, but were

fired at before they got overhead, and bore off to the left, unharmed

although numerous shots from the ships followed them.

After breakfast I went to Brigade H.Q. to announce that the ship

("Manitou"--B.12) which brought our baggage came in yesterday, and

after discharging about a third of our belongings set sail for

Lemnos, as she had to be there by a given hour. I had to explain that

we could not open a clearing station with our shortage of equipment,

but that by afternoon we would be prepared to put patients into

improvised blanket shelters. The Brigadier for the time being is

Colonel Lucas, who was absent on a visit to his regiments, and I had

an interview with Major Brand of his staff. He gave me orders that our

unit had to dig itself in before night. This is very necessary as we

are still under shell fire in every part we hold here, and are just as

exposed as in Helles. Another ambulance is encamped beside us, and two

shells bursting among them this morning killed two men and wounded

two. A big piece of shell hurtled over my head last night, hitting a

rock about two yards away.

Three rumours have come to us this evening, which have put us all into

the best of spirits, although we know one is a story, and we are so

accustomed to rumours that we doubt the truth of the other two:--

1. Achi Baba has been captured!--certainly not true. The ships in the

bay were well bombarded this afternoon, and we saw two shells hit a

big transport. A section of an ambulance was on board this ship, and,

on their landing in the evening, their comrades gave them a rousing

cheer, and when this was heard in other parts the only interpretation

that could be put on it was the capture of this troublesome hill.

2. Warsaw we could guess had to fall to the German army, but we hear

they soon had the worst of it and fled with enormous casualties.

3. We hear we have advanced 26 miles in France. We try to believe

there is some truth in this, but it must be a great exaggeration.

The Turks are supposed to have a number of big guns mounted on rails

behind one of the higher ridges overlooking us, and rumour says this

railway was taken this afternoon, but I do not believe it. Ugly

ridges they are, and certainly we can never capture some of them

except by turning, many having a sheer, rocky face of 400 or 500 feet.

We know extremely little about what is going on within a few miles of

us. I have seen eleven sour-looking Turks marched in as prisoners

to-day, which shows we are doing something at any rate. Constant fire

goes on, and the ships strike in several times a day for half an hour

or so, but naval guns are not well suited for this work. Down about

Helles--15 miles off--we can hear much booming too.

_August 19th._--Two days ago I spoke about the scrub Ashmead-Bartlett

calls furze. I now find it is almost certainly the plant from which

our briar pipes are made. The stem is slender, but the root expands to

a considerable extent, and I have seen parts of these, which our men

have dug up when clearing the ground, about 4 to 6 inches thick. The

fibres are twisted in all directions, giving the wood the well-known

bird's eye appearance. What is exposed to the weather seems quickly to

darken.

The geology is interesting. I have spoken about the strange weathering

of the rocks at the Beach. All the rock on this point of land dips at

an angle of 45 degrees, and points northwards. I put it all down as

Devonian, it is almost exactly like Hugh Miller's old red sandstone,

as seen in Ross-shire, the matrix of a paler red, but the mass of

water-worn pebbles embedded in it is the same. The matrix contains

lime as is seen in the large amount of calcite that exists. A vein,

perhaps 5 feet thick, of a slatey substance runs across just in front

of us, and contains a well, which is the only sign of fresh water I

have seen so far. The Engineers have sunk a well in a marly part near

this, but the earth they are throwing up is perfectly dry, and they

might as well give it up.

_Later._--Some one now tells me that the rocks are Tertiary and not

Devonian, and that my slatey vein is cobalt. Much of the stone peels

readily into large flat slabs which we find useful in building our

dug-outs.

There was much rifle and big gunfire last night. The ships have

displayed about a normal amount of activity to which the Turk has

replied, but his marksmanship is worse than it was yesterday.

We had rain this morning, which was heavy enough to be disagreeable,

and it was with difficulty we kept ourselves and our belongings dry.

It gives us a foretaste of what to expect soon. But before then we

must get on. About Helles the naval guns are very busy.

This morning we had sixty-nine cases of sick and wounded in our

hospital. We are expected to keep all minor cases of wounds, and cases

of sickness likely to return to duty in a few days, while the more

severe cases we send to the hospital ships for the various bases. We

saw besides about fifty walking cases, all belonging to our 86th

Brigade.

_August 20th._--Last night was very chilly, and for the first time for

weeks we had to put on our tunics and unroll our shirt sleeves. But

the weather has again changed and to-day is uncomfortably warm.

On landing on the 17th a man I chanced to speak to told me that a

rumour is afloat that the Kaiser was suing for peace through the Pope.

This I give no heed to, but to-day we have it on better authority, and

it is said he is prepared to give up Belgium, Poland, and

Alsace-Lorraine. He will have to give these up and a great deal more,

nothing but unconditional surrender will be listened to, with

partition of his fleet among the Allies. The Emperor of Austria is

also said to have declared that he will not allow his people to endure

another winter campaign.

7 p.m.--The bearers of our Ambulance have been ordered to proceed to

the foot of a hill 3 miles off, beside the Salt Lake, and to take up

their position before dawn. I for one will have to go too. I know the

spot well in the distance, and know it is a favourite dumping ground

for Turkish shells. At present it is pitch dark at night, and we have

no idea what we have to encounter on the way.

_August 21st._--Last night we were all busy preparing for our start at

3 a.m. We got off punctually at that hour, and marched in the dark for

nearly 3 miles, by an unknown road, which was only a rough twisting

track with many off-shoots. We were bound for "Chocolate Hill," east

of the Salt Lake, but we have not got there yet. We floundered, and

squabbled about what should be done so that daylight was on us before

we passed the bar between the bay and the lake, where the main

Clearing Station is, also three or four Ambulances. One of these took

pity on us, and gave us breakfast, and the use of their ground until

we should hear from the A.D.M.S. to whom we have sent a message for

instructions. The A.D.M.S. Lt.-Col. J.G. Bell, appeared about 10, and

we were planted by him in the middle of the bar, facing the bay, where

we can get no shelter from the sun or shells, the bank behind us

rising after much digging to less than 5 feet. Our orders are to form

an Aid Post here, catching all the wounded that come our way.

We have an attack at 3 p.m., and apparently a very big one is

expected, and we are waiting for its commencement. I have explored the

bar which is about a mile long, and 300 yards wide, and have studied

its flora. There is a large lily with a bunch of sweet-smelling

flowers, not unlike the Madonna lily, but the flower is more notched

and less of a funnel. It has enormous bulbs, some of which I scraped

out of pure sand at a depth of 2 feet. Other bulbous plants are

common, and huge downy reeds.

It is now 2 p.m. I am sitting in a juniper bush in the middle of the

bar, scribbling, all the country in a scorching haze, the shells from

the ships screeching over our heads, searching all the ridges and

hollows in front of us. The Turks' guns have been silent for the last

hour, no doubt in anticipation of giving us something warm; our

bearers are off and have just passed in twos and threes across the

north side of the lake, which at this period of the year is dry,

except in the middle. On our side all is ready to give the Turk a good

hiding, but every time at Helles we were just as prepared and the

result always a practical failure. Now for the battle, and little

chance of concluding my notes to-day.

6.50 p.m.--Ever since the appointed hour a very big fight has been in

progress. To me the most exciting part was the advance of the 11th

Division from the south side of Lala Baba, over a mile of absolutely

unprotected country, where our men could not fire a shot in return to

the perfect hail of shrapnel to which they were subjected, shells

coming in fours and fives at a time right in their midst. There was

the breadth of the lake between us, but with our glasses we had a good

view of the whole proceedings. The number bowled over seemed small,

considering that the last half-mile had to be crossed at the double,

in a dense cloud of smoke from bursting shells. Whenever the cloud

cleared off we saw distinctly that many dead and wounded lay about the

field.

What I admired most was the plucky way the bearers did their work, all

round the north and east side of the lake, while all the time they

were subjected to fire, and towards the end of the day, when the Turk,

apparently desperate, sent shell after shell among the bearers and

ambulance wagons, at a time when there were no other troops near.

We have tried to dig ourselves into the banks of soft sea sand for the

night, but the constant stream of fine sand fills up our excavations

as fast as we dig. Four ships still keep firing--"Lord Nelson,"

"Swiftsure," "Agamemnon" (?) and "Euryalus"--and every shot brings

down more sand.

Being off the direct track from the battlefield we have missed the

wounded we expected. In spite of our tramping about all night in the

dark we feel very fresh, and disappointed at having nothing to do,

although in good spirits over our victory--for such we take it to be.

This is the first occasion on which we can find fault with the Turks'

method of fighting, but to-day they have fired on all and

sundry--bearers, ambulance wagons, Red Cross flags, and the C.C.S.

_August 23rd._--I ended my notes two days ago by remarking that we

were all in good spirits over what seemed to us to be a victory. Soon

after that some of us had to change our tune. Two officers were

ordered up to Chocolate Hill, so Agassiz and I went across the north

side of the Salt Lake which we found dry and caked hard. Towards the

far end, as we neared the terrible hill, bullets were flying in

hundreds--one struck the ground practically under my left foot,

another passed between Agassiz and myself when we certainly were not a

foot apart. A few more hundred yards, at the double, took us to that

absolute inferno, Hill 53. (The hills were named according to their

height, 53 meaning 53 metres high.) We got to the top through dead and

dying men lined out everywhere. We at once looked up the A.D.M.S. who,

along with the heads of the 29th Division, was in a deep and strongly

protected dug-out. Now came the terrible and most unexpected

news--the Staff were in a state of hysterics--Hill 72, which is

separated from Hill 53 by a small dip, had been fought for all day and

captured at immense cost, and was now about to be given up, it was

impossible for us to hold it. The 11th Division had sent word that

they were at a certain point which was their objective, but they were

actually some distance behind that, and never did reach that point.

But this piece of information, which the line had been eagerly waiting

for, now allowed our centre to advance, thinking they had the 11th

Division protecting their flank. They soon got too far forward and

were at once enfiladed. This was the beginning of what was a

catastrophe and which will cost us thousands of lives to rectify. "We

are to give up Hill 72," said the A.D.M.S., "and if the Turks make a

night attack, as they always do after an engagement, we'll be pushed

off this Hill (53) into the valley, and it is hard to say where it

will end. In that case we want every stretcher-bearer we can lay our

hands on to work with might and main to get the wounded back from the

trenches, or they will fall into the hands of the Turks." This sounded

terrible, but we had to face it, so we sent back for all our men who

could be spared, and many regimental men had to help to carry the

wounded back, which was a most difficult piece of work.

In making communication trenches along which the wounded have to be

carried from the firing trench, the carrying of stretchers is never

considered. Traverses must be made certainly, and the narrower the

trenches the better while fighting, but they should be made wide

enough to let stretchers along, and the corners of the traverses

should be rounded. As it was the stretchers could only be carried

along the straight parts with the stretcher traverses "kicked in," and

even then the backs of all the men's hands were peeled to the bone.

Being impossible to get round the corners the stretchers had to be

raised above the top of the trench, and as a rule the bearers soon

tired of doing this at every few yards, and got right over the

parapets and carried in the open.

We had a terrible night, and next morning as soon as the day began to

break, although we were on the opposite side of the Hill from the

enemy, they knew the range so thoroughly that they dropped their

shells at the exact angle of the Hill, which was but a gentle slope,

and raked it from top to bottom time after time.

Those of us who escaped were lucky, but it was a bit trying to one's

nerves. The Turks had made great preparations for this battle, which

of course had to come off, and they fired as much ammunition as we

did, and everything was to their advantage. Their snipers, often armed

with machine-guns, played the very devil with our men. By good luck

the Turks had had enough and did not attack at night, and we were glad

when daylight came, although with it came again the terrible, raking

fire.

Through the day our troops deliberately and slowly evacuated part of

Hill 72, but most of it we unexpectedly managed to hold, and are

likely now to stick to. Had we thoroughly defeated the Turks, as we

should have done had there been no bungling, the end of this part of

the campaign might have been in sight, but now we are held up, and how

we are to get out of the fix will sadly baffle our Staff.

The men of the 89th F.A. behaved with admirable pluck, and worked

hard, and up to evening we had eight men more or less badly

wounded--one at least fatally, poor Adams. The 21st and 22nd were

spent practically without food, and hardly a drop of water was to be

had, and all suffered badly from thirst--more bungling.

In the afternoon of the second day it was rumoured that the whole of

our Division was to be withdrawn to the reserve lines, and that our

86th Brigade, to which we had been again attached, were to march off

as soon as it was dark, and we were to follow and take up our position

behind the Infantry. Good news indeed! The G.O.C. in C. had done a

wise thing in bringing two Brigades of the 29th Division round from

Helles to stiffen Kitchener's Army. Our Royal Fusiliers were in

reserve all the time, and although they never fired a shot were in

such a position that they were badly exposed to shell fire, and were

within view of snipers, and lost no fewer than 150 men.

In the dark we set off over the N.W. corner of the lake making for a

certain point at the foot of a ridge. It was difficult to strike the

exact spot, the night being dark, but we got wonderfully near it, and

after spending a bitterly cold and cheerless night at the back of a

low stone wall, across which bullets whistled all night we rectified

our position before the sun rose. As we came across the lake three

more of our men were hit, bullets flying about for the first mile or

so. To-day, after reaching our destination, and while in a shelter, a

bullet hit another in the thigh, bringing our casualty list for this

fight up to sixteen. All are agreed that it has been a very bloody

affair, and the difficulty of seeing a way out of our present position

has made all despondent, and a number of those in high positions are

being torn to shreds. Our men are not grumbling, and look as if they

could go through it again, but it was a very trying two days and

nights.

Fires broke out in the thick scrub almost at the very start of the

battle, and after a few hours many acres were ablaze, and as it was

largely from such places the men of both sides were firing many

wounded were burned to death.

_August 24th._--Last night we got orders to move as we were certain to

be shelled, lying as we were behind the Infantry of our Brigade. We

accordingly moved after dark to a gully, which is really a dry

watercourse entering the middle of the north side of the Salt Lake.

Agassiz and I, followed at a short distance by a few men, had no

difficulty in striking the desired spot, but the others, following in

small lots, got lost, only one lot reaching its destination that

night. Others lay behind bushes till daylight, while Stephen and his

men returned for the night to their starting-point. It showed the

difficulty of moving about in the dark in a strange country. The 86th

Brigade, which left Chocolate Hill the same time as ourselves got lost

and wandered about for six hours. Our new site is no safer than the

last, we are beside a well where men congregate from the various

battalions encamped near us, and this was shelled furiously on two

occasions yesterday.

_August 25th._--Four calendar months since we landed on Gallipoli. And

not much progress made yet.

The Royal Fusiliers, who had watched our men at work in the "Battle of

Chocolate Hill," are giving them great praise for their daring. Pirie,

who was waiting for bearers for his wounded, on hearing that some men

coming towards him belonged to the 89th F.A. replied, "Thank God, now

we are all right". Several--two at least--high-placed officers also

took note of them and promised that some would be mentioned in the

next despatch.

Seeing some big black Arum lilies--known as the "Dead Turk" from its

evil smell--with flowers about 2 feet long, I dug up two enormous

bulbs this morning, one fully 6 inches in diameter. These, with other

bulbs, I will send home. (They were not an acceptable gift, they were

allowed to die owing to their horrible smell.) These were growing

beside a well which was shelled a couple of hours ago, but I sneaked

out in safety when this had finished. I heard this evening that I had

been "mentioned" in Sir Ian Hamilton's first despatch. Two other

medical men of our Division are also mentioned--Col. Yarr, our

A.D.M.S. at Helles, and Major Lindsay of the 87th F.A.

_August 26th._--Pottered about in the morning after seeing some

batches of sick sent in by the Regimental M.O.'s, then walked to our

base on Suvla Bay Beach. Fiddes and McKenzie, who joined our Ambulance

two days ago, walked out with me. They dilated to Agassiz and myself

about a great discovery they had made, namely, that excellent rissoles

could be made of bully beef and ground biscuits. On their departure we

decided to have rissoles for supper, so Agassiz prepared a frying pan

and a tin of bully, while I with a pick-shaft ground up a couple of

our flinty biscuits. We had them done to a turn, and felt much better

for a decent feed. We then smoked and watched big, threatening clouds

scurrying over the moon, and away in the S.W. constant flashes of

lightning. The weather is changing, and the rainy season is not far

off. Then what on earth is to come of us? We'll be washed out of the

gullies, to be shot down in the open.

_August 27th._--Agassiz and I returned to the base at 7.30 p.m. and

were relieved by Fiddes and McKenzie. Plenty of firing by both sides,

but nothing worth noting.

_August 28th._--A day at the Beach--a weary place and I wish I was

back in The Gully. Here we are encamped at the top of Suvla Bay, at

the edge of a wide stretch of soft sand, which is dotted all over with

men and their shallow dug-outs in the sand. We are protected by a

number of Red Cross flags, several Ambulances and the C.C.S. These

have never been shelled by the Turks, and one feels absolutely safe,

but I miss the healthy excitement of our little Gully. As I watched

the bearers and wagons being shelled during the last fight it struck

me at the time that all the shrapnel might be coming from a single

battery, and I now think there can be no doubt about this. It must

have been a battery of four or five guns in command of a beastly

German.

_August 29th._--Sunday. Nothing doing--except that the usual artillery

duel goes on, and a Taube crossed over us. These we occasionally fire

at but never hit.

_August 30th._--Feeling bored to death I took a pleasure walk out to

our dressing station in The Gully, where Stephen and Thomson are at

present on duty. After dark I returned alone, trudging first down The

Gully almost to the Salt Lake, then cutting off to the right towards

our base. It is very different from the great Gully at Helles (The

Gully), being but a watercourse, averaging 8 to 10 yards in width and

most of it not over 6 feet deep. It has huge clumps of rushes and

lofty, graceful reeds which give it a tropical appearance, and in a

few places are pools of dirty, green water that has not dried up since

the last rainy season, and in these water tortoises and big green

frogs live in hundreds. To-night it was rather weird as I came along,

with the bull frogs croaking, and several other nocturnal animals

making loud cries, down past the "Turk's grave," where a pile of dead

had been collected in The Gully and a little earth thrown over them,

and now the odour is so strong that one has to pass at the double,

holding one's breath. The very earth over them looks wet and greasy as

I noticed to-day. The whole Gully is full of dug-outs from end to end.

These had been made on the first days of the landing and are now

untenanted. Lying about unheeded is equipment of all sorts, which had

belonged to our dead and wounded.

A Taube dropped two bombs at our ships to-day, but missed as usual. And

our not firing at the marauder showed that we had not much faith in our

own shooting. The warships and a monitor were busy towards evening

battering some unseen object away beyond the mountains--perhaps the

forts of "The Narrows".

We have two Welsh Ambulances beside us. The men move very smartly and

are evidently well drilled. They are great psalm singers, and always at

it.

_August 31st._--The Australians over at Anzac seem very busy to-day.

So also are the Turks whose shells are falling thick on land and sea,

and our ships are firing at some target beyond Sari Bair (Hill 972).

We had a curious plague of midges last night: they attacked the lamp

and table in our mess in thousands, and made things so unpleasant that

we had to hurry from the table. These have never bothered us before,

and I doubt if I ever saw a midge on Gallipoli before.

_September 1st._--Agassiz and I came out to the dressing station as it

was getting dark last night.

Two new officers and twenty men joined us yesterday--Captains Wilson

and Tawse.

Wiseley, M.O. to the Lancs., passed through our station this forenoon,

badly wounded in the head by a sniper. It looks as if it was all up

with him. (He died before he reached the C.C.S.) Tawse followed from

our base to take his place. Pirie of the Royals looked us up, and told

us he was down for "mention" in the next despatch. We have all

admired, and often spoken about, the good work and earnest devotion of

Pirie, and are delighted these are to be recognised, even in this

small way. We were talking about the huge bungle of the landing at

Suvla. It seems agreed had it not been that two Territorial Battalions

turned tail when faced by a handful of Turks things here would have

been totally different, and the ridges which are not yet ours should

have been taken and held the first day. A distinguished General is

said to have remarked: "Had there been more sweat on the part of the

men there would have been less blood". We have one excellent General

here now who pokes his nose into everything, says what he thinks,

whether polite or otherwise, and swears at large. He says that without

a good backing of swears people will never believe you are in earnest.

Only men of blood and iron are of any use at the present moment for

filling our high places.

Pirie was telling us that they had two Australian snipers attached to

the Royals, and one of their own men who had done a good deal of

jungle shooting was an excellent sniper. One night he was out and had

crawled to within 30 yards of the Turks' trenches trying to get as

much information as possible, when lo, and behold! he found by his

watch it was 5.30 and broad daylight. He had fallen asleep. However,

by careful crawling he succeeded in gaining his own lines in safety.

It is always by night these men work, and the Australian snipers get

two days off every week to go to the base for a rest. This time is

usually spent in their going somewhere else to snipe. Fighting to the

Australians is great sport and nothing else.

In the afternoon an East Kent officer paid us a visit. He tells us

that rumours of peace with Turkey are again afloat. We have heard this

sort of stuff before and don't believe it.

_September 2nd._--Agassiz and I had attended the sick of our Brigade

during the day, and spent a quiet time about the dressing station,

gathering enough brambles to make an excellent dish for supper, when

suddenly at 7.30 the scene changed. First two cannon shots, the

well-known signal for a Turkish attack, a short pause then a general

cannonade from the Turks which was fast and furious. I do not suppose

anyone could have guessed they had so many guns in position, but for

half an hour--twenty-three minutes to be exact--they simply deluged

with shrapnel our trenches on the hill on our extreme left (Hizlar

Dagh), and rifle fire from both sides was equally furious. The part of

The Gully we occupy as a dressing station runs north and south, and I

could not have believed it could possibly have been enfiladed, but

bullets, after the first few minutes, got diverted our way, and came

right along our position in a most alarming way. All lay low at once,

except our servant, Wallace, who had just removed our supper things

and was sitting on the edge of a low trench leading into our dug-out

when he called out, "Oh!" I turned round and said, "What's up?" "I am

struck," he said, and fell into my arms. We laid him down on the floor

of the dug-out, and in a few minutes he breathed his last. So ended

the days of an excellent fellow. Formerly a ship's steward he had seen

the world, and was a splendid servant and much liked by the whole

Ambulance. This only added to the alarm that had seized us all, which

was due to the very insufficient protection we had on the side the

bullets were coming from. Agassiz and I lay hard up against the north

side of our dug-out--little more than a few dry lumps of clay--while

Wallace's body was stretched alongside us. As I have said, this attack

ended in twenty-three minutes, but at 8.30 there was a second and

similar one. We had all made up our minds that the Turks were to break

through and would be down on us, and all had secretly decided what

they were to do, and how much of their equipment they would take in

case we were forced to retreat. All this fighting was but a very short

way to our left.

This morning we sent Wallace's body back to our base, where it lay

till the return of C Section at 7.30 p.m., as we wished to be present

at the last rites, and we could only turn out in a body after dark.

The moon was not due for hours, but in the dark, with only the stars

for light, and a brilliant planet in the east, we listened to Padre

Campion's short service. He, being an Episcopal clergyman, had to

accommodate himself to us Presbyterians, and he recited "Abide with

me," then read the piece, "I am the Resurrection," and ended with "The

Lord's Prayer". Then back again to camp, supper, and general

conversation.

Rumours reach us that the Germans are still being pressed back about

Warsaw, that the Austrians have been defeated in Galicia, and the

Turks in the Caucasus.

The Australians at Anzac are making steady, though slow, progress,

which appears to be the only point where we can press on at all. The

Marquis of Tullibardine arrived here to-day with a body of Scottish

Horse--unmounted of course. Padre Campion says he was at Eton with

this brilliant soldier.

_September 4th._--A very moderate S.W. breeze is blowing to-day, and

our pontoon pier of about thirty boats has gone all to pieces and lies

on the sand. Its sole use was to get patients away from the C.C.S. to

the hospital ships. This shows us the difficulties we will have to

face in winter with our patients and stores--if we are to be here,

which heaven forbid! Padre Dennis Jones has just told me that the

betting is that the war in Turkey will be over in a fortnight. He also

says he was in the trenches last night when word was passed round to

prepare to meet a big Turkish attack after dark. This did not come

off, last night was quiet except for an occasional spurt of rifle

fire.

_September 5th._--Sir Ian Hamilton is reported to have said that the

war will be over in ten days.

This morning we have been notified that we go to Imbros, probably for

a week, on the night of the 8/9th. This does not seem to give pleasure

to many. It means a night spent in crossing, and being tired all next

day when we will have to work hard to provide shelter, then returning

before we get really settled down. If this order takes effect we will

besides miss the "grand finale" which will be held among the forts of

"The Narrows" (!!!)

There was much artillery fire by both sides yesterday, and this

morning they have been very busy--they even managed to send two shells

after a Taube, these bursting many hundred yards behind their

objective. But it let the Taube see that we were not asleep at 7.30

a.m.