29th April 1915

[michaeldr]

At Helles

“Thursday 29 April: After breakfast (cadged from the Worcesters) Geo. Anderson and I set off up Gulley to recover our kits. Spotted by sniper up a tree, so thought it safer to return without our kits. Spent forenoon digging shelter against shrapnel. Arthur Milne departed with dysentery. Set out to find Battalion to see about rations. Came back laden with tea, bully beef, cheese, biscuits, and the eternal plum jam. Got a fire set a-going at back of trench. Kemp took up duties as cook. Made an excellent stew of bully beef, biscuits and cheese. Best feed we’d had yet. Got our dinner under difficulties dodging shells from two Turkish guns, ‘Wandering Willie’ and ‘Asiatic Annie’ on the Asiatic side. Kennedy had very narrow escape. Went out in front of Maxim to see if it was properly mounted. Geo. Anderson accidentally pressed button and let off five shots which riddled Kennedy’s puttees but luckily did not injure him.

Watched exciting air chase, Commander Samson chasing a Turkish aeroplane. Did not see end but heard that Samson brought it down. Turks quiet in afternoon so went out and gathered some beautiful wild flowers. Wondered down the trench to see some of the other chaps on the other guns. Came back and found Kemp had tea ready. Tea even without sugar and milk tastes fine out here. Cigarettes and tobacco finished long ago. Haven’t had a shave yet, so have quite a decent beard now. Bitter cold at night after broiling day. Lay down to get some rest about 8 p.m. Aroused at 10 by great commotion. Turks attacked in force. Duncan Ross went mad and rushed over to the French lines and volunteered to lead them. Scene lighted up by flames from a burning village which our artillery set on fire. Turks continued attack until daylight but were easily repulsed. Yesterday’s casualties in the 5th R.S. amounted to 9 officers and 200 men. Lieuts Turnbull and Maule killed.”

from the ‘Diary of John F. Goate, Machine Gun Section, 5th Royal Scots, 29th Division’ [discovered after his death in 1946, by his daughter Ms Dorothy Goate] as reproduced in ‘The Gallipolian’ issue No.91, Winter 1999

[michaeldr]

At Anzac

“Exactly 96 hours after landing Trenchard got the diaphragm of a shrapnel on his head, not very bad, but our Doctor Carey Evans who had then landed insisted on reporting him wounded. He would have done the same with the others if he had been there. It had taken exactly four days for 100% of my officers ashore to be hit. Luckily all mildly.”

from the account written in 1916 by the late Colonel A. C. Fergusson, known to his troops as ‘Percussion Sahib,’ who when a Major, commanded 21 (Kohat) Mountain Battery. Made available to The Gallipoli Association by his son Colonel Kenneth Fergusson and published in the journal, ‘The Gallipolian’ No.85, Winter 1997.

[michaeldr]

90 years ago today, my grandfather landed at Anzac with the Nelson Battalion of the Royal Naval Division

Lest we forget