Part 10 (1/2)

Denton, F. Ball, A. Kelly, H. G. Haynes, D. McDonald, and D. W.

Cunningham. Several of these bombers earned considerable distinction in the later campaigns in Belgium and France.

The 15th October marked a change in the command of the 7th Brigade.

Colonel Burston's health had for some time past been far from robust, nevertheless he had stuck to his post with determination until ultimately compelled to give in. He was sent to a hospital on Lemnos Island, and Lieut-Colonel (Hon. Colonel) J. Paton, V.D., the C.O. of the 25th Battalion, was directed to a.s.sume command. Colonel Paton had been an infantry brigadier in New South Wales, and had also taken a prominent part in the naval and military expedition to occupy German New Guinea. Sickness brought other changes in the brigade staff. Captain G.

B. Rowan-Hamilton was appointed Brigade-Major. He had been adjutant of the 1st Black Watch and shared in the opening campaign in France and Belgium. A new Staff Captain was found in Lieut. S. S. Bond, 25th Battalion, who performed the duties until succeeded by Captain W. F. N.

Bridges--a son of the original commander of the 1st Australian Division.

About the middle of the month the Battalion received its first supply of canteen stores. A small party had been sent to Imbros to buy ”luxuries”

and had returned with neither the quant.i.ty nor quality they sought.

Nevertheless, their arrival in the Battalion area was signalised by the formation of a queue as for an early door at a theatre. Sweets, cake, and notepaper were in greatest demand, and after these, in popularity, came soap and handkerchiefs.

Sir Ian Hamilton had been striving for months to inst.i.tute this system of canteens. He desired that the troops in the Eastern Mediterranean should be placed on the same footing as those in France. General Birdwood had written to him conveying the medical opinion that the sameness of the food was making the men sick. The rations were A1, but the men loathed the look of them after having had nothing else for months. ”If we could only get this wretched canteen s.h.i.+p along, and if, when she comes she contains anything like condiments to let them buy freely from her, I believe it would make all the difference in the world. But the fact remains that at present we cannot count on anything like a big effort from the men who have been here all these months.”[P]

The first canteen s.h.i.+p did eventually arrive about the end of August, and then brought only 10,000 worth--amongst over 100,000 troops! The Commander-in-Chief sent it to Anzac. Later arrivals brought very little more and, finally, early in December, the supplies petered out altogether. Parties sent to Imbros foraged over the island, but soon exhausted even that source, which produced only fruit, eggs, Turkish delight, candles, and canned goods.

To pay for these extras the Australians had ample resources.

Periodically the field cas.h.i.+er appeared on the Peninsula with English silver and notes. The adjutant drew from him, and company commanders paid their men in accordance with their requirements--within the credit which the Pay Book (always carried on the person) disclosed they possessed. The British Treasury note for 10s. became known as a ”Bradbury”--a name derived from a signature thereon. Those issued to the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force at the time were endorsed in Turkish so that they might have currency in Constantinople when the Straits were forced.

The 16th October witnessed the return to the Battalion of the Machine Gun Section from the Apex. It was arranged that at 4 a.m. this day an attempt should be made to compel the enemy to disclose his gun and machine gun positions. At that hour a rocket went up from Russell's Top.

Immediately our guns, and the machine guns to either flank of the 28th, opened fire. The Battalion had been ordered to man the trenches, show their fixed bayonets over the parapets, and cheer l.u.s.tily. All these things were done and the effect added to by throwing clods of earth down amongst the bushes in the Dere to give the impression of the noise of troops advancing. All came to nought. The Turk uttered not a sound, and after the firing ceased the West Australians, appreciating some humour in the situation, went about their day's work with broad smiles on their faces.

Aeroplanes occasionally made their appearance above the contending armies. To the man in the trench it seemed that some arrangement existed whereby our aviators should not use the same days in the week as the Turk. Never were the two seen in the air at the one time and the infantry, who were spoiling to witness an aerial combat, were greatly disappointed. An appearance was usually the signal for a little practice by the anti-aircraft guns, one of which was located in the 1st Division's sector. The enemy gunners had better luck than ours, for twice during the Battalion's stay they succeeded in winging our men--one of whom made a forced landing on Suvla Lake and the other in the sea, not far from the sh.o.r.e, about half a mile further south. Here they provided a target for the field guns and, in the former instance, the machine, viewed from the Apex, soon resembled a fly whose wings had been burned off. Whilst at Ches.h.i.+re Ridge the 28th observed a hostile aviator traverse the line from right to left, flying at an alt.i.tude of a few hundred feet only. The pilot leaned over the side of the car as he pa.s.sed over the West Australians and waved his hand to them. The rifle fire directed at him apparently did no harm and in a few seconds he disappeared in the direction of Suvla.

Between the 17th and 20th of the month the Battalion suffered four casualties (wounds) from shrapnel. On the evening of the 25th the Turks landed in the Chailak Dere several heavy high explosive sh.e.l.ls. At 11 a.m. on the 27th they opened a brisk fire all along the brigade sector and up towards Suvla. The beach behind was also sh.e.l.led by the big guns.

The ”stand to” was ordered but, as usual, firing died down without further development. The rest of the brigade had a number killed and wounded but the 28th escaped unscathed. For the remainder of the month the enemy was comparatively quiet.

Lieut. J. F. Quilty arrived from Egypt on the 24th and brought seven men as a reinforcement.

[Ill.u.s.tration: ”A” COMPANY.

Getting ready to move from the Reserve position at Ches.h.i.+re Ridge.

_Photo. lent by Mr. T. Pritchard._]

Sickness increased during the month and seriously affected the officers.

The Adjutant (Captain Lamb), Captains Montgomery and Stroud, Lieutenants Davey, Hargraves, and Carter were taken to the hospital. Captain Menz also became alarmingly ill and had to be carried away on a stretcher. On the way down the Dere a sh.e.l.l came along and killed one of his bearers and wounded the other. He escaped with a bad fall and the loss of the heel of his boot. A few days later Major J. A. C. Wilson left the Battalion. He had been obviously suffering from jaundice for some time but had clung to his command until he had to be ordered to hospital. As ”A” Company had lost both its O.C. and 2nd-in-Command, Lieut. N. F.

Macrae from ”D” Company was appointed temporarily to command. Lieut. H.

E. C. Ruddock was selected to carry on as adjutant until the return of Captain Lamb. Reg. Sergt.-Major P. T. C. Bell was promoted to commissioned rank.

The weather changed on the 22nd October and turned as cold as the coldest days in Western Australia, involving bleak conditions in the trenches at night. On the 27th there was a very unpleasant wind and dust storm which lasted for hours.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE Q.M's. STORE OF ”A” COMPANY at Ches.h.i.+re Ridge.

_Photo. lent by Mr. T. Pritchard._]

The Battalion having been in the firing line for about seven weeks, the Brigadier ordered the 26th Battalion, which had not yet been in the trenches, to relieve it. On the 30th October ”A” Company of the Queenslanders and Tasmanians took over from ”B” Company of the 28th. On the following day, however, the return to the Peninsula of the 4th Brigade being imminent, the order was cancelled. Nevertheless, on the 1st November, ”C” Company proceeded to join ”B” Company at Taylor's Hollow (in Bauchop's Hill, just north of Waterfall Gully). ”D” Company followed on the next day and, on the 3rd, Lieut.-Colonel J. M. A.

Durrant, with the 13th Battalion, took over the sector. The Machine Gun Section was again temporarily detached from the Battalion and joined the 8th Light Horse near Sazli Belt Dere. Whilst there they had a duel with a Turkish gun and came out victorious--finally calling upon our field artillery to blow up the enemy's emplacement. This was done very effectually.

During the month of October the Battalion had suffered a loss of five killed, four died of wounds, 27 wounded, and 137 sick.

Located at Taylor's Hollow the Battalion now became the divisional reserve. The 26th Battalion had proceeded to rejoin the 2nd Australian Division and was followed on the 10th November by the 25th and 27th Battalions. Nominally the Battalion was withdrawn for a rest, but actually the divisional reserve's main function was to supply parties for all manner of work behind the front line.