Item 01: Leslie William Sutherland diary, 24 September 1914 - 23 September 1915 - Page 105

[Page 105]

24 June 1915
Thursday

Had quite a battle with a sniper opposite but we with our periscopes sights got the beggar he was persistent & a good shot. The expected attack didnt come off last night & our chaps are quite disappointed. The gun opposite C is still giving the beach hell & one shell got 17 of our chaps, gunboats are shelling him with 4.7 but the range is to short for they are in a pit of considerable depth. A Glasgow battery (6" howitzer) has been landed to give us a hand. The Turks gave us a pretty exhibition of gunnery, one of steam [indecipherable] was bringing in a barge of goods & the Turks were trying their hardest to hit it they got within 10 yds every shot but no nearer. Had quite a lively 80 minutes Hal & I went a hunting & bet. us we got 50 & now we have a clean change on French & British still progressing favourably down at the Cape & Achi is in for a lively time. We hear that we had 500 000 Turks opposing us when we landed, but how many they have now is another story.
25 June 1915
Friday

During the night we captured a Turkish patrol consisting of 1 officer & 7 men, the officer informed us that they are confident if they wait long enough that they will starve us out & that also we are trying to find water everywhere but without success. The Lord Nelson with her 4 12" guns & 18 9" shelled Chanak from off our position for the whole afternoon. The burnt cordite formed a pall over the whole countryside, later on in the evening Chanak was on fire in many places, the Lord N had a cordon of 18 destroyers to protect her against submarine attack. A mail arrived at 5 but none for us as usual. At 9 pm we blew up a mine & launched an attack to try & find out the strength of the enemy, it proved successful all along the line. Went for our am dip accompanied by mine shrapnel. German aeroplane passed over at 6 pm & made straight for Maidos, our captive balloon was up spotting for the L Nelson All the afternoon the Turks gave an exhibition of battery fire & tried to blow up the L Nelson, also the balloon came in for its share