State Library of NSW
[Page 117]
18 July 1915Sunday 10 wks of fight (annotated 54)
Awakened to the roar of a hundred guns at daybreak this went on for hours & then moved off down to the right, they gave both Steels & Courtneys particular hell with shrap & high explosive. Aeroplanes were fired on by an anti-aircraft gun the Turks have brought up but no damage was done They reported in turn that many reinforcements were being massed a mile back & then our howitzers took up the tune but no list of hits has come to hand. Went down for a dip at 1300 & was driven both in & out of the water with shrapnel 17 were hit around us, the burst was only 4 ft from us, we dived & when we came up it was all over. A mail arrived I got 3 from home but none from Nell so expect same in a day or two. Steels have been getting it hot with big stuff tonight & a company com was killed outright. Cooking a failure (dumplings)
19 July 1915Monday 39 wks of soldiering
An attack was expected on our right last night for they after shelling out position for 2 hrs were massing in that direction. We fired star shell every fifteen minutes but nothing came of it. Went down for a dip after lunch & enjoyed it OK. Three warships were standing out 2 monitors & a cruiser. The latest monitor has 14" guns & she with the others were shelling the road at the foot of 751 & one of our 18 [indecipherable] batteries were also lending a hand with shrapnel Troops were moving along the road one could see by the dust & the guns must have done great damage. Our new howitzers are nearly ready for action as the emplacements are finished. A mail arrived & I got one from Keast & Wrig. Keast is in Heliopolis & Wrig is convalescent. Metch got one from Bert M who is going to England for a spell. Norm F & J. Duggan are being returned to Australia. Four aeroplanes made their appearance two on bomb throwing expeditions the other two reconnitoring
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