Item 01: Ellis Ashmead-Bartlett diary, 1915-1917 - Page 167

[Page 167]

came in for the worst shelling of the lot. Going home along the beach we came in for some big high explosives and Black Coal Boxes. The worst of it is you never know where these draned things are going to fall as the enemy sweep sections of the shore and camps which renders it quite impossible to take any proper cover. Really life out here is becoming hell. Also there is a great deal of sickness the Surgeons who dressed Nevinson's head telling him that one thousand cases of dysentry and minor stomach troubles had passed through their hands that day. The weather has become distinctly cooler and there are signs that the summer is rapidly passing. We should not have heavy gales until the middle of September but they will probably come early this year as everything seems to aid the Turks.
August 23rd
Nevinson and Lawrence went off again to Chocolate Hill this morning but I remained in camp as I was very ired and wished to see one or two people. I met Dawny of G.H.Q who had come over in a Destroyer. He was pale and sad his face reflecting the disasters of the last ten days. He tried to vindicate thenplan of campaign adopted stating they had submitted it to Kitchener who had approved. He said they never hoped to do more that cut off the Turkish Armies in front of Kilid Bahr and Achi Baba and that the plan would have succeeded but for the delays of the 9th Corps. I asked him why they had not chosen some seasoned and tried troops to lead the first rush like the Gourkas or 29th division. He replied General Cox said his Indians were incapable of any fresh offensive and yet they did splendidly at Anzac. How could we know this he added almost with a moan. As for the 29th we felt we could not

[Dawny is probably Guy Dawnay, later with Gen. Allenby and T.E.Lawrence in Cairo etc]