State Library of NSW
[Page 53]
These early days were chiefly noticeable for the tremendous amount of firing which the warships had to get to. The "Implacable" was one of those ships covering the left endof the Gully Ravine and we were being constantly called up at all hours of the night and day to bombard the enemy. I am afraid that so far it did not have much effect, materially, although no doubt we exercised a kind of moral influence on the enemy and on our own men, who of course love to hear the sound of the guns. It was very hard work for the crews because they were constantly being employed as beach parties, having to convey the stores and ammunition and troops ashore. Everything seemed to be hung up, and it became more and more doubtful as to what the next move would be.
Tuesday May 4thI examined the left of the position and also spent a good deal of time writing. I went over afterwards to visit Reginald Kamm at the French Headquarters, as he is a member of D'Amade's staff. I found him suffering from the effects of his old wound, and also from the heat and complained bitterly of the conduct of the Expedition. He spoke to me a lot about the friction between the two commands, and it appears that the French are very disatisfied with things in general. Kamm told me that he thought D'Amade was a little off his head, and that he had never recovered from having being stellenboshed twice on the Western Front, and also that the death of his son who had been recently killed, had greatly upset him. The French, it appears, were greatly dissatisfied with having to withdraw from the Asiatic Coast after their successful landing at Kum Kale, where they succeeded in taking some 500
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