Antill war diary, 1915-1916 / John Macquarie Antill - Page 37

[Page 37]

War Diary
1915 20th Oct.
and Battle Ship – all very quiet - Last night's patrol brought in 3 rifles and a pay book evidently belonging to men who were killed early in August (Wiltshire Regt.); an unexploded Turk bomb, curious pattern, thrown into lines long range – 9" brass cylinder x 3" diameter with 3 half sticks of Curtiss and Harvey's Dynamite at base unexploded – Top blown off by percussion fuse; - only one found so far.
Sir Ian Hamilton C. in-C. handed over to Gen, Monro – No doubt result of the horrible failure at Sufla, where 60000 men were held up by 3 Coys. Gendarmerie and some insignificant artillery opposition – Had this force pushed on, Koja Chemin Tepe must have been turned on August 7th and 8th and the business here over – It was awful to stand and watch this deliberate inactivity after what our troops had gone through to prepare it for them – but the common opinion here is unanimous to the miserable physique of the Ks A. [Kitchener's Army?] sent to do this job – Had they been put into the trenches – nothing could have kept the A. and N. Zs. from being round by Anafarta by evening of the 7th August.

It now resolves itself into both armies sitting down and waiting developments elsewhere, but all are relieved at a change in Strategy which is no Strategy at all – All the Staff theories were at fault – we were assured N.E.K. [The Nek] was very lightly held – recent prisoner now says we were expected and prepared for since 2 p.m. 6th August, and that the whole of these trenches and Chess Board and Baby were heavily held and full of M.Gs. – that our piffling bombardment did no damage to their trenches and that "we came on nicely for them" – The previous day, I pointed out to Gen. S.K. – that the trenches were full; that they were also

[Cannot identify Gen S.K.]
[The action at The Nek is dealt with at length in Official History of Australia in the War of 1914-18, Vol 2. Chs. XVIII to XXV. See pages 631-2 for reference to Lt. Col. Antill]