Archibald Kerr Jamieson letter diary, 2 April-20 May 1915 - Page 7

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[Page 7]

We could manage the ones in front but owing to the nature of the Country & our shortage of men, we could not deal with the Snipers. All we could do was to wait for more men & trust to luck not to get shot through the back. The Turks only once seemed anxious to taste the bayonet again on the Sunday & that was late in the afternoon. They had advanced to within 50 yards of our trenches & were preparing for a charge when a terrifying yell rang out. The Australians following that old motto "hit first & hit hard" were getting in first; but the Turks wouldn't wait & only a couple of our best runners got their Bayonets home. That was enough for them for one day & after that they kept well back, but things were looking serious forward. It was sheer bluff on our part & the Turks fear of the Bayonet that won us the day.

Our Officers were going down one by one, the snipers were at work picking them off. There were so many casualties among the Officers & N.C.O.s that a general order was issued that all distinguishing marks were to be taken off at once, even after this was done they seemed to be able to pick them out, every man who was seen to give an order went down.

Monday was the worst day for our Platoon. The Turks got our range with machine gun fire & it was sure sudden death to show one's self for a moment. Poor Old Bill Penton of Singleton went down that day and although he was shot through the brain he lived & was quite consious for fully three minutes, he knew that he only had a few minutes to

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