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[Page 78]
but it cut both ways for the Turks were not slow to notice this, & tacked it on themselves, when we found this out, we were ordered to take ours off, & we had the advantage of them for a while, & they paid pretty dear for it.
Some English officer's who watched the charge said they never thought that men would face such a murderous fire as the Australians did on that memorable evening, General Walker watched the attack, & when the first line reached the Turkish trenches they were seen to falter for some unknown reason, he grew very excited. "My God the boy's have failed" he said "No, no they haven't, I told you so, he almost shouted, as they were seen to be disappearing into the Turkish stronghold, & others
could be seen struggling with great beam's & logs, the reason for the apparent check of the first line was easily explained, for the whole of the Turkish position was made bomb proof, & even howitzer proof in places, it was a most formidable thing, & no one counted on the trenches being covered in there were a few openings here &there where men used to crawl out of a night, & down these the boy's had to drop one by one into almost certain death, for the Turks were waiting there for them, & shot & bayoneted as they jumped down, many a V.C. was won here & never recognised 40 mins after the first line we went over, & even then they were not all cleared out, & we helped round them up, & put the finishing touch on them