Item 01: Henry Frederick Wallace Tucker diary, 14 September 1914-31 December 1915 - Page 90

[Page 90]

May 22 Saturday 1915
Snipers hiding in the hills with range on principal tracks doing much harm. Trooper Murray of our Regiment killed whilst doing fatigue work near camp Buried 6. 30 PM. Major Fuller & Officers & men left Biviac for firing line of trenches this evening. I stayed with Lieu Robson Q master, to cook the meals & pack up in readiness to leave for trenches at short notice.
The scenery is lovely overlooking the sea, with islands dotted about.
Gun boats & Torpedo Boats & transport gliding about the Harbour.
The beach is only narrow & is choked with many tons of food stuff & equipment for our use. The Hill we occupy is held by Australians & New Zealanders. The sad feature is the numerous little graves dotted about of our herois who fell when 1st landed. From Colonels Majors & higher rank to the Trooper occupy the one kind of Bed no distinction each have a piece of Pine Board with their name & regiment written with indelible pencil. In some cases the name is unknown & then the word "an unknown Hero"is inserted

May 23 Sunday 1915
Turks shelling gun boats in harbour very interesting to watch the effect from the hill. The air o planes are continually hovering over us spying out the ground & reporting, sometimes they throw shells in the enemys trenches which do much havoc, German air ships occasionally come over to find out the range for the guns to operate. Orders out to the effect that all Troopers going to and from beach to carry gun & 5 rounds of ammunition.

May 24 Monday 1915
Early this morning 5 AM we started amid shell & rain to shift camp of headquarters to a point near trenches
Working hard all day.
Shelling stopped from 8 AM to 4. 30 PM today allowing both sides to bury the dead, all worked hard & firing commenced again at 4. 30 PM
Preparations for a big fight
Posted letters Home
Seargant Park killed tonight whilst observing shot through head.
Lieu Hordern slightly wounded.