Item 01: Sir Charles Rosenthal diary, 25 September 1914-31 December 1918 - Page 89
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[Page 89]
At daylight we were w ell into the Gulf of Saros, and steamed slowly down close to the shore, past Cape Suvla and down to Cape Helles. My previous opinion of the Coast and Country is confirmed, and I think the job we are called upon to tackle can be carried out successfully by our Australian troops.
After crossing the Entrance to the Dardanelles we steamed over to Tenedos. Here Major Villiers Stewart was landed. We saw the combined fleet at anchor, the little village with its tile roofs and the Venetian castle in the foreground. We steamed round the island, testing a special trailer shell for use against aircraft as we went along.
Returned to anchorage at Mudros at 4 PM. Altogether an exceedingly interesting trip.
Detailed Mr Vowles from the Brigade to report to Head quarters at 9 AM today for duty as forward observing officer for Navy shooting.
Landing from Transports being practised all day.
I hope to secure charts of all this part of the world, so that on my return, I shall be in a better position to describe to others my movements.
Thursday 15th April
Boat crews operating all day. I went out with a party at 9.30 for Mudros Village. Passed a "tow" consisting of horses and guns from 8th Battery who were landing. They are I understand to be first ashore when business begins. Mudros Village is a very quaint place, and apparently very old. I walked through the village, thence along a road for 3 miles round the shore where our Artillery and Infantry were practising landings, from which spot my boat picked me up.
The country is fairly extensively cultivated, wheat and oat crops about 12" high and look extremely pretty, for millions of scarlet Shirley poppies and a small variety of blue pea are scattered all over the fields.
On the hillsides numerous mills are to be seen. Built of rubble masonry about 20' in diameter and about 25 feet high, they are fitted with a huge frame, carrying sails, which are set whenever the wind blows or there is grain to grind. These frames activate a crank shaft which in turn operates mill stones. They look very quaint indeed.
I passed several small flocks of sheep, each with its shepherdess and the proverbial crooked stick. Sheep appear almost like small Angora goats with their long silly coats, and every second sheep carries a bell, so that in approaching a flock of sheep one hears a strange musical effect.