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[Page 9]
Gallipoli
22:9:15 – sleeping on their posts are sentenced to 10 years penal servitude. The Commander-in-Chief has confirmed the proceedings and directed that the sentences shall be undergone forthwith.
23:9:15 – General Godley returns from Mudros, accompanied by Lord Charles Bentinck and Captain Herbert. Talking about live Lords etc., I have also seen the Marquis of Anglesey who is aide-de-camp to General Birdwood. He wears navy-blue putties. Lord Charles; brother, Lord Henry, called during the afternoon, and scribbled a note to Lord Charles. He is not my idea of a real live lord – in fact, I first took him for a lost "Tommy" come to ask his way.
24:9:15 – We have now taken up our winter quarters in Otago Gully, a narrow-gutted hollow forming an admirable cul-de-sac for enfilade fire from the north. The camp, with its excellently built 'Offices' and adjacent sleeping quarters, is a tribute to the skill and zeal of the men who composed the working party, but I am afraid too much attention has been paid to detail. The result is that a very elaborate target now presents itself to the enemy – the brow of the gully is crowded with dug-outs, whilst the "eyebrows", viz., the western slope is adorned with the multitudinous premises giving accommodation for The General Staff. The whole show is one huge yellow sandbag patch. Aeroplane reconnaissance is such a feature of Turkish warfare, it is surprising to me that such a great flamboyancy was not prohibited. Only yesterday, recognising the need of dealing or doing something with enemy aircraft, each Division has been detailed by the Army Corps Commander to allot special machine guns on prominent points to watch for the Taubes. They have become very cheeky of late and fly quite low.
The present stagnation is depressing in its regular monotony. From all centres comes the never-changing report "situation quiet". Those in the front trenches do certainly have to keep on the "qui vive" for bombs and snipers, but otherwise it seems to be a question of who can last the longest. Both sides seem to be content to "dig themselves in", and watch and wait for events. It seems to be a mutual arrangement. The Turks are busily improving their works and are stubbornly entrenching themselves. This inactive life is bad for morale. A soldier to be a soldier needs to be incessantly on the move, fighting the common enemy, or if not fighting him, continually aware that he is not for a moment safe. In this struggle the singing of bullets and the bursting and roaring of big guns shrapnel and big guns should never be lost to the men. If the enemy display no desire to fight, then they should be made to fight. The men should be kept at it, with due respect, of course, to their physical nourishment in the way of food and rest and not allowed to "linger by the wayside" for a month or two in comparative idleness. By it they lose the sound of battle, they acquire, as it were, a growing sense of security, and so when the pinch comes to go in and win out, their nerves won't stand the strain, the transition has been too severe, too sudden, and they have therefore lost their former sting.
25:9:15 – A clever piece of work on the enemy's part is reported from Lone Pine. On one part of our line several periscopes and periscopic rifles were hit. On close inspection of the ground a sack was noticed half-way between the enemy's trenches and our own. This sack was seen to move and finally two sacks with men inside were made out. The sacks were fired on and the trouble ceased.
We receive daily War Office Telegrams, printed in excellent style on superfine paper, whilst a sheet called the "Peninsula Press" also comes along at regular intervals giving us news of the progress of European events. This interesting printed matter is turned out by the Royal Engineers' Staff at Imbros,
26:9:15 – My dug-out is finished and is an excellent type of the sandbag shelters used on the Peninsula. I am beginning to find