Volume 2: Letters written on active service, M-W, 1914-1919 - Page 51
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[Page 51]
our Australian and N.Z. troops which had already landed had occupied a ridge on our right).
Had coffee about 1.30 a.m. and waiting orders to disembark – chaps in good fettle and very cheerful being glad to get into the real biz at last. Four chaps who were sent ashore early in the evening were sent back aboard as wounded. The bombardment of the Turks positions on the hills (there is only a small beach opposite us where the troops are landing, and then very steep hills and gullies) was a fine sight and demonstrated the accuracy of the gunners and great method – every command from the boat directing the fire being carried out smoothly and quickly. Just been up to the Hospital and find two men wounded in head, 1 in leg, 1 in arm. Order given that nothing would be doing till daylight, so all turned in to get what sleep we could.
26/5/15. Gun fire started at daylight again shelling the hills. (The "Queen Elizabeth" is now with us). Troops still landing from transports being take ashore by torpedo boats which transfer them to barges close inshore, guns from our ships keeping up fire to cover them – our shells and schrapnel bursting over top of hills and in gullies and throwing up columns of smoke.
Behind our boat an observation balloon has gone up to a great height – our aeroplanes are not scouting – fine day and cool. Had breakfast aboard about 7.30 a.m. and immediately after went aboard torpedo boat which took up [us] near shore and transferred us to a punt with open ends (like a horse punt) from which we landed getting wet to the waist in doing so – schrapnel was bursting all round us, the boat was making for the shore and one sailor was hit on the torpedo boat and one of our chaps on the punt. Most of the landing parties had some men killed or wounded in the boats.
One felt inclined to "duck" one's head when one heard the schrapnel burst overhead – heard our chaps had captured nine Turkish machine guns and also various rumours as to our own horses – also that our [a] party of Turks had shown the white flag and then fired on our men with a machine gun when they advanced to take them prisoners.
Troops landing all the time and ships