The 28th: A Record of War Service in the Australian Imperial Force, 1915-19, Vol. I / Egypt, Gallipoli, Lemnos Island, Sinai Peninsula

CHAPTER VII.

GALLIPOLI

(continued).

Up to this time poison gas had been unknown in the Dardanelles campaign, although all ranks were supplied with a small respirator which covered the nose and mouth and was secured with tapes that tied behind the head. It was understood that the British had, in reserve, effective means of retaliation should the Turk resort to it. However, on the 28th September, the enemy, who had been rather aggressive all day with shrapnel, bomb, and rifle fire, in the afternoon loosed a broomstick bomb, which burst in the air above the Apex and emitted a whitish vapour. This vapour drifted down into the trenches and had a decided lachrymatory effect on those with whom it came into contact. It passed off in a few minutes, and no further bombs of that nature arrived. The incident was important enough to warrant a report being made to Divisional Headquarters. As a similar occurrence at Hill 60 was noted within a few days, some attention was given to anti-gas measures. The result was the issue of certain instructions and a new respirator (P.H.) which, made of cloth and provided with goggles, was worn over the head and gave the wearer the appearance of either a partly equipped diver or member of the Spanish Inquisition. This article was to be carried on the person at all times.

The 29th September saw more activity on the part of the enemy, whose shrapnel fire seemed to increase in accuracy daily. Our own artillery, through lack of commanding positions for observation purposes, and also through scarcity of ammunition, was not able to reply effectively. At times a message would come from Brigade or Division to say that such and such a battery intended, at a given hour, to fire on such and such a target. The necessary preparations were made but the infantryman was inclined to be derisive when, at the appointed hour, the gunners would loose a few rounds only and then remain silent until the next day. Occasionally the infantry selected targets for the artillery—such as enemy working parties, enemy troops on the move, or occupied gun pits. One afternoon a platoon of the enemy was reported near the road leading into Anafarta Sagir. The gunners were telephoned, but their longer stay on the Peninsula had given them a better local knowledge, and they were able to point out that the target was the tombstones and shadows of a small cemetery.

It was the practice of the Brigadier to make a daily tour of the front line. The Divisional Commander came once or twice a week, and General Birdwood—sometimes accompanied by Brig.-General C. B. B. White—paid occasional visits. At times Brig.-General H. G. Chauvel, who commanded the 1st Light Horse Brigade, acted for the G.O.C., the N.Z. and A Division. This day Sir Alexander Godley especially inspected the improvements that had been made to the position and expressed his approval with the work done. The cutting of new trenches, the deepening and widening of the old ones, and the repair and adjustment of the parapets and parados, had entailed much hard work. Here and there, where it was possible for the enemy to fire into the trench with rifle or machine gun, overhead traverses had been constructed. These consisted of filled sandbags supported—for want of timber—on old rifles or tools, the ends of which rested on the two sides of the excavation. The main communication trench had also received attention, and it was now possible to move up the Dere without forsaking-cover.

As has already been mentioned, the General's visits did not meet the popular taste. However, on one occasion he created some amusement when he pointed out, from No. 4 Post, the distant village of Anafarta Sagir. To an officer, who had once been Lord Mayor of Melbourne, he said—"That, when the advance is made, will be one of our objectives and, if the 7th Brigade captures it, you will have the opportunity of becoming the first Lord Mayor of Anafarta." His idea of duty was exemplified in his reply to the soldier in charge of a trench mortar which was situated in a bay adjacent to a communication trench. The dialogue was as follows:—

To a young officer, to whom he had pointed out certain things to be done, and who had replied "I will do my best," he said petulantly "Don't do your best, do it." The majority of the members of his staff were mortally afraid of him and frequently "let the infantry down," when in the presence of the General, by suddenly reversing a previously expressed opinion on some tactical arrangement or in connection with the works.

The last day of the month was marked during the evening by the arrival of a fog, which seemed to come over Sari Bair from the Asiatic side. It poured down into the valleys—for a time quite obscuring the country to the west and north. The enemy became very restless and shortly opened a heavy rifle and machine fire somewhere to our right. This, combined with a fire which suddenly sprang up in front of the Apex, gave occasion for extra watchfulness, and the reserve companies were ordered to be in readiness to move. By 9 p.m. the fog had cleared and all was quiet again. The fire was believed to have originated through a bullet striking the ammunition in the equipment of one of those who still lay out in front of the trenches. Sometimes the clothing would catch fire and then the body, which for nearly two months had been lying out in the open, would burn for hours. Once an exploding shell blew a corpse right into the front trench. Then it had to be taken away and buried as decently as circumstances would permit.

On the 1st October, during the early morning, a member of the N.Z. Engineers was killed whilst at work on the wire entanglements.

The usual amount of shelling occurred on this and the following two days. On the third the whole of the N.Z. personnel was withdrawn and moved off for a rest and refit at Lemnos Island. The Battalion was sorry to part company with those who had been of such great assistance to them and with whom many friendships had been formed.

A broomstick bomb during this morning provided an example of the scriptural warning that "the one shall be taken and the other left." Many of these bombs landed near the junction of three communication trenches. A notice had been put up: "Do not loiter here." Despite this the Pioneer Sergeant and two other men selected the spot for a rest and were sitting down—the Sergeant between the other two. A bomb was seen to rise from the opposite trenches. Unfortunately the sentry's warning was of little avail, the missile descending and exploding just in front of the reclining trio. From the cloud of black smoke emerged the Sergeant quite uninjured. His two companions were not so fortunate.

The fourth day of the month was one of alarms. At 9 a.m. "Jacko"—as the Turk was called—suddenly opened a heavy fire with all weapons. This was continued for some time and preparations were made to receive an attack. Nothing eventuated at the time, and after a while normal conditions were resumed. Late in the day Brigade Headquarters reported a considerable body of the enemy moving south from Anafarta, and ordered a state of readiness. The reserves stood by all night, but again the enemy failed to show himself and the tired troops returned to the bivouacs after daylight on the 5th.

Companies continued to relieve each other every six or seven days, but on the 4th October it was decided to relieve the whole Battalion. One company of the 25th Battalion arrived this day and took over from "B" Company, which proceeded to the lower portion of the Cheshire Ridge. On the following day the relief was completed. However, the Machine Gun Section, a mining party of 26 men, a trench mortar party, and a certain nucleus for each post, were left in the line to carry on the works and assist the Queenslanders. A platoon of "C" Company, under Lieut. R. C. Phillips, was sent to Canterbury Slope, and Major Welch's company was directed to remain in its old position as brigade reserve.

The 24 days in the crowded narrow limits of the Apex had considerably reduced the strength of the Battalion. By the end of September, 13 had been killed, 9 died of wounds, 46 were wounded, and 35 evacuated sick. The dead had been buried in the little cemeteries which had been arranged on one side of the Chailak Dere or down near the sea beach. For these the Battalion Pioneers made neat little wooden crosses which were placed to mark the head of each grave. The wounded were first attended to by the stretcher-bearers, who made use of the "first field dressing"—an antiseptic bandage which every man carried in a special pocket on the inside of the skirt of his jacket. More than one of the stretcher-bearers lost his life, or was sorely wounded, when bravely setting about this duty. The wounded were then taken to the Regimental Aid Post, where the Medical Officer patched them up temporarily. Afterwards they were conveyed in stretchers, or walked, to the nearest forward dressing station of the Army Medical Corps, and thence passed to a Casualty Clearing Station, where they remained until embarked on a hospital ship which took them to either Lemnos, Alexandria, or Malta.

As sickness accounted for more than one-third of the casualties in this short space of time, it may be as well to touch on the factors which affected the health of the individual. The climate in September, and early October, was similar to November weather in Western Australia. Thereafter it became cooler, with occasional falls of rain, up to the end of the eleventh month. This latter date marked the downward limit of the thermometer, and the subsequent weather was almost spring-like until the evacuation. On the whole the climate was not disagreeable to the man from the Antipodes, and even when he did find it a little too warm for comfort he met the situation by discarding his jacket and shirt and moving about with a sleeveless undervest as the sole covering for the upper part of his body. Occasionally he was seen garbed only in hat, shorts, and boots.

Another reason for being rid of every unnecessary garment was the prevalence of vermin. Whence they came nobody knew; but within a few days of landing on the soil very few men had escaped their attention. No effective arrangements for dealing with the pest were practicable, and the scarcity of water, with the consequent difficulty of securing changes of clothing, made the discomfort all the greater. A fortunate few argued amongst themselves as to whether the services to the Empire of a certain insect powder manufacturer had ever been adequately recognised. The soldier's relative who sent a cutting from the "West Australian's" agricultural column headed "The Vermin Board. Position of the Squatters" showed both an appreciation of the condition of the soldiery and the phase of strategy which the campaign had reached. And here may be retold the story of the exasperated man who interrupted a conversation by exclaiming, "The Kaiser! I wish he had two withered hands and my shirt!"

But the worst enemy was the fly. This fattened and multiplied on the filth which marked the ground the Turk had occupied, and on the unburied victims of the battle who tainted to nausea the atmosphere breathed by the garrisons in the elevated positions. Whatever precautions against them it was possible to take were adopted, but the scarcity of sheet iron and timber, and the restricted space, rendered these of little avail. The water supply was not materially affected, as most of this was Nile water, properly filtered, and brought to the shore in tank barges by the Navy. But the flies, in such numbers and with such enterprise as had never before been witnessed by the most travelled bushman, could not be kept out of the food. Diarrhœa and dysentery quickly affected the Australians. Little effective relief was at hand. Castor-oil alleviated it temporarily, and this was consumed in such quantities that, one war correspondent has said, it threatened to become the Australians' national drink! Typhoid, and what was described as paratyphoid, fevers followed these maladies. Later came jaundice in epidemic form. In addition, rheumatism, pneumonia, and heavy colds, made their levy.

So great were the losses from these causes, that in August the Anzac Corps was evacuating 500 men a day. Early in October the IX. Corps' return showed over 700 for one day. Also, about this latter date, in spite of the presence of comparatively fresh troops, the N.Z. and A Division was being reduced at the rate of 60 per diem—not more than 15 per cent. of which were battle casualties.

Nor were the troops in a condition to successfully cope with the inroads of disease. "Worn out with hardship and incessant shell fire, from which even when in reserve, they were never free,"[N] ill-sustained by a monotonous diet of food—in part of doubtful quality, and always short of sleep and of supplies of water necessary to rest the body and keep it clean; their vitality and powers of resistance to disease were considerably reduced, and they fell an easy prey to the virulent and prolific germs.

The army ration consisted of meat, bread, vegetables, and groceries. Meat included tinned and fresh meat and bacon. Bread included ordinary bread, biscuits, and flour. The groceries were tea, sugar, jam (or cheese), pepper and salt, with such alternatives and additions as tinned milk, rice, prunes, curry powder, and raisins—which last were rarely available. The 28th's experience was that, when supplies were available and the weather permitted of them being landed, Argentine chilled beef and baker's bread left little room for complaint. However, the two factors mentioned did not always coincide and the Battalion, for days on end, had to be content with substitutes. The tinned meat ("dog" or "bully beef") was also from Argentine, and had already been dealt with for "extract" besides being extremely salt in flavour. The only way to make it palatable was to fry it up with bacon fat and chopped onions, or boil it again and add rice and curry powder when procurable. Nevinson[O] says that when the Anzac men threw over tins of meat to the Turks in exchange for packets of cigarettes it was a cheap gift, and the enemy returned the messages, "Bully beef non, envoyez milk." Now and again one came across a treasure in the form of a stray tin of a Canadian brand, or of "Maconochie" (a very substantial and nourishing stew), but looked in vain for the well-known Australian and New Zealand products.

The bacon, mostly very fat, was known as "lance-corporal bacon," i.e., with only one thin streak of lean running through it. This was issued ad nauseam. One man expressed his feelings when he said that he would never be able to look a pig in the face again.

There are no biscuits like the army issue. To those whose dentition was not perfect the masticating of them was tedious and painful. Some men made graters out of biscuit tin lids and grated the article to a powder, afterwards making a kind of porridge with it. Others discarded them as food and carved them into frames for photographs, or cigarette pictures, or contrived other mementos of a disagreeable period. Fresh vegetables were rarely seen. Now and again an enterprising individual would return from the beach with a cabbage, or a few potatoes, which he had purchased from one of the Navy or looted from some unsuspecting person who had them in charge. So far as can be remembered, not one single issue of potatoes was made to the Battalion during the whole of its stay on the Peninsula. Onions, however, were plentiful and of first-rate quality. Other substitutes were preserved or desiccated vegetables, which were found quite unpalatable and quickly refused by the Quartermaster.

Of the groceries, the issues of tea and sugar were insufficient for the occasion. The Australian tea-drinking habit (amongst others) had not then spread through the army. The Canadian cheese was excellent, but the jam lacked in all three essentials—quantity, quality, and variety. Bairnsfather has placed on record the soldier's feeling in this regard.

Certain other articles of importance were issued weekly. These included lime juice, rum, and tobacco. Rum was a new experience to many, but its value as a stimulant for tired troops was soon appreciated—even by the teetotallers. The virtues of rum and condensed milk were extolled. The precious liquid was contained in earthenware jars bearing on the outside the letters "S.R.D." The popular interpretation of this legend was "Seldom Reaches Destination," from the belief that, small as the authorised issue was, it was either reduced in quantity, withheld, or weakened with water by those through whose hands it passed between the supply depôt and the people for whom it was intended. Instances were not lacking which gave foundation for this belief, and an incident is well remembered in which a member of one formation regaled himself for two nights on his company's share and finished up the carouse by giving the "alarm." He left for Australia shortly afterwards. The Battalion made the acquaintance of tobacco and cigarettes of many brands and as many qualities. In some cases the name on the package was the only indication of its supposed contents. Some of the issues were at the cost of the Government and others as a result of gifts by soldiers' aid societies in Australia and England.

It has already been said that water was scarce. A few wells existed, but were quite unequal to the demands made upon them. It was therefore necessary to carry the water for some distance. Two-gallon petrol tins were used for this purpose by special fatigue parties. Larger quantities were carried in "fantassies"—10-gallon tanks borne in pairs on mules—and delivered to the Quartermaster, who was responsible for the distribution of all supplies and stores. Not always was it possible to secure sufficient for ablution purposes, and at one time—during November—the issue was restricted to quarter gallon per diem per man for all purposes. At the Apex, whilst water was scarce, small parties from the reserve companies were taken in turn to the beach and allowed to bathe. A certain amount of risk was attached to this proceeding, as the enemy shelled the locality whenever a target offered. Fortunately the parties escaped without casualty.

The cooking of food was first carried on by individuals. The mess tin could be used as either saucepan or kettle, and its lid as a frying pan or drinking vessel. With the aid of the entrenching implement, which each man carried, a little excavation would be made in some convenient place and a fire built of any available fuel. As a support for the tin when laid on the embers any number of stones was available. On some of these heat had a peculiar effect, and the unwary one was sometimes startled by a loud report and the sight of his meal being hoist in the air. Usually two or more men combined in the cooking process, but the preparation of food by the individual was found to be wasteful and injurious to health in that it attracted many flies and lacked thoroughness. The company system was therefore reverted to, and the dixies brought into use in kitchens constructed outside the trenches. The dixies were then taken forward and the meal served out in equal shares according to the numbers to be provided for. The change at first was not popular, but its beneficial effects became apparent later, and the system was not again departed from except for very brief periods when extraordinary conditions existed.

Fuel was by no means plentiful, and anything at all that would burn was carefully collected. Under cover of darkness individuals would forage on the exposed slopes and return with arms full of twigs and brushwood. In the back areas fatigue parties were at work daily collecting firewood which was brought to a depôt for issue to units. These parties worked under brigade orders and a number of 28th men were, on one occasion, sent up an exposed slope accompanied by a white donkey. The animal, so easily distinguishable against the background of dark verdure, soon attracted the enemy's artillery fire and some casualties resulted. The Regimental Medical Officer and two or three stretcher-bearers very gallantly ascended the hill and attended the wounded despite the continuance of the Turkish shrapnel.

Supply and transport on the Peninsula was no easy problem. Supplies in bulk were landed on the beach from barges when the weather permitted. There, near the two piers, a reserve of at least seven days was stored and supply staffs lived between walls constructed of boxes of biscuit and tinned meat. These walls were lined with sides of bacon resting on a plinth of filled rum jars and certain medical comforts intended for the sick or wounded. In the neighbourhood huge piles of all manner of articles abounded, and sandwiched in between them one would occasionally discover a howitzer, which would come into action intermittently. From these depôts the Army Service Corps attached to Divisions drew what was required or available and transported it to their own areas. There it was again divided up, according to the actual number of men present with each battalion, and the Quartermasters took delivery.

The means of transport consisted of carts, mules, and donkeys. Few horses were kept at Anzac. The only ones the 28th saw belonged to the 6-inch howitzer battery, and were stabled up on a hillside the face of which had been cut away so as to afford safe cover. One other horse seen was used by a despatch rider who almost daily went somewhere towards the left of our line and as frequently was the target for snipers. The carts were two-wheeled, with mule draught, and could only be used at night, when they conveyed supplies to the 54th Division which lay at the northern end of the Anzac Corps areas. These carts had made a well defined track, and their passage was easily marked by the creaking and groaning sounds they gave forth. Yet they were seldom, if ever, shelled by the enemy. They were driven by Maltese or natives of India who, during the daylight hours, camped in some of the crevices in the cliffs near the shore. As carts could not ascend the ravines, mules were used for carriage to the forward positions. They were sure-footed and capable of carrying a substantial load. Shell-fire had not much effect on them, but occasionally they became fitful and, despite the lurid exhortations of their drivers, would discard their loads at most inconvenient places. They were awkward creatures to meet in a sap. One might attempt to pass them on the side where there appeared to be the more room, only to find that, when nearly through, the mule would lurch over and pin you to the wall of the trench with the corner of an ammunition box or water tank.

Each battalion had the use of a certain number of small-sized donkeys. A few men had to be detailed to look after these and drive them—being responsible to the Quartermaster, who was known, sometimes, as "the O.C. Dunks." The donkeys carried loads suitable to their strength and were found to be most useful animals in the areas near the front line. Sometimes they got shot. A story is told of one of the 28th drivers who was rather attached to his pair of animals. One day in the Dere a shell killed one of his donkeys and the concussion from the explosion knocked the other one over. With a little persuasion he got up again, but the driver, in explaining the loss, said that he had had one beast killed and that the other had fainted.

FOOTNOTES:

CHAPTER VIII.

GALLIPOLI

(continued).

Lower Cheshire Ridge, the Battalion's new position, was in part a razor-edged feature which faced the steep north-west slope of Sari Bair. In between the two, and diagonally across the front, ran the Aghyl Dere which passed through the trench line at the 28th's northern boundary. Here a high breastwork had been constructed which carried a firestep and at the same time allowed room for the passage of water underneath. This breastwork, and the line for some distance beyond, was manned alternately by the 5th Norfolks and 10th Londons, both of whom belonged to the 162nd Brigade, 54th Division, and were Kitchener Army men. Both battalions were much reduced in strength and contained many men whom disease had rendered really unfit for work other than that of the lightest nature. However, they hung on with the Tommy's well known stoicism.

The 28th line was very varied. Commencing from the left of the 27th Battalion, it ran through a hilltop to a place where an L-shaped cutting had to be made to secure any footing at all. Thence about a dozen steps, cut in a face, took one to a lower level which ran along towards the Dere and terminated in a series of firing bays opening out from tunnels which had been excavated by the 4th Brigade and further improved by the 25th Battalion. Portions of three companies were detailed to hold the line, "B" Company being on the right and "A" Company functioning with the British. Immediately behind the line was a deep hollow which sheltered the supports and provided space for the kitchens and headquarters of the Battalion. Little Table Top and Rose Hill formed the western side of this hollow, and across their summits had been constructed a reserve line with machine guns in position.

The nearest enemy trenches were some 600 yards distant. The intervening space was mostly covered with scrub, but in the breaks and on the bare patches could be seen the bodies of many of those who had taken part in the ill-fated attempt of Baldwin's Brigade to storm Chunuk Bair on the 10th August. Boxes, tins of biscuits, coils of wire, and various portions of equipment were scattered broadcast about the valley.

Life at Lower Cheshire Ridge was peaceful as compared with that at the Apex. A daily dose of shrapnel was sent along from the direction of Abdel Rahman Bair, to the north-east, but this seldom did any harm. On the evening of the 7th October a machine gun fire demonstration was made by our divisions on either flank without any apparent effect. At 7 p.m. on the following day the wind rose and was soon followed by drenching rain which lasted most of the night. About an hour after it commenced the Turks opened a heavy rifle and machine gun fire against the Light Horse Brigade and Walker's Ridge. This continued for some time but there was no further development. Owing to the weather the Battalion spent a very miserable night.

About this period, a method of recording time that was novel to most of the Australians was brought into vogue by the adoption of the French system. This at first led to some little confusion, but was considered essential in order to ensure proper co-ordination in the efforts of the Allies. Later on, it came naturally to all. The difficulty of easily recognising the figures "0015" as representing 12.15 a.m., "1430" as 2.30 p.m., and "2245" as 10.45 p.m., may be quite understood.

Apart from holding this part of the line, the officers and men were principally engaged, during their stay here, in improving the accommodation for the supports and providing for their protection in the winter. A detachment of New Zealand Engineers was attached to the Battalion to advise. However, little progress could be made owing to the scarcity of timber and iron and the nature of the soil, which, in this quarter, was composed of the scourings of the hills and had no stability. Difficulty was also encountered with the plans of the Commanding Royal Engineer of the Division, which were frequently changed, in order to conform to the varying moods of the Divisional Commander. In consequence, much labour was expended, but little real progress made for some time. Defensive works included the deepening of the front line trench, which was carried down to a depth of ten feet—in some places—without any material increase in width. This was the policy of the day and was based on securing immunity from shrapnel fire. Had the enemy used heavy shells, with delayed action fuses, these same trenches would have proved veritable death traps for their garrisons. Near the junction of "C" and "A" Companies' sectors, two tunnels were driven in the direction of the enemy's lines. From the heads of these, it was intended to construct a lateral underground trench, which would join up with the forward works of the neighbouring battalion on the left. The trench was to be completed almost entirely underground, and then finally the crust of earth would be broken through in one night and the enemy at dawn would discover a finished work having a command of the whole of that portion of the Dere as well as the ravine running down from the north. The Battalion did not stay in this sector long enough to witness the completion of its labours and the work was afterwards carried on by the 4th Brigade.

The scarcity, which has been referred to, of timber and iron was exemplified in another manner when a change in garrisons took place. Units marching in and out of a position would take their precious bits of wood and sheet iron with them and their transport was personally supervised by an officer. This, in the case of a company or battalion being relieved, sometimes led to the partial dismantlement of works. As a result stringent orders on the subject were issued. These were not always regarded as they should have been. Once, during the gales, a barge laden with timber was wrecked, and her load distributed along the beach, at the foot of Chailak Dere. Within a few hours—whilst the Engineers were thinking of organising salvage parties—the whole of the spoils had disappeared into the valleys and up the slopes of the Light Horse and Infantry positions.

The prominence given to sniping has been referred to earlier. To counter the Turks' efforts in this direction, the Brigadier organised a body of men composed of expert rifle shots, chosen from each battalion. This was placed under the command of Captain H. B. Menz, of the 28th Battalion, who had Lieut. W. P. Devonshire, 27th Battalion, to assist him. These snipers were equipped with powerful telescopes and were disposed in carefully chosen positions in the line—or beyond or behind it. Their usefulness, aided as they were by other men from the companies, was soon demonstrated. In a few days not a Turk dare expose himself within 600 or 700 yards distance of our lines, and scarcely ever was a hostile rifle loosed during daylight hours. After dark, Jacko would take courage and pot in the direction of our trenches. The snipers were also of use to the English, who were being harassed on the other side of the Dere. The tactful offer of the loan of two or three Australians in a few days removed the cause of their trouble. The Turks occasionally resorted to ruses, but these were quickly negatived by the Australians, who showed themselves no mean masters of craft. Nearly across to the opposite side of the valley were revealed, by the telescope, the shoulders and black face of a dummy sharpshooter located behind a bush. Some distance up the valley, to the north, a piece of iron piping protruded from cover in imitation of a gun. Dummy loopholes abounded. On the slope of Chunuk Bair, a communication trench wound down. At a certain hour of the afternoon a man coming down this trench would, at one turn under observation, be preceded by his shadow. Our snipers watched for this shadow and made deadly practice at the substance. After a few days, the enemy ceased to move in that quarter whilst light lasted.

Captain Menz was also supplied with a Hotchkiss quick-firing gun which discharged a 3 lb. solid shot. This was placed in a carefully chosen nook in one of the hollows and camouflaged with green bushes. In the charge of Corporal C. T. Ballingall, an ex-citizen force gunner, this weapon was a powerful and effective means of knocking out sniper posts whenever they were located.

A system of patrolling the bed of the ravine, and of the lower slopes beyond, was carried out. Platoon commanders usually took charge of small parties of men which debouched from "A" or "C" Companies' lines and cautiously explored No-Man's Land. Competition in this work became keen at times. One young officer—small of stature—claimed to have pinned a white handkerchief on a tree close to the enemy's wire. Another officer—the reverse in figure—averred that he got through the wire and dropped his cigarette butt right on top of a sleeping enemy sentry. Daylight revealed the white patch on the tree, but nobody seemed anxious to investigate too closely the tale of the cigarette.

About this time occurred one of the Mohammedan festivals. High authority considered that this fact might engender an offensive spirit in the opposing force. Patrols, therefore, were instructed to be especially vigilant. Nothing important was discovered. One patrol did report that it had heard some musical instrument being played in the enemy's area, the sound of voices, and the barking of a dog. The officer who compiled the daily intelligence report wrote: "sounds of jollification were heard issuing from the enemy trenches." This phrase seemed to tickle the official ear, and was repeated by all reporters, and appeared finally in Sir Ian Hamilton's summary.

Patrols also performed a good deal of salvage work and brought in a considerable quantity of material from between the opposing lines. Several identity discs were likewise collected and forwarded on for the information of the records section of the Army.

On the evening of the 11th October a welcome addition was made to the strength of the Battalion by the arrival of portion of the 2nd and 3rd Reinforcements under Captain E. A. Coleman and Lieut. A. M. Hope. These were distributed the following day amongst the four companies, and Captain Coleman took over command of "B" Company. As was the case with the later drafts, these newcomers proved themselves to be excellent fellows.

The death of Lieut. F. E. Jensen had created a vacancy in the commissioned ranks which was filled by the promotion of Sergeant C. R. Field—a trainee under the Australian Universal Military Service scheme. Casualties amongst the non-commissioned officers were replaced by the appointment and promotion of men who showed themselves possessed of the necessary qualifications. In a few instances promotion was declined by the individual. Various reasons were given for this step. Some individuals lacked ambition, others were reluctant to accept responsibility, and again others preferred to retain the close company of the friends of their section—promotion resulting in a mild form of aloofness and isolation, a condition which the exercise of authority rendered almost inevitable.

About this time the first Battalion Bombing Squad was formed. This was a result of some lessons from the campaign on the Western Front, where experienced bomb-throwers, properly organised, had proved of great value in offensive and defensive operations. This squad was placed under Lieut. N. W. Sundercombe and was trained in some old Turkish trenches at the lower end of the Chailak Dere. The members showed such proficiency in their work that in the course of a few days only they were called upon to give a demonstration in method before the other squads of the Division. The members of the squad were Sergt. A. Brown, Corporals A. Gibbons and I. E. Dunkley, Privates J. Connor, S. J. Price, G. B. Brown, F. Congdon, W. G. Green, F. E. Dawkins, H. Thetford, F. Parker, H. Denton, F. Ball, A. Kelly, H. G. Haynes, D. McDonald, and D. W. Cunningham. Several of these bombers earned considerable distinction in the later campaigns in Belgium and France.

The 15th October marked a change in the command of the 7th Brigade. Colonel Burston's health had for some time past been far from robust, nevertheless he had stuck to his post with determination until ultimately compelled to give in. He was sent to a hospital on Lemnos Island, and Lieut-Colonel (Hon. Colonel) J. Paton, V.D., the C.O. of the 25th Battalion, was directed to assume command. Colonel Paton had been an infantry brigadier in New South Wales, and had also taken a prominent part in the naval and military expedition to occupy German New Guinea. Sickness brought other changes in the brigade staff. Captain G. B. Rowan-Hamilton was appointed Brigade-Major. He had been adjutant of the 1st Black Watch and shared in the opening campaign in France and Belgium. A new Staff Captain was found in Lieut. S. S. Bond, 25th Battalion, who performed the duties until succeeded by Captain W. F. N. Bridges—a son of the original commander of the 1st Australian Division.

About the middle of the month the Battalion received its first supply of canteen stores. A small party had been sent to Imbros to buy "luxuries" and had returned with neither the quantity nor quality they sought. Nevertheless, their arrival in the Battalion area was signalised by the formation of a queue as for an early door at a theatre. Sweets, cake, and notepaper were in greatest demand, and after these, in popularity, came soap and handkerchiefs.

Sir Ian Hamilton had been striving for months to institute this system of canteens. He desired that the troops in the Eastern Mediterranean should be placed on the same footing as those in France. General Birdwood had written to him conveying the medical opinion that the sameness of the food was making the men sick. The rations were A1, but the men loathed the look of them after having had nothing else for months. "If we could only get this wretched canteen ship along, and if, when she comes she contains anything like condiments to let them buy freely from her, I believe it would make all the difference in the world. But the fact remains that at present we cannot count on anything like a big effort from the men who have been here all these months."[P] The first canteen ship did eventually arrive about the end of August, and then brought only £10,000 worth—amongst over 100,000 troops! The Commander-in-Chief sent it to Anzac. Later arrivals brought very little more and, finally, early in December, the supplies petered out altogether. Parties sent to Imbros foraged over the island, but soon exhausted even that source, which produced only fruit, eggs, Turkish delight, candles, and canned goods.

To pay for these extras the Australians had ample resources. Periodically the field cashier appeared on the Peninsula with English silver and notes. The adjutant drew from him, and company commanders paid their men in accordance with their requirements—within the credit which the Pay Book (always carried on the person) disclosed they possessed. The British Treasury note for 10s. became known as a "Bradbury"—a name derived from a signature thereon. Those issued to the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force at the time were endorsed in Turkish so that they might have currency in Constantinople when the Straits were forced.

The 16th October witnessed the return to the Battalion of the Machine Gun Section from the Apex. It was arranged that at 4 a.m. this day an attempt should be made to compel the enemy to disclose his gun and machine gun positions. At that hour a rocket went up from Russell's Top. Immediately our guns, and the machine guns to either flank of the 28th, opened fire. The Battalion had been ordered to man the trenches, show their fixed bayonets over the parapets, and cheer lustily. All these things were done and the effect added to by throwing clods of earth down amongst the bushes in the Dere to give the impression of the noise of troops advancing. All came to nought. The Turk uttered not a sound, and after the firing ceased the West Australians, appreciating some humour in the situation, went about their day's work with broad smiles on their faces.

Aeroplanes occasionally made their appearance above the contending armies. To the man in the trench it seemed that some arrangement existed whereby our aviators should not use the same days in the week as the Turk. Never were the two seen in the air at the one time and the infantry, who were spoiling to witness an aerial combat, were greatly disappointed. An appearance was usually the signal for a little practice by the anti-aircraft guns, one of which was located in the 1st Division's sector. The enemy gunners had better luck than ours, for twice during the Battalion's stay they succeeded in winging our men—one of whom made a forced landing on Suvla Lake and the other in the sea, not far from the shore, about half a mile further south. Here they provided a target for the field guns and, in the former instance, the machine, viewed from the Apex, soon resembled a fly whose wings had been burned off. Whilst at Cheshire Ridge the 28th observed a hostile aviator traverse the line from right to left, flying at an altitude of a few hundred feet only. The pilot leaned over the side of the car as he passed over the West Australians and waved his hand to them. The rifle fire directed at him apparently did no harm and in a few seconds he disappeared in the direction of Suvla.

Between the 17th and 20th of the month the Battalion suffered four casualties (wounds) from shrapnel. On the evening of the 25th the Turks landed in the Chailak Dere several heavy high explosive shells. At 11 a.m. on the 27th they opened a brisk fire all along the brigade sector and up towards Suvla. The beach behind was also shelled by the big guns. The "stand to" was ordered but, as usual, firing died down without further development. The rest of the brigade had a number killed and wounded but the 28th escaped unscathed. For the remainder of the month the enemy was comparatively quiet.

Lieut. J. F. Quilty arrived from Egypt on the 24th and brought seven men as a reinforcement.