Chapter Eight
The day of the 28th of April dawned bright and beautiful we had just been stood down from stand to and we were still talking about the news we had been told yesterday. It came down the chain of command that the Lancashire Fusiliers had won a hat full of medals including six Victoria Crosses which was unbelievable. It made us proud to have been attached to the Battalion but what had us smiling even more was the fact that Captain Melstone had won the Military Cross and CSM Domby had won a bar to his Military Medal and Sgt Dawson had been awarded the Military Medal as well. This news had boosted our moral no end and we were in a good mood as we sat down to eat breakfast which consisted of that old time favourite bully and biscuits but before we took a bite all hell broke loose. Whistles had started blowing and the Sgt’s and Cpl’s were shouting at us to get over the command dugout for a briefing. When we arrived Major Danby was waiting with a sheaf of papers in his hand standing beside him were CSM Domby and the Officers that were left of our Company. Me Elijah and Johnny Grundy were stood together we had known Johnny since joining up he was a small dynamo of a man with dark hair that met in a widows peak and hard brown eyes he had a scar that traced a line from the corner of his eye to the corner of his lip. He had got this in a mining accident and it shone an angry red when he was annoyed I liked him no end he was a straight talker and in my book you wouldn’t find a better bloke in the army he was a little older than us being twenty five. Elijah said. “Shit just look at those papers the Majors holding you can bet your life that there full of fatigues and guess whose names on them.” He shook his head in disgust and spat on the floor as Johnny nodded his head in agreement.
The CSM stepped forward and let his gaze travel over us as he said. “Attention stand still, shut up and pin your lugs back and listen to what the O.C. has to say and don’t interrupt.” He turned towards the Major and said. “Right you are Sir the men are ready”, he saluted and stepped back. The O.C. stepped forward saying. “Stand easy men and just bear with me for the moment will you.” He looked down at the papers in his hand and went through them he had read a couple of pages then he looked up and carried on. “There seems to have been some almighty cock up or something for I have just received orders that the Division is going to advance up the peninsula taking first Krithia and then Achi Baba and from there we will push onto our final objectives.” I took this in thinking bloody hell the whole Division must have landed and I knew that this put the Battalion in a better position than on the first few days but it still didn’t sound all that convincing. Major Danby continued. “Now I wish I could brief you more fully but I am afraid we only received the orders with twenty minutes to spare. In this time I have had to brief the Officers and NCOs and they in turn will brief you when we are on the start line. But now we must really get over there and be ready for the off when the time comes some more good news is that we will be with our old friends the Fusiliers and the 86th Brigade.
We were lined up[ on our start line and so were the rest of the troops that had landed on W Beach with us although now in recognition of the sacrifice made taking the place it was called Lancashire Landing. We were deployed in open line waiting for the order to move forward and CSM Domby was briefing us as we waited. “If you wish you can smoke and while we wait I will try to tell you what is happening or at least as much as I know. The whole of the Division is attacking and we also have the French supporting us we are going to advance up the peninsula and our main task is to take Krithia from the Turks. He coughed and then spat on the floor before carrying on again. “From what I can gather when we get further up the peninsula we will wheel over to our right and this will put us on the easiest route for Krithia and that’s about it you know as much as me now we will be off shortly so keep yourselves ready.” As the CSM finished speaking the first shells of the naval bombardment whistled overhead sounding like a train going by. In fact if you looked up into the sky you could actually see the shells from the big naval guns flying in a curved arc towards the Turkish positions as I looked at my watch I could see that it was exactly 8am. As soon as the bombardment finished the whistles went and we set off on our country ramble with our rifles and bayonets held at high port. At first we moved fast over the terrain with no opposition in sight and this put us in a light hearted mood and we all thought that at last things were going right for us. Johnny Grundy shouted. “Bloody hell lads I haven’t seen a Turk or anything that looks dangerous since we started at this rate we will be able to walk into Krithia without firing a shot.”
The order came to wheel sideways towards the right and that’s when the trouble started the manoeuvre we had just made should have taken our advance up the main spur towards Krithia but in between the spurs was rough terrain that contained gullies and thick bush. This presented a nightmare for us but was ideal for the Turks who had set up their defence there and knew the area well and were hiding out there waiting for us to come on. In this kind of terrain you can get disorientated very quickly to say the least all the terrain looks the same and it is quite easy to double back on yourselves or move in the wrong direction and pretty soon you are hopelessly lost. I heard Elijah shout beside me. “Where the fuck are we, this is a bloody joke didn’t anybody recce this rout before the attack started?” If I had the breath I would have answered no I don’t think they did the whole thing smelled of incompetence but I knew enough about the army to know nobody would admit it. All of a sudden we heard heavy firing coming from over on our right were some of the 86th Brigade lads where but just at that moment we were moving through a gully and so couldn’t pinpoint the direction. I shouted over to Johnny Grundy. “Still think were going to walk into Krithia without firing a shot do you?” He looked over towards me and shook his head violently saying. “This will teach me to open my mouth before the event is over”, and he kicked out at a piece of scrub on the floor. The whole escapade was turning into a shambles the Turks were ambushing some of our lads and then falling back and the terrain in front of us was terrible and because of this the straight sweeping line we had started out with was now a disjointed mess. We could no longer see the unit to our right and our Officers had tried telling the unit on the left that they were moving forward to quickly but to no avail. Our unit moved forward cautiously in the thick scrub our eyes taking in every inch of the landscape watching to see if any enemy were hiding out ready to ambush us. Our units must have been scattered all over the place and a Platoon of Fusiliers bumped into us and nearly got their heads blown off for their trouble.
A Fusilier Lieutenant came up to Major Danby and saluted. “Briggs Sir acting Captain D Company Fusiliers”, he dropped his salute as the major said. “Yes alright Captain I saw you at one of the briefings before we landed but the main question is what the hell are you doing in our sector?” The Captain looked quite abashed as he replied. “The thing is Sir we seem to be a bit lost its this damned bush and the gullies the terrain is truly awful and there were no indications of this on the maps I was shown.” The Major snorted saying. “Maps the only maps I have seen of this peninsula came from some pre war tourist guide and so had no accuracy what so ever and I truly believe that the devil himself would give this place a wide birth let alone any tourists.” The Captain coughed apologetically as he asked. “Do you think it might be possible for me and my chaps to stay with your Company Sir I don’t fancy wandering round the country side getting more lost or even ambushed?” The Major thought a moment and then replied. “I think that would be a good idea there is no point in you trying to link up with your Company again because it looks that for the moment communications are nonexistent so the central chain of command no longer control what is happening. I would imagine that there are lots of units like yours that are lost and wandering around in the wrong sectors confused by the ground and the lack of orders.” So the Fusiliers got to stay with us and we set off forward to god knows where in this bush personally I just hoped someone had the vaguest idea of where we where and where we were going. We toiled on through the thick bush and gullies and I noticed that some of the bushes down here looked like gorse but with thorns that were a damn sight bigger than any gorse bush I had seen at home and that scratched the hell out of you. Eventually we managed to and I don’t know how to find a way out of this devils back garden and to our surprise we found ourselves looking at the forward Turkish trenches guarding Krithia. We had been subject to an ambush or two on the way but we had given these short shrift and they had simply melted away. It seemed like a couple of units had made it here there was a company of Fusiliers that were off to our left there also seemed to be a Company of the Essex Regiment present and a lot of what looked like scratch Companies that had been made up of mixed units. The Platoon that had joined us in the bush now bade us farewell and went off to join the Fusilier Company.
We watched as an Officers conference was called and they all met in a circle by a cedar tree and I should imagine began to weigh up the situation and what was going to happen next. In the mean time and more through luck the Turks hadn’t seen us and must have been half asleep the Officers went on talking as others watched the Turk trenches through field glasses and reported back what they were seeing in the Turkish positions. Johnny Grundy said. “I don’t like the look of that Officers meeting believe you me when that lot get together chatting like that it can bode no good for the likes of us.” His face had the hound dog look of a basset hound that had been kicked in the balls. Elijah replied. “You’re probably right Johnny but I have looked at those Turkish trenches over there and I haven’t got field glasses but to my eye they look only lightly defended if you ask me”. We all looked over at the Turkish trenches as the Officers conference broke up and the Major came back over to us he reached us and said. “Gather round lads and I will fill you in on what’s happening it would seem that the Turks for whatever reasons haven’t seen us yet and from what we can make out their trenches are only lightly manned and not heavily defended as we were told”. He stopped to blow his nose on a large hanky which he then stuffed back into his pocket as he continued. “What we are about to do is fix bayonets and charge the enemy position the surprise and momentum of our charge should carry us through and allow us to capture the positions. So get yourselves ready we start in ten minutes hit them hard and give no quarter we must take these trenches before they can reinforce them so good luck and good hunting”, he saluted and turned to his Officers and NCOs and then he walked over to the other senior Officers.
Johnny Grundy spat on the ground and said. “I told you this would happen and that it would bode no good for us and I was right charging fucking trenches with a handful of blokes mark my words no bloody good will come from this escapade and that’s a fact.” Before we could make any comment on what he had said there was a commotion where the senior Officers were holding their final get together before the off we could see them checking their watches. It was in the middle of this and everyone else all keyed up that a runner had arrived I have no idea where he has come from but I can see him repeating something to them. Then we watch as he is questioned again and he answers the senior Officers faces are like thunder they turn to the runner again and they gesticulate and point towards the Turkish lines and then they point at us the runner shakes his head but seems to be losing ground in the argument. Just when I think he is about to be murdered he pulls a sheet of paper from his pocket and holds it out Major Danby snatches it and reads it then his head sags and he hands it to the C.O. of the Essex’s. He scans it and shakes his head shaking his fists at the sky then he passes it onto the C.O. of the Fusiliers he seems to read it out loud to the rest of the Officers gathered there and we can hear the moans and groans from where we are standing. Major Danby comes back over and gathers us round him saying. “I’m sorry lads but we have just received orders to pull back to our starting positions”, and now it was our turn to groan. He continued. “We all feel let down and know that this would be a golden opportunity to take the front line and maybe even Krithia itself but orders are orders and we must obey them.” A voice shouted from the back. “What’s wrong with attacking then Sir?” Major Danby smiled and replied. “Nothing at all it’s just that our communications have broken down and there are units strewn all over the place up and down these infernal gullies and hopelessly lost even more serious a lot have no ammunition left”. He looked at us and shook his head saying. “Because of the lack of communication and the roughness of the terrain there doesn’t seem to be anyone in overall command issuing the right orders and so Brigade has ordered us back”, there was a sick look on the Major’s face now as he continued. “The main thing is because of the shambles that has been happening in the bush and gullies we can expect no reinforcements at all and the chances of us holding this sector against a full scale enemy counter attack are nonexistent. That being the case then we must pull back to where we can consolidate our position so we will follow our orders albeit with a heavy heart and set off in five minutes”, he left us there and went to speak to the other senior Officers.
So began our nightmare retreat back through the bush and gullies that we had struggled to find our way through in the first place and where we had left a lot of sweat and skin behind. We had a couple of skirmishes on the way back but the size of our mixed unit seemed to deter the Turks from any real attack and besides which we were returning to our start point. We eventually staggered out of the final gully and onto the flat scrub land that we had crossed so easy this morning. We arrived back at our start point exhausted only two days ago we were fighting a battle to get off the beaches and this latest escapade had taken its toll and everyone was worn out and tired beyond endurance. We were told that because of what had happened and the total balls up that had been made the battle had finally been called off an hour ago at 6pm though it mattered little to us and we showed no interest. Men fell down where they stood and lay as if dead on the ground the fatigue finally getting too much for them and only kicks from boots or prods from rifle butts would get them warily to their feet more dead than alive. We were thanked for our efforts and told we had put up a magnificent show and the what we had been waiting for happened and we were dismissed night was falling as we got back to our trench we slumped to the floor in a state of collapse were the cold bit into us and then the rain teemed down.
Trenches had been dug and the new front line was a couple of miles up the Krithia road and although we had only been here six days conditions were bad. Along with the guard duties we had to do and keeping an eye on the Turks there were endless fatigue parties to contend with. W Beach seemed to have turned into a giant stores depot and the tasks of unloading these supplies seemed never ending. Even when we were not unloading we were building the rickety makeshift piers out into the sea for everything had to be transported from the larger ships to the shore in small boats which were a pain in the arse. So all day long and far into the night the fatigue parties slogged at unloading and storing everything that the Division needed be it ammunition or water of whatever it all had to be unloaded and stored by hand. Me Elijah and Johnny were on one of the makeshift piers unloading what Johnny informed us was an old trawler that had just docked. There was an Officer at the end of the pier who turned to us and said. “Listen to me when you pick up a box or whatever and transport it back to the beach to be stored on the way back pick up a rock and fetch it here. Do this every time you unload and don’t worry every fatigue party is doing this and in a short time we will have a proper pier structure here.” We started unloading and Johnny said. “Yon Officer is a pillock what the fucks he on about with his bloody stones in a week’s time this lot will have collapsed into the sea”, we all burst out laughing at the thought of the pier collapsing and disappearing below the waves.
Sometimes it wasn’t all bad being on fatigues if any of the boxes smashed we would keep whatever fell out of them and even better than this was that we got the chance to have a swim while we were down here on the beach. The supplies were moved up to the front by mule train and everything was transported this way from the smallest things to the largest. The well we had fought the Turks for in the village was still providing water but we needed a lot more than that and even the other wells that had been found and was still a continuing problem. There was one thing that never failed during the unloading and swimming and that was the Turkish artillery that bombarded the beaches at every chance. We pretty much learned to ignore this and just ducked for cover although if you were swimming you had to duck under the water as the shrapnel burst overhead. When you were under the water you could see the shrapnel as it hit hissing and cooling down as it sank past you in a jig saw of different shapes. There were times when people would get hit and the water would stain red with their blood but it didn’t put anyone off as this was one of the few pleasurable pastimes that we had. We had finished our fatigues and it was someone else’s turn now so we were back in the front line trenches me Elijah and Johnny who seemed to have attached himself to us. We were sat round a fire that we had built from box wood that we had collected while on fatigues and which we had carried back up to the lines in our packs. There was a billycan of tea boiling over it and the aroma coming from it was tantalising and smelled lovely. Elijah handed the smokes out and Johnny poured the tea into our mugs saying. “Anyone got any idea what date it is?” I accepted a cup of tea from him and took a drag from my smoke as Elijah replied. “It’s the 1st of May today for what it’s worth bloody hell back home the maypoles will be out and the kids will be dancing round them and enjoying the day with food and pop”, and his eyes looks dreamily into the distance I felt sorry for him because I knew how much he missed his wife and kiddies. Me I had made a pact with myself that I would only think of Helen if I couldn’t help it or when we finally got out of this shit hole. None of our loved ones memories belonged in a place like this and thinking about them would only drive you to despair and the road to madness. Johnny looked at us abashed and said. “I only wanted to know the date that’s all it wasn’t because of anything special just an anchor to normality in this hell on earth”.
The weather was fine and dry again and the whole of the peninsula was covered in a fine dust that got everywhere and into everything. We started cleaning our rifles for the hundredth time and we had just finished tying rags round the breech to try to keep the dust out when the midday rations arrived. Johnny who had a look of disgust on his face said. “Fucking hell not bully and biscuits again I am sick of this shit the next time we are down the beach I am going fishing a nice piece of fish would go down well.” The day was taken up with general fatigues as we transported stores from our rear up to the stores on the line. We finished these and after tea settled back I wrote to Helen and Rosie by candlelight then after our final smoke we got our heads down for the night. I was rudely awakened by a great commotion and shots of. “Stand to grab your rifles come on get the fucking lead out.” I staggered to my feet still half asleep thinking what the hell’s going on?” Elijah who seemed to be in the same boat shouted. “What the fuck is going on what’s happening?” He was trying to stand up but had caught his tunic on a nail jutting out from the side of the trench which now held him back. Johnny watched this and then typically made an understatement saying. “Bloody hell lads I think were in deep shit now and no mistake.” We stood on the fire step and looked out into the night we could see red and green signal flares arcing up into the sky and bursting into beautiful patterns that were highlighted against the backdrop of the night. I looked at my watch in the light of the flares and saw it was just after 10pm the Turks had launched a sneak night attack and they had nearly caught us napping. Sgt Ted Wallace was stood behind us commanding our length of trench and he barked out the order saying. “Look to your front and watch for the very flares when they go off pick your targets and remember to use volley fire were practical and follow my orders.” Johnny remarked. “Why the fuck would anyone want to attack at night for all you do is trip over things you can’t see anything bloody barmy if you ask me.” Ted Wallace replied. “It’s logical when you think about it they get surprise on their side and our ships can’t use their guns for fear of hitting us.” Johnny shook his head saying. “Crafty buggers I forgot about the fleet the big guns are useless no wonder the bastards have attacked now.” Flare burst in the sky and under their magnesium light we could see row upon row of Turkish soldiers coming towards our position with bayonets fixed. More red and green signal flares burst overhead and just as our marker flares burnt out we heard a screaming coming from the front Turkish rank as they began to charge in our direction. Sgt Wallace shouted. “Steady lads look to your front and wait for the next flares to light the landscape then when I give the order pour your fire into them and show no mercy don’t let them reach the trenches.”
The next flares shot up into the sky and burst into brilliant light and we could see the charging Turks clearly now as they rushed towards us shouting something that sounded like Allah Akbar as they reached six hundred yards the machine guns opened up with their hail of death. The Turks were being slaughtered but still they kept coming on as they reached three hundred yards Sgt Wallace gave the order and we poured our volley fire into their ranks. No one could take the amount of punishment that they were and the ground under their feet looked a deeper black and I realised it was blood as we kept on firing the attack stalled and then faded away. Johnny Grundy laughed and said. “That’s the way to do it lads we didn’t half kick their asses then I can tell you.” Ted Wallace shouted. “Look to your front you lot and less of the celebrations the Turks aren’t finished yet and will be back sooner than you think.” The flares burnt out and darkness descended on us once more we stood there shitting ourselves and waiting for the next attack to commence. The ammo carriers appeared and started handing out bandoliers and clips of ammo me and my mates arranged the clips on the trench lip close at hand for reloading. We could hear over on our left a lot of firing going on and see flares shoot into the sky so something was happening. CSM Domby came along and said. “Listen up lads the Turks have broke through further down the line so keep a keen eye out for any flanking move that might come about. Elijah spat on the floor saying. “Bloody hell I am shitting myself again now not only do we have to watch for them attacking from the front but from the back and sides as well talk about being in the shit.” A short time later the flares whooshed up into the sky again and the Turks charged forward again in line abreast our machine guns caught them again and cut them to ribbons and now in the light of the flares we could see mounds of Turkish dead. The screams and wails from their wounded grated on our nerves and in the stark white light from the flares you could see an arm that had emerged from the pile and was raised to heaven. It was almost as the person was pleading with their god to raise them aloft out of the slaughter that was happening down here on earth.
Shortly an attack was thrown in against the trenches we had lost in the breakthrough and the Turks were thrown back out of them suffering heavy losses. All night long the attack continued and I couldn’t believe how many men the Turks had lost or for that matter that they had any left. Star bombs and signal flares turned the sky into a fireworks display of a huge magnitude and the night was rent with blood curdling screams. But eventually and having suffered major looses the Turkish attack fizzled out and our counter attack chased them back up the Krithia road were we took some new ground. Though the attack had taken its toll on the Division and with no reserves to spare we ended up back in our own trenches were we had started from. For a short while after this things quietened down and it seemed as both we and the Turks were waiting for something to happen and sure enough something did. As we stood to that morning it was the 5th of May and the whole of the 42nd Division (East Lancashire Division) was due to land this news of this had filtered down to us the way these things always did in the army. At first when we heard this we had dismissed it as bullshit but the rumours kept persisting and began to get more credible so that by today we knew they were true and even which beaches they would land on and that was V Beach and our very own W Beach.
We believed it because the Turkish artillery was lashing the beaches firing down from Achi Baba but what really convinced us was that ‘Asiatic Annie’ was firing her heavy shells at both V and W Beaches. Usually she shelled every beach in turn but today she had concentrated solely on V and W Beaches and the incoming reinforcements which must have left them chewing sand and the shit running down their legs. I had a mate coming in with this lot Sam Langton who came from Heskett village the same as me. I had only seen him once since we left the village and that was in Blackthorn in 1913 after this he had moved to Bury with his parents and we had written on and off ever since. I knew that he had joined the Territorial’s and that he seemed to be enjoying it though he didn’t go into too much detail. I knew that I couldn’t miss recognising him for he was a lad of about nineteen with fair hair and brown eyes and he had an infectious laugh and was good company. I knew that he was with the 42nd Division and that he was with the 1/5th Battalion of the Lancashire Fusiliers and that they were part of the 125th Lancashire Fusilier Brigade so he was sure to be landing today and I hoped to god it went well. We got word later on that the landings were continuing and that casualties had been light and we now heard that the 42nd Division were ready to send some units forward to strengthen our front line. I wondered if Sam night be in one of these units and if so could I see him. If however he was down on W Beach then there was no way I could get to see him at the moment and I would have to wait until the next time we went down there.
The following day we had our own problem the 42nd had landed yesterday the 5th and it was still landing today the 6th we had been called to a morning briefing and we were now waiting for Major Danby to tell us what was going on. He told us to gather round in a half circle and to smoke if we wished before he said. “Right lads this is the big one now that reinforcements have arrived we are going to have another try for Krithia and Achi Baba.” He looked us over and I am sure he must have seen the horror registered on our mugs as we all remembered the last assault and the shambles it turned into. The Major continued. “There will be a naval bombardment of the Turkish positions and then we and the Lancashire Fusiliers who landed with us who have now officially been amalgamated into the 88th Brigade will attack our targets in fact let me tell you the whole of the 29th Division will be in the attack.” He coughed saying. “We will be following the attacking along ‘Fir Tree Spur’ and other units will attack along ‘Gully Spur’ and we will be supported by the French and hopefully this time we will succeed.” The Major blew his nose on a large hanky and the returned it to his pocket after examining it as he continued to speak. “The attack will take place at 11am so we will start moving up to the start line now and then we will be in plenty of time should anything untoward happen. I am sorry that we haven’t had any more time but Brigade didn’t receive the orders until 4am this morning and we didn’t get them till 6am so there was little time to brief you before now”, and with this we were dismissed to get our kit and move up to the start line.
We were sitting on our kit on the start line having a smoke and talking I looked at the time on my father’s watch and saw it was about 10:15am and I can honestly say that moral was not what it should have been. Johnny Grundy was still whinging. “If this is the big show they must be wrong in their heads I will tell you what this is its bloody suicide that’s what it is”. He flicked the butt end of his cigarette away in a burst of sparks and said. “Wasn’t it bad enough last time we went up against Krithia and this time were attacking up bloody ‘Fir Tree Spur’ that’s enough to put the kybosh on anything.” I must say that I agreed with Johnny whole heartedly there was no way that I could see this going right and I had a bad feeling about the whole thing. Elijah scratched his ass and said. “I know what you mean Johnny the brass should have waited for the whole of the 42nd to have disembarked and moved up in support before planning something like this and throwing us in”, he ground out his smoke under his heel with considerable force. It was now about 10:30am and I was just about to say something myself when the naval bombardment started up and although it was noisy it didn’t last long. After it finished the whistles started and blasted out warning us and we set off on our way the first part of the assault was across open farm land which much of Cape Helles consisted of. We moved along and began to move down ‘Fir Tree Spur’ and then we wound down into one of the gullies that bracketed the spur as we got into it we could see that it would be the same as last time. Trying to attack along these gullies and find a way through them and the thick bush was leading to units getting mixed up and lost again just as they had done last time. About four hundred yards along the gully we began to come up against the first Turkish outposts and all of a sudden we were deep in the shit again and all hell was bre