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No Better Death

Page 26

by John Crawford


  Malone’s design for a loophole at Quinn’s Post.

  Alexander Turnbull Library

  No wonder flies are multiplying. Almost every upright we drove in, went into a grave—the whole hillside at this spot was one huge grave—Turk and Colonial together. It was awful. [C.W. Saunders diary (copy), MS-Papers-73336-1, Alexander Turnbull Library.]

  [MSX 2551]

  10-6-15

  My very dear wife,

  I was very glad to get your cable of 22nd May, telling me of your safe arrival. I only got it 2 or 3 days ago. I have been anxiously awaiting a letter from you giving me all your news, but so far it has not arrived. No doubt you have written but our mail is very much delayed. I am very busy indeed and have been for some time. I was given charge of a Post – got it into order and then was changed over to another Post which is the most important of all. It entails a big lot of work, requiring as it did reorganising pretty well from top to bottom. I am very well, but we turn out at 3am, so don’t get too much sleep.

  The change of home is a bit of a bother as I do like to be fixed up decently. As I write I look out to sea. The flies as usual are our chief trouble. Ken Munro20 should be here soon. A lot of reinforcements arrived and he was with them but stayed back,..... [illegible] as he was not very well.

  I do so hope that you are comfortably settled.

  With all my love to you,

  Yr loving husband

  [MSX 2553]

  [10-15 June?]

  Quinn’s Post Anzac. Pa [Peninsula] of Gallipoli21

  List Work

  The O/C No 3 Section

  [Brig Gen F.E. Johnston]

  Anzac Defence

  I beg to ask you to reconsider your decision that working parties be furnished by the garrison of this post and not by the General Reserve. My reasons for asking this are:

  That both the Divisional and Army Commanders have respectively emphatically impressed upon me, and especially upon Post Commander generally the absolute necessity of the garrison being constantly in the most alert and ready state possible.

  That both the other commander of No 3 Section (Colonel Chauvel and Colonel Hughes) unhesitatingly decided that these parties were to be found by the General Reserve.

  That the turn of active duty in the post is 24 hours, out of every 48 hours. That the [most convenient deleted by WGM] hour for changing relief is 9am each day.

  That the work done by these working parties is of a permanent or quasi permanent nature relating to the Post itself and its defence and not to the garrison itself except indirectly.

  That if the garrison in addition to its tour of duty of 24 Hours has to work for 4 hours, the men employed will have done, out of 48 hours, 28 hours work, in addition of course to certain necessary fatigues particularly[?] of their own. And that their efficiency in the defence of the Post will suffer and the degree of alertness and readiness insisted upon by the Army and Divnsl Commanders not be maintained.

  That the parties can easily be found by the General Reserve, and that if they are not so found, the work due by the respective units will be as follows:

  a. the Garrison employed 28 hours out of 48 hours.

  b. The General Reserve 8 to 12 hours out of 48 hours.

  I trust that you will see your way to provide that the parties are found by the General Reserve. If you cannot see your way to do that I respectfully ask that the matter be referred to the Divisional Commander for a ruling.

  [MSX 2551]

  Flag Lieutenant H.S. Bowlby, RN

  HMS Triad

  ANZAC

  16 June 1915

  Dear Mr Bowlby,

  Yours of 10 Inst to hand. I have made enquiries about your cousin, Lt Menteath and can now answer your questions:

  In endeavour to make further advance with his Platoon, he tried to cross a machine gun swept zone, but was hit, in the wrist, then in the groin. Lance Corporal Haynes22 went along and bandaged him up and then tried to carry him into a safer place, but unfortunately Menteath was then shot thro’ the head. He gave Lance Corporal Haynes his will.

  He was buried in a marked place about 20 feet behind the trenches which had been dug, by his company when further advance was impossible. A wooden cross was put over the grave which is near a growing pine tree, and can be located in the future.

  I cannot find out anything about the message on the envelope.

  I would like to say that it was at Menteath’s special request, that Haynes tried to carry him out. Haynes first of all tried to drag him, then tried to carry him crawling, but ultimately had to stand up and pick him up.

  One might think that Haynes should have left him where he was after bandaging, which experience now shows is generally the best thing to do, while firing is going on, but Menteath unfortunately thought otherwise. In any case the 2nd wound in the groin was I believe a fatal one but no one can say. His watch was smashed by the bullet that hit his wrist. His sword should be with his kit in the Achaia.

  I would like to say that your cousin was essentially a soldier – very brave, determined and keen. He was truly a gallant gentleman. He had been thro’ another inferno here on 27th April, when 17 men were killed right round him. I had a great personal liking and regard for him, as had all those who knew him. Please accept and convey to your and his people, my sympathy in the great loss sustained....

  Wm.G. Malone

  16th June 1915

  My Beloved,

  I sent you a letter on 10th Inst and a scenic post card. Since the 10th I got your letter of 13th May (also dated 15th and 18th May) posted 20th May and your letter of 23rd May. It was and is such a great joy getting your letters and it was a relief to know that you were safely landed and established with Norah and the 3 small ones. I hope that everything will continue to go well with you. England should be beautiful now.

  I am very very busy here – reorganising, re-arming and generally putting things in the best possible condition. I am to stay on as O/C of this Post. My Battalion which came in with me and have done splendid work, goes out tomorrow for a rest and another Bn comes in. The responsibility is great, but soon I hope to have things so fixed up that there will be no anxiety. This Post has been a source of anxiety to the whole Army, so I was honored [sic] by being taken away from another, the next most important, and put in charge of this. The only difficulty I have is in getting people above me to give me what I know are essentials (and which they ought to know). My path is consequently not rose strewn. Still I am getting gradually my way. Both Genls Birdwood (our Army Commander) and Godley (our Divisional Commander) called on me or rather saw me yesterday and said that they were “delighted” that I was in charge of the Post, which is a very high compliment. Genl Birdwood said also that he had written the Hon T. Mackenzie. NZs High Comr in London telling him the same thing. The job is strenuous, but I am revelling in it, and needless to say doing all I can. I get to bunk generally about 10pm and then subject to alarms etc, don’t turn out until 3am.

  I had a touch of dysentery yesterday but will be all right by tomorrow. Have put myself on milk (Swiss) and biscuits, which worked my cure at El Kubri, otherwise I am very fit and well as usual. The flies are my only annoyance, but I have a sort of hut, on the side of a hill, and by putting a bit of muslin (which I fortunately brought with me as a mosquito net) as a window and blocking up the door with a blanket, I can periodically chase the flies out and keep clear of them for a time. I am out and about most of the daytime so get along fairly well. The weather is gloriously fine and sunny, but hot in the daytime, the nights cool. Some dust, this a few days ago when there was a S wind. I look out and see the sea and Imbros in the distance. Our Section Commander is sick – pleurisy and Col Johnston, our Brigadier, also? Enteric, so it is on the board that I get the Brigade and then the Section, which is generally commanded by a “General”. It will comfort you I think to know, that the higher the command I get the further I get away, for most of the time, from the frontline, and from the “fire”. I hope always that I sh
all be able to do my duty. I will do my best without “fear or favour” and God, thanks to so many prayers that are put up for me, will help me.

  It must have been a great trial to you, the risk of being torpedoed and I am glad the nurses helped you. The “Huns” are too barbarous for words. They are “swine” as we class human swine.23...

  I am glad the Vaseys and Fred Westerton met you and did all they could for you. You must have been glad you dear girl, to have got at your journey’s end and settled down. Rest all you can and get fat! as you have always desired, though I must say you look quite plump in your last lovely photos. I have them before me as I write. It is a wet morning and so I am taking time to write.

  I am glad you got your letters all right. You can be sure that it is the Post that is out, if you get no letter when you should. I write every week a little letter at least, and will always do so. I can tell you where, the letters of 18th and 22 April were written from, on board a ship. It was the Itonus, a Transport from Alexandria to Port Mudros in Lemnos, and the place not to be stated was Port Mudros. We sailed thence on Sunday 25th April and landed at ANZAC COVE about 2 miles North of GABA TEPE which you can find on a map of the Peninsula. It is very rugged country round Anzac Cove – great gullies and hills and razor back tracks. We stayed until 6th May and then went to Cape Helles, Sedd-el. Bahr, and were in the battle of 8th May. Then in trenches dug by ourselves, returning here on 19th May. And here we are near ANZAC COVE. My Battalion has made a name for itself and deserves it. I will tell you all about it when I see you, tho I suppose the newspapers have something to say....

  As to sending me vests etc, please don’t do so. I have the 2 silk shirts and the 3 light vests, you got me. The winter ones I have never worn, and are away at the Base. What I have are quite good, and I cannot carry any more. I will let you know when I am in want of anything. I want you, as you know. If you could only fly over for a little visit, it would be a great joy, but that is not possible. There is a talk of Bulgaria coming in. If she does, this part of the war might be over in 10 days so Genl Birdwood told me. And then I think we would get a chance of going to England before going to Flanders; that is if we don’t go to Germany via Servia and Austria.24 As you say my dearest, it will not matter when we go, so long as we are together, but I bar the “ desert” unless it is wintertime. Still I want you to see the places I have seen while away from you. Capt Home has at last been promoted Major as from 1/9/15. All sorts of Doctors were landings here with rank as Major, who had not done any military service before and it was not fair, so I backed Home up and have at last succeeded.

  With all my love,

  Yr loving husband

  ANZAC – near Gaba Tepe

  19.6.15

  My very dear Aunt [Agnes Vasey],

  Your letter of 2nd March but addressed to me in New Zealand has just come to hand.

  By now, my wife and Norah will have been to see you. I have heard from my wife that she got to England on 19th May – all well. I was very glad and a bit relieved because there was some danger of the Rotorua being torpedoed.

  I am very well, and have gone through the work here without a scratch. Thanks to our Lord. I am always very busy, and there is always a great lot to do. The weather is lovely, but very hot in the middle of the day and afternoon. We have a plague of flies – the brutes! Battlefields such as we have here, produce them woefully and then most soldiers, on active service especially are very untidy and not very clean in their ways. We have however practically no sickness.

  With much love and looking forward to seeing you in a few months time.

  Yr affect nephew,

  Wm.G. Malone

  [MSX 2552]

  Quinn’s Post

  Anzac

  19.6.15

  Dear Richardson

  Yours of yesterday to hand. Thanks for same and news. Things are a bit slow here too. The NZ.I. Bde has taken over the position held by the 4th Austn I. Bgde, and it is a bit of a clean up I can tell you. In this post we are right up against the Turks, 15 yards away at one place, mostly 50 yds. We bomb each other gaily, with superiority to us now.

  It is a bit late for that winning movement, or rather it will be much more difficult. When a month ago the door was wide open, it is now shut more or less with? a Divn [Division] of Turks and lines of entrenchment. In front of us here, tiers and tiers of trenches, which being on the forward slope, ought be untenable, but artillery or its ammunition is scarce.

  One Major Sykes with a NZ 18 pdr Battery does some very fine shooting right over me. He cuts it down sometimes to 18 feet over my head. In the dark, those red balls seem to be coming straight at me. He shoots from a bit lower level. I am right in his line of fire. I am very busy and have a touch of diarrhoea [dys crossed out by WGM]. Very well and fit.

  Col Johnston is sick so I am Acting Brigadier. The billet has been and is since we came here a sinecure and I work as O/C of this Post. The Bns are handed over to Os/C Posts, under a Defence Section Commander. Hence the sinecure. When the present job is finished, I think I shall have to try and get on[?] out of the Brigade. I don’t seem to be able to get on with Col J., my last communication with him he dubbed “extremely insubordinate”.25 He had refused a request for a working party, and I asked him to refer the matter to Divl HQ for a ruling. Glad to hear you are all well, and hope good luck will always be with you and the RND [Royal Naval Division] staff, of whom I have such pleasant recollections.

  Have you, any spare sand bags, or machine guns at Cape Helles?...

  Yours sincerely

  W.G. Malone

  [MSX 2551]

  ANZAC

  Quinn’s Post

  20.6.15

  My dear Hart,

  I was so glad to hear from you, ... and yet sorry to hear that your wound has turned out serious. I have missed you very much, as has everyone I am sure, and hope you will be absolutely all right not later than the doctor folk say. I know how you feel about missing the work here, but that cannot be helped, the fortune of war. We heard that you were to get a DSO and I have been waiting for official announcement, but so far it has not so far as we know been made. In case as we all hope that it is correct and accept my very hearty congratulations.26

  Did you get any letters from me. I wrote twice, and Cox wrote sending you a blank cheque on R/Fund, to help our fellows in case of need, but I gather from your letter that you did not get his letter or the cheque. We are very glad that you and [Major Edward] Saunders took the bull by the horns, and I will get your action confirmed.27

  We have been getting on all right. Stayed on the Ridge where you were wounded – now known as Walker’s Ridge – for about 9 days, digging, digging, made it impregnable, then shipped to Cape Helles, 6th May. Took part in Battle of Krithia on 8th May. The Bn making one of the finest advances possible, some 1200 to 1400 yds steady unstopping advance, over shrapnel, machine gun and rifle fire swept ground...

  The continually moving target beat the artillerymen and our losses were (what looked like miraculously) small, over 3 or 4 lines of trenches held by British Regulars, then 200 to 300 yards further when enfilade by gun and rifle fire and shrapnel and the stop of the troops on our flanks, sent our chaps down for practically the first time to shoot and dig and dig...

  Start [of the advance] at 10.30am! if you please. Positions sketched about 11am up to 4pm. Then Ruahine Coy sent in to back W.W. Coast Coy up, as a general advance of all troops ordered for 5.30pm, but it went off to Right and prolonged our Bn line, somewhat. At 5.30, in spite of my pointing out that unless the troops on our flanks came up and went forward we couldn’t, we were ordered to “fix bayonets, go right through, no shilly-shally”, Colonel F.E. Johnston thus giving me the order! I pointed out that for troops at varying distance, from 0 to 1400 to 1500 yards to start an attack at same instant didn’t give the 0 people (the Wellington Bn being the only Bn that had gained any fresh ground) a chance, in face of enfilade m. [machine] gun and rifle fire, not to mention direct artillery fire and
all against an invisible foe, in scrub. I was sat on, and was practically told I was more bother than I was worth! Anyhow, A Coy and D Coy went forward some, until stopped by our own shrapnel fire, not to mention, the Turks cross enfilade m. [machine]-gun and rifle fire etc. Auckland came up same and then went right back, and then they (A and D Coys) had to go back to the trenches they had dug – prolonging those of B and C Coys. The rear lines of troops never came right up. We hung on and at night improved and by morning after repulsing a weak Turk counter attack, were secure. We stayed in 4 days and nights. I got up 4 extra machine guns into the position after the 1st day. The net result of the NZ I Bde and Austln Bde attack, was the bit of ground say 250 yds gained by the Wellington Inf Bn. The cost I may not tell you, but we WIB, lost over 200. By a night advance I am quite satisfied we could have gained the same ground and if not more, with probably no loss at all!! Such is the sense of war as practised by people who are supposed to know better. C’est magnifique, mais ce n’est pas la guerre28 . That is my criticism of this war in these parts so far. We were relieved. I am quite satisfied, that the NZ officers have absolutely nothing to learn from the imported man and that active service has taught the latter nothing. On 19th May we came back here, went into reserve, for about 10 days to enable Auckland and Otago who were more or less demoralised – that is between you and me – to recover, and then the Bde took over from an Austn Bde part of their defence position. I was O/C Courtenay’s [sic, Courtney’s] Post, with our Bn, then when the Bn expected to go into reserve after 8 days strenuous trench work was sent with our Bn into Quinn’s Post, which everybody, in Major Youngs words considered “b_____y hell” (Young temporarily commands the Auckland Bn – vice Plugge wounded). I am O/C and remain in I suppose while the NZ Bde is here. The garrison is changed every 8 days. Canterbury are in now. It has been and is a job reorganising, rearranging etc. The Turk trenches are only 15 yds to 50 yds away, and when we came in had superiority of fire and bombing. We altered that in 3 days. I ordered for every shot or bomb fired at least two should go back. The Post was too dilapidated for words. Now it is becoming one of the show places, and in another week, any anxiety on my part will I believe be at an end. I am already inclined to pray for the Turks to come on. Still one gets very little rest – always out at 3am. One thing we are so close to the Turks that they cannot shell us, without hitting their own works, and vice versa, but all sorts of bombs are hurled to and fro at all hours, sometimes we get a Japanese bomb from one of our other posts, fired at the Turks, but misdirected. Yesterday one burst over and close to my shelter – wounded 6 of the garrison! I am asking for an enquiry. It was fired by Australians, at they said 4 or 5 Turks. Fancy using a mortar bomb for such a purpose!

 

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