1st Battalion War Diary, April 1915

    1st Border Regiment War Diary Transcriptions (1915-1918)
The National Archives WO/95/4311 & WO/95/2305    
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1915
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Note: This month's diary was written in five different parts and does not follow on with the dates in the normal fashion as seen in previous or post months. As a result, rather than changing the order to fit the dates coherently, the five parts have been transcribed in the same way it was initially filed to maintain its originality.

Before reading on please take a look at these notes to help understand how the war diary sections have been arranged.

  • Copy A contains parts 1, 2 and 3 and was written by the same hand;
  • Copy B contains part 5 and was written by a different hand;
  • Part 4, which belongs to both Copy A and Copy B is the continuation of part 1 but takes place before part 2;
  • Copy A has notes added to it in smaller writing. This additional information was definitely taken from Copy B and specifically written into Copy A; where this is the case text has been included in { these brackets } at this size in bold type;
  • The first half and second half of part 4 were written by different hands yet the information is continuous;
  • After the 25th April, both Copy A and Copy B tell the SAME information but with slight variations (as mentioned above) with some facts and figures disagreeing with each other. It is difficult to say which events are true;
  • It appears the war diary was rewritten, but for what reason it is unknown.


Brief Handwritten Note

Diary of 1st Border Regt
There are two copies of this diary. They vary slightly.

Copy A 31 March - 7 April (1 page) + 26 - 30 April
Copy B (area referred to in Copy A) 25 (part of) - night 29/30 April.

The Beginning of this diary is filed in a previous volume. [dated] 26.4.22

Copy A, Part 1 (31 March — 7 April 1915)

Place Date Hour Summary of Events
MEX CAMP
31st March to 7th April
Battn remained under canvas at MEX. During this period the transport of the Regt was entirely re-organized. Troops practiced field work daily including Brigade and Battalion schemas.

A practice landing was carried out in AGAMI BAY. The 29th DIVISION was inspected by GENERAL SIR IAN HAMILTON commanding MED EXPEDITIONARY FORCE.

[There is no other information in this part of the diary. It now jumps to the 26th April, the day after the Battalion first landed at Gallipoli. The landing is seen in part 4.]


Copy A, Part 2 (26 — 28 April 1915)

Place Date Hour Summary of Events
Place
Date
Hour
Summary of Events
GALLIPOLI
26th April
During the day no important fighting took place as far as the Battn. was concerned but much annoyance was experienced from snipers skilfully concealed in trees in the valley running up into our position from the E.

From a small hut at the bottom of this valley a desultory fire was kept up all day & caused a considerable number of casualties among ration parties, messengers etc.
During the night no serious attack was made on the line occupied by the Battn though small parties of snipers attempted to draw fire by shooting at the trenches from 300 to 400 yards range but in this they were unsuccessful strict order having been issued that fire would only be opened by order from an officer.
2nd Lt W.G. BARTHOLOMEW D Coy who died of wounds received in the advance of the morning of the 25th was buried during the afternoon.

27th
The Battn. continued to hold the same line & the day passed much as the previous one had done, no fighting but continual sniping.
GALLIPOLI
27th April
(cont.)
Soon after midday it was seen that our infantry was on the point of capturing Hill 138 & shortly afterwards this was accomplished & a Field Battery opened on the enemy as they retired by the E. Krithia nullah in the direction of Achi Baba.

All sniping at once ceased & all pressure on the line by the enemy relaxed.
Parties were sent out to reconnoitre the places from which most of the sniping had come & it was found on investigation that the enemy had suffered severely, from 20 to 30 dead being counted in the valley previously referred to & in the SNIPERS HUT N of it.

5pm
Verbal orders were received from the Brigade to pivot round the portion of the line that bent S from A Coy right & establish one running almost due E from A Coy right through the SNIPERS HUT where the 1/R Innis Fus[1] would continue it up to the KRITHIA main road the 88th Bde & the French prolonging the line from the road to ESKI HISSARLIK on the W coast.

This order neccessitated the digging of fresh trenches by C & D Coys & the men being thoroughly tired out with hard work & hard fighting the process was naturally slow but was however safely accomplished by midnight.
The enemy were quiescent during the night.

28th
2am
The following orders were received from Bde HQ: -
The Bde will advance at 8am.

The objective of the Bde is a line running from sq 176F through pt[2] 472 (exclusive) to 184 R8. Operation order 201 by Lt. Col. R.O.C. HUME based on the above was [?] to coys at 7.45am.

8am
The advance started A & B Coys firing line & supports C & D Coys & MGS[3] in reserve. Previous to advance starting a fairly accurate shell fire opened on our trenches & immediately on troops quitting their trenches this increased in intensity.

The formation adopted was lines of platoons in file at 100x[4] interval & 300x distance between firing line & supports & supports & reserve.

GALLIPOLI
28th
Cont.
The nullah 500x N of our trenches was crossed without opposition from the enemy's infantry & the forward movement up spur running N.N.E. from 175 Y continued. Meanwhile the R Innis Fus who were advancing up the spur on the S.E. side of the nullah had come under heavy rifle & MG fire & it was evident that if we were to assist their advance we must get forward at least another mile.
11am
The advance was accordingly continued & by 11am two platoons of B Coy and two platoons of A established themselves in the old KOSB[5] trenches in sq 176 L. Here they came under a galling fire from the bluff to the N & from forward slope of ridge NW of KRITHIA.

Owing to the conformation of the ground it was impossible to reply to this fire.
Accordingly the two platoons of B Coy worked round the edge of the cliff & advanced some 300x & formed a firing line across the ridge overlooking the opposite valley.
The two platoons of A Coy conformed to this movement moving by the edge of the nullah.

GALLIPOLI
28th
(Cont.) 11.30am
About this time lines of the enemy were observed returning over the ridge N.W. of KRITHIA & all available rifles were brought to bear on them at 1000x.

Almost simultaneously a terrific rifle & MG fire was opened on our firing line by the enemy from well concealed trenches & emplacements of the N side of the valley which crossed our front at a range of about 600x.
Casualties occurred at once & soon became extremely high.
Urgent messages were sent back from the firing line for reinforcements but meanwhile the supports of A & B Coy & the two reserve Coys had been held up by heavy shell fire & also by MG & rifle fire from the high ground above KRITHIA.
After considerable delay supports began to arrive but these suffered heavily in getting into the firing line as both the edge of the cliff & the side of the nullah were taken in enfilade from the enemy's position.

1pm
The bulk of the Reserve had now worked up a small nullah some 200x S of the first line of KOSB trenches & the sides of the cliff & nullah being now impracticable as a line of advance owing to the intensity of the fire, these were collected just below the crest line & led forward in one rush into the firing line.

Copy A, Part 3 (28 — 30 April 1915)

Place Date Hour Summary of Events
GALLIPOLI
28th April
(Cont.)
The call was splendidly responded to & although the men were much exhausted from climbing the precipitous nullah with heavy parcels on, they went forward with tremendous dash.
1.20pm
The enemy who were obviously in vastly superior numbers now started to advance to closer range under a very heavy & accurate covering fire. About this time casualties among officers began to occur & MAJOR G.C. BROOKE, CAPT. R. HEAD, CAPT. S.H.F. MURIEL & LT R.B. TAYLOR were all shot[6] within a few hundred yards of one another & LTS DINWIDDIE, CLAGUE & MAY wounded.
2pm to 4pm
CAPTS. MORTON & MOORE had up to this time by their splendid example of coolness and courage kept the firing line steady but suddenly the order to “Retire” was shouted from the right flank & a somewhat precipitate retirement set in.

Most of the wounded men who could move got away down the side of the cliff onto the beach. {Copy B says "most of the wounded men & some of the unwounded made a dash over the cliff side for the beach"}.
It was with great difficulty & chiefly owing to the gallant exertions of COL R.O.C. HUME, CAPT. G.A. MORTON & other officers that the firing line was again rallied {"on the top of the cliff" Copy B} & a fresh defensive line some 200x S of the KOSB old trenches taken up.

3pm
Much needed support in the shape of a Bttn of RND[7] arrived about this time & helped materially to restore the situation & a bit later a Coy of the S.W.B. from the E side of the nullah came up as a reinforcement. COL R.O.C. HUME whilst conferring with the O.C. R.N.D. & other officers as to the situation was unfortunately badly hit & had to be carried out of action leaving CAPT. G.A. MORTON in command. {Col. Hume died May 1st, Copy B}

{Copy B adds: An officer who had been sent to Bde. Headquarters brought back instructions to the wing to retire some 300 yards to straighten up the line held by the Brigade. Capt. MORTON judged it inadvisable to retire just then but retired after dark to a line selected by a representative of the Brigade.}

4pm to 12mn
The violence of the enemy's attack now relaxed considerably & CAPT. MORTON was able to select & entrench a defensive line extending from from the cliff edge to the nullah, one Coy RND holding the front line & the Battn two successive lines in close support & one Coy 1/R Innis Fus sent across from E side of nullah in Reserve.

Our casualties were 4 officers & 37 men killed & 5 off. & 152R&F wounded & 10 R&F missing.

29th
12mn to 6am
Nothing occurred during the night, the enemy remaining quiet as a result of the severe handling they had received during their advance the previous day.

The defences were reorganized, the RND being push forward into the old KOSB trenches to form a covering party & deal with snipers. A & B Coys 1/Border Regt took over the front fire trench with 3 MGS the RND & one maxin on the right flank {B adds "to cover the nullah & fire obliquely across the trenches occupied by the R.I.F. on our R."} took over the support trench & C & D Coys in reserve the Coy of the RIF having been withdrawn at 1.30am.

8am
Brigadier General W.R. Marshall came & inspected the line.
8.30am
A burial party which had been out in advance burying the dead from the previous days action was driven in behind the covering party but the attack was not persisted in.

During the morning the line was subjected to occasional shelling but no damage was done.

2.30pm
The RND was withdrawn into reserve at W Beach & the Battn held the position alone. Beyond occasional bursts of shell fire nothing occurred till nightfall when the observation parties were withdrawn.
6pm
2nd Lt C.S. CAY & 88 R & F rejoined the Battn from X Beach, the bulk of these had apparently been sent out to reinforce the Battn during the previous afternoons fighting but had failed to find it & had become attached to the DRAKE Bn R.N.D.

Nothing occurred in our position of the line during the night but there was heavy firing at dusk on the E side of the nullah which soon became general along the rest of the line except our position. This died down about 10pm & the rest of the night was comparatively quiet.

GALLIPOLI
30th April
9am
The Battn was relieved by the KOSB's under command of MAJOR A.J. WELCH & went into Bde Reserve at the new Y Beach sq 168 C5.
6pm
Battn had settled down very comfortably all fatigues had been finished & the men having had a bathe & a good meal were ordered to get all the rest they could.
9pm
A telephone message from the Bde ordering the Battn to stand by ready to move up the nullah in support of the R Innis Fus was received.
9.30pm
The Battn was ordered to move up the nullah to the firing line where fresh instructions were received. The [?] & Regtl Scouts hurried on in advance to get there orders & on arrival at the hqs of the R Innis Fus was informed that the Battn was not required.

A heavy Turkish attack which had started shortly after dusk was in progress all this time. A message was accordingly sent to the Battn to return to bivouac. On reaching bivouac the Battn was [?] by CAPT PETRE Staff Captain 87th Bde who conducted it to a position in rear of Bde Hqs some 600x S.W. of SNIPERS HUT.

11pm
Here the Battn was formed up in [?] column & lay down awaiting further orders. The Turkish attack appeared to have increased in intensity by this time & seemed to be [?] with particular violence against the portion of this line between the big gully and the SNIPERS HUT.
11.30pm
B Coy under CAPT R.H.H. MOORE was ordered up to reinforce the firing line. The enemy now opened well [?] [?] artillery fire & we were very lucky in escaping casualties as shells were bursting in front, in rear & on both flanks but non actually got home.

Unaimed rifle fire was also very intense & some few casualties occurred from it.


Copy A, Part 4a (8 — 25 April 1915)

Place Date Hour Summary of Events
MEX Camp
April 8th
10.30am
Battn marched to ALEXANDRIA & embarked as follows:-

S.S. ANDANIA 26 officers (including 1 M.D.) 927 other ranks (including interpreter JOHN COHEN)
S.S. DUKE OF EDINBURGH one officer, 38 other ranks, 52 horses & mules.
S.S. MERCIAN 8 other ranks, 16 horses.

Distribution of Battn on this date as follows:-
Embarked with the 87th Inf. Bde of the 29th Division: - 27 officers, 9473 other ranks.
At ALEXANDRIA, base 3rd Echelon 29th Division: Orderly Room Sergt ROBINS.
At ALEXANDRIA in hospital 4 other ranks.
At MALTA in hospital 9 other ranks.
Deserted from AVONMOUTH 4 other ranks.
Handed over to O.C. Divl train at ALEXANDRIA 12 A.S.C. Drivers.

ALEXANDRIA
10th
6pm
Sailed.
LEMNOS
12th
5.30am
Anchored in MUDROS BAY.
24th
4pm
Sailed for DARDANELLES.

The general plan of campaign as detailed in Divisional orders consist of effecting landings at various beaches situated in in the S & S.W. coaast of the peninsular followed by advances of troops [?]essive positions until the attainment of the final objective.
The Battan together with the 1st R.I.F. is detailed to land at Beach X forming the main body, the 86th Brigade providing the covering party.

GALLIPOLI
25th
5am
Arrived at position about 3 miles S.W. of CAPE HELLES.

At daylight bombardment of S end of peninsular by the Navy commenced & after a thorough bombardment the various covering parties were sent ashore in tows.
The actual landing at Beach X was apparently effected by the 86th Brigade without opposition though fighting was seen to be in progress as soon as troops debouched into the open from the top of the cliff overlooking the beach.

7.15am
Disembarkation into fleet [?] sweeper no 6 from S.S. ANDANIA commenced.
10.30am
The whole of the Battn with the exception of one officer & 38 men on the CITY OF EDINBURGH, 8 men on the MERCIAN & 4 storemen of the ANDANIA were [?] disembarked at Beach X.

Immediately on disembarkation the Battn formed up below the crest of the cliff awaiting orders.

12noon
B Coy & 2 Maxin guns were ordered forward to support attack by Royal Fusiliers on hill 114.
12.30pm
About this time heavy firing occurred to the N & E & it soon became apparent that the Royal Fusiliers were being severely handled by superior numbers. The firing increased in intensity and unaimed rifle fire began to sweep over the top of the cliff.

It was soon apparent that the Royal Fusiliers were being driven back on the beach & were suffering heavy casualties from the enemy who were in close contact with them.
As the retirement of the Royal Fusiliers masked all fire from the cliff…

[this continues in Part 4b in COPY B].


Copy B, Part 4b (25 — 26 April 1915)

Place Date Hour Summary of Events
GALLIPOLI
25th
…D & C Coys were ordered to charge forward on the enemy who were now only some 400x from the cliff edge. This task was most gallantly performed in the face of a very heavy fire.<br> C & D Companies continued their advance in an Easterly direction from X Beach for some 600 yards to 1000 yards, the enemy retreating in front of them, & succeeded in extra [?] several parties of Royal Fusiliers most of them wounded. Soon after C & D Coys had been launched to the attack further parties of the Royal Fusiliers were noticed retiring on “X” Beach from the ridge to the N.E. “A” Coy was accordingly ordered froward to restore the position in this quarter. A well organised & steady advance accomplished this without casualties & on reaching a point some 1000 yards N.E. of X Beach an order was sent to “A” Coy to dig in on the position gained. The same order was sent to C & D Coys & the battalion roughly held the following position.
25th
3pm
B Company amongst the Royal Fusiliers held a line partially dug in roughly parallel to the cliff edge from about 900x S.W. of X Beach & varying from 100x to 500x from the cliff edge.

After a gap of some 200x the line was continued by two platoon sof “D” Coy under Capt Le Mesurier. Between these 2 platoons & D Coy was another gap of nearly 400x. The remainder of “D” Coy & one platoon of “C” Coy continued the line from here for another 300x in a Northerly direction when it bent back at right angles to the W. the portion from the bend to the coast being held by 3 platoons of “C” Coy, the whole “A” Coy & 2 machine guns. Just before dusk the line was reorganised & to do away with the dangerous gaps in the centre the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers took over from the two cliff platoons of D Coy up to the right of “B” Coy, where the Royal Fusiliers continued to the line to the coast. “B” Coy when relieved moved up two platoons to reinforce “A” Coy keeping 2 platoons in close support on the left & the two platoons of “D” Coy under Capt Le MESURIER was moved up to strengthen the right of the line held by the battalion.
At 12 noon “B” Coy were ordered to support Royal Fusiliers (superceeding page). Lt Heyden with 1 machine gun supported left of “B” Coy, but machine gun was almost immediately put out of action by a a bullet. The Royal Fusiliers were occupying a [?][?] area of ground & were exposed to a heavy cross fire. B Coy was occupying a line in support parallel to the cliffs S.W. of “X” Beach. About 2pm the Royal Fusiliers retired through B Coy towards the cliffs, but many of the men took up the line between the platoons. On the right of “B” Coy & slightly more forward the Royal Fusiliers continued the line to the sea. “B” Coy was subjected to a very heavy fire & suffered severely.
The casualties of the battalion were 2 officers, 25 men killed & 3 officers & 78 men wounded. Major Vaughan & Lt James were killed & Capts Nelson, Harrison & Lt Bartholomew wounded during the day. Lt Bartholomew died of his wounds at 4 am next morning.

11.55pm to 5.10am
A heavy night attack was developed against our lines & was maintained till daylight. By means of heavy rifle & machine gun fire, the attack however was kept at bay 7 our casualties were small. considerable loss was inflicted on the enemy who drew off before dawn.
[This brings us back to the 26th at beginning of PART 2 of COPY A, "During this day no important fighting took place" etc.]


[Or you can continue below with PART 5 of COPY B, however, there are a couple of sentences missing just prior to "Battn though small parties of snipers" etc. ]


Copy B, Part 5 (26 — 30 April 1915)

Place Date Hour Summary of Events
GALLIPOLI
26th April
Battn though small parties of snipers attempted to draw fire by shooting at the trenches from 300x to 400x, but in this they were unsuccessful, strict order having been issued, that fire would only be opened by order of an officer.

2nd Lt W.G. BARTHOLOMEW was buried during the afternoon.

27th April
The Battn continued to hold the same line & the day passed much as the previous one had done, no fighting but continual sniping. Soon after midday it was seen that our infantry was on the point of capturing Hill 138 & the OLD CASTLE & shortly afterwards this was accomplished. A Field Battery opened on the enemy as they retired in the direction of ACHI BABA.

All sniping at once ceased & all pressure on the line by the enemy was at once relaxed.
Parties were sent out to reconnoitre the places from which most of the sniping had come & it was found on investigation that the enemy had suffered severely. From 30 to 40 dead being counted in the valley, previously referred to, & in the SNIPERS HUT N of it.

5pm
Verbal orders were received from the Brigade to pivot round the portion of the line that bent South from A Coys right & establish one running almost due E from A Coys right through the SNIPERS HUT, where the 1st R Inniskilling Fusiliers would continue it up to the main road, the 88th Brigade & the French prolonging the line from the road to ESKI HISSARLIK on the opposite coast. This order necessitated the digging of fresh trenches by C & D Coys, & the men being thoroughly tired out with hard work & hard fighting the process was naturally slow but was however safely accomplished by midnight.

The enemy were quiescent during the night.

28th
2am
The following orders were received from Bde HQ:-

The Brigade will advance at 8am.
The objective of the Bde is a line running from sq 176F through point 472 to 184 R8.
The R.I.F. will take up to 472 inclusive & the BORDER Regt 472 (exclusive) to 184 R8.

8am
The advance started, A & B Coys finding firing line & supports C & D Coys & machine gun section in reserve. Previous to advance a fairly accurate shell fire opened on our trenches & immediately on the troops quitting their trenches this increased in intensity.

The formation adopted was lines of platoons in file at 100x intervals & 300x distance between firing line & supports & supports & reserve.
The nullah 500x N of our trenches was crossed without opposition from the enemyies infantry & the forward movement up the spur running NNE from 175 Y continued.
Meanwhile the 1st R.I.F. who were advancing up the spur on the SE side of the nullah had come under heavy rifle & Machine gun fire & it was evident that if we were to assist their advance, we must get forward at least another mile.

11am
The advance was accordingly continued & by 11am two platoons of B Coy and two platoons of A Coy were established in the old K.O.S.B. trenches in sq 176 L. Here they came under a galling fire from the bluff to the N. & from forward slopes of ridge N.W. of KRITHIA village. Owing to the conformation of the ground it was impossible to reply to this fire. Accordingly the two platoons of B Coy under Capt Moore worked round the edge of the cliff & advanced some 300x & formed a firing line across the ridge overlooking the opposite valley. The two platoons of A Coy under command of Capt Head conformed to this movement moving by the edge of the nullah.

About this time lines of the enemy were observed returning over the ridge N.W. of KRITHIA & all available rifles were brought to bear on them at 1000x range. Almost simultaneously a terrific rifle & Machine gun fire was opened on our firing line by the enemy from well concealed trenches on the opposite side of the valley, which crossed our front at a range of about 600x. Casualties occurred at once & soon became alarmingly high.
Urgent messages were sent for reinforcements but meanwhile the supports of A & B Coys & the two reserve Coys had been held up by heavy shell fire & also by Machine gun & rifle fire from the high ground above KRITHIA. After considerable delay supports began to arrive but these suffered heavily in getting into the firing line as both the edge of the cliff & the side of the nullah were taken in enfilade from the enemies position.

28.4.15
1pm
The bulk of the Reserve had now worked up a small nullah some 200x S of the first line of KOSB trenches & the sides of the cliff & nullah being now impracticable as a line of advance owing to the intensity of the fire, these were collected just below the crest line & led forward in one rush into the firing line. The call was splendidly responded to & although the men were much exhausted from climbing the precipitous nullah with heavy parcels on, they went forward with tremendous dash.
1.20pm
The enemy who were obviously in vastly superior numbers now started to advance to closer range under a very heavy & accurate covering fire. About this time casualties amongst the officers began to occur & Major Brooke, Capt Head, Capt Muriel & Lt Taylor were all killed within a few hundred yards of one another & Lts. Dinwiddie, Clague & May wounded.
2pm
Capts Morton & Moore had up to this time by their splendid example of coolness and courage kept the firing line steady but now the cry of “Retire” was raised on the right & a somewhat precipitate retirement set in. Most of the wounded men & some of the unwounded made a dash over the cliff side for the beach & it was with the greatest difficulty & chiefly owing to the gallant exertions of Col HUME, CAPT MORTON & other officers that the battalion was again rallied on the top of the cliff & a fresh defensive line some 200x South of the K.O.S.B. trenches taken up.

Much needed support in the shape of a Bttn of the Royal Naval Division arrived about this time & helped materially to restore the situation & a bit later a Coy of the South Wales Borderers from the E side of the nullah also came to our assistance. Col HUME whilst conferring with the O.C. R.N.D. & other officers as to the situation had the misfortune to be shot & had to be carried out of action leaving Capt. G.A. MORTON in command. Col. Hume died 1 May 1915.

4pm to 12mn
An officer who had been sent to Bde. Headquarters brought back instructions to the wing to retire some 300 yards to straighten up the line held by the Brigade. Capt MORTON judged it inadvisable to retire just then but retired after dark to a line selected by a representative of the Brigade. The violence of the enemies attack now relaxed considerably & the [?] was carried out quietly & the line was entrenched & strengthened extending from the cliff edge to the nullah, one Coy R.N.D. holding the front line & the Battn holding two successive lines in close support with one Coy R.I.F. who were sent over to be in reserve.
29.4
12mn to 6am
Nothing occurred in the night, the enemy remaining quiescent as a result of the severe handling they had received the previous day. The Casualties on the 28th were 4 officers & 26 men killed & 5 officers & 131 men wounded.
6am to 12noon
The defences were reorganized as follows, the R.N.D. pushed forward two platoons to the old K.O.S.B. trenches to form a covering party & deal with snipers. A & B Coys The Border Regt took over the front fire trench with 3 Machine guns & R.N.D. & one maxim (on the right flank to cover the nullah & fire obliquely across the trenches occupied by the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers on our right) took over the support trench. C & D Coys were in reserve, the Coy R.I.F. having been withdrawn at 1.30am.
8am
Brigadier General W.R. Marshall came & inspected the line.
8.30am
A burial party which had been out in advance burying the dead was driven in behind the covering party but the attack was not persisted in. During the morning the line was subjected to occasional shelling but no damage was done.
2.30pm
The R.N.D. coy was withdrawn into reserve Beach W & the Battalion held the position alone. Beyond occasional bursts of shelling nothing occurred till nightfall when the observation parties were withdrawn.
6pm
2nd Lt Cay & 88 men rejoined the Battalion from X Beach, the bulk of these had apparently been sent out to reinforce the Battalion during the previous afternoons fighting but had failed to find it & had become attached to the DRAKE Battn R.N.D.
night 29th 30th
Nothing occurred in our position of the line but there was heavy firing at dusk on the E side of the nullah, which presently became general along the whole line.

This died down about 10pm & the rest of the night was spent in comparative quiet.

Handwritten Operation Order

The following order was included in Part 3 of the COPY A section of the diary. The order came from Lt. Col. R.O.C. Hume but was written by Captain A.J. Ellis on graph paper instructing the 1st Battalion regarding their objectives.

It is included here in a table to make clearer where all the writing is located on the page.

Operation Order No: 201 by Lt Col ROC HUME Comdg 1/Border Regt
Ref 40000 Gallipoli No I
Place: Battn Hqs
X Beach
Date: 28/4/15
Objectives of Bde
I The objective of the Bde is a line running from 176 F through 472 to 184 R8. The RIF will take up to 472 (inclusive) & the 1/Border Regt from 472 (exclusive) to 184 R8.
Battn of Direction
II The Battn of direction is the Rl Innis Fus.
Distribution of Coys
III B & A Coy will find firing line & supports C & D Coys & MG see Reserve.
Line of advance
IV Line of advance will be up the spur from 175 Y to 184 XY (first objective) where the Battn will [?] itself before proceeding to its final objective.
Signalling Communication
V Signalling Communication will be maintained with Bde hqs & also with RIF, two signallers will be detailed to the Bde signal section.
Packs
VI Packs will be worn, OC Coys will use their discretion as to discarding them if the situation demands it.
Reports
VII All reports will be sent to the Reserve.
Regtl Aid Post
VIII A Regtl aid post will be established in the valley running E of spur up which the Battn advances. All wounded will be taken into this valley & collected by S.B.[8] parties under instruction of M.D.
[signed] A.J. Ellis Captain 1/Border Regt
[?] at 7.45am by messengers
Copy no 2 to A Coy
Copy no 3 to B Coy
Copy no 4 to C Coy
Copy no 5 to D Coy

See also

References / notes

  • National Archive Catalogue Reference (for both parts): WO/95/4311
  • The transcription above is available under the National Archives Open Government Licence for public sector information.
  1. 1st Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers.
  2. Referring to 'Point'.
  3. Machine Guns.
  4. Denoting 'yards'.
  5. King's Own Scottish Borderers
  6. In this case being shot dead.
  7. Royal Naval Division.
  8. Stretcher Bearer.
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