The more regular attacks were chiefly aimed at the apex, near the top of the gully, between Pope’s Hill and Quinn’s Post. The dominating position of Pope’s Hill had been stormed early on Sunday by a party of the 1st Battalion, and was taken over that evening by Colonel Pope with a mixed force of 400 men, who proceeded to entrench it as the valuable fortress which it remained. Quinn’s Post, always a point of danger, being within a few yards of the enemy’s line, was gallantly held for the first three days by a party of the 14th Battalion, and on Wednesday (28th) was taken over by Major Quinn (15th Battalion).[97]
On Wednesday (April 28) the general reorganisation and sifting out of Anzac could begin, but no attempt to reach the objective of Koja Chemen Tepe (Hill 971, the highest point of the Sari Bair range) or to cross the Peninsula to Maidos could then be made. In the fighting of Sunday and Monday alone, the three Australian brigades had lost 4500 killed and wounded. By Wednesday, at least one-fifth of the total force was out of action. Fortunately for General Birdwood, the Anzacs could fill up many gaps by the ten per cent. margin usually allotted to divisions on active service, but refused to Sir Ian’s troops from home. Hardly any amount of untried formations can reinforce an army in action so serviceably as drafts added to divisions which have proved their quality on the field, as the 29th had proved theirs.
ADVANCE FROM V BEACH
By early afternoon of Monday the 26th, the position at the south end of the Peninsula had greatly improved. After dark on the previous evening, the remainder of the landing force on V Beach had come ashore, as already narrated, and though exposed to a violent outbreak of fire under the clear moonlight about 1.30 a.m., they had found better cover among the rocks at the foot of old Seddel Bahr castle. At daylight, Admiral Wemyss opened a heavy bombardment upon the castle, village, and slopes of the semicircular theatre. Thus encouraged, the wearied relics of the Hampshires and Dublin and Munster Fusiliers prepared for advance. To such an advance they were largely inspired by Lieutenant-Colonel Doughty-Wylie and Lieutenant-Colonel Williams of the Headquarter Staff, who, as narrated, had remained under the parapet of sand all night to keep the men in good heart. Only magic personality can organise a fresh assault out of hungry and thirsty men, who have for the most part been lying under almost continuous fire for twenty-four hours, and who leave more than half of their friends lying dead or wounded behind them. Yet it was done. Led by Doughty-Wylie and Captain Walford (Brigade-Major, 29th Divisional Artillery), the men fought their way up into the village under a stream of rifle and machine-gun fire, and from the village advanced to the attack of the plateau above it. On the slope Captain Walford was killed. Between the village and the summit, fearlessly leading the men forward, Doughty-Wylie, a noble type of English soldier and administrator, was killed in like manner.[98] Irreparable as was the loss of that knightly figure, the attack pushed onward. By 2 p.m. Hill 141, the old castle, and the battered village were securely gained. On the south-west side of the theatre, connection with W Beach was confirmed, and V Beach became a fairly safe landing-place at last.
Beresford]
LIEUT.-COLONEL C. H. H. DOUGHTY-WYLIE
THE FRENCH AT V BEACH
That evening and next day the French Corps began to disembark upon that scene of death and persistent courage. To the end of the campaign, V Beach remained the French landing-place and depôt for stores. The French constructed a solid pier out to the bow of the River Clyde, and kept also a gangway of lighters for approach to the floating platforms under shelter of her port side. A British naval and a military officer remained on board to direct the landing of troops or stores and the embarkation of the wounded. The ship’s bridge was fortified with sandbags, and as forming a north-east breakwater to the small harbour the old collier performed useful service. Though fully exposed to the Asiatic guns, she was rarely shelled, perhaps because her funnel served as a guide to the gunners for dropping over the headland heavy shells which burst upon W Beach. This they sometimes did with deadly success. The remainder of V Beach and the sandy theatre above it the French organised with characteristic exactness and practical skill. Stores were arranged in faultless piles, and a light railway for bringing up stone was laid along the shore to the cliff of Cape Helles. The old castle served as a depôt for ammunition. Compressed forage was piled up to limit the effect of shell-fire. In everything except “sanitation” the arrangement of the French lines surpassed ours. They were forbidden to our officers and men, but between adjacent battalions friendly communication was frequent, and by simple barter our tedious ration of apricot jam was frequently exchanged for the French ration of a light red wine, though these articles of exchange were received with scornful hilarity by each side.
On the 27th, two days after the landing, the whole line was able to advance without opposition so as to cover all the landing beaches except Y, which had so unfortunately been abandoned under extreme pressure of numbers. The strong Turkish position at the mouth of the Gully Ravine (“Gully Beach,” or “Y2”) was found deserted. The Turks had withdrawn farther up the ravine, their flanks being now exposed to an advance of the Royal Fusiliers from X or “Implacable Landing.” At Gully Beach the left or western end of our line was accordingly fixed, and the line extended for about three miles to the right, across the Peninsula to the point S, or Eski Hissarlik. This point was soon afterwards taken over by the French, who now put four battalions on their front. The expansion of ground left room for a landing of stores and guns upon the beaches, and also slightly increased the water supply, a few old wells being discovered within the area, and new wells dug. But, owing to the heavy losses, the men holding the front made but a thin line of defence, and the want of water, here as at all points throughout the campaign, remained a perpetual anxiety.