Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales

Archibald Kerr Jamieson letter diary, 2 April-20 May 1915
MLDOC 3446

[Transcriber’s note:
This letter, dated 20 May 1915 and written from Beni Souef, Egypt, gives details of Archibald Jamieson’s departure from Alexandria, the voyage to Lemnos Island and then on to Gallipoli, the landing and the action which took place in the following week until he suffered a sprained ankle and was taken on board a hospital ship and eventually arrived back in Egypt. He was attached to the Postal Corps in Cairo from 10 January 1916 to 22 April 1916 and was invalided back to Australia from Suez on the H.T. Itonus on 10 June 1916 and was discharged on 17 August 1916.]

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Beni Souef
Egypt
20th May 21915

My Dear Bertha

I am still on the convalesent list, therefore still in Egypt, with 5 other chaps. I am at present the guest of an English Gentleman here. Our Host is the head of the forth circle of irrigation in Egypt. Truly there are many sides to a Soldier’s life & I am seeing them all. Only a few days ago I was fighting for my life, never knowing what moment would be my last. Today I am living in luxury with servants to do my slightest bidding. When I wake in the morning my servant is always waiting. As soon as he sees that I am awake, he approaches my bed on tiptoe as if he were afraid of frightening me, he then informes me that my bath is ready, everything that he says is punctuated with Excellency. Can you imagine it the old Arch. K. as your Excellency. The English Residents of Beni Souef have laid themselves out to entertain us & needless to say they succeed, every day there is something different to be done or a different place to visit. But for all the good times I am having I am getting impatient to be back with my mates in the firing line again. Perhaps if I had not tried to stay when I knew it was impossible I may have been back now. People who do silly things generally have to pay for them in the end. I stayed in the firing line for four days after I had sprained my ankle, but it got so bad in the end that I had to make my way to the beach at last, using my rifle for a crutch.

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The Doctor immediately sent me off to the Hospital ship & we left for Alexandria next day. But I have the satisfaction of being able to say that I put in the first week at Gallipoli & it was in that week that the fun happened. I was there right from the start, landing early on Sunday the 25th April, the day that will long live in the History of Australia & indeed of the world. I was keeping a diary of our trip from Alexandria but after landing there was no time for entrys, not that they are necessary for what I went through that week I will remember all my life, without the aid of a dairy [diary], but as our voyage may interest you I will give you some extracts from the voyage of H.M.T. Derfflinger from Alexandria, Egypt to Gallipoli.

On Friday August 2nd (Good Friday) we received 36 hours notice to embark for an unknown destination.

Saturday 3rd, we left Mena Camp at 10.30 p.m. and foot slogged to Cairo with full pack up arriving there at 1.30 a.m.

Sunday 4th, entrained at Cairo 4 a.m., arrived at Alexandria 11.30 a.m. Embarked on H.M.T. Derfflinger A.10 a captured German Mail boat.

Monday 5th, loading Biscuits ammunition & the hundred & one things necessary for an army. Sailed at 8 p.m. for our destination still unknown.

Tuesday 6th, well out to sea, weather rough, many sick, 2,500 men on board, terribly cramped.

Wednesday 7th, sea calmer, men getting about again passing through Grecian Archipelligo, beautiful sight. On one of the islands there was a city buildt on top of a big hill, all the buildings were white.

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I couldn’t find out the name.

Tuesday 8th, Sea Calm, Islands on both sides, our present destination Lemnos Island in sight. We arrived in Mudros Bay at 10.30 a.m. Beautifull place the green hills & fields very pretty after 4 months of desert. The inhabitants of Lemnos are mostly Greek, but there are 500 Turks on the other side of island under guard, the third Brigade have been here 5 weeks. There are a lot of Battleships here, among them being the H.M.S. Queen Elizabeth, H.M.S. Queen, London, Doris, Triumph, & Swiftsure, & several Destroyers. There is one big church with two domes & dozens of quaint old windmills to be seen on shore also a big French Camp.

Friday 9th, Laid in Harbour all day. Ships are concentrating here. Lovely day would like to get ashore, 200 rounds of ammunition per man served out today.

Saturday-nil-Sunday 11th, Nice day. Church Parade. Captain Sampson gave us a fine display of Flying today in a Hydro-plane for over 2 hours.

Wednesday 14th, Landed in Ships, boats under Naval control, disembarked 10 a.m. Carried out Landing & manouvers in conjunction thereto, passed through fields of red poppies & other fields of white daisies, struck me as peculiar that they didn’t grow together. From there we passed on to the grassy hills, it was lovely to feel the grass underfoot again. The people were friendly. We returned to the ship 9 p.m.

Friday 16th, Ashore again today. Landed at 10.30 a.m. & laid in the grass all day. We had great fun with the inhabitants, returned to Derfflinger 4.30 p.m.

Saturday 17th, Several Transports with N. Zealanders arrived today.

Sunday 18th, Church Parade. Capt. Sampson gave us another display of flying.

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Tuesday 20th, Ashore again today. We had a lovely route March, about 10 miles, haversack & water bottle only. We had a rough Passage back to Derfflinger.

Wednesday 21st, a wet miserable day, there was a lot of manouvering with the Warships today, the Queen Elizabeth left port this afternoon.

Wednesday 22nd, Fine Night but dull again this morning. Several Destroyers passed today loaded with troops.

Friday 23rd, Several Warships & Transports left. Today we are all ready to follow.

Saturday 24th, We left our anchorage in Mudros Bay at 6 a.m., but after about 2 hours sail came to anchor again on other side of the Island. We are right opposite the Entrance to the Dardenelles & can see the Headlands clearly.

Sunday 25th
We woke this morning to find ourselves off the coast of Turkey. We could hear the guns booming ahead, but on account of heavy mist could not see anything until we were nearly at our destination. The noise by this time was terrific, it was war with a vengeance. One of the first things that caught the eye was a big building standing on one of the headlands, two minutes after there was nothing left but a smoldering heap of ruins. There were six British Battleships bombarding this particular part of the coast. The Enemy’s shells were falling everywhere, but doing little damage. We had just come to anchor when two destroyers came alongside & then we saw the first blood. There were three dead Australians lying on the deck of one of them & a heap of Equipment covered with blood. One of the Naval Officers also had his cheek cut open with a shrapnel pellet, but he was still at his post.

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We didn’t have much time to think of these things. The Third Batt. went ashore first, but we soon followed. The Landing was very dangerous here, the enemy’s shells began to take effect & several of our fellows were wounded before we got near the shore. We had to wade ashore from small boats & form up just clear of the beach. Several more of our chaps were hit with bits of schrapnel & spent bullets. We then started up the Mountain with full pack on, but it didn’t stay there long, we had to throw them away and trust to luck if we should ever see them again. Then it was go, the Turks had retreated a couple of miles in front of a Bayonet Charge delivered by the 3rd Brigade who were the covering party to our landing. We saw numbers of Dead & wounded lying about but had no time to give them a second thought, as we had enough to do to look after ourselves. The Turks had the bushes mined in the valley & we never knew the moment he would start on an upward journey. After safely negotiating the valley with very few casualties, we resumed our advance up the next Mountain (Sarabi). Along the top of this Mountain the Turks had dug trenches, with a view no doubt of checking our advance but in there hurry to get away from the bayonet they didn’t occupy them but kept going for another couple of miles. Owing to the big odds against us, fully 10 to 1, we couldn’t follow them any further but had to content ourselves with holding the land we had taken, no easy task I assure you. No. 15 Platoon with Leut. Barton in Command took up a position known as the saddle & the 50 of us held it all day Sunday until 10 p.m.

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when the 13th Battalion reinforced us. All through the day the Turks poured shrapnel on us & our men fell fast. Not long after taking up our position word was passed along that Howard Proctor of Maitland had been killed. It was our first death & it had a sobering effect on the others, as up till then they had been laughing & joking & enjoying themselves generally, notwithstanding that the bullets were sometimes too close to be healthy. One cannot speak too highly of the conduct of the Australian & N. Zealand troops, they went under fire like old & tried soldiers. Looking along our trenches one was led to believe that this was just another sham fight the likes of which we had gone through dozens of times before. But on looking again one could see a difference, the look on the men’s faces although cheerfull enough meant something that the Turks soon found out to their sorrows. They had landed in the enemy’s country after 9 weary months of waiting & they didn’t mean to leave it again until their task was accomplished, they would go forward but never back. All through those 3 first days, men fell fast but although every man knew that if the Turks came on in any numbers, we were doomed, not one of them flinched. There was never a thought of retreat. We had been given a job, the General had said. The success of our mission lies in holding this Hill, stick to it boys and we stuck it. The country here and in the valley below was covered with thick schrub, in this cover Hundreds of Snipers were in hiding & they played havoc with us.

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We could manage the ones in front but owing to the nature of the Country & our shortage of men, we could not deal with the Snipers. All we could do was to wait for more men & trust to luck not to get shot through the back. The Turks only once seemed anxious to taste the bayonet again on the Sunday & that was late in the afternoon. They had advanced to within 50 yards of our trenches & were preparing for a charge when a terrifying yell rang out. The Australians following that old motto "hit first & hit hard" were getting in first; but the Turks wouldn’t wait & only a couple of our best runners got their Bayonets home. That was enough for them for one day & after that they kept well back, but things were looking serious forward. It was sheer bluff on our part & the Turks fear of the Bayonet that won us the day.

Our Officers were going down one by one, the snipers were at work picking them off. There were so many casualties among the Officers & N.C.O.s that a general order was issued that all distinguishing marks were to be taken off at once, even after this was done they seemed to be able to pick them out, every man who was seen to give an order went down.

Monday was the worst day for our Platoon. The Turks got our range with machine gun fire & it was sure sudden death to show one’s self for a moment. Poor Old Bill Penton of Singleton went down that day and although he was shot through the brain he lived & was quite consious for fully three minutes, he knew that he only had a few minutes to

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live, but it didn’t seem to trouble him. He turned to the chap next to him who luckily was one of our mates & shook hands with him. His last words were remember me to the other boys & get my cigarettes out of my pack. With that he fell dead. So ended the life of a good Soldier & a fine pal. Of the Four of us that left Singleton together I am the only one remaining. I wonder if I shall ever get back.

By Monday night the strain was beginning to tell. No sleep & hardly any food does not tend to strengthen one’s nerves, but there was nothing to do but stick it. On Wednesday night after 4 days solid fighting we were relieved by the Naval Division, but although we now had a choice to have a good sleep, I found it impossible to do so, my nerves were all on the jump & every little while I would wake with a start; nor was I the only one, fully 80 per cent of the men were the same. Well Bertha I am afraid I will have to close as time is short to catch the mail. So I will say good-bye for the present, with my very best wishes to all Goorangoola friends.

I remain
very
Sincerely Yours
Arch. K. Jamieson
61

P.S. Please excuse the envelope, but the others are all to small.
Arch.

[Transcribed by Judy Gimbert for the State Library of New South Wales]