5th May 1915
Got orders early this morning to get going. Walked about 4 miles to our advanced trenches. They (the enemy) didn't half shell us too. Saw a fragment of shell fire from 'Lizzies' 15 inch guns about 2 ft long, 2 inches thick and it took me all my time to lift it with one hand. Saw a French 75 Battery in action for the first time. Also passed a 4.5 Howitzer Battery in action. As I am writing the Lizzie is letting drive broadsides about 3 miles away. About 100 yds to our left a 75 Bty is also letting drive like mad. Got to our rendezvous and started to dig emplacements for our guns. Relieved the L.Bty of their position. They are further over to our left. Opened fire at night. Got peppered in return. No casualties but there was a sniper who nearly scored one hit I happen to know about. No sleep. We are the farthest advanced Bty in this section fall in, for the best part of their sniping.
The 'River Clyde' after the landing at V Beach, Cape Helles (GW)
6th May 1915
Our first big action. Fighting all day and going some too. Big attack on the town of Krithia and main entrenchments of the Turks. From early morning the British and French wounded have been passing us in a continual stream. This afternoon several infantry chaps were hit around our position and many were dragged into our pits for attention and protection. Sgt Selmes and Gr Gilligan slightly wounded. As I write this seated on the left gun seat waiting for the order to open fire again, they're not half peppering us. Our friend the sniper has our range and occasionally lobs one into our pit. We're after him tonight. Reckon he's had a fairly good innings. Bitterly cold.
7th May 1915
Exit sniper. Under shell fire all day. They got our range early in the morning and won't forget it. Both English and French Battery's on either side of us had a few casualties yesterday. To our surprise we find the enemy in possession of big howitzers, one fuse head fell into our trench and is a beauty. Subjected to rifle fusillades all afternoon, got quite used to the musical noise the bullets make going overhead. Saw Chas today. Hear that Norman is all right. We're only 1200 yds off the enemies first line trench. Quiet night.
8th May 1915
Another big bombardment today. We were in action from 10 am till 7 pm, fired 220 rounds. 120 field guns in action together. Talk about an inferno. The noise was deafening. The naval guns supplied the base. "A" Subs gun layer had to get off his seat and get down into the shelter trench, nerves gone I hear. Regret to have to record the death of one of our most liked boys. G.H. King (Kingy) was shot through the heart while bringing up ammunition. Men from Mons say that the battle there wasn't in it with today's fight. Enemy again retreated. One Bty which we can't locate poured shrapnel into us until they must have been sick of it. Both friends and enemy lost terribly. The Turks had to ask for an armistice to bury their dead. Fierce fighting all night.
9th May 1915
Buried "Kingy" under a hill in the rear of our position. Anyhow he met his death in the way we all hope to meet it if it is to come out here, "In action". Things fairly quiet until 5 pm, when our friends started a counter attack, which came to a sticky end after 2 hours fighting. Aeroplanes report that 2
1st June 1915
Went for a stroll to the beach today. Usual happenings. I really think that the whole Turkish artillery want for me to get out in the open and then amuse themselves by raining every available gun on me. Got into a dust up this afternoon. Believe there is going to be an attack along our whole front by our friends. We're ready for them. Any quantity of ammunition ready now. Saw Majestic today in an awful mess.
A Turkish sniper, disguised as a bush, captured by Anzacs (GW)
2nd June 1915
The heaviest bombardment our friends have ladled out to us. Haven't they been having a time. Just rec. some high explosive for our next bombardment. Gnr Gibbs killed tonight. Saw Chas tonight, still alive and kicking.
3rd June 1915
Buried Gnr Gibbs this morning beside 'Kingy'. Extremely interesting to know that we have 3 woman snipers now. They are down in the base quartered in a wire cage arrangement similar to what they put tigers in at the zoo. Swim this afternoon, our Asiatic friends couldn't leave us alone again and peppered us with 16 inch Howitzers, several fell in the water near us, while one landed 30 yards away while we were dressing. They can't possibly let us alone. Lt Clowes and Gnr Tanner returned today Clowes wounded in the head, Brown lost one arm.
4th June 1915
Have just got the order for the big fight. The heavy batteries in the rear are letting loose like mad with 6 inch lyddite which is tearing things up a bit in the enemies first line trenches. From the Asiatic side our friends are returning the fire with their big Howitzers. We're all ready to open fire. - 6:30 following morning. Gee, what a day we had. Woke up with a head closely resembling the feeling of "the morning after the night before". We were in action from 5 past 11 till 8:15 and only had 15 mins spell during the whole time. Our gun fired 247 rounds. The whole battery about 900. About 2 pm, Gibson got shot through the head. This was in the heat of the fight while the Turks were bringing up reinforcements. Took charge of the gun and kept firing for 3 ½ hours until Norman came up from the waggon line. The losses up on the left are pretty stiff. Our boys got them on the run, while we peppered them with shrapnel which wrought awful havoc. Our gun got almost red hot. Couldn't touch it unless you got blistered. Unfortunately I touched it. Was walking along the trench during the spell when a shell burst just in front and got a scratch on the left temple. Knocked me a bit silly, but didn't hurt much. Another 4.5 lobbed 3ft away from our muzzle and burst. Blew a portion of our pit away, but nobody hurt.