Shadows of ANZAC by David W. Cameron

Author:David W. Cameron
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Big Sky Publishing

43

‘… all of us seemed to have an attack of coughing …’

British-born 25-year-old Private John Adams, a valet from Waverley, New South Wales, is a member of the 2nd Australian Infantry Battalion. John signed up in August 1914 — he’s one of the founding members of the battalion with regimental number 255. Having landed at Gallipoli on the first day, his battalion had, until recently, been manning Wire Gully which separates Second Ridge from 400 Plateau. They’ve now been moved onto the plateau itself into the Australian trenches at The Pimple, just opposite the Turkish position known as Lone Pine.

John has been manning the front-line trenches for close to two weeks now with occasional rotations out of the line. The beach lies less than 600 metres behind his position. However, being out of the line doesn’t mean rest, it means working in any number of fatigue parties carrying supplies, water and ammunition up to The Pimple, as well as moving stores along the cove, digging dug-outs and levelling roads to assist the movement of artillery. There are hundreds of tasks that need doing day and night. If they’d had a secondary supporting trench behind The Pimple, most would have preferred being stationed there, as it would have meant avoiding the fatigue parties, while also being a little safer and less anxious than manning the front-line firing step. However, there is no secondary supporting line as there isn’t enough room on The Pimple.1 Immediately behind the front line is the reserve area — and cemetery — of Brown’s Dip and behind that Hell’s Spit and just north of it, Anzac Cove.

John is trying to get as much rest as he can in the front line. Like all, he suffers from the heat, and his constant thirst is made worse by the diet of salted bully beef. There is still some vague sense of military formality as an order to ‘smarten up’ is issued as the newly appointed Commander of the 1st Australian Infantry Division (since the death of Major General William Bridges) Major General Harold Walker, accompanied by some of his staff and John’s temporary battalion CO, Lieutenant Colonel Ernest Brown, move up the line. Within weeks, such orders will attract no reaction — indeed, even now the men generally ignore the direction and none of the non-commissioned officers (NCOs) seems overly concerned. However, those who had been lying or sitting on the firing step concede that they should stand up until the party disappears around the next traverse bend. The general and his staff stop close to where John is standing. Walker jumps up onto the firing step, making sure his head is below the parapet, and looks through a fixed trench periscope. He notices that the Turks are busy digging in at Lone Pine. Walker turns to Brown and announces: ‘We must stop their caper. An officer and about 20 men would bag the lot, and if successful, of course, there would be honours so-and-so for the officer and honours so-and-so for the NCOs and men.

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