War Diary - Oct 1st to 10th
1st Oct 1915: The Battalion remained in the reserve nullah. CO, Adjt and Company Officers went over to inspect trenches held by right battalions of 39th Inf Bde which the Battalion was ordered to take over on night of 1st/2nd Oct having thoroughly inspected the trenches and made all arrangements for taking over the move was cancelled.
Remained in reserve nullah. One Company was sent to support trenches in rear of 1st Bn Royal Dublin Fusiliers.
2nd Oct 1915: Battalion moved into support and reserve trenches behind the new line taken up by the 86th Inf Bde.
Casualties week ending 2nd October 1915
Officers Other Ranks
Killed 0 8
Wounded 2 25
Missing 0 1
Sick 1 18
3rd Oct 1915: In the evening Battalion HQ again moved and Companies redistributed to reserve and support trenches mostly behind the left of the Battalion line. During the night Z Coy moved up into the firing line to support the 1st Bn Royal Dublin Fusiliers who were out in front digging a new forward firing line. Other Companies occupied in digging drains.
4th Oct 1915: The Companies were again redistributed over the reserve and support trenches. Digging drains communication and support trenches continued throughout the night.
5th Oct 1915. Work continued. The weather continues to be perfect, warm sunny days and cool nights.
6th Oct 1915. Digging day and night. In the afternoon the navy and heavy artillery fired a hundred or more shells on the Turkish trenches in the Kiretch Tepe Sirt Ridge. An excellent view of this was obtained from our line.
7th Oct 1915. In the morning 2 Platoons Z Coy relieved one Company 1st Bn Royal Munster Fusiliers from the firing line.
The following Officers joined on 6th Oct 1915 - Lt P C F GIBSON Lt E J A PAIBA 2 Lt N R JEPSON 2 Lt J S JOBLING 2 Lt E A JAMES 2 Lt A F BANTOCK
Joined 5th Oct 1915 - 2 Lt WYNDHAM
Effective Strength - 23 Officers, 787 Other Ranks.
8th Oct 1915. Continued to dig drains and new support trenches.
9th Oct 1915. Rained a little during the night.
10th Oct 1915. A fine day. Lt A M HAYCRAFT, 2 Lt G C PEARSON and A E MILLSON joined. In the evening Capt Cairn and 131 men joined. The draft arrived in thin Kharki.
Royal Fusiliers, Adjutant. Gallipoli Diaries: 2nd Bn Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) (p. 76). Great War Diaries. Kindle Edition.
War Diary - Oct 11th to 21st
11th Oct 1915. From the last week the Turks have been firing broomstick bombs into our support and reserve trenches. At about 12:00 noon it commenced to rain.
Casualties for week ending 9th Oct:-
Officers - 1 Sick, 8 Joined
Other Ranks - 1 killed, 7 wounded, 34 sick, 2 joined
12th Oct 1915. Continued work on drains and support trench.
13th Oct 1915. At 14:30 the Battalion took over the fire line held by the 1st Bn Royal Munster Fusiliers and from one Company of the 1st Bn Royal Dublin Fusiliers, about 600 yards in all. A ditch about 80 yards in front of the present fire line was occupied at once and the work of converting it into a fire trench commenced. A new fire trench was also commenced between head of Saps I and II. Sketch Attached.
14th Oct 1915. The main Turkish trench varies in distance from our new forward trench from about 100 yards on the left and 300 yards on the right, but the Turks snipe from the continuation of the ditch along which our new trench runs.
15th Oct 1915. We now have two large catapults for throwing bombs they send a cricket ball bomb for distances up to 150 yards. Continued work on new fire trench and communication trenches up to it. A Turkish sniper very active.
16th Oct 1915. Lt FLETCHER wounded and 2 Lt N R JEPSON killed. Both were working on communication trenches running up to the new fire line. In conjunction with 1st Bn Royal Dublin Fusiliers a bombardment with trench mortars, catapults and bomb throwers commenced at 20:00. About 100 bombs were thrown at Turkish barricades at A and B also at ditches beyond B. At 20:20 a latoon headed by bomb throwers rushed the first Turkish barricade at A.
Casualties Week Ending 16th Oct:-
Officers - 1 killed, 1 wounded, 2 sick and 5 joined
Other Ranks - 10 wounded, 61 sick and 130 joined.
17th Oct 1915. During the night the following day the ditch between C and A converted into fire trench. It was decided to rush the 2nd Turkish barricade at B in order to join up with sap the 1st Bn Royal Dublin Fusiliers were making from point D in front of Dublin Castle.
At 19:00 without any previous bombardment an attempt to rush barricade was made. The Turks were not taken by surprise and opened a rapid fire with ten to twenty rifles from the vicinity of their barricade. We failed to gain their barricade (B). A fresh attack was quickly organised and headed by bomb throwers. A Platoon rushed barricade B. The Turks being ejected by bayonets and bombs.
Our Casualties - 3 killed, 4 wounded, 8 missing
18th Oct 1915. Following day from A to B made into fire trench. Connected up with 1st Bn Royal Dublin Fusiliers sap from D which was also made into fire trench. During the night wire was placed in front of new trench from A to B.
19th Oct 1915 – Suvla Bay. New fire trench improved.
20th Oct 1915 - Suvla Bay. We now have two rifles fitted with telescopic rifles. The two snipers in charge of them claim to have shot several Turks with them during the last few days.
21st Oct 1915 – Suvla Bay. The weather continues to be windy with a little rain and very much colder.
War Diary - Oct 22nd to 31st
22nd Oct 1915 – Suvla Bay. A new trench commenced from end of Sap I to point about 50 yards short of 1st Bn Lancashire Fusiliers. When complete this will cut off a bad reentrant and shorten the front line by about 50 yards.
23rdd Oct 1915 – Suvla Bay. Enemy shelled our trenches with a large gun a howitzer probably 6". One shell fell in the dressing station, dressings and medical comforts being sent in every direction, others being burned but no one hurt.
24th Oct 1915 – Suvla Bay. Extract from Routine Orders 29th DIV dated 24th Oct 1915 - 301. Message of Congratulations. The C-in-C wishes to convey his congratulations on the result of their work to all ranks who have been employed on the minor operations around Dublin Caslte and the area to the south of it.
Casualties for Week Ending 24th Oct 1915
Officers - 1 killed
Other Ranks - 5 killed, 16 wounded, 15 sick
25th Oct 1915 – Suvla Bay.
2 Lt S C SHILLINGFORD joined. Effective Strength - 21 Officers, 691 Other Ranks.
26th Oct 1915 – Suvla Bay. On the night 25th/26th Oct a draft of 3 Officers (2 Lts WOOD, HAYWARD and F G A VALLANCY) and 211 Other Ranks arrived. Ten minute warning of their arrival was given. This is rather more than the average length of warning as to the arrival of drafts. In many cases the first intimation of their arrival is when the Head of the Draft appears in the communication trench outside Battalion HQ.
27th Oct 1915 – Suvla Bay. The night spent in posting the draft to Companies, Platoons and Sections. New fire trench from head of Sap I commenced on 21st Oct now completed.
28th Oct 1915 – Suvla Bay. We were informed that out of our draft of 3 Officers and 211 men, 2 Officers and 115 men had been sent to us in error and must be returned to the beach for duty there. 2 Lts WOOD and HAYWARD and 114 men were sent away.
During the last few days the weather has been very much warmer.
29th Oct 1915 – Suvla Bay. Worked on shelter trenches about 10 yards in rear of fire trench. Each shelter is about 10 yards long by 7 feet broad of which 5 feet 6 inches is the platform for the men to lie on and 1 foot 6 inches the path and drain. The corrugated iron has not yet arrived and mackintosh sheets are used.
30th Oct 1915 – Suvla Bay. Improved wire in front of our line.
31st Oct 1915 – Suvla Bay. Continued work on shelter trenches. Lt Col G S GUYON has now been in his dug out for a week with an attack of appendicitis. He will be moved to the Field ambulance as soon as he is well enough to go.
