Tuesday 27th April 1915
At 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. Battalion moved to Howitzer Gully as a Reserve. ¼ to 10. Conference of Coy. Comdrs. 10.10 a.m. moved to Walkers Ridge. Here orders were received to draw two days supplies and move to the beach N. of Div. Hqrs. This move was completed at 11.30 a.m.
Here orders were received for the Battalion to proceed to the foot of Walkers Ridge. This move had to be carried out in single file owing to the narrow route along the beach. Order of march W.W.C., H.B., Tara., Rua.
Head of column reached foot of ridge at noon where CO reported to O.C. N.Z.Inf.Brig. and received instructions to send one coy. to the Ridge to reinforce Australians.
W.W.C. Coy ordered to proceed up Ridge (Packs dumped half way up). W.W.C. sent forward at 12.15 p.m. Orders received verbally from O.C. Brigade to send another coy. H.B. sent. This coy when they reached top of Hill, 3 platoons went to the left and one straight forward & reinforced Australian troops and started to dig in when they were ordered to further advance by an Australian Officer. This they did for about 200 yards and finding it untenable they retired to their former position & completed entrenchments.
W.W.C. proceeded up the Ridge and as they reached the top they were taken over in Lots[?] by Australian Officers to reinforce the firing line. There were so many men along the top of the Ridge that in some cases the line was too packed and free use could not be made of the rifle owing to a dense scrub and nothing could be seen of the enemy at times. There was a backward movement on the left but it quickly recovered and the whole line moved forward with fixed bayonets & went to a deep gully & had to retire back 200 yards as the enemy were in force on a ridge 200 yards away. At dusk trenches were constructed & the enemy held in check. Ruahine assisted in arresting a backward movement of the Australians which was fast assuming the appearance of a disorderly retreat. Two platoons moved from the top of the Ridge in the advance to the gully 200 yards & had to retire owing to the Turks being in force. During the advance Lieut Hugo was killed. The Coy then dug in for the night. At midnight the enemy attacked proceeded [sic] by bomb throwers but the attack was repulsed. Machine Guns were taken a little too far forward & Lieut Wilson was killed. This officer acting under his senior officers orders, brought his guns too far forward & was in no way to blame. The senior officer was an Australian. One gun was put out of action and had to be abandoned but was recovered in front of our trenches two nights afterwards by the detachment. Machine Guns should never be taken up to an exposed position.
The remainder of the guns were dug in for the night.
The machine gun officer did heroic work with his detachment and after he had been killed and two sergeants wounded the guns were kept in action under command of the Corp. which speaks volumes for the discipline of the section. Bn Hqrs. minus O.C. Battn & machine guns remained at foot of ridge. The men at this time started off with 200 rounds ammunition & one days unconsumed [?] ration the other days ration with full valizes were left at the foot of the ridge. The advance was carried and without artillery fire. In the operation the men proceeded by a goat track up the Ridge in single file. All ranks were fairly well dug in at dusk in the following order from right. W.W.C., H.B., Tara. & Rua. Machine guns distributed.
Remarks on facing page: casualties off. Killed 2. Lt Hugo, Lt Wilson.
Wounded 5. Major Hart, Lieut Furby, Turnbull, Bryan, Jardine.
Ors [Other Ranks]. Killed 15.
Wounded 100.
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