The Road to Chunuk Bair » F K Turnbull

Wednesday 28th July 1915

lynley — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 00:00:39 +0000

At 7.30 am the Coy moved from Canterbury Rest Gully to Quinn’s Post and took over sub-posts 4.5.6 from Canterbury Battn.

The 24 hours passed very quietly. 10/1652 Pte Sheehan W was slightly wounded.

The following returned from Hospital

10/488 Pte Svenson C. 10/395 Pte Jackson J.K.E.

10/1083 Pte Bradley C.A.K. 10/448 Pte Moynihan R.

10/530 Pte Stock G.

The following men joined the Coy.

10/1663 Pte Stewart D. 10/2066 Pte Bashford R.

10/2068 Pte Bayne G. 10/2338 Pte Thomson H.G.

10/2070 Pte Bell C.

Sent to Hospital

10/1691 Pte Wallace W.

Capt. A. J. Cross was sent to Hospital Ship

Lt. F.K. Turnbull takes command of the Coy.

Thursday 1st July 1915

lynley — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 00:00:08 +0000

The Coy was relieved by 17^th Ruahine Coy. at 9 am and moved to Rest Gully.

10/131 Lt Turnbull. F.K. returned to duty wounded at Walker’s Ridge 28/4/15

10/1447 Pte S. Collis returned to duty wounded at Achi Baba 8/5/15.

Pte Heath joined the Coy.

Tuesday 27th April 1915

Gillian Tasker — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 00:00:56 +0000

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.

Saturday 27th February 1915

lynley — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 23:00:59 +0000

The morning was spent in cleaning up Camp and rearranging Company Lines. The reinforcements were inspected and proved a fair lot of men. In the afternoon there was general leave, everyone making a straight line for Cairo. In the evening the Company officers had a dinner party at Shepherd’s. Those present being Major Cunningham, Lieuts Cross, Bryan, Turnbull, Menteath and Hardie. Capt Cameron owing to his being on duty was unable to attend. We were all glad to meet Hardie on our arrival back from the Canal, and the men of the reinforcements were pleased at being absorbed into the Company, as they were today. They will thus have a chance, some of them, of getting into the first draft at war strength.

Tuesday 16th February 1915

lynley — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 23:00:38 +0000

Definite orders arrived for our move tomorrow. We go to the West Bank of Canal above Khubri. A great part of the day was taken up with orderly room. The men who were found in Suez received 10 days detention each. Fortunately we were able to send them all away to Abbassia barracks today so that they receive the additional punishment of being returned to the base. It was an unexpected move so far as the detention men were concerned, and it will serve as an excellent example to the rest of the men. Lieut Turnbull left for Cairo by 7 a.m. train in charge of Turkish prisoners including the officer (bimbashi) who was captured at Tor. He returned by midnight train.

Saturday 13th February 1915

lynley — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 23:00:59 +0000

About midday word was received that we were to supply a guard of 3 officers and 45 men to take 104 prisoners from the Minerva and escort them by train to Cairo. The Minerva was expected to arrive at the docks about 3 p.m. All details were arranged and the officers detailed were very pleased at the immediate prospect of a night in Cairo and a visit to their various belongings. However at 4 p.m. this arrangement was cancelled as the prisoners were to be kept here for examination by the Intelligence officers. The escort were greatly disappointed at losing their trip to Cairo, one subaltern having lost his Saturday afternoon off as well with sundry pleasant invitations which he had previously accepted. The prisoners were disembarked at 4 p.m. and taken over by our escort under Lieut Turnbull. They were a very motley crew. Mostly Arabs in rags and of all ages from boys of 14 to old men of 60. Their weapons were like themselves. Old swords, jezails, and obsolete single loaders. One man had a double barreled Shot gun. Many had no arms or equipment. The Ghurkas had done a smart piece of work. Landing at midnight they had marched 10 miles surrounded the enemy and attacking at daybreak. After a sharp engagement had bagged the whole of the enemy, killing 60 mostly Turks. The Ghurkas loss was 1 killed and 1 wounded. Several wounded Arabs were also landed. The prisoners will probably be sent on to Cairo after being interrogated, going in small batches. One Turkish officer of the rank of Bimbashi was also taken. He is quartered near us with an armed guard over him. The prisoners are a wretched uncared for looking lot and there hardly appeared to be a decent fighting man amongst the whole crowd of them. Probably the Ghurkas finished what there were. There were two companies of the 7^th Ghurkas engaged.

Wednesday 3rd February 1915

lynley — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 23:00:51 +0000

Between midnight and 1 a.m. we were awakened twice by heavy bursts of firing from the direction of El Kubri post. Men were quickly in their trenches on the look out for a likely target, but again we saw nothing. At 9 a.m. the Company marched to Campimento siding. Nos 2 & 3 platoons and 23 men of No 1 under Lieut Turnbull proceeded to Port Tewfik Base depot where we relieved the Ceylon P.R. Corps who were doing garrison duty. We arrived about 4 p.m. and in quick time the 5 guards scattered over all parts of Suez were quickly relieved and the rest of the men settled into the base depot. We had great difficulty in getting our kits and rations down, some coming by steamer others by train but eventually all were landed and distributed to the different guards at 11 p.m. It rained heavily for several hours during the night and we were thankful to be in comfortable quarters for the night. The base depot for the Suez Defence troops is situated at the termination of the main Railway at Port Tewfik and is close to the docks. We are actually in the quarantine station Bldgs. The officers have beds with mattresses and there is ample bath room and washing accommodation.

Thursday 24th December 1914

lynley — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 23:00:05 +0000

Christmas eve. Battalion parade as usual though company training in orders. Lecture by Brigadier. Orders changed. A good days work. Officers dinner Shepherds 8 p.m. Present Majors Cunningham, Young, Capts. Cook, Hume, Cameron, Acton (1^st Batn. Royal Irish), Gledhill (2^nd Battalion ditto), Lieuts. Turnbull, Menteath, Baddeley. A pleasant evening and great cordiality between ourselves and officers of the allied Regiment.

Friday 13th November 1914

lynley — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 23:00:00 +0000

A warm moist day with misty rain. A suitable day for the visit of his Deep Sea Majesty King Neptune and consorts. At 2.30 p.m. punctually he appeared over the ship’s side and took his seat with his retinue on a dais amidships aft. Major Cunningham and Lieut Turnbull were presented among the first and received the customary introduction. Subjects of all ranks quickly followed and the levée lasted until well up to 4.30. It was the best days sport we have had.

Tuesday August 18th 1914

Gillian Tasker — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Major W.H. Cunningham and Lieut F.K. Turnbull left Wanganui by the 7am. train and reported in camp at midday. They then learn’t of the misfortune which had over taken Capt. Cameron the previous day. They found plenty of work awaiting them in the way of organization which had to be tackled at once. S.M. B. Woodhead was in charge in the absence of Capt Cameron, while Q.M.S. Davidson was attending to the domestic arrangments[sic]. At this time it was quite expected that the force would be leaving N.Z. before the end of August. Consequently all efforts were directed towards getting equipment completed and between whiles doing a little towards consolidating the different detachments into the resemblance of a Regiment irrespective of the efficiency of the individual man in the ranks. The first afternoon a medical Board of three solemnly inspected the men’s feet and condemned two men as medically unfit on account of flat feet. Pvts Irwin and Steere. They were promptly despatched out of camp. Enquiries for Capt Cameron that night revealed the fact that he had most acute appendicitis and his restoration to health would be a matter of months.