HERTS Yeomanry doings as far as they concerned T. Holland-Hibbert from 21st to 29th August 1915
21.
A small spring gave me some water & we collected wood. Washed our feet & socks. Tea. Jam biscuits. There we got fried all the morning in burning sun. Some experienced infantry full of awful stories. One said “ Some say Allah means I surrender but it doesn’t it means GAWD”
2 pm two battleships turned broadside, started pumping out shells. Shore guns too. Terrific noise. We had order to parade and all climbed up the cliff to the flat above. There we moved off “in line of troop column”. Much too cramped but no room. Small bushes, rushes. Some quail got up. Saw our first shell holes. We were much too close together, too near those in front. Shell began to fall amongst us. Whizzing, screaming noise. Good start to our war! Those in front began to suffer. I tried not to look at the dead etc. One man with his ear off came toward us and said he was not ‘running away’ Another with his forehead all open asked me where the stretcher bearers were. One shell hit at least five of Ralphs1 men. Leonard Avey2 dashing about amongst the wounded. We were given the order right shoulder. I had to halt my lot. My men rather blown owing to their packs etc. Bushes began to burn. Went on with short rushes and then lie down for my sergeant (Bunker) to try & get the horn out of my pack and a dud shell came between me and him. Decided not to “men about” any more. Tried to get at my horn but could not get it out of my pack. Got rather straggled out but at last got to Chocolate Hill. Told to call roll. I only had one man missing Crumpler. The Col3 missing. Eventually we heard he had been killed and burnt in the fired bushes. Also his field glasses were found. Only knew it was him because Horlick milk tablet bottle found which they knew he carried. We sent to report to HQ. Awful sight all the wounded coming back and dead bodies everywhere. Saw General Kenna4, reported. Sat under Red Lion store with Frank Rush who was also there as messenger for his lot. Rifle fire such as I never heard anywhere else. Turks kept it up to try & stop us advancing. All the other Yeo except us went on. Was told to go to our Brigadier and tell him to reinforce the others. He said he would not move without a guide. Meanwhile the attack had failed, our lot were told to retire. I asked if I was to go with them and was told not to. Tried to sleep. Eat some jam & biscuits.
22.
As soon as light Rush & I tried to find Kenna. Hed gone with everybody back to the sea! Leslie John produced some bacon, tea. Hundale came from the attack with back of helmet gone, braces cut by a shell. Shells & bullets buzzing about all day. Rush & I got under a table! We could see the fighting & Gurkahs knifes flashing in the sun. I said “I cant make out which is our area & which is the Turk.” He said “I cant rightly tell either but we seem to have the shooting over most of it.”! Our Yeo began to come back about 8.0. I was told I was not wanted any more at H.Q. We were given some trenches, a few dug out, told we might be wanted for proper trenches any moment. We had about 40 casualties on Sat. 7 out of eight Dorset officers. Glos, was about 70 each. Only 500 of 940 Berks Bucks Dorsets came out . 28 officers only 7 alive.
Could never understand why it was necessary to make up across the open to Chocolate Hill in daylight. Our first action anyhow. Why if we could retire that night with no casualties. Come up again next night with one man (Cupps) hit on knee by spent bullet. When I got to Avon Vale as MFH after the war I met Gen de Lisle5 who commanded the open attack. He was Hunt Treasurer. I said I had been waiting to meet him ever since Aug 21, 1915 and I asked him why. He said at once “ you know perfectly well that when you want to push an instrument into anything you have a point at one end and force behind. The point went in at Chocolate Hill that morning & you were the force behind in the afternoon” The same afternoon Lady de Lisle proudly showed us a 3 by 5 gold cigarette case inscribed “From all the officers in 29th Div”. Must have cost them about 6d each.
Gen de Lisle said he did not care much for hunting “It is like a bad Point to Point”
One day in the trenches he was making an inspection, got warned by an Australian about keeping down as there was a sniper. He took no notice & the Australian said “Then get your bloody head blown up if you like” Also Gen de Lisle was expected round some trenches. An ‘old soldier’ had had too much rum & was “out”. They put him on a stretcher & covered him with a blanket. The Gen came along & stopped at attention. “I Gen Sir Beaumont de Lisle salute my dead” Voice under the blanket “Whats the old bugger said”
Jam & biscuits chief food. Told to parade 1.15 a.m.
23.
Moved off in single file moonlight. Heavy fire. Cpl Knuth in front of me lay down. I kicked him up as I did not see why I should stand if he didn’t! Got into trenches filled with men in every poss position. Did not know if they were dead or alive. Very difficult to keep in touch. Heavy fire, awful smell. Got to some more trenches, told to improve them. Message came asking us who we were, what we were doing & why. We did not know the answer except that we end up after plunging about most of the night all mixed up with some Munster Rifles. Given position & gave men places etc. Awful case for stretcher bearer from out in front. Man been there all night. One man came in with bullet through his face & tongue cut. Gave him a morphine ‘lamel’ & was well enough improved to put a label on him to say so! Heated up some chocolate. Turks about 200 yds away. Hugh6 & I found a nitch to sit in, under an overhanging thorn bush. Wandered up and down feeling cold & ill till relieved at 12.30 by Hugh. Snipers busy. We never fired a shot. Ceaseless swish of bullets well over our head all night. Amazed at the kit lying about, Rifle, etc.
24th
Stood to at dawn. Tea bacon, biscuits. Cant express how awful bully beaf was in the heat. Hugh with a cold and bunged up nose with sand flies all over him. Sniped all day Dead body in the latrine. All the dead were blown up, bursting out of their clothes. Rations short. Another night followed. Cold.
25th
Dug a sheltered latrine for Hugh & I. watched an old Irishman pulling a shed down for firewood. He got sniped at but continued “I will have your firewood an all & be damned to you” There was an old well behind one trench which the men were using for drinking in spite of indescribable filthy all round & all sorts of rubbish in the well. One man kept on asking what was going on. It certainly would have been a help to know.
26th
Began to feel really ill, liver & wind. Could take no food at all. Had a wash in a an old biscuit tin ‘full’ of water. All the water brought up in petrol cans which had not be[en] properly cleaned so all the water tasted of petrol. Hugh put a guard on the well and some cleaning up. Out of came socks & dixey[?], men[‘s] tins & some carbolic soap. Went down the trench to get some pills from Leonard Avery. Found I had been followed because I acted suspiciously which was to be so quiet, thank men for getting out of my way. Also was said to be Commander Samson V.C.7 because of my beard! Awful stink of the blown up dead bodies. Called on Westminsters who had made much a better job of where they were than we had.
27th
Tried to make our day out better accordingly. Potatoes, bacon for those who could eat! Watched a tremendous barrage, Australian attack. Saw Turks leaving their trenches. One Irish soldier got executed, stood up to get a bullet bang through his head. After dark an order came that we were to send out a patrol. Hugh showed it me. “[????] the awful who shall we ask to go”! Decided on Corp Shillingford who had never refused any request ever since we left Watford! Sort of goodbye gathering & off he went. Alone as far as I can remember. Returned safely & told us how far away the Turk trench seemed to be. An alarm at night but nothing.
28th
Made a rice and chocolate dish for lunch. Rice much too hard & therefore precious chocolate wasted. Hugh more, more inefficient. Kept losing his knife fork & spoon etc. looking bad. A mail arrived! 5 from V8. 7 from Father also some “my mixture” tobacco from Dunhills made into compressed cake. Much too dry. Orders to move. Trenches much too narrow. Job to get along. Took over a filthy trench. Rubbish everywhere. Hugh for the last lot to send some men to clean it up. Fresh meat issued but no word[?] to cook it [????]. we were relieved by London Yeomanry. Got to behind Chocolate Hill into dug outs. Some supplies up from our depot. Decent meal good, lept into blankets and waterproof sheets. Great relief. Meanwhile I felt worse, worse.
29th
Took water party 16 petrol cans per squadn. Very hot. Shrapnel shelling. One bit into our dug out roof. One dud bury into another dug out. Ralph went on a bombing instruction. Instructor did something stupid and 5 officers wounded. Very impressive service under a tree near a dead mule. Bullets, shells and men clinking off to trenches.
Never shall I forgot looking down on the sea at night with all the hospital ships lit up and Red Cross showing. Our only link with sanity.
Notes:
1 Ralph Frances Barnett (27th August 1883 – ) Appointed Lieutenant A Squadron, Hertfordshire Yeomanry, 1st February 1914. Served 1st/1st Hertfordshire Yeomanry August 1914 – August 1918 (A Squadron – Egypt, Dardanelles, Temporary Captain 28th August 1915)
2 probably Leonard Avery an Australian doctor born in Queensland around 1871 but in 1911 living with his wife and three children at 19a Charles Street, Hanover Square, London.
3 Major Samuel Gurney Sheppard (23rd March 1865 – 21st August 1915) Killed in action 21st August 1915 in attack on Chocolate Hill, Gallipoli. He had been raised to temporary Lt/Col when he replaced Lt/Co Harrison.
4 Brigadier General Paul Aloysius Kenna V C, D S O(16th Aug 16, 1862 – Aug 30, 1915) Reputedly one of the finest horsemen in Britian. Shot and mortally wounded by a sniper whilst touring the front line.
5 General Beauvoir de Lisle KCB, KCMG, DSO (27th July 1864 – 16th July 1855) Fought in Second Boer War as well as WW1.
6 Probably Hugh James Wylde (16th April 1880 – 1961), Major to command A Squadron 25th August 1913. Served 1st/1st Hertfordshire Yeomanry 1914 – May 1916 (commanding A Squadron – Egypt; Dardanelles; Wesern Desert)
7 Ableseaman George McKenzie Samson, V.C. (7th January 1889 – 23rd February 1923) For more information on how he gained his VC on 25th August 1915, see http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/Content/Help/index.aspx?r=2290
8 Viola Mary who was Thurstan’s wife
HALS reference: D/EYO/2/131
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