30th November 1915

The H.M.S. Grafton, which periodically shelled the Olive Grove before being turned

on an alternate target (below).

[Courtesy of The Weatherings]

Tuesday 30th Nov

To-day the sun shone brightly & the scene was lovely. The snow dazzled & sparkled like diamonds under its feet. Of course by now most of it was hard & frozen into icles. It was lovely to get the heatening of the rays of the sun.

I was busy all the day moving Canteen goods to Units.

[Courtesy of State Library of New South Wales - William Sparkes diary]

30

(Captain Alan Percy Crisp, temporary O/C 7^th Battery)

The Battery did not fire.

1100 Enemy's aeroplane flew over our position.

1400 Enemy's gun firing from direction of SCRUBBY KNOLL obtained several effective bursts on No 3 pit but no damage was done. The Battery did not fire.

[Courtesy of Australian War Memorial - Official unit war diary, 7th Battery]

30.11.15.

(Major Francis Augustus Hughes, temporary O/C 3rd Field Artillery Brigade)

1130 H"M"S."GRAFTON" commenced a series at SQ.68-C-5 only 4 rounds were fired when advice was received that she was ordered elsewhere.Observation from F.C.O. was not possible for this targetand arrangements were made for spotting to be carried out from 7th.Battery.  The four shots fired were unobserved.

1235 Enemy gun from OLIVE GROVE fired towards BEACH unlocated.

1315 Battleship steaming south was fired upon by enemy gun from SQ.47-N.  H.M.S."GRAFTON" engaged this target.

1345 Enemy gun from  OLIVE GROVE fired at Cruiser which returned fire.  9th.Battery also engaged.

1410 Enemy gun from SQ.68-W-1 fired towards 8th.Battery and enemy gun from OLIVE GROVE fired towards BEACH.  Heavy and 9th.Batteries engaged OLIVE GROVE.  Low land and 8th.Batteries engaged gun SQ.68-W-1.  The 8th.Bty. subsequently engaging OLIVE GROVE.  A steady fire continued from these guns until 1535.

1425 Enemy aircraft observed going East.

1425 1540.  Enemy 75.m.m.gun unlocated from direction of SCRUBBY KNOLL fired on our RIGHT FLANK.  This gun again fired a few rounds at 1615.

1620 8th.Battery fired on position of ASMAK HOWITZER. SQ.56-W-1.

[Courtesy of Australian War Memorial - Official unit war diary, 3rd Field Artillery Brigade]

29th November 1915

Major A. M. Martyn standing in the snow outside Artillery Headquarters

on the 29th November.  In the background are men from the 24th Battalion

being relieved from Lone Pine.  The attitude of the man on the left indicates

the heaviness of the kit he is carrying.

[Courtesy of Australian War Memorial - G01265]

Monday 29th Nov

To-day I received orders for Canteen goods fixed up lists in preparation & issued the Headquarters lot. It was devilish cold & the snow was still thick on the ground. I could not get my feet warm. The wind was blowing hard & it made the ground dray & frozen. Everything was hard as if frozen together. It was amazing to see our Boys gathering snow in cups to melt it down for boiling purposes as the supply of water was extremely short & we were on half rations. With the boisterous weather nothing could be landed on the beach. The Turks shelled us to-day and a number of our lads were wounded & killed up on Lone Pine quarter.

[Courtesy of State Library of New South Wales - William Sparkes diary]

29

(Captain Alan Percy Crisp, temporary O/C 7^th Battery)

The Battery did not fire.

[Courtesy of Australian War Memorial - Official unit war diary, 7th Battery]

29.11.15.

(Major Francis Augustus Hughes, temporary O/C 3rd Field Artillery Brigade)

0910 Enemy heavy gun from direction of SCRUBBY KNOLLL firing in direction of CLARKES GULLY AND LONE PINE unlocated.

1030 Enemy 75.m.m.gun from direction of SCRUBBY KNOLL fired in direction of LONE PINE unlocated.

1030 Enemy gun from OLIVE GROVE unlocated shelling BEACH 9th.Battery retaliated.

1440 A large body of enemy troops moving in file across the OLD PARADE GROUND towards RUINS, movement continuous to 1630.  Number estimated between 1500 and 2000. followed by Mule Transport.  Movement south to north.

1630 Enemy troops moving about OLD PARADE GROUND in scattered formation as if previous body of enemy troops had bivouced in vicinity of WHITE RUINS.

[Courtesy of Australian War Memorial - Official unit war diary, 3rd Field Artillery Brigade]

1671 Driver James McKenzie
(7th Battery, 3rd Field Artillery Brigade)

The following letter has been received from Driver Jas. McKenzie, of the 7th battery of the 3rd Field Artillery Brigade, under date of Oasis Camp, Heliopolis, near Cairo, November 29:-Your welcome letter of the 16th of October to hand. I showed it to your son, Bert. He was very pleased at hearing from you. I also told him about that parcel you sent, but he has not received it up to date. I suppose you will have heard of his promotion. He is a bombadier now, and is doing well. I have just come out of the hospital at Alexandria, having been operated on for internal hemorrhage, and I am at present on base duty here in Cairo. I am getting better, but very slowly. Still, considering the cold weather is coming on I should soon be myself again. Norman Ploetz and a fellow named O'Keeffe, with the Infantry transport, are here, and all wish to be remembered to you, also Dan. Donohue. He is in the battery now, having been promoted to this from the ammunition column. You were asking me about the re-union of the Queenslanders who came over on the Rangatira, with the first contingent. It was held at the Grand Hotel, Camp of Caesar near Alexandria, and was a great success, so far as the evening was concerned, both to officers and the men, but a lot of old familiar faces were missing from those who came over with us. Some are on the Peninsula, doing their share to uphold the honour of Australia, in other cases duty has been nobly done. Lots of new fellows are arriving here every week from Australia as reinforcements to the different units. Cairo is alive with our lads. I am sure when the war is over Egypt, if no other country, will always remember the boys from the Southern Cross, for I do not think the business people have had such a harvest for many a day. I suppose you hear sometimes of what the press or rather, I should say of what some private individuals write, - respecting the conduct of the troops here. All I can say is that with the exception of a couple of cases, I would call the conduct excellent, especially when you take into consideration the numbers there are, all within a radius of a few miles, and with only the one town to spend leisure hours in. That town is one of the so-called "liveliest" in the world-there is nothing in Australia to compare with it. I hear some of the reinforcements are grumbling at having so much training before getting to the Dardanelles or Suez Canal. I wonder what they would have said if they had had to go through what the original 9th Infantry had to do every day before they were allowed to fight at the front. Men here belonging to any of the States cannot praise the original 9th sufficiently-that is before they went to Gallipoli, and everyone knows, or should know by this, that it wanted fighting men, and well trained men at that, to go through what they experienced. I think I have just about exhausted my stock of news at present, but will drop you a line later, as we may be drafted away any day from here either as light horse or as gunners to our battery, which is still in action on Anzac. I suppose you would read about one of our officers receiving a military cross for keeping his gun in action during the August advance. He is a fine young fellow named P. J. Ross, who belongs to the Toowoomba family of Ross and Co. Aerated Water Manufacturers, and is an old Brisbane militia officer, who came in charge of one of our sections. Wishing you the compliments of the season, and hope you are spared to see many more.  

Published in the Queensland Times, on the 1st February 1916.

[Courtesy of National Library of Australia - TROVE]

28th November 1915

AIF Artillery Headquarters, near 1st Divisional Headquarters at the top of

White's Valley, after the blizzard on morning of the 28th November.

[Courtesy of Australian War Memorial - H16581]

Sunday 28th Nov

What a big surprise to-day. On waking up found it was snowing heavily. What a picture of whiteness everywhere it was lovely to look on but how cold. My feet were like lumps of lead. I can now well imagine the scenes pictured of Xmas snow storms etc. How the snowflakes dance merrily along sometimes to cling to me or to go on to some shrub where it hung till it became part of an icle. Some were whirled away down to the gullies where the snow was feet deep. The wind made it piercing cold. We had a meeting of Canteen Committee & fixed prices of goods on hand as we had to provide for boxes etc for transport. I went & visited 7th Battery & slipped & slided all over the place. Mud & slush everywhere & the snow commenced to fall a little intermittently & in places it was thawing. It looked a thoroughly Siberian Scene.

It took me a long time to get warm when I went between my blankets to-night but I pitied the Infantry who were not so well placed as we were. Some of the poor beggars had only arrived from Lemnos & had to dig positions while it was snowing.

[Courtesy of State Library of New South Wales - William Sparkes diary]

The view, looking south down White's Valley from the 1st Division Heaquarters,

after the blizzard on the morning of the 28th November.

[Courtesy of Australian War Memorial - J02542]

28

(Captain Alan Percy Crisp, temporary O/C 7^th Battery)

During the night 27/28 snow fell + th continued to fall till about 1100 on 28th which blocked out all the distant landscape + made observation almost impossible.  The Battery did not fire.

[Courtesy of Australian War Memorial - Official unit war diary, 7th Battery]

Thick snow covers an 18 pounder field gun belonging to the 8th Battery, with members

of the 9th Battery standing around it, on the 28th November.  Left to right: 2866 Corporal

Clifton Kennard, 3055 Gunner William Francis Felan, 3072 Gunner Dermot Morrison

Ryan, 2885 Gunner Graham Parker & 1772 Sergeant Stanley George Brearley.

[Courtesy of Australian War Memorial - P00046.040]

28-11-15.

(Major Francis Augustus Hughes, temporary O/C 3rd Field Artillery Brigade)

1312 Enemy Heavy Gun firing from direction left of Ander Anderson's Knoll,fired into CLARKES GULLY . Not located.

1515 Enemy Gun from direction of WINE GLASS fired towards LONE PINE.Not located.

1550 Enemy gun from direction of OLIVE GROVE fired on our Right flank.Not located.

Snow started to fall at about 0200 and continued intermittently during the day making observation difficult.

[Courtesy of Australian War Memorial - Official unit war diary, 3rd Field Artillery Brigade]

A post card written home to Australia from Gallipoli, with a copy of the above

snow-covered 18 pounder on the reverse - the card has been trimmed, however

appears to be signed S.G.B, so may well have been written by Sergeant Stanley

George Brearley, who appears in the photo of the frozen gun (sitting foreground,

right).  The letter reads, "Don't lose this whatever you do.  This is a photo of one

of our 18 pounder guns on Gun Ridge at Anzac.  It was taken during one of the snow

storms we had there.  Every time we went into the trenches from our Bivouac we had

to pass in front of this.  One morning as we were going up one of the Chaps took this."

[Author's private collection]

27th November 1915

Mule transport at the top of White's Gully, near the 1st Division Headquarters - a similar

mule transport would have been used by Will Sparkes to transport his Canteen stores up

from the beach (below).

[Courtesy of Australian War Memorial - J02543]

Saturday 27th Nov

Went down to Beach again this morning & saw McLaren Lowlands. On way down arranged for Mules to take cases away from Beach. Waited till they arrived & got wet through again. It was bitterly cold. Had long journey back up ridges to escape view of enemy as we were attempting to mislead the Turks that we were evacuating the positions we held. I found 2 cases were missing after everything was checked over but where they had gone it was hard to say.

[Courtesy of State Library of New South Wales - William Sparkes diary]

27

(Captain Alan Percy Crisp, temporary O/C 7^th Battery)

The Battery did not fire.

[Courtesy of Australian War Memorial - Official unit war diary, 7th Battery]

27.11.15

(Major Francis Augustus Hughes, temporary O/C 3rd Field Artillery Brigade)

1100 H.M.S."GRAFTON" engaged enemy gun position at SQ.47.M. with good effect and observations were given from F.C.O.  H.M.S."GRAFTON" ceased fire at 1135.  During the series an enemy gun from OLIVE GROVE fired at H.M.S."GRAFTON" and also on the BEACH.

1220 Enemy gun from the direction of CEMENT EMPLACEMENT fired towards CHATHAMS POST.

1500 Enemy gun from the Northern section of WINE GLASS BATTERY fired a number of rounds on our RIGHT FLANK.

The day has been fairly quiet.  The OLIVE GROVE guns having fired very little in comparison to the past few days.

1655 H.M.S."GRAFTON" fired a few rounds at targets SQ.55-K-3.

[Courtesy of Australian War Memorial - Official unit war diary, 3rd Field Artillery Brigade]

26th November 1915

Walker's Pier off North Beach, Anzac, looking towards Suvla, showing the rising seas

on the 26th or 27th November.

[Courtesy of Australian War Memorial - J02448]

Friday 26th Nov

A message arrived other cases were coming over by Trawler to-day & I went down & met them. Eltham did not come & I again had to haul about cases several times. One bag seemed to be missing & I was worried. It ultimately came to light & was found on end of Pier. The weather seemed to be getting bad & things were busy all around the landing Pier getting things secured. The wind & sea rose & in less than an hour everything was disturbed. I had to ship the cases again to side of bank. A guard came down & relieved me & I went to tea with McLaren Lowland Battery. It rained heavy & I got coats for my men from McLaren. After tea a Corp & three men came along to Guard cases for the night as the Wagon could not get down owing to the sea breaking all along the shore. It was a wild night indeed. I went over to McLaren & in getting back to beach I fell into a sap about 12 feet deep. I was more frightened than injured but my eye hit side of wall. It was dark black as Hades & I had to grope my way about & feel my feet in between the lightning flashes. It thundered & crashed just like an Australian Storm. In fact in that sense quite enjoyed it. In getting to Headquarters I had to grope & slip my way in the mud & I was fairly fagged – wet etc I had a good nip of rum on getting into bed.

[Courtesy of State Library of New South Wales - William Sparkes diary]

26

(Captain Alan Percy Crisp, temporary O/C 7^th Battery)

The Battery did not fire.  No 3 Gun repaired + replaced in its pit.  The pit was reconstructed to facilitate the running in + out of the Gun.

[Courtesy of Australian War Memorial - Official unit war diary, 7th Battery]

26.11.15

(Major Francis Augustus Hughes, temporary O/C 3rd Field Artillery Brigade)

0830 Enemy gun from OLIVE GROVE fired in direction of BEACH.unlocated.

1045 Enemy gun from RT.SEC.OLIVE GROVE fired towards BEACH

1000 Enemy gun from WINE GLASS fired on RIGHT FLANK.

1140 Enemy gun from direction of SCRUBBY KNOLL fired over F.C.O.

1145 Enemies small gun fired over F.C.O. from vicinity of SQ.68-W-1, unlocated

1250 Gun from SQ.68nW-1 fired over F.C.O.

Observed for MONITOR firing on SQ.56-W-1.  Commenced firing at 1415 , ceased fire at 1455.

Throughout the day guns from OLIVE GROVE have maintained a steady fire at irregular intervals.

[Courtesy of Australian War Memorial - Official unit war diary, 3rd Field Artillery Brigade]

25th November 1915

Looking west from the heights of Artillery Road across Clark's Gully & out to sea, in

November 1915 - the path traversed by Will Sparkes on unloading his stores at the pier,

via Clark's Gully, & on to Headquarters near the heights of the Australian position...all

completed after nightfall.

[Courtesy of Australian War Memorial - J02533]

Thursday 25th Nov

I found I had 50 cases on board. It was a rough & cold journey up to Suvla I felt perished & the spray dashed all over us. The sea was big I arrived at Anzac Pier about midday but as usual there was no one to help me & I had to transfer my boxes to the Horse Boat Barge & then when at Pier up on it. The M.L.O. there got some Infantry chaps to take the stuff off on to the Beach.

I telephoned up & it was nearly 8 P.M before anyone came down with the Wagon etc. QMS McLaren had to telephone before some Adjutant got message. Mc kindly let me have a cup tea while he looked after the stores. After loading up Wagon we started our ride to Headquarters. It was a rough trip along beach over obstacles etc. We could not get up hill & had to get unloaded at Clark’s Gully & a fatigue Party had to cart up the cases. I was fagged after no Breakfast & dinner & hauling about cases. I did not get to sleep till midnight.

[Courtesy of State Library of New South Wales - William Sparkes diary]

25

(Captain Alan Percy Crisp, temporary O/C 7^th Battery)

The Battery did not fire.

[Courtesy of Australian War Memorial - Official unit war diary, 7th Battery]

25.11.15

(Major Francis Augustus Hughes, temporary O/C 3rd Field Artillery Brigade)

1000 Enemy guns from OLIVE GROVE fired at intervals on BEACH during the morning.

1405 Observed for H.M.S."ENDYMION" firing at OLIVE GROVE SQS.56-Q-4 and 56-W-1.  Naval Officer also observing from F.C.O.

1515 Enemy guns from OLIVE GROVE SQ.56-Q-4 fired towards BEACH.

1625 H.M.S."ENDYMION" ceased fire.

1600 Enemy gun from WINE GLASS fired towards direction of BROWN'S DIP.

At intervals during the afternoon enemy Guns from OLIVE GROVE fired towards the BEACH.

[Courtesy of Australian War Memorial - Official unit war diary, 3rd Field Artillery Brigade]

24th November 1915

The H.M.S. Endymion, which bombarded the Olive Grove after a particularly bad

day of bombardment from the Turkish position.

[Courtesy of Wikipedia]

Wednesday 24th

Sergt Smith left early this morning as the sea had moderated.

The man who was to come had not arrived as I had expected in the evening but I was surprised to hear voices outside my tent early & I gathered that parties had just come across. I found it correct & then I searched for Gunner who was to come as a buyer for our Brigade. I came across Gnr Eltham & found he was the man & fixed up things & he Purchased some goods as well. I decided to leave in the morning & leave him to get other items. Had a hot water Bath & then loaded up Transport & got cases to wharf shed for the early morning Boat. I was to sleep there & guard the cases & Potatos & oranges etc I had got. We made several good bargains in Potatoes & oranges & it made the day pass quickly. The shed was not a very comfortable place but it might have been worse. I could not sleep though. There were some Manchester Chaps there & we made tea & had several tins of Salmon.

QMS Alex McLaren

27 Park Street

Whiteinch

Glasgow N.B.

The M.L.O came down & informed us owing to the congested state of Transport & on the other side no goods could be taken by the Trawlers. This disturbed me greatly & I immediately saw principal M.L.O after mess & had to journey up near the Turkish Prisoners Camp. I got no satisfaction & was told that 20 cases only cld go by each boat. If the rule was to apply long it meant a delay of over a month for some of the goods purchased by other representatives. I interviewed H.Q. officers & asked to be allowed to take half one day & leave the others to follow. He did not say no & next morning I was up early & bundled as many boxes as I & Eltham & the Manchester chaps could.

[Courtesy of State Library of New South Wales - William Sparkes diary]

[Author's Note:  Will Sparkes entries for the 24th & 25th November run together - for

the purposes of our day by day, the lengthy passage has been split into separate days

as best as possible.]

24

(Captain Alan Percy Crisp, temporary O/C 7^th Battery)

The Battery did not fire.

[Courtesy of Australian War Memorial - Official unit war diary, 7th Battery]

24.11.15

(Major Francis Augustus Hughes, temporary O/C 3rd Field Artillery Brigade)

1100 Heavy gun from the Left fired towards BEACH.

1110 Enemy gun from OLIVE GROVE firing on BEACH cannot locate it.

1150 Enemy Gun from OLIVE GROVE bombarded CLARKES GULLY, unlocated.

1340 Two enemy guns from OLIVE GROVE fired towards BEACH both unlocated.  8th.Battery retaliated on enemy trenches SQS.68-Q-4 ad 68-V-1-2.

1555 Enemy small gun from LEFT fired on RIGHT FLANK not located.

1630 Observed for H.M.S."Endymion" firing on OLIVE GROVE.  Fire apparently on target and effective.

[Courtesy of Australian War Memorial - Official unit war diary, 3rd Field Artillery Brigade]

23rd November 1915

A view of General Headquarters on Imbros, visited by Will Sparkes (below).

[Courtesy of Australian War Memorial - G01410]

Tuesday 23rd Nov

I slept a little better last night. It was more comfortable & the wind had abated a little. I did not rise early & Sergt Smith discovered that there was no tea for Breakfast as no water was available. Imagine this in a supposed rest camp. We had no recourse but to visit the Cocoa Shop & get a cup of hot colored water & a bun. After this Smith & I took a walk round to general Head Quarters – a place where the Generals reside – It was up in a lovely little nook in the rocky Hills. The rocks were all colored & interspersed with green shrubs the appearance was fine. Everything looked comfortable – Tents – Hats & other conveniences. I saw some of the Surrey Yeomanry chaps who came over on the “Southland" when I returned to the front after being wounded. After a chat we walked a few miles to the aerodrome & saw the celebrated Samsons air ship – a converted Seaplane. Had talks with mechanics & enquired for Capt Jopp & found he was over at No 3 Wing on the other side of harbour. Retd to Camp & had dinner of Salmon & cabbage. It tasted like lobster when mashed together & I can recommend it.

[Courtesy of State Library of New South Wales - William Sparkes diary]

23

(Captain Alan Percy Crisp, temporary O/C 7^th Battery)

2030 No 1 Gun fired 2 rounds from alternative pit at trench mortar on LONE PINE Square 68-B-6 + succeeded in silencing it.  These rounds were fired on request received from F.C.O. at LONE PINE.

[Courtesy of Australian War Memorial - Official unit war diary, 7th Battery]

23.11.15

(Major Francis Augustus Hughes, temporary O/C 3rd Field Artillery Brigade)

0943 Enemy Gun from OLIVE GROVE fired towards BEACH position unlocated.  8th.Battery retaliated.

1130 Enemy 75.m.m.gun and a small gun from the direction of SCRUBBY KNOLL bombarded LONE PINE AND THE PIMPLE.

1340 8th.Battery fired a series at CEMENT EMPLACEMENTS.

1345 An unlocated enemy gun from OLIVE GROVE fired on BEACH, 8th.and Heavy Batteries retaliated, 8th.Battery fired on TWIN TRENCH KNOLL.

1407 LOWLAND BATTERY fired a few rounds in vicinity of PINE RIDGE TRENCHES.

1428 Small gun from CEMENT EMPLACEMENTS fired on chathams post

1655 Enemy gun from OLIVE GROVE again fired on BEACH and small gun from direction of CEMENT EMPLACEMENTS fired towards CHATHAMS POST, both unlocated.

[Courtesy of Australian War Memorial - Official unit war diary, 3rd Field Artillery Brigade]