7th July 1915

General William Riddell Birdwood & Australian Officers on one of their regular

visits to the trenches at Anzac (as mentioned by Col. Rosenthal, below).

[Courtesy of Australian War Memorial - P09092.004]

 

Wednesday 7th July 

A quiet morning. Weather still hot and flies as bad as ever.

Just a bit of Prose I put together to-day.

Australian Boys rough rugged and true
To their Empire call they bravely came

Adding from [Indecipherable] to the grand old day
[Indecipherable] veterans renowned whom we all [Indecipherable]
Were never beaten in the ages long ago

Away sailed our boys in Khaki so great

For Earths Sunny clime across the mighty deep
They trained for months with every satisfaction
Where it seldom rains and the [Indecipherable]
Amid the scorching sandy desert plains

Orders to move were hailed with delight

Hurrah Hurrah They cried with all their might.
It meant farewell to the desert plains
The heat, the flies and other pests
To put our boys to a more serious test

The assault was made before the break of day

But many difficulties turned their way
And not a man did flinch that fight
But charged the enemy till put to flight
We said well done – They were heroes every one

In the years to come history will tell

Of the great charge and how the brave Australian fell
And as we ponder a deep prayer we breathe
For the many heroes who now lay a-sleep
In a place well known as Gaba-Tepe (Teep) 

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

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

Battery did not fire.

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

Wednesday 7th July 

Around No 1 Section with General Birdwood inspecting gun emplacements. He informed me 5" Howrs from Australia were approved. Col Christian’s Brigade is to be attached to the three new Infantry Brigades arrived in Egypt from Australia and with a Howr battery this will be their total artillery for the present. He told me scheme for us was to advance, establish ourselves across the neck from Gaba Tepe to Maidos, and then force the Turks on the Southern end to either attack us or surrender. Our submarines are effectively preventing the enemy using the town of Gallipoli, and stores and men have to be ferried over at Chanak.

Generally a quiet day as far as the enemy was concerned.

[Courtesy of State Library of New South Wales - Sir Charles Rosenthal diary]

[On the 7th July, Col. Rosenthal received the below correspondence from

Lieut.-Col Cyril Brudenell Bingham White, General Staff, via Col. Joseph

John Talbot Hobbs, Officer Commanding 1st Division Artillery - this was

in reprimand for indirectly allowing publication of a private letter written

to a friend in London, whilst recuperating in the Heliopolis Hospital in mid

May, mentioned here on the14th May.  Below is a newspaper cutting &

transcript of the communication, both of which have been taken directly

from Col. Rosenthal's Service Dossier held by the National Archives of Aus.]

Headquarters, 1st Australian Division
6th July 1915


Officer Commanding
Divisional Artillery


The enclosed is an extract from "The British Australasian", dated 27th May.  I am to direct you to inform Lieut.-Colonel Rosenthal :-

(i) that he is responsible that letters written to his friends are not communicated to the press (see Divisional Orders 10/118 and 48/400 dated 19th December 1914, and 2nd February, 1915, respectively);

(ii) that reference to the position of guns and mention of casualties constitutes a disobedience of orders.

2. - I am to say that the Divisional Commander regrets that an officer of Lieut.-Colonel Rosenthal's experience should have been guilty of such indiscretion.

 
Lieut.-Colonel.
General Staff.
1st Australian Division.

O/C 3rd F. Art Bde.
Forwarded.
J. J. Hobbs Cooey DIV. ART.
7.7.15 

[Courtesy of National Archives of Australia - Major General Charles Rosenthal dossier]