5th June 1915

10 am. Just fired 14 rounds to let our friends know we're still alive, also to give them a further taste of cast steel and cordite. Believe we are starting the circus again at 12. Hope so.

6th June 1915

9 am. Another good old go yesterday. Mechinson, Shepherd, Moore, Archer and Lee casualties. Their heavy guns plated havoc amongst our troops. Firing on and off all night. Rec. a paper from C.A. Some of our boys rec. boxes of sweets etc. while Rowlings (Motueka) rec. a xmas cake while someone else had a bottle of wine. GREAT FEAST. Very rowdy morning. Got action before breakfast and kept a warm fire for an hour. Immediately afterwards got to it hot and strong. Our gun was detailed to keep reinforcements from getting to the firing line, via a small nullah. And it did. We just waited for them to come over the far crest and they got it. We had them on toast alright. Couldn't advance or retreat and our guns cut off flanking movements by spraying each side with shrapnel. The only thing for them to do was to take cover in a bit of light scrub which they did and we got on to that scrub and searched every inch of it for 2 solid hours. I've just been to the observation station and had a look at it with the glasses. Not a man came out of it alive. The ground is packed thickly with them. Our Colonel, Major and a few more odds and ends performed the tango with great gusto. I am as deaf as a mule in the right ear and both hands burnt a bit. We're having another go in a few minutes. Our Asiatic friends are paying particular "H" just now, with their big mobile siege guns, one shell has landed 100 away, can't see anything for smoke. Shook the ground like an earthquake. Gnr Sanderson badly wounded. Fighting all night.

7th June 1915

Very hot day. Quiet for us. This morning we find that our friends have brought up new heavy guns. Haven't found out what size shell they fire as yet but it must be easily 9 or 10 inch. They are charged with some new explosive and burnt with an awfully spiteful crack and throw fragments easily 300yds. One has just come over and landed in front of the 3rd Bty. Several chaps have been blown out. The funny part about this shell is that it just "strolls" through the air just like the hum of an aeroplane motor, but the burst is terrific and the concussion can be felt ¾ of a mile away. Must be a successor to A.A. that was blown up some time back. One has just struck on the road and out of 30 men, 27 are down. Another has just lobbed in a HOSPITAL.

8th June 1915

Practically no sleep last night. We are supporting the Naval Div. in an attack on the left flank. We started at 7 pm and knocked off at 3:30 am. Had the satisfaction of learning by phone that we got the position and still holding it. Slept nearly all afternoon. This evening an aeroplane observed the gun which was firing the big shells, and our chaps got onto it with their heavy siege guns. The first shell lobbed right onto it's emplacement but to make sure 9 more followed. It turned out to be a Jack Johnson, but haven't heard it since the pounding. 2 more of our horses hit today, 1 shell went right through one and burst in the second. Have only found its head and 1 fore leg up till the present.

9th June 1915

Our friends woke up again very early this morning. Must have some liver complaint. They have brought another big gun up on the Asiatic side. This one is a 13.5 siege gun firing armour piercing shells. A battleship has just gone over to inquire into things, blazing away from every starboard gun. A big howitzer shell from Ache Baba ricocheted from somewhere handy and lobbed about 12ft away while we were having tea. Fortunately it failed to explode, otherwise it would have been a perfect lesson in aviation for some of us. We went for a swim this afternoon, but they couldn't leave us alone again, one burst right over us and blew out two Frenchmen.

10th June 1915

Our friends started this morning (their innings) again at 4 am and they've been giving our position extra "H" ever since. They've got about three J.J.s stowed away somewhere and they're all firing at once. When these shells explode they send great clouds of earth easily 80ft in the air and dim the sun with their smoke. At 11 am they reached their limit. Was sitting around having a quiet smoke and a chat when those unnatural beggars from Asia lobbed a 5 inch howitzer into my dug-out about 8yds away. Had nick-named my dug-out 'The Cherubs Lounge'. Can only change the name to the 'Devils Retreat' or Hell as it is.. (Later).. Got to work and cleaned away the debris, and made another not so comfy as the first though. The fuse of this shell, after going through 7ft of solid earth, stopped in one of my blankets. Been pestered with flies all day. Bigger nuisance than the Turks. Opened fire at night.

11th June 1915

Fairly quiet day today. More British troops arrived this morning. Believe there are 60,000 on the way somewhere or other. Took the glasses and went for a stroll in the afternoon. Had a good look at our positions gained recently. We've only three more trenches to take on the left, then we've got the top of the ridge, but the hill is less formidable. Was told yesterday that it cost Greece 40,000 men in an unsuccessful attempt to take Ache Baba. Couldn't go for a dip today, our friends from Asia wanted the beach. Heavy fighting all along the infantry front.

12th June 1915

Heavy artillery duels the order of the day. Our Asiatic friends blew up a French 6 inch this morning Can only find a piece of a wheel and a bit of twisted steel off the beach. They couldn't be quiet if they tried. Sent us over 8 6 inch armour piercing shells tonight. Got stuck into the enemies infantry tonight.

13th June 1915

Evidently our friends located us by our flashes last night and have detailed a 6 inch gun to blow us to Australia - perhaps, anyhow from 5:30 til 8 am this morning they've been giving us particular "H", one landed 30yds from 'D' gun and dug a hole 10ft deep and 12 across, but the most remarkable prank played, I think was one of the same breed striking the road in front of our gun entering the ground, travelling 15ft underground coming out again and going for a further 25yds, stopping exactly 7ft in front of the gun, without exploding. Had it done so, 'B' sub would have been hanging on the moon by now. The only one to miss exploding out of 10. Later all day long we have been paid special attention by this gun and its associates. A 4.7 and 7.5 "H". No damage done however, only knocked the landscape about a bit.