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Guy Nightingale

Guy Nightingale

Major Nightingale was born in 1890 - he was born in India the son of an English engineer at the time of the Raj and educated at Rugby and Sandhurst before being commissioned into his regiment, the 1st Battalion Royal Munster Fusiliers in the late summer of 1910. He served with the regiment in India and Burma – and entered World War One at Gallipoli with the 29th Division, landing from HMS River Clyde on 25th April 1915. He would survive the Gallipoli campaign, and move on to fight on the Western Front in France. After he left the military, in 1926, he retired to Somerset, but struggled to adjust to civilian life. He died by suicide in April 1935, the 30th anniversary of his landing at Gallipoli, having suffered from alcoholism and depression.

Guy's diary will be updated from April to January. 

Diary Tracker

Follow the stories of the Irishmen who fell at Gallipoli from a century ago via their personal stories, ephemera, archive material, census details, military archives and diaries.

  1. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    27 October

    The Doctor told me I have enteric. Temperature rose to 105 last night. Developed a rash. Felt a bit rotten. Jaundice no better yet.

    This is the end of Nightingale’s time in Gallipoli. He remained hospitalised due to enteric fever until early 1916. After a period of recuperation he returned to his battalion on the Western Front. At the end of World War One he remained in the military and served in the North Russian Expeditionary Force fighting the Bolsheviks in 1919. He later served in Poland (1919-21), and then Yemen (1922-23) with his career concluding in Nigeria (1923-5). He then effectively retired, only 35 years old, and could not find a life for himself outside of the army. On 25 April 1935, the twentieth anniversary of the Gallipoli landings, he took his own life.

  2. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    26 October

    Temperature higher, blood tested - no malaria. Saw Tom had died of his wounds & Considine was killed. This is a damnable war. Temperature: 104.2

  3. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    25 October

    We reached Alexandria today. I developed a temperature so was put on a stretcher and taken in a motor to No 17 General Hospital. Felt rotten. I think I have got malaria but can’t tell. All sorts of cases in this ward, wounds, influenza, jaundice and several cases of cold feet pure & simple.

  4. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    24 October

    Felt just the same but look even yellower than before. Got up at 3:00 and went on deck and stayed up till 9 pm. Beautiful weather. Passed Rhodes and Crete. Met all the crew.

  5. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    23 October

    Felt exactly the same as usual. Did not get up. Though I don't know what good it is staying in bed. Left Lemnos about 5pm and are now bound for Alexandria. Very rough and cold and blowing a gale.

  6. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    22 October

    Am getting more and more yellow and my whole body is now also yellow. Don't feel especially ill all the same. We went to Mudros this evening evening & lay in the harbour which is full of ships. Only a few enteric cases were put off and we all go on to Egypt and possibly Malta. O'Grady is on board.

  7. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    20 October

    Wasn’t any better this morning, so they decided to send me off. Got my mail sent up by WIlliams and Sgt Harris brought it for me. Had some soup at midday and then went down to the 26th clearing station with O’Grady. An awfully decent fellow there called Col Kelly wrote a note to the CMO for me of a hospital ship and at 10:30pm I went off. The hospital shit was very nice and clean. I went and stayed in bed after a bath. Everyone was kind. 

  8. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    19 October

    Woke up feeling rotten and bright yellow in colour. The doctor says I have jaundice. During the morning De Lisle came round and wanted me to go to 29th Division for a week to do extra A.D.C to him. The Doctor however said I was infectious, so had to be sent sick. The whole thing is damned nonsense and I am quite well enough to carry on. However I had to go to the field Ambulance where I am staying tonight. They are going to send me away tomorrow to a hospital ship.

  9. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    18 October

    Am turning yellow all over. Very quiet night but beastly wet. Spent the morning seeing the fatigues being done. Am feeling rotten. I wish to goodness, they would take the division out of the firing line and give us a rest in Egypt. This afternoon there was a lot of shelling. The Dublin & Royals have a stunt on tonight for taking a Turkish sap. Got part of a mail. The remainder is due up tomorrow.

  10. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    17 October

    Felt rotten again this morning. Got a mail yesterday which included a long letter from Col.Johnstone. Rained all day. Had fever all the afternoon. Conway went sick.

  11. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    16 October

    Was up to look at work done during the night at 6am. During the morning a Taube came over very boldly. Everyone fired hard, but apparently without result. Had a hot bath in the afternoon - the first tub since Imbros on the "Abercrombie".

  12. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    15 October

    Got up at 6:30 to have a look at what the companies had done during the night in the way of work. After breakfast there was a CO's conference. I went round the lines with the MO & Williams. In the afternoon we had orderly room. There was a lot of shelling and disturbing noises till dusk. Dug up Pte Ormsby and reburied him, as he lay in the main drain.

  13. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    14 October

    Had nothing to do early as we only have 2 machine guns in the firing line. About 11am our new Doctor was told he was to make way for another fellow called Yule as he was very seedy with jaundice I think it is just as well. Got a grand parcel of things from Japson - eatables, & very welcome. In the evening Col. Fuller was round & the Companies were out digging drains from 6:30pm to 4:30am.

  14. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    13 October

    Very cold in the early morning. Felt a bit feverish. Had a busy morning taking over reserve trenches from RF. Was messing about with Crippo the whole time taking over the lines. The companies moved in in the afternoon. Very quiet evening. No news from France. Looked like rain, but managed to keep fine. No gas tonight. Our HQs are still in the same place & the Btn 200 yards behind the firing line.

  15. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    12 October

    A new Doctor arrived - Hoskins by name - unpleasant. Poured with rain for a short time, but soon cleared up. Was up in the lines early. No News. Very quiet night. Russell done awfully good work, making a ditch into a firing line in front of his Sap. We are handing over the Royal Fusiliers tomorrow, but only to drop back into support trenches & dig drains.

  16. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    11 October

    De Boer took over sick parade. Have applied for a new doctor. Hope we get someone decent. Had a court martial all this morning. -  Col. Quin being President. They put 3 HE shells into the Court which brought the proceedings to an abrupt end.

  17. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    10 October

    Grand morning after heavy rain. Dull day and very quiet except for trench mortars and bombs. Atlee gone away sick. Co. moved his dugout. No gas in the evening. The MO was sick. Thompson was round.

  18. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    9 October

    A beautiful day after the storm. Spent the morning rebuilding the digout to keep out the rain. General Percival came round. The Turks again used gas this evening. It was just issuing rain, when my eyes began to start like anything. It was pretty bad for an hour and then passed off. I am afraid it is only experimenting and we will have a bad attack in a few days.

  19. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    8 October

    Went up to the lines early with Williams. Spent the morning doing regimental correspondence. General De Lisle came round & Hardress-Lloyd  seemed very pleased with everything. In the evening the Turks for the first time gassed us. It was damnable. Half the men had no respirators. However it wasn’t serious, & presently there was the devil of a rain storm and wind. Everything disappeared including my roof.

  20. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    7 October

    Was up at 5am and had some good fun sniping at a working party of the Turks coming in late. In the morning the General was round. We got some extraordinary specimens of bombs thrown into our trenches during the day, two of which didn't explode. Everyone is very full of this new drainage scheme. This evening we planned out how it was to run through our own HQs but Thompson was round today. We are being relieved tomorrow by the Royals who have just got a draft.

  21. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    6 October

    Was up in the lines early. It was a grand morning. Bulgar was in great form sniping from a tree above our mess. 5 new officers  joined, two very good ones, one not bad & two very indifferent. At 4pm the ships and guns bombarded the Bench Mark& Jephson’s Post. Enormous explosions. The Padre left soon after tea to take up his new job. We are all very sorry to lose him. One fellow called Lake who joined today was in France with Bart and knew HOB O'Brien and Ryan. Got some things from Hutch for W Company and the officers.

  22. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    5 October

    Was up in the lines early. Got some parcels including two new plumes and a mackintosh from. De Lisle was round this morning. Seemed very pleased with everything. Our Brigadier seemed to be very boorish, but he is always extremely rude at the best of times. Our Padre has been appointed Chief Chaplain at Malta - a damned good job and goes off tomorrow. I am glad for his sake that he has got it.

  23. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    4 October

    Was up in the trenches at 4:30am.Two spies were up in our lines last night, but escaped after talking to Russell and Hall. A good deal bombing and strafing during the night and not much work done. Just after breakfast a tremendous bombardment by the Turks commenced. At 9:30 it ceased and an assault by infantry was begun. There was heavy firing for about 3/4 of an hour but the enemy never came in with any heart. They only fired with rifles at us. Pike was hit I am sorry to say. At lunch time Williams suddenly turned up. We were all very pleased to get him back and hear the latest news. Mayne, who was at Rugby turned up as a Padre.

  24. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    3 October

    The Padre had mass at 7am. Quiet morning. Got a mail and one new razor. Very hot again. Armstrong came and dined again and took some back in our empty ration carts. The Royals are up in reserve with one company in support to us. Very excellent news from France. The French alone taking 23,000 Germans and 121 guns.

  25. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    2 October

    All night long we were scraping with the Turks and throwing bombs at them. They kept on trying to bag our wire. We had 3 casualties. Was up in the lines early to see dawn break. Beautiful morning like July at home and everything covered with dew and smelling of fresh cut hay. The hedges here are thick with blackberries. Did not turn in as I usually do at daybreak. It was too pleasant, but went for a stroll instead down to cornfields behind our lines. Armstrong, De Lisle’s AHC dined with me here. De Lisle was round the lines.

  26. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    1 October

    Did not get settled in till 3am at which time the Wilts went off. Slept till 6.30. Found Baxter & the Padre had arrived up from the dump. We had breakfast in a most delightful place - a broad dyke covered overhead with trees & brambles. We need no shelter from the sun. Spent the morning fixing up HQ and making a dugout. I & Padre share one, with a place for Williams who is expected back shortly. The quantities and fruit here is amazing. I got two large sacks, one full of prunes, & the other raisins, amongst other things. There was a bit of a strafe on for the borders at 8pm.

  27. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    30 September

    We got orders that we are to go into the firing line tomorrow. But that was cancelled later for tonight. Geddes & Hudson went up to work at the lines in the morning. Our proper original Padre suddenly turned up. We were pleased to see him again after 11 weeks. In the afternoon, the Company Commander went up to the trenches. The Battalion was relieved by him at 11pm and then we were moved off to release the 5th Wilts in our new line nearer Chocolate Hill.

  28. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    29 September

    Spent the morning moving into our new quarters. Just after Baxter & I had built a big dug-out and moved our things, a message came from the Brigade that they were not coming after all. Was up out in front of our line at night and arranging for the working parties when a message came through that the work could knock off. I suppose we are moving again. Good news still from France.

  29. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    28 September

    Spent a busy morning finishing up my war diary. Meanwhile the mess was moved further down the nullah to make room for the Brigade. Was up at 4am. Quiet night once the strafe had finished. Most excellent from France, 23,000 prisoners & 40 guns. Also good news from Russia. Was up in the firing line till 11pm and out in front and our trenches looking at the work on our advanced posts. Quiet night. 7 men working very well. Much warmer.

  30. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    27 September

    Up at 4am and up in the firing line while dawn was breaking. Spent the day writing up my War Diary which is much behind. In the afternoon we were told we must moveout of our HQs for the Brigade who are coming up here. Very good news from Travers. General advance all along the line. Australians commenced cheering & Turks thought we were attacking. Our fellows on the left thought the Turks were attacking. Result, every rifle, gun and ship blazed away for 2 hours at each other from 8 to 10pm. Very pretty sight.

  31. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    21 September

    Felt pretty rotten. Still have this beastly jaundice & am yellower than ever. We lay off Anzac all day. Am allowed very little to eat, but it is very good though am always ill immediately after eating. Am the only regular officer here out of about 60. It's rotten being away from the Regiment. I feel I would like to get out of bed & walk up to the dugout and say I had arrived. O'Grady is on board I believe.

  32. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    19 September

    Up at 6am. Hot tub and breakfast and off by 7am reaching camp at 8am. Damnable court martial all the morning over Sgt. Collins. Felt a bit cheap after last night but soon recovered. Got orders to move tomorrow back to the Penninsula.

  33. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    18 September

    Got up at 8am. Had a hot bathe. Then had breakfast after which I spent the morning much as yesterday. It was a lovely morning and I walked about on the big upper decks with doctor till it was time to go down and have a cocktail before lunch. At 2.30pm, 60 NCOs and men then arrived on board to spend the afternoon. Then had hot tub, splendid spread & a concert, after which they were taken off all very pleased with themselves. Russell, Beattie, Hudson, Bruce & Bipps from the Royals all dine on board. We had a most cheery night.

  34. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    17 September

    Up at 8.30 am feeling very well. Had a grand hot bath and then a most pleasant breakfast. After breakfast went on back & was taken all over the 142 guns by Currie, the gunnery officer. It was most interesting. Where there were some excellent cocktails to be had. Lunch with the captain at 2pm. Geddes came on board. Had an official invitation to dine with the Admiral, so went off at 8pm. Admiral de Robert, Commander Keyes, Johnstone & others there. Very quiet dinner, but interesting from what one heard. Comm Keyes told me a lot about submarines.

  35. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    16 September

    Had a dog & stick parade at 7am to the top of the hill behind the camp. A taube appeared & dropped 6 bombs on GHQ. All the battle were firing but it escaped as usual. After breakfast went off with the C.O. to look at some country for maneuvering on. Arrived back at 12 noon to find the coxswain of the Abercrombie with a message from Captain Doughty asking me to stay on board as monitor for a few days. Got there for lunch & stayed there. Walked into the camp with Geddes and then back to dinner.

  36. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    15 September

    Started moving at 7.30am. It rained all night, so our tents were so wet we could not strike them at first. The Battalion finally moved into the camp at 11am. The camp is in a hollow of the hills about 1 mile away, it's a regular cup in the hills. On one side is a village and the other a high rocky point where we can get a glorious view over the island and away to Cape Helles and Sulva. Behind is Rabbit Island and Tenendos and right in the distance, Lemnos. A valley runs right through the camp which is rocky with deep bracken & scrub, purple flowers prettily filling up the hollows. The whole camp would make a perfect picture. Atlee, the Doctor and myself walked up to the top of the hill above the camp at sunset. If only we had come here at first. Got a mail.

  37. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    14 September

    A new Airship was flying about all day. It has been built to find submarines. It rained a bit which laid the dust. We got orders to move into a grand camp about a mile inland. The Dublins & Royals went off today and we follow tomorrow. Stayed in camp all day. Geddes and the Baxter went out in the evening to look at our new camp.

  38. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    13 September

    All the companys went out into the hills & took their gunners with them. Hudson & I went and got money to payout to Battalion. Went and saw Murray & Moran in hospital & Thompson in his tent. Very good news from Russia. General De Lisle came over & was awfully disgusted with the damnable camp they have put us into, so there is a chance of us moving into the hills. The Battalion was paid out in the evening. Vincent very seedy.

  39. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    12 September

    Damnable day again. Church parades all the morning. Geddes went to church at GHQ. Slept the whole afternoon. Williams went off to Alexandria to fetch kits. Nearly everyone went over to Panyggia. No news from Captain Doughty yet.

  40. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    11 September

    Awful dust all the morning. Could do nothing but stay in my tent. Shaved & went over to GHQ with Geddes in the evening & dined them. Met General Braithwaite CAS & Commander Keyes. Heard a lot of news and that there was a scheme afoot for sending officers home on 3 weeks leave. Sir lan Hamilton inspected the PO at 10:30am.

  41. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    10 September

    Woke up at 7am and heard we were at Imbros and were to disembark at once and come ashore in the new landing lights. Got to our camp about 10am. Very dusty & blowing a gale the whole time. Aspinal came to see us in the evening. Wrote to Commander Doughty. Damnable dust & sand. Too cold to bathe. Hudson rejoined us. We have a few tents.

  42. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    9 September

    Woke from the cold at 4.30. Arranged rations for the Battalion. Were told we were going to embark during the morning. Were messed about from one place to another all day. We got shelled a bit. So they moved us again. Men finally went off at 3pm, the remainder of us at 7.30pm. Went out to the "Abbassich", a very comfortable boat which easily held the battalion. Had a good dinner some beer & then retired to bed in a nice cabin.

  43. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    8 September

    The whole morning the trenches were full of 88th Brigade officers come up to take over the trenches. A very quiet afternoon. Sent O’Grady off in the evening with my kit. The 88th Brigade succeeded in losing its way up so instead of us being relieved at 8.30pm, no one turned up till nearly midnight. We hurried down to the beach, but only “W” comopanies marched to embark, so the remainder of us lay down on the beach at 3am in a bitter wind and told to make the best of it. Moore, the fellow with the Hants with the V.C. came to lunch.

  44. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    7 September

    Spent a busy morning arranging about the move. Went round the firing line with Generals Perceval and Thompson. Got a mail late last night, but no news in particular. All sorts of rumours that Bulgaria has come in but nothing definite. A draft of 110 men turned up at 11 tonight and it was midnight before they were settled in. Very quiet night indeed. Had great fun testing trench mortar and grenade.

  45. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    6 September

    This morning I was up early. It was very cold. Gen De Lisle was up going round the trenches. He was very pleased indeed with everything apparently especially the way the men had worked on his new fire line. Major Merreck commanding a battery of field guns was in the HQs this morning. Went round the trenches at night with Geddes. Very dull. Nothing on at all. Russell and 4 officers joined us at midday.

  46. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    5 September

    Nothing much happened all day. A few snipers caught by burning the gorse in front of our lines. Some bombing in the evening at the block house, but no damage. Found 7 dead Cheshires.

  47. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    4 September

    Quite a quiet night after all. Was up and round the lines just before 4am. Got a lot of secret intelligence in the morning. Usual rot. Wilson of the Royals came in in the afternoon. He is now Brigade Major, 88th Brigade. Went round the trenches with Geddes from 9pm and got back about midnight. Heard the Australians captured 400 yards more territory and Rothschild is taking 7 to 1 the war is over in a week.

  48. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    3 September

    Nothing happened during the night. We had parties walking out all night. The Adjunct of the Dublins was round in the morning. Got information that the Turkish trenches appeared to be strongly held and there might be an attack tonight. We have now got rifle grenades. A very quiet evening however though there appeared to be an attack in the direction of Chocolate Hill.

  49. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    2 September

    It was quite peaceful once all the snipers had died down last night. There is a nasty gap of 400 yards between us and the 87 Brigade and I expect the Turks attempted to break through. There was no attack immediately opposite our front. I was up at 3:15am and quite expected an attack at dawn, but nothing happened. A very quiet day though busy. Had to sketch the trenches. We have now formed a new firing line but there is an awful lot of work to be done.

  50. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    1 September

    Did not get to bed till 1:30am this morning, as the Brigade took up till that hour settling down. The trenches are delightful, winding among fighters and following hedges thick with blueberries and cow-sheds held by both sides and made in block houses much nearer. We have an old farm-house in our lines which is occupied by the Headquarter company. There are magnificent dig outs and the trenches are cool and wide to allow the men plenty of room. The snipers are an awful nuisance and one gets potted at from all sides. About 7:30 this evening, I was sitting in the mess dug out with the doctor, when 6 rounds were suddenly fired by a Turkish Battalion and immediately afterwards the hill of a fusillade broke out on our left. The attack went on till 10pm when we finally got dinner. 

  51. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    31 August

    Things started badly this morning, by Murray and Hudson both having to go sick. They were pretty well done in by the dysentery and sun. All this morning the company Commanders were up looking at the trenches we are to take over. At lunch the Caudy Kid heard he had got the DSO. Our only arouse is that it isn’t the VC for he certainly deserved the latter. The Brigade moved off at 7:40pm, the major and myself going on ahead at 7:30. McCarthy O’Leary went sick, which has left us with only 6 effective officers, 3 with headquarters and 3 with the companies. We finished taking over at 11:30pm.

  52. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    30 August

    Very quiet day. The Major and Williams went up to the firing line and saw the trenches we were to take over. In the evening there was a pow wow at Brigade headquarters. We’re up to relieve the Dublins tomorrow night. Major Gowan came to dinner. Very quiet night. Getting colder. 

  53. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    29 August

    Very quiet day. Nothing much on anywhere. Got a mail consisting of parcels and letters. Many useful things turned up from home in the way of kit and food. No attacks by the Turks.

  54. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    28 August

    Quiet as usual, though the Turks shelled us a bit. The Brigade was on fatigue all night digging a communication trench to the firing line. Everyone suffering from dysentery again. Heard that the 88th Brigade go off to Imbros but for only a week. Not very encouraging news of Russia.

  55. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    27 August

    Very hot day and looked like rain all afternoon. Moran went off to Imbros for his rest in place of Cooney. McCarthy O’Leary arrived with a draft of 18 wounded men. Wilson is in the Royals and has gone to the 19th division headquarters as GSO 3. He came to tea on his way and was fed up to the teeth with the prospect. Great rumours that we are off to Imbros. Got a mail. 

  56. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    25 August

    Did nothing much all day. We had the usual fatigue during the night. The Turks shelled us a bit but nothing to worry about. Cooney arrived back from Imbros from his rest, but there is no news of Purcell as yet. We are busy making this place into winter quarters. 

  57. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    24 August

    The Dublins and Royals hold the firing line, as they took no part in the attack. The Lancs and ourselves are in reserve. The L.F.s lost pretty heavily too, 11 officers and about 290 men. It’s perfectly damnable, many of our old soldiers some of whom have been through the whole show since the landing are missing and probably lying out wounded in front of our firing line. We are in a very pretty nullah with thick gorse and big grey stones under which the men are working their dig outs. Everyone is exhausted none of us having had any sleep for the last five nights. The country is awfully pretty, a mixture of Devonshire and upper Burma. Heard that Cosgrove has got the V.C. De Lisle back in command of the 29th division. Did fatigue all night digging trenches. 

  58. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    22 August

    The attack was a complete failure on our part owing to the fires which split up the attack of our Coy. Many of our poor divils got wounded and burnt alive. By the evening we numbered 140 strong, but men kept coming in burning in the night and by this morning we had nearly 300 in the Brigade. Eagan is wounded and missing - and Cunnigham and Darnington killed, while Poindexter, Newsome, Watts and Fraser are all wounded. Only 24 out of 160 of us have come back. We stayed in the hollow all day being shelled but at dusk moved off with the whole Brigade to the firing line on the external left. We got there at midnight and finally got our position by 2am. We in Brigade relieve. There are only 8 officers left in the Brigade.

  59. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    21 August

    Marched from 7:30pm till 11pm under the guidance of Col. PercivalThere were a lot of troops on the move. We went right across an open plain and finally reached Chocolate Hill where Brigade and the HQs were. The firing line was held to the Dublins on another hill about 100 yards in front. We were to go into the hollow between the 2 hills. On the way there a tremendous fusillade broke out and we had 14 fellows but 4 spent bullets. Finally got into position about 3:30am and got about 1 1/2 hours sleep. Chocolate Hill was a Turkish Port and very strongly built with tremendous entrenchments all round. Stayed in the hollow all morning and got orders for the attack which took place at 3am. We had to take a hill 1000 yards in front. When our fellows went forward, they came under a hell of a machine gun fire and we lost 9 officers and 400 men, and never got more than 200 yards. The whole countryside caught fire and we were badly burnt out.

  60. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    20 August

    Got a nice sleep from 4:30am to 7pm in a cabin on a nice trunk. Could have slept all day, but we arrived at Suvla Bay and boats from the “Prince George” came alongside to take us ashore. We got into a bivouac by 11:30 am. Pretty well cooked. Breakfast at 2pm I had our 6th and 7th Brigade who are back here for a rest. Major is all right, but he is wounded and Conway killed. Only 8 officers left. Much nicer county here very like England and very pretty. Got orders to march at 2:30am to “Chocolate Hill”. There is the devil of a big show on tomorrow and kind of final effort on our part.

  61. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    19 August

    Worked out the remainder of the promotions with the major. At about 11am we suddenly got orders to hold ourselves ready to embark tonight. There was a lot to do, what with iron rations, ammunition etc: and there was no rest until the evening. We got no definite orders till 7pm when we heard we were to go to the V Beach and be there by 10:30 pm. We had a pretty damnable march and finally had to wait in Saad-al Bahr until 2am before getting on to the Khedivial Mail steamer.

  62. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    15 August

    Went to early service with Geddes and Williams. Came back and went to bathe but it was too late. We were all in inoculated against cholera. Col. Percival has got our Brigade. Turks badly attacked last night by the Australians. 

  63. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    14 August

    Woke up after a rotten night and went with Geddes, Williams and the doctor for a bathe in the sea. Had a busy morning getting things straight. Got some more letters including one from  Elsie Johnston. No news however, got 300 Burma cheroots. Major Maccarthy Morrogh came round here in the evening. Also Brand and Thompson. Geddes dined with DeLisle. Tremendous firing all night.

  64. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    13 August

    The officers of the campsite Brigade arrived up during the morning to take over. James, the adjutant of the Worcesters who has got the UC was up to lunch. In the afternoon the mess was moved down and the whole Brigade was back at Gully Beach by 7pm. Everyone very glad to get back for a rest. Got a mail and several letters late in the evening. Dad gone sick, I’m sorry to say.

  65. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    12 August

    We were told we were going to be relieved by the Royal Fusiliers this evening and after making all preparations, it was cancelled at 6pm. The Turks made a tremendous bombardment of the vineyard and then attacked it in masses. They were driven back twice, but got into a position on it the third time. There was a tremendous lot of firing all through the night and a great deal of artillery fire too. 

  66. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    11 August

    Another day much the same as yesterday. The lines are gradually being cleared up. Lloyd came to lunch and gave us all the latest news. Quite quiet all night. They are always scraping round the vineyard. The Turks seem to resent very much our having captured it. Very nearly a record for length of time spent in the trenches for us. 

  67. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    10 August

    A very busy day collecting the appalling amount of debris scattered about all over the trenches. It was quite quiet as far as any fighting went, but all day long there was the sound of distant guns and there must be heavy fighting going on at Anzac and further north. Made a demonstration by firing rapidly at intervals. 

  68. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    9 August

    All night long there was heavy firing on out right. The 42nd division captured a vineyard on the 7th and the Turks are doing their best to bomb them out of it. At dawn from our mess you could see the whole thing going on as it was on the opposite slope of the Nullah and you could see both sides occupying the same trench with a barricade between and bombing each other as hard as they could. This went on till about 11am when the firing died down. The dead lying about round the vineyard and in front of all the trenches on both sides are an unpleasant sight. There must be hundreds of them rotting in the sun. In front of our own lines you can see about 300 Worcesters, Hauts and Essex. It doesn’t have a very good effect on our new draft who look over the parapets all day and see nothing but dead.

  69. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    8 August

    There was a tremendous fusillade about 9am, but no attack. The whole night was very disturbed, every man having to stand to arms expecting an attack. Heard that the new landing face is advancing well, and that a submarine sank a Turkish battleship in the Straits. A lot of shelling during the day. The number of dead lying out is appalling.

  70. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    7 August

    The Worcesters, Royals and other regiments which were in the firing line cleared out at 6am and we and the Dublins took over the line. Spent the morning cleaning up. Any member of wounded coming in over the parapets. A bombardment took place on the right and “G” area captured. Heard that the new landing has been successful and the Australians have advanced. Expecting a big attack tonight. Ellis was killed.

  71. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    6 August

    The Worcesters took over the firing line from us at 5am. We went back into trenches at Brigade Headquarters. Bombardment commenced at 2pm and the advance took place at 3:30pm. Successful at first but we were then sent back to reinforce. We were then sent back to Fir Tree Ccopse, but at 8pm brought up again to make a night attack. Meanwhile all the men who had gone forward in the afternoon were wiped out. Very heavy casualties. Our night attack was put off. The trenches in an awful state, full of wounded and blocked by 5 times too many men. At 3am we heard that we had no men in front of us and that the Turks had recaptured all we had gained. Very heavy shelling. 

  72. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    5 August

    A very dull day. We had to cut steps in the parapets for the assaulting troops tomorrow. The trenches are going to attack H12, which is the Turkish trench 400 yards in front of us. No news much. Got a parcel mail. The artillery were registering all day as usual. This show is going to be a division to draw the Turk’s attention from the new landing which is going to take place.

  73. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    4 August

    The Gunners were very busy all day registering. Lloyd, the Gunner in L. Battery came and had his meals with us all day as he was up here observing for his battery. There is going to be an advance in a day or two and great movements. Our draft are too damnable for words. The whole Brigade is rotten now. 

  74. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    3 August

    The drafts were sent to their companies today and the Royal Fusiliers moved up to the left of their line and we took over half their position besides our own. We are all so strong now that one Brigade was withdrawn altogether from the firing line. Very quiet in front all day. 

  75. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    2 August

    Nothing on at all, all day. Howitzers began registering. We got another draft. 6 officers and 190 men. They are an awful nuisance here, as they are very nervous - have no equipment and no organisation. I wish we had just our old lot we are 740 strong now.

  76. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    1 August

    Spent the day fitting out the draft which as usual has been sent out with nothing serviceable. Very quiet all day as usual.

  77. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    31 July

    A draft turned up this morning of 2 officers and 120 men. Both the officers are from Sandhurst, by name Poundgate and Hudson. The men are mostly Cavalry men and pushed into the infantry. There was a lot of artillery registering the whole day. In the evening a subaltern of the Brigade who got the Legion d’Honneur in France was in to dinner.  

  78. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    30 July

    The men worked wonders on the trenches during the night and they are really splendid now. De Lisle came round on a surprise visit and was really awfully pleased - a thing he very rarely is. Wolley-Dod was also round. We got a mail too, but not a very interesting one. My inside is perfectly damnable. I can get nothing but slops without getting frightfully ill afterwards. This has been going on now for 6 weeks.

  79. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    29 July

    Spent the morning firing up the trenches which are in an awful state after these K’s army fellows have been in them. I don’t know how they ever expected to fire over the parapets as there was no firing step cut and in places it was 7ft high. We also moved Brigade Headquarters back to the old place it was in from the 3rd to 14th July. Geddes however insists on remaining where he is though I think he would be more comfortable where the mess is, and it is just as convenient.

  80. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    28 July

    We did not stand to arms actually this morning. Williams and myself went down and bathed before breakfast. The morning was rather a busy one analysing everything for the trenches. The Brigade began moving off at 5pm. Williams went on ahead and took over everything in the way of trench stores from the 8th Cheshires. I and Geddes arrived up about 6:45. The companies soon settled down. We spent a somewhat uncomfortable night in new Headquarters.

  81. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    27 July

    Stood to arms at 5am today instead of 4:30. Had a lot of visitors this evening. Very hot as usual and more windy and dusty. No news at all. Bathed in the evening and enjoyed it thoroughly. The water is very warm and we bathe off a pier built by the sappers to take off the wounded. We go up to the trenches tomorrow all being well. 

  82. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    26 July

    Stood to arms as usual. It’s getting a bit boring waiting for the Turkish attack. After breakfast there wasn’t anything on in particular. Stirling told us that the show was going to be pushed on here before anything further is done in France. Bathed in the afternoon. Major Fisher and Major Gowan of the Royal Fusiliers came into our dig out in the evening. They are calling J12 and J13 “Fusilier Bluff” after the Fusilier which took it. My arm is much better. 

  83. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    25 July

    Stood to arms as usual. All very quiet. We all inoculated against cholera this morning and don’t feel too well. Got a mail. Heard from Biryl and K from home. Geddes went up to the trenches which we are to take over on the morning of the 29th July. Three months here today!

  84. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    24 July

    The Brigade stood to arm at 4am but as before nothing happened. We carried on as usual afterwards. It was better and more windy than ever and the dust is appalling. Did nothing much all day. Got an invitation to spend a few days on the monitor “Abercrombie” form the Commander Captain Doughty a brother of Doughty Wylie. Bathed in the evening. Thompson came round to tea.

  85. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    23 July

    The Brigade stood to arms at 4am. Nothing happened however and at 5.30 everything carried on as usual. Very dull day. A fellow straight out from home came and lectured on gas in the R.F. lines at 11am. The Turks attacked the Naval staff at 1.30pm and got badly beaten off. Very quiet the whole morning. Bathed at 6pm. Got a mail and some papers.

  86. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    22 July

    Began disembarking for the destroyer on to the River Clyde at 4am. Marched straight to Gully Beach where the whole Brigade are bivouacked. Stayed here all day. No excitement. Turks supposed to be going to attack in great force. Men are absolutely cooked only Geddes, William and myself left of the original lot as the Caudy Kid went sick today with dysentery too. 

  87. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    21 July

    The doctor was just about to start inoculating us for cholera when we got orders to be ready to embark. The 87th Brigade began to embark at 11am. We did not go till 3pm ourselves. We embarked on the destroyer Basilik and left Mudros at 6:30pm getting to Cape Helles at 10pm but there were still other troops disembarking. So we hung around the beach till dawn. Everyone most awfully sick at having to return so soon, of the men for getting done out of their jaunt to the Albion which they were looking forward to.

    Batallion now stands: No. of men who left England when Brigane was 1000 strong. 314 men survive out of 1000 and of these 314 men, 155 have been wounded and returned to duty. 

  88. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    20 July

    Wilson went off with his company for the day to go on a route march to the other side of the island and was not back till 6pm. Very windy and cool all day. William and I walked into Mudros in the evening to buy some things, but we both felt rather rotten so didn’t stay long. Saw (...) who used to be in Burma.

  89. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    19 July

    Had an early parade from 6:30 to 7:20 then breakfast and then more parade from 9:30 to 10.30. At 11:30 Williams and I went up to the Aragon where we lunched and spent the day with Russell and O’Brien. Saw English also. Had a most excellent lunch and stayed to tea and came away about 5pm. Bought a few things in Mudros and came back to camp to find a big parcel mail and a lot of things from Father for me. 

  90. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    18 July

    Woke up at 6am and had a grand bathe - then breakfast.

  91. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    17 July

    Went down and bathed early this morning. It was very nice and cool. Slacked all day. At 3:30pm went down to the pier and got a tow from the “Albion” which took me on board. Had a most cheery time. I bathed, then dinner and finally slept on deck. Geddes, Stirling and Carruthers all there. The “Albion” was the battleship which ensured our landing at V Beach and they were awfully keen to hear all about it from us. 

  92. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    16 July

    Arrived at Mudros at 6:30am. We landed from the destroyer in launches and marched off under the guidance of Morgan in the S.W.B’s to a camp about 3/4 mile off. It wasn’t bad. There’s a certain amount of shade and a cool breeze. In the evening he and Williams and I went off to Mudros. The town is most picturesque - Full of colour and very lovely. We returned about 7.30. We met the commander of the “Albion” a ship which helped us land at V beach in April. 

  93. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    15 July

    We got orders to be clear of the trenches by 9am and wait down to Gully beach. There we remained till 7.30 pm. When we marched to V beach and embarked on the Torpedo Destroyer “Savage” and set sail for Lemnos. Just as we were off Asiatic Anime dropped 2 big 2 big shells within 40 yards of us as a parting shot. The fellows on board were awfully good to us and we all adjourned to the ward-room where we remained the night. I sat up talking to the commander, a fellow called Grenfell till 9.30am and then dropped off to sleep for a short time.

  94. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    14 July

    We were relieved by degrees during the morning by the S. Lancs, but Geddes, Williams and I did not get away finally till 4pm. I then went to the Brigade Office and finished up handing over then went to the place where the Brigade was at the top of the zig-zag. Russell and Tomlinson have both got billets - one at Imbros and the other at Mudros. We remain in these support trenches tonight, and so off to Lemnos some time tomorrow I believe.

  95. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    13 July

    We did not get relieved after all today. They were not quite sure in high circles how K’s army were going to stick the firing line. There was a further advance this afternoon and the right is now 1000 yards up and on the right shoulder of Achi Baba. Very quiet all day and damnably hot.

  96. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    12 July

    At 4.30am this morning there was a bit of bombardment opposite our lines and at 5am the Dublins sallied out, but did nothing. Then the French on the right began their proper advance and bombardment. They did awfully well. It was a terrific bombardment and they seemed to break up all the trenches. It went on all day and the line seems to have come up about 400 yards. The Naval Division did well too. 

  97. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    11 July

    We did not do any advance but tomorrow a fight is going to be made opposite our front and the French are going to advance in the night. But quiet here.

  98. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    10 July

    A very quiet morning again. The Turks began shelling our parapets but did very little damage. We had one man killed at the machine gun. In the evening I went round to tea at the Royal Fusilier H.Qs in their trenches and saw some fresh corpses which had been discovered by shells in the parapets. Heard that we have to do an advance before leaving the firing line.

  99. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    9 July

    Back up at 3 am and went round the trenches till dawn had broken then turned in. A very quiet night and quieter day. Most awfully hot. Sgt Harris returned from Lemnos. Worse in the afternoon. A message was brought in from the enemy under a flag of truce this morning and answer was returned this evening at 5.30. Jameson, a fellow whom I had travelled down from Kashmir with, came and paid me a visit at teatime. He is in the 5th Manchesters.

  100. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    8 July

    There was no excitement at all today. We all stood to arms as usual at 2:30am. It was very quiet all day.  A few parcels rolled up and I got some writing paper and ink.  The 87th Brigade went off to Imbros for a fortnight but as they handed over everything including transport and ammunition to the Territorials, it looks rather as if they were going farther afield. This evening a lot of K’s 2nd army fellow’s appeared in the trenches for 24 hours to see what they are like. They looked quite smart.

  101. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    7 July

    A very dull day with nothing going. Went up to the trenches early. After breakfast wrote memos and letters till lunch time. We have had no casualties today but our fellows have been doing great work sniping. It has been awfully hot all day and this afternoon the flies and sun made the whole place absolutely unbearable. In the evening I took a party of H.L.I. up to the sap to work during the night on a new support trench. They were very nervous though there was nothing to be alarmed at.

  102. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    6 July

    Was up at 2.30 as the Bde came to reinforce us. Williams took them up to the lines and didn’t get back till 5.30 meanwhile I and Geddes had a chat and then I turned in again and slept till 9. Not a very interesting morning. It was pretty hot and there was nothing much to do. I wrote to Colonel Doughty-Wylie’s sister. In the evening I went all round our trenches with Geddes. They are wonderfully improved now and there is not much smell - though the floor of every trench is thick with dead bodies. We had no casualties today - though we had about 30 yesterday yesterday altogether. We got a mail yesterday which was most welcome. Heard from M, K, Laragh and Holt.

  103. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    5 July

    Was up at 3 am and was in the trenches when the Turks made a general attack along the whole line. They commenced with the two flanks, and then began on us. It was a very half-hearted affair - they all got shot down long before they came near us. The Turks caught fire through his ammunition being hit and exploding on him and he ran about a mass of flames showing up the whole attack, so that our machine guns managed to shoot them nearly all down.  All over by 6 am, but they made a very good attempt to gain ground on the French side. They won one trench, but the French recaptured it and then took two of the Turkish trenches. By J12 and J13 the Turks are lying 8 deep. We got a mail. 200 HLI men reinforced us as we had 30 casualties.

  104. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    4 July

    Up again at 4.30. The men have settled down. There is one trench we share with the Turks otherwise the trenches are very sound. HQ are practically in the firing line. No means of getting back along the communication trenches. Pretty heavy shelling in the evening till dawn.

  105. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    3 July

    Got up early as there was a Court-Martial at 9. It rained a bit in the night. Geddes was away from 7 am to 1.30 pm going over the trenches we have to take over from the Royal Scots. William went up in the afternoon and took W Coy with him. The Brigade followed at 9.00pm as it is dangerous to go before dark as the Turks shell the place heavily. Didn’t get fixed up till 1am. Not bad trenches.

  106. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    2 July

    Woke up late. Nothing particular on in the morning. Davis was shot at dawn this morning. I did not have to be there I am glad to say, only the Padre was there at the last moment. Heard good news from the French side. They took advantage of a counter attack made on us by the Turks and advanced a lot.  O’Brien, writing to Geddes, said that 2 divisions were expected shortly, and also that masses of Turks have been seen returning to Constantinople. Bulgaria is expected in any moment. We had to stand to arms at 7pm this evening as the Turks were bombarding J13 and J12 very heavily they thought they were going to attack. Nothing happened however.

  107. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    1 July

    Got up fairly late as there was nothing to do in particular. This isn’t a bad place, though there’s very little room and the whole shore is strewn with dead horses in advanced sate of decomposition. We got a mail in the afternoon and lots of letters about Rex & his V.C., they seem to have thought a tremendous lot of the destruction of the Zeppelin. I had to promulgate Pte Davis’ sentence to the Brigade’s. He is to be shot at 6 am tomorrow. In the evening there was nothing to do so I wrote letters and answered those I had got. It looks like a storm tonight. I expect the rains will be breaking soon. Four more officers were to come to us from the Liverpools - but we sent them on to the RFs.

  108. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    30 June

    Had a good night’s sleep but the noise was incessant.  The Turks made a great counter-attack, but were seen moving and killed in great numbers.  The howitzers just behind us never stopped firing the whole night. Had a busy morning getting things straight. In the morning we were told to move to Gully Beach and were now in a camp where the Essex were originally. It was very hot and dusty moving. Our casualties were 180 and 9 officers. But the whole brigade did awfully well. The French also took 3 lines of trenches.

  109. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    29 June

    We were told we would be relieved at 6 am but only 2 corps were relieved at 6 am. Everything was quiet at daybreak, but many Turks wanted to come in and surrender. The men were in an awful state for want of water and food. They were finally relieved about 4pm but many collapsed and were unable to come out of the trenches. We went first to Gurkha Ravine had tea and an hour’s rest and then went to the Eske Lines - arriving at about 8.30 pm. The men went to sleep at once being absolutely exhausted. Geddes has lost his voice.

  110. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    28 June

    Left Eski Lines at 9.45am to get to Bruces Ravine. A tremendous bombardment from 9 to 11. Then the 87th Brigade took the first 3 lines of trenches. Practically no resistance from enemy. About 1.30 we moved up & with the Royal Scots took 2 more lines beyond make the whole advance just 1000 yards. The Gurkhas then came up too. The Turks began bombing us very badly, but we held on all day. At 7pm we had to make a bayonet charge to clear the bomb throwers out. The whole night the Turks counter-attacked but we held the most advanced trenches though the Gurkhas stampeded having no B.Os left hardly. HQs with the RF HQs were in the Turkish redoubt which we captured.  We now hold beyond Krithia on the left, but the centre is a long way back.

  111. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    27 June

    A very quiet day but we spent the night in the trenches. We were relieved by the 4th R Scots at 7pm and went back to get a night’s rest before the attack tomorrow. Men fairly tired as it is. 

  112. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    26 June

    A very quiet night after all. Slept till 8am and then had breakfast after which we went round the lines. Geddes was at a pow-wow about the attack. Got more mail and see that Rex got the V.C. for destroying the Zeppelin. A tremendous lot of work ahead of me.

  113. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    25 June

    Was up at 2am, and remained in the firing line till 4.30 when it was quite light. I then retired to sleep. Very quiet day on the whole. Just as we were going to turn there was the devil of a fusillade from the Turks who were in a panic and thought we were going to attack. Got a mail and a few papers. The Gunners were reporting for the main advance which takes place in a few days. 

  114. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    24 June

    A very quiet night on the whole. There was a lot of a burst of fire about 2am. But it soon stopped. The moon makes an awful lot of difference in that way. Got a mail at last. Felt very bad from this ‘dysentery’, but took some opium the doctor gave me, which made me able to carry on all right. Slept all afternoon. In the evening the Gunners were getting ranges of the enemy’s front trenches managed to deposit 3 premature bursts in our lines. No casualties up to date. We had fatigue parties digging on the saps all day. The smell is awful.

  115. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    23 June

    Left camp at 3am and reached the firing line at 4. Took over from the Border Regiment at 6am. Very hot. We’ve all got a slight dysentery and live on arrow root. Spent the afternoon trying to sleep, but the flies are appalling. This evening Williams went round the trenches. We hold several trenches in company with the Turks and they are all most in pleasant places. A very quiet evening and a grand moon. Our mess is at the top of the zig-zag path over looking the Nullah. You get a lovely view, but it is very hot after 10am.

  116. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    22 June

    Got up late. Two airplanes had a fight just above our dug out. Nothing much in this morning. Had a court-martial on all this afternoon. Bathed and had tea. The CO had a pow wow at 7.05pm about going up to the trenches. Went to bed early as we have to get up at 2am to go to the trenches. We got an airplane this morning. We are all feeling ill.

  117. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    21 June

    A very hot morning. I was woken up early by a tremendous bombardment on the French side. They eventually attacked and gained two lines of trenches. We got another day’s rest and don’t go up now till Wednesday morning. Got a mail and bathed in the evening. Got some wine from the French too. No other news. The Turks want to surrender we hear in large numbers. Rex was killed. 

  118. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    20 June

    Quite a quiet day. The Turks seemed to make a bit of an attack in the evening. Willliams and I and Geddes bathed in the evening. Very hot again.

  119. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    19 June

    Spent the day slacking. This morning there was an alarm and we had to pack up and go off up the Nullah. We came back about 12 noon as there was no room or need for us up there. Bathed in the evening. No news. The staff seemed to think the Turks were going to attack. Rex has destroyed a Zeppelin in France I saw in the telegram. 

  120. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    18 June

    Got up at 6am to take some photos. After breakfast we were settling down doing nothing very much in particular. This is a long way the best camp we’ve been in. William and I have a dug out overlooking the whole of Gully Beach and a grand view beyond over Y Beach to Cape Helles. The General saw all officers and gave a bit of a speech. About 7pm the Turks made the devil of an attack and shelled our trenches very heavily.

  121. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    17 June

    The Brigade paraded at 4am and got clear of the trenches were occupying. After some “gun-fire” which was most extreme at that time of the morning we marched off at 5.30am to Gully Beach, where we took over the bivouac of the Inniskilling Fusiliers. The Brigade spent the morning sitting down and doing fatigues. This is the best camp we’ve ever been in: we are just at the mouth of the Gully on the cliff walking down to Gully Beach. I am in a dug-out with William - Geddes being next door. The flies are bad otherwise it is ripping here. Very nice place for a mess too. The 87th Brigade relieved us in the trenches. No news at all of a mail. Am getting rather fed up with all this work - mostly unnecessary in connection with adjunct. 

  122. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    16 June

    There was a very disturbing night and we got no sleep practically thanks to a lot of ‘panicking’. We sent up nearly the whole Brigade to reinforce the Dublins till the men were simply falling over themselves in the firing line. We lost a trench but Prendergast practically recaptured it by himself. He did most awfully well. During the day nothing much happened. I heard that I was appointed to the 1st Brigade on promotion. We are going to be relieved tomorrow by the 87th Brigade. Morrogh was killed last night in the attack I am sorry to say. They seem to expect a big attack tonight but I don’t think Turks will do one myself. No mail again today. 

  123. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    15 June

    Up at 4am to send in a report and then to bed again. After breakfast Williams and I went round the trenches as Geddes was away on a court-martial. Back by 11am as there was a court of enquiry on there. In the evening Atlee and I walked down the trenches to Gurkha Bluff and saw the scene of our night attack 6 weeks ago. Dinner early and immediately afterwards another panic, absolutely unfounded.

  124. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    14 June

    Geddes and Williams went round the trenches after breakfast and I remained at the HQs. Brand, the Staff Captain came along later and we had to inspect the Camp Kitchens. A mail came in and tons of parcels. I got a torch and a watch and lots of useful things. In the evening Geddes and I went round the trenches. There was a great panic on immediately after dinner and we had to send reinforcements up. It was all a panic.

  125. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    13 June

    Spent the morning assembling HQs. The trenches much better already from parties walking on them. Stood to arms from 2.30am till 4am. In the evening William and Geddes went round the trenches. Quite a quiet night.

  126. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    12 June

    Brigade paraded at 2am and marched off at 3am to the Nullah. We got to the firing line at 4.30 and did not take over the trenches till 11am. The Borders were in our trenches and left them in a disgusting state. During the afternoon our men settled down and in the evening Geddes and I went round and saw them all fixed up. It was quite a quiet night. 

  127. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    11 June

    Was woken up at 11pm last night to sat that the Brigade was to move off at 2.30am to Gully Beach. Had to warn every one and arrange transport, so did not get much sleep myself. We arrived at Gully Beach at 3.30pm just as it was getting light and found two regiments there already. Spent the whole day on the sands. Infernally hot. Had a nice bathe however in the evening. Got orders that we are to relieve the 87th Brigade at dawn tomorrow. Had an excellent meal in the Royal Fusilier mess with French ration wine. 

  128. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    10 June

    Got no further orders about moving and don’t expect to go now until the 12th. We had an awful lot of shelling. Two of our men Slattery and Twomey did a thing worth the VC today. An ammunition wagon was shelled so heavily coming over the hill that the drivers were all killed. Four horses out of the 6 were down, but the others seemed to escape everything. After about 10 mins our two fellows ran out over 300 yards under a hail of shelling and cut the traces bringing the horses back safe. Though there were men of other rgts unable to move from their trenches 20 yards away. 

  129. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    9 June

    Spent a very dull day in our trenches. The Dublins were heavily shelled all day, but had no casualties to speak of. Destouex was very badly hit by a shell and died in great pain this evening. His rotten bad luck. He was only 19 and very keen. Aitken, a new fellow too, was also wounded, but not badly. Any amount of work going on. 

  130. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    8 June

    Very dull day. The men went down to bathe at intervals. The dust is awful. We respirators and any amount of panic about poisonous gases, calculated to put a whole division to flight. A lot of firing in the trenches tonight, and plenty of spent bullets flying around.

  131. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    7 June

    No news and nothing doing. Am now at HQs. Lots of work not quite interesting. Nothing in the way of the mail. Wilson went off last night and is now at Lemnos en route for home. Did some bomb-throwing. 

  132. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    6 June

    We stayed here all day and did nothing. The whole 56th Brigade has been reformed and is here. Wilson is sick and I took on the adjunctacy. William doing 2nd in command.

  133. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    5 June

    We heard that the centre had advanced all night but both flanks badly held up so we gained nothing very much. We were staying here all day and the men were told to dig in comfortably. The Turks reached two trenches last night but we retook them at dawn.

  134. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    4 June

    Took on Carroll as a servant as Gushlow has been made a Cpl. A tremendous bombardment commenced at 10am. Every gun in the place firing. The whole fleet also came and joined in the show. At noon the advance came on and we were told to move up in reverse at 3pm. We got as far as the Pink Farm and there we remained in trenches. Almost 450 prisoners were taken but the whole advance was more or less of a failure. We were told to stand fast for the night.  

  135. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    3 June

    We now have 38 officers and 150 men. It is too damnable for words. A beautiful morning. Most of the men on fatigues. Took a party of our men down to Jarrett’s grave to build it up. Heard we were for the firing line but this was cancelled. Geddes had a powwow and said we were for an attack on Achi Baba, but in Corps-Reservs. Got a mail in answer to our first letters from the Peninsula. In the evening - wrote letters. Went with Kane after dinner down to the French HQs. Heard a lot of news. Got back about 11pm. Tremendously heavy firing going on. 

  136. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    2 June

    Some 17 officers showed up without any warning. Williams and I went to Sedd-El-Bahr Fort at 7 30am and arranged the Coy dug outs. I share a dug out facing the Beach with the River Clyde at our feet and Sedd-El-Bahr village & castle opposite, all shown up by a glorious background of the Darnadelles, Mount Ida and the plains of Troy with Kun Kale a little to the right. It is a grand view looking straight out of our dig out. In the evening Williams, Russell and myself went and visited Jarrett’s grave and then fought our battles again of April 25th going over the whole thing from the River Clyde up through the Old Castle and Sedd-El-Bahr village to Hill 144. 

  137. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    1 June

    Heard this morning that we are to move to make room for the Dublins who have just arrived. Went over with Geddes to Beach V and on to the “River Clyde”. We could not find a good place on the Beach, so going to move into the Fort. In the evening, Geddes, Wilson, Williams and myself walked over to Sedd-El-Bahr Fort and walked the camp. Met Dalgleish and Buckland and O.R. in the A.S.C. They were shelling the French camp pretty successfully while we were there. Got back about 7pm. No news in particular.  

  138. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    31 May

    Beach Y - Arrived in campsite close to Geddes now commanding Bde which is 401 strong. A lot of talk of a big attack on Achi Baba tomorrow. Did nothing much all day. In the evening we went for a walk. I had to take some Turkish prisoners down to the pier under arrest and see them safely off to Lemnos and Imbros. The remains of the Majestic are just showing above the water in front of our camp. It is very dusty and windy here and I wish we could get some rain. Dineen went sick, so I have got Arklow as a servant now. 

  139. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    30 May

    Mudros - Got boat back at 3pm. Found the Bde on the beach – total luck.

  140. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    29 May

    Mudros - We didn’t get away last night and it seems just as hopeless today. A trawler came alongside, but only went to and from Gaba Tepe where the Australians are. Spent the whole morning writing and reading. In the afternoon a trawler suddenly appeared and we fixed up an arrangement to be taken to Gallipoli. 

  141. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    28 May

    Mudros - Up at 8am. No confrontation yet of the taking of Acha Baba. I hope to goodness we get away today. Spent the morning writing letters and reading. Nothing on all day. The telegrams were very dull. Hear that submarine Ell sunk two ships in the sea of Marmara and two more off Constantinople.  Still no sign of any boat to take us off. There ought to be a mail or two waiting for me now on shore. 

  142. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    27 May

    Mudros - Excellent news that Italy and Austria are fighting. Also that the Turks are suing for peace and are willing to open the Darnedelles but want their Peninsula back. No news of how or when we are going to get off this beastly ship. A lot of men have been put onshore in Lemnos this morning. News came through that the Majestic had been sunk and that we had taken the hill presumably Achi Baba. From another source we heard that Krithia had also been taken. So it is most possible that we have the Turks on the run.  Hollbrook has got back after torpedoing 5 vessels in the Sea of Marmara & elsewhere. They signalled for a boat to take us away all day but not so here we are again this evening. Beautiful calm weather.

  143. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    26 May

    Mudros - Felt very much better. Might get away today. (…) of the Machine Gun who came in wounded. He said he had relieved the Inniskillings in the trenches on the extreme left & that we were only 50 yards apart from the Turkish trenches. He said the fire was very heavy but not many men hit but they never knew that any minute the whole trench might be blown up as both us and the Turks are busy sapping night and day. The French have done very well on the right. All the battle ships have come in owing to too many submarines, one of which was torpedoed. Can’t get away as no boats are leaving for the Peninsula. We are all fed up as anything. 

  144. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    25 May

    Mudros - Didn’t feel particularly well this morning. A lot of fellows went off to Alexandria this morning. Very hot. Heard that formal declaration of war had been declared against Austria by Italy. This might make the war end a bit sooner. Was going off today, but no boats left for the Peninsula. Slacked all of the afternoon and in the evening we had long discussions on the war our party consisted of (…), Maynard, a (…) in the Naval division and a fellow called (…).

  145. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    24 May

    Mudros - Woke up feeling better. Very nice morning again. Got telegrams to say Italy and Austria were fighting but war had not actually been declared yet. Several more lies about our show in which we were (...) “advancing and consolidating our position” as usual. In the evening I met a fellow who had been all through the Antwerp retreat with the naval division. There was rumour that 6 submarines had been caught in the nets at noon and that Italy was fighting at last. Sat up very late discussing the general situation into the night. 

  146. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    23 May

    Mudros - Felt much better only more slack and tired. Did nothing in particular all day. Heard that Italy has practically come in. Beautiful day. Heard that the Inniskillings had a great shouta against the Turks. 

  147. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    22 May

    Mudros - Woke up feeling better. Had no breakfast and did nothing all morning. Had a little lunch. No one in particular that I know but did chat to a man named Pearce.

  148. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    21 May

    Mudros - Felt pretty rotten all day. Did nothing much wrote a few letters. Had a bath for the first time in a month. Met Starling. This is such a magnificent boat.

  149. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    20 May

    Gallipoli Peninsula - They decided to send me on to the ship to recover so at 3 I left in a trawler. We went to the Beach and from there to Imbros and from there to Lemnos where we got to Mudros Harbour. Reached the (hospital ship) at 9 pm and got on board. Had a little dinner then to bed. Feeling better but unable to sleep.

  150. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    19 May

    Gallipoli Peninsula - Fever all day. Did nothing. Heard that the Inniskillings were attacked very heavily again last night by the Turks. But as usual save them a bad whack and lost no ground. No news of when we go up again to the firing line. We are all very fed up with the fatigues.

  151. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    18 May

    Gallipoli Peninsula - Woke up with fever again and stayed in bed all day. Felt awfully rotten. The hot sun yesterday probably brought it on and sleeping on hot sand. There’s no news except that the Turks have admitted having 40,000 casualties since we landed and are beginning to show signs of giving in. Got mail from Tom. 

  152. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    17 May

    Gallipoli Peninsula - Felt quite all right this morning. Though a bit shaky on my legs. There is no news at all. I was on fatigue from 12 30 pm and felt the sun very hot. We were walking on a road up the Nullah here and got quite unpleasantly shelled. Between 3 and 4 I had to knock off work for an hour. A fellow called MacCarthy O’Leary arrived today with 48 men from Cork he joined from the RMC at the same time as Pottinger.

  153. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    16 May

    Gallipoli Peninsula. - Woke up pretty damnable and found that I had a go of malaria. I spent the whole day in bed. I felt better by sunset.

  154. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    15 May

    Gallipoli Peninsula – Beach Y - We heard that they succeeded in killing and wounded Turks but they were shelled last night. Spent the morning of fatigue relief and trenches etc. At 2pm we were told we were all supposed to go to Div HQ. Finally came off at 4. Very hot day.

  155. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    14 May

    Gallipoli Peninsula - Beach Y - Up at 6am. Had to sort and sign all letters of killed and wounded this morning. The Turks have sapped up to within 70 yards of our trenches. Did a good stack all the afternoon, but had a toothache and indigestion. In the evening, they began to shell a transport about ½ mile out to sea. They dropped about 7 shells landing right on her decks and we expected to see her sink or set on fire. Any moment but she finally got up steam and cleared off. The Lancs Fusiliers sent up to the firing line this evening.

  156. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    13 May

    Gallipoli Peninsula - Beach Y - Was sent away on fatigue at 8 am to the Beach. Wasn’t relieved till 1pm but got breakfast for the men and had some myself with Baxter. The Goliath was torpedoed in the night – 530 drowned of Sedd El Bahr. A lot of shelling during the day. 50 horses and 29 men killed. They say the guns have been landed and are behind Achi Baba. The Gurkhas got up on the bluff last night and are safely dug in there. Got back about 2.30 pm. Slept in the afternoon and then bathed. Russell returned today. 

  157. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    12 May

    Gallipoli Peninsula - Beach Y - Very wet and cold morning. Got up at 6 when there was a Roll call. We were on fatigue in batches all day. We were digging ourselves new places all the morning. At 12 noon I was suddenly sent for and found that the RA fellow wanted to know about the trenches Floyd and I had crept up to so that the Navy could shell them. Finally we went off in a cutter on board the ‘Dublin’. There we had great pow-wow - looked through so many telescopes and climbed to the mast head. You couldn’t see the trenches we had explored, so we adventured for a magnificent lunch. After lunch I was given all sorts of things in the shape cigarettes, cigars and chocolate and came back to the beach. They are beginning to shell out land places now and making a most unpleasant for fatigue parties. 

  158. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    11 May

    Gallipoli Peninsula - Beach Y - Was woken up by the Padre reading Mass at 6am. Did not get up till later. The General Marshall came and read out the sentences passed on the men who were court martialled at 11am. They all got 10 years, but must serve till the end of the war. In the evening Whitall suddenly appeared. He is in the VI Gurkhas. I walked back 1/2 way to the firing line with him. On the way back I saw Morgan and went into the S.W.B.s mess for an hour. They have 9 officers still. Geddes suddenly turned up having recovered from his wounds. 

  159. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    10 May

    Gallipoli Peninsula - Beach Y - Spent a most glorious night and slept most soundly from 9pm, till 7 the next morning. Got up and had a bathe in the sea. Feeling awfully well after the rest. Organised the whole Battalion afresh. I am in “W” as Subaltern to Williams. In the afternoon William and I who share a most excellent dig out, censored about 500 letters. I wrote one or two. We then had tea. It was very hot but we were all very cheery to news from the firing line but we heard today that Lusitania has been sunk and only about 1/3 of her passengers saved. Sgt: Ireland and the interpreter were killed during the night, by their dig out falling in on top of them. Damned bad luck. 

  160. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    9 May

    Gallipoli Peninsula - At dawn I found position untenable so had to retire back to the K.O.S.B. lines. After breakfast Floyd and I made a reconnaissance and got up on to the blufff. No sign of the enemy or so we thought but of course the Turks at once opened fire. Out of the first 6 men up, I was the only one not hit. Had to retire again. At 5pm the whole 29th Div went back to base on Beach Y.

  161. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    8 May

    Gallipoli Peninsula - Had quite a quiet night after all. This morning at about 10 30 am some New Zealanders advanced and came up to our trenches. We could see a redoubt about 400 yards in front. It was very hot all day. At 4am the French advanced and lost very heavily. At 7am we were relieved by the Worcestors but only to be marched 9 miles to the left and told to do a night attack at 1am. We passed the K.A.S.B. at 12.30am. We advanced 500 yards then the Turks heard us and opened fire and we had to dig within there. 

    [Image: Sketch from Guy Nightingale's diary via National Archives UK]

  162. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    7 May

    Gallipoli Peninsula - We were told to stand fast again while the first two phases were completed. The Royal Scots were told to take a wood which they did, but had to retire out of it again, as there were no supports. At 4 30 we were told to advance beyond the Worcestors. It was Hell. We had 7 killed and 123 wounded in less than a minute advancing only a few yards. Romeo got knocked over. We dug in where we were and at dusk the Borders came up and we formed some sort of a line.

  163. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    6 May

    Gallipoli Peninsula - A very cold night and bitter wind. Heard that an advanced line was going to be taken up today. We are in reverse during the first two phases, but will take part in an assault on Achi Baba, if it takes place. There was much fighting all day and the French were massing on the right and advanced a bit. By the evening the whole line had advanced about 600 yards. There was a good deal of shelling but we had no casualties. I am now William’s Subaltern and we share a dug out together. The 46th Sikhs and 89th Punjabis are here. 

  164. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    5 May

    Gallipoli Peninsula - William and I walked back to the base and spent the morning there. We returned for lunch to the firing line. Prendergast has come back from the Transporter and taken my place with the Dublins.  The regiment is only 430 strong now. There was no attack today on either side. I don’t know when we will get to Ache Baba now. It seems ridiculous to have thought of reaching it the first night. All the fields here are bright with bold flowers of some description. It looks very peaceful behind the firing, but the incessant noise of shelling never lets you forget that things are just as damnable as ever in front.

  165. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    4 May

    Gallipoli Peninsula - William and I had to go in again to the Div HQ Iin the afternoon. A very hot back. The Turks attacked the French during last night, but nothing happened. Met the Provost Marshall and Hodgson of the Queens, who is Judge Advocate General to the Forces. The whole place is full of troops landing. I wish I could have taken some photos but my camera was ruined when I jumped into the sea on the day of landing. Left Div HQ before dusk & joined the Btn which had moved up to the firing line again in the same old place. On the night there is a big risk of attack. The German and Turkish officers were calling out in English ‘Don’t fire on the trench’. In the lull of the firing managed to get quite close and bayonet a lot of them.

  166. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    3 May

    Gallipoli Peninsula - During the attack of our troops yesterday morning, we were in reserve. We were relieved at 4.30pm by the Worcestors and went right back to the reserve trenches 1000 yards behind. There we spent a most pleasant night, all slept soundly. After breakfast this morning William and I had to go to the Div HQ as they are going to court martial the men of Y coy who refused to obey an order in the night of May 1st & 2nd. We spent the whole morning doing nothing and had lunch then at 3pm the court met. At 7.30 Sgt Edwards was acquitted but Evans  & (..) kept in the Guard Room. We had dinner with the Div Staff and then tried to get back to our lines but it was too dark so we returned and slept on the ground till dawn when we returned.

  167. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    1 May

    Gallipoli Peninsula - Quite a quiet night, not very cold. Heard that there is no intention of moving forward yet. As a matter of fact we have far too few men to think of advancing yet. A very quiet day retired to bed early. Woke up at 10:30 to the sound of firing and saw a dense mass of Turks advancing on the line. Silhouetted against the moon which was rising. They were on the other side of the Nullah, but on our side they had crept up and bayonetted most of the men in their sleep and swept on. 

  168. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    30 April

    Gallipoli Peninsula - There was a lot of sniping during the night but no serious attack. Spent the whole day in the trenches. The Sappers and Miners are very slow about putting the Nullah in a state of defense. It is a most unpleasant spot, full of dead Turks and very hard to defend. During the afternoon, the Lancs reported a strong body of the enemy approaching and we stood to arms but nothing happened. In the evening I went across and visited William and Dorman. McCann and some mess things arrived and are in a bomb proof shelter belonging to the Turks we captured. Very cold at night-time but I have put up a roof out of a teule d’abre I got off a French officer of the Foreign Legion whom I found dead here and buried. No casualties today, wrote some letters home.

  169. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    29 April

    Gallipoli Peninsula - At 7am I found Major Hutchinson and we were ordered to reorganise the regiments. The Dubliners were to come with us as their only officer left is O’Hara. By 9am we were all under directions from Farmer (now Bde Major) to a line of the fence 1000 yards in advance where we were told to entrench ourselves. The division was entrenched by noon right across the Peninsula 40 miles up with the French on our right but, hanging back. Together with the Dublins we number 770 men and 8 officers. Griffen is with me as my Subaltern and I am also commanding 180 men of the Dublin brigades, what remains of Y Coy. We dug in under peaceful conditions. During the afternoon General Hunter-Weston came along the line. My coy is holding a damnable place on the side of a deep Nullah place, the one place the Turks could not break through unless they carefully moved and watched.

    Page from Guy Nightingale's diary for April 29th to May 2nd 1915. (The National Archives, UK)

  170. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    28 April

    Gallipoli Peninsula - A very cold night. Heard that the line had been made good across the Peninsula. We were told that we were to move up at 8am into the trenches and get in reserve while a further advance was made. Had a good wash in the sea, then breakfast. We pushed off the Old Castle and found Hill 141. The French were already quite at home on that V where we had landed and it looked very different with camp and tents in the place. The sea was a beautiful blue colour and no longer red with blood as it was the day we saw it last. At 11am we reached the trenches but heard that the Turks had run out of ammunition, so we pushed on. We got right up to the village but the French on our right were falling fast so a retirement was endured. It was a great pity as the Turks were on the other side of Acha Baba too. We fell back at dusk to the line we had last night. It was miserably cold and we had no coats. 

  171. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    27 April

    Gallipoli Peninsula, Hill 138

    French troops landed during the night and at 6am relieved us in the front line. We went back to Beach Y, where we had landed, and had breakfast and had a sleep. It was very hot. The dead lying on the beach wasn’t a pleasant sight. There were hundreds of them. (...) was buried at 9pm. The admiral came along and said we were to go to Hill 114. We started off, but on reaching Hill 138 we were told to stand fast. We were told to stay where we were for the night. With the 86th Btn in reserve to the Division which was to start to advance. No one can understand how we affected the directive given the strength of the position. There were less Turks up against us. 

  172. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    26 April

    Gallipoli Peninsula - Sedd-El-Bahr

    There was no attack by the Turks during the night but William advanced and forward with the Worcestors on the left. I buried Jarret at dawn on the beach. At 7 we got orders to charge the castle. There were two companies of Worcs (what remained of them) 2 corps of Hants and 1 of Dublins. We took the castle at the point of the bayonet but got held up by the village of Sedd el Bahr which was full of snipers. Colonel Doughty-Wylie was commanding. It took us 5 hours to get through the village - we lost a lot. Major Packham with his Hants did well. At 3pm what we held was beyond the village under a high hill with a redoubt on top. The RN (Queen Elizabeth) then bombarded the hill for 3/4 of an hour at the end of which the Dublins and ourselves charged up the hill with fixed bayonets and drove some Turks off the top. Colonel Doughty-Wylie was killed. 

  173. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    25 April

    Letter to his mother:

    This is the first opportunity I have of writing to you since we left the boat. You will have seen in the papers by now that we have forced a landing, but ourselves and the Dubliners got most awfully badly mauled in doing so.

    We left Lemnos for Tenados one day, and from there we got into a collier called the 'River Clyde', which had been fitted for the purpose of beaching. We anchored at midnight about 2 miles from the mouth of the Dardanelles and at dawn the whole fleet began a bombardment of the end of the peninsula where we were going to land. At 7.30am the Dublins set off in open boats to their landing place which was the same as ours. As each boat got near the shore snipers shot down the oarsmen. The boats then began to drift and machine gun fire was turned onto them. You could see the men dropping everywhere and of the first boatload of 40 men, only 3 reached the shore all wounded. At the same time we ran the old collier onto the shore, but the water was shallower than they thought, and she stuck about 80 yards out. Some lighters were put to connect with the shore and we began running along them to get down to the beach. I can’t tell you how many were killed and drowned, but the place was a regular death trap. I was down at the lighters but was sent back by Jarrett, as there was no room on them. Then the wounded began crawling back then Turks sniping at them, the whole time. The men who had managed to reach the shore were all crouching under a bank about ten feet high, among them Jarrett.

    At 2pm the Col. told me to go down onto the barge, collect as many men as I could and join the force on the shore. We jumped into the sea and got ashore somehow with a rain of bullets around us. I found Jarrett and a lot of men, but very few were not hit. We waited till dusk, and then crept up into a sort of position a few yards up. We took up an outpost line and I had just put out my security groups, and Jarrett came up to have a look when he was shot through the throat by my side. He died very soon, and that left me the senior officer on shore. We had an awful night, soaked to the skin, bitterly cold, wet and sniped at all night. At dawn the fleet began another heavy bombardment, and by that time all the troops from the collier had come ashore. We were told to storm an old ruined castle which was held by the enemy, so what remained of us and a company of Dublins and 2nd co. of the Hants charged the place. We turned them out but got hung up under from nasty fire from a village which we did not succeed in occupying until 2 in the afternoon. We then formed up and together with the rest of the Dublins stormed the hill with a redoubt on the top, which commanded the whole place.

    [Image: Sketch from Guy Nightingale's diary via National Archives UK]

    We drove 2000 Turks off the top and finally dug ourselves in and across the peninsula, holding about half a mile of the south of the peninsula. We lost an awful lot, and had only 8 officers left. The Dublins had only 3. That night we were attacked at intervals all through, but held our own until 1000 French reinforced us… We get shelled at all day, and sniped at and attacked all night, but are very cheery. We have plenty of food now and water, and have dug ourselves into the ground like in France. The Dublins and ourselves have been formed into one regiment. We both left England 1000 strong, and now together we are 8 officers and 770 men!... It has certainly been a tough job. The heaps of dead are awful, and the beach where we landed was an extraordinary sight the morning they buried them. I buried Major Jarrett just before dawn and have his few personal belongings which I hope to send to his people soon. Pollard was killed before we landed, shot in the head on board ship from the shore. Geddes was hit beside me, through the shoulder and out at the back - not serious. Henderson had his arm shattered. I think he will lose it. All the others are recovering slowly. Wilson was hit in the leg and Mason in the chest.

    I have had some extraordinary escapes but haven’t been touched yet… Both the Padre and the Dr of the Dublins were killed. We hope to have a bit of a rest now, and go into reserve. We lost more men and officers in this battalion, in the first three days here than we did in three years in S. Africa. 

  174. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    24 April

    Had a great sending off from Lemnos as we were the first two transfers to leave. As we passed each battleship they cheered ... all the blue jackets lining the decks and rigging. Woke up this morning to find ourselves at Tenedos. A tremendous lot of battleships here. Too rough to do anything again. At 3pm we were suddenly ordered to dress and got on board a cross channel steamer which took us to board the 'River Clyde' where we spent a most bloody night.

  175. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    23 April

    Feel much better and hope to avoid fever. We have to be at Tenedos by 8am tomorrow morning and will be landing the following day. They seem to think we’ll do it all night. Did a bit of a doss in the afternoon, left Lemnos at 6pm. All lights out.

  176. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    22 April

    Lemnos - Heard that the whole show has been put off for 24 hours owing to the bad weather. Got a mail, but no letters from Ma. Had (...) both the morning and afternoon. Got another fellow in our cabin. Am in an awful funk of getting a go of malaria - and live on Quinine. 

  177. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    21 April

    Very rough and raining hard. The fleet gone out to (...) Got out orders today. Most exciting. Wrote a few letters home - otherwise did nothing. Several more fellows have come on board and they are going to make this into a hospital ship.

  178. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    20 April

    Lemnos - Had the whole day ashore. Very rough and windy; took 3/4 of an hour rowing ashore. Walked to the other side of the island. The whole place was one mass of wild flowers the scents were lovely! No trees at all. Got back to the beach at 3.30 and waited till 9 before we managed to get boats. Too rough. Finally this inflatable rescued us. Col. Ormond departed.

  179. Guy Nightingale

    Guy Nightingale

    19 April

    Lemnos - Had nothing to do all the morning. Got another mail and some amusing papers from Tom. In the evening at 5, the Major and I took some men onshore and bathed. Came back again about 6.30. Quite cold now and nobody knows what amount of kit to take when we finally leave the ship.

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