Chapter 70 – Jayjay

AWM photograph P02648.026 shows a wooden latrine dug into a trench wall around May, superseding the open latrine pits of the early days. AWM photograph C01921 shows men making these wooden latrines known as “thunderboxes”.

Charles Bean describes the wind and storm of 29 June 1915, and subsequent Turkish attack at Russell’s Top after midnight in Official History of Australia in the War of 1914-18, vol II (pp. 308-317). From about midnight, two 75mm Turkish guns concentrated fire on Russell’s Top, then a heavy fusillade of machine gun and rifle fire came from Turks at Quinn’s and German Officers’ Trenches (p. 310). When this died away, the Turkish 18th Regiment charged at The Nek and cries of “Allah! Allah!” could be heard from far down the line. A Turkish commander described how the distant shouts which at first had seemed “joyous,” changed to sounds of tragedy (p.311).

The History of the First Battalion A.I.F 1914-1919 , as written by battalion commanders, records how the majority of the battalion (other than a working party and the machine gun section) was sent to Imbros in the early hours of 30 June 1914 for one week’s rest (p. 36). The men were taken on two minesweepers and reached Imbros at 2.30am. The strength of the battalion was 19 officers and 536 other ranks, approximately half its original strength. This account states that on 11 June 1914, the 1st Battalion was moved to Braund’s hill for a rest, but found the word “rest” illusory as they were required to work in the support trenches every night. On the water, one man was hit by a stray bullet.

Les Carlyon describes in Gallipoli , the dysenteric diarrhoea known as “the Gallipoli trots” that was spread by prolific numbers of flies (p. 312-314).

Peter Doyle and Julian Walker describe wartime slang in Trench Talk – Words of the First World War . They quote the expression “Anzac soup” as used later on the Western Front for shell-hole water polluted by a corpse (p. 239).

Alan Moorehead describes in Gallipoli , how in June and July 1914, men started to say openly that the whole expedition was a blunder, and that Gallipoli no longer counted for anything. France got more reinforcements, and the reinforcements for Gallipoli were too few, too late (p. 225).

Gunner Sydney Loch’s account of his experience is recorded in To Hell and Back – the Banned Account of Gallipoli. Loch states that uncensored telegrams from Reuters News Bureau were posted daily on biscuit boxes by the beach and on notice boards at headquarters. The news from France was depressing. Men cursed the heat, the flies, the monotony and their misfortune and sometimes “one or other goaded himself into wrath.” (p. 193).

Loch recounts a conversation at Gallipoli lamenting that there will not be any of the first lot left by the time the war is over. His commander laughed and agreed, stating that at this rate it would be the 100th Battalion to return to Melbourne in triumph to the girls and papers, and the first ones will be forgotten (p. 183).

Ernest Scott describes the evolving Australian views on conscription during 1915 in Official History of Australia in the War of 1914-18 , vol XI (Australia During the War). Scott states that the prospect of conscription was raised by individual senators in the Australian Parliament in April and June 1915 (p. 297). In the second half of 1915, the idea of conscription gained some popular support and was endorsed by the Roman Catholic Archbishop. However, Australian Prime Minister Fisher announced on 25 September 1915 that he was “irrevocably opposed to conscription and was sure he could say his colleagues were.” (p. 298). Views on conscription held by soldiers on service were divided. An Australian referendum on the question was held in October 1916, with votes of in service solders tallied separately. Of these, 72,399 votes were in favour of conscription, and 58,894 votes were against (p. 352).

“Growling” is an expression for complaining, examples are included in The Anzac Book , written by the Men of Anzac (p. 22, 44).