Chapter 90 – Ishmail

Lieutenant Mehmet Fasih recorded in his diary on 19 and 26 November 1915, translated in Lone Pine (Bloody Ridge) Diary (p. 104, 130), how rumours of an enemy evacuation had reached Turkish frontline soldiers. Fasih states that the rumours were founded on Istanbul based newspaper reports from early November stating that the British were considering a withdrawal, including reference to debate on the idea in the House of Lords.

Charles Bean describes the first “silent stunt” of 24-27 November 1915, in lead up to evacuation in Official History of Australia in the War of 1914-18 , vol II, pp. 842-845. The idea being to convince the Turks that long periods of silence along the firing line did not mean withdrawal. This account includes a description of how the Turks threw a note into the Anzac trenches at Quinn’s Post, with the French wording as included as quoted. Bean also mentions the Turkish reconnoitring parties sent out along the line during the nights of 25/26 and 26/27 November, and describes a case where one dead Turkish soldier was seen hanging on the wire the next day at Johnston’s Jolly.

Harvey Broadbent provides a translation of orders given to the Ottoman 19th Division, including the 57th Regiment, for surveillance attacks at key points along the front line at 4:00am on 26 November 1915, in Gallipoli-The Turkish Defence (pp. 354-356). This account includes specific orders for a surveillance team of three squads to be sent from Trench 32, to be followed by engineers to connect the captured trenches. A map on p. 223 shows that Trench 32 is opposite the Anzac position around Pope’s Hill, and was occupied by the 57th Regiment. Broadbent describes how the surveillance attacks met the usual stiff opposition, and “up near the Posts” [ie location of 57th Regiment] they had to go to ground and come back to their trenches. Bodies of a relatively small number of dead Turkish soldiers remained close to the enemy trenches. A translation of another report dated 25 November 1915 by Major Hayri, Deputy Commander of the 57th Regiment is also provided (pp. 420-421), outlining reasons why he believed the enemy was in withdrawal.

Requests for exchange of food or cigarettes were sometimes exchanged between Australian soldiers and Turkish soldiers. Notes were thrown between trenches, often written in French as the language most commonly known by both sides. An example of an Australian soldier holding a packet of Turkish cigarettes with a note written in French can be viewed in Australian War Memorial photo ref H15199:

https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1560?image=1

The author’s mother-in-law Verda Cimilli described an account from her father Ali Hüsnü Turkoğlü who served in the Ottoman Army at the Anzac front (rank of Üzbaş = Captain), how notes and food were regularly exchanged , but not when the German officers were present as it was forbidden.