June 4 th
4 June KOSB"At 12 punctually the intense bombardment ceased - it was an infernal noise - no words can describe the hideous din - the earth simply shook and parts of the support trench in which I was, fell in from the reverberation. 'A' and 'B' Companies attacked and lost very heavily. 'C' and 'D' Companies followed 50 paces behind, and we had to get up a very high parapet in the face of a perfect hail of shrapnel and machine gun and rifle fire - I ran on blindly shouting to my men - we lost heaps - men falling all around me and with such terrible wounds. My men were splendid - nothing stopped them - we dashed into the first Turkish trench (H9) and all the enemy were standing there with white flags, their hands up - some had their hats hoisted on their rifles: we took the lot - and I at once detailed an escort for them - we dashed on to the next trench (H10) the same thing happened there - all told about fifty-six prisoners - I collected some men, Worcesters and KOSB mixed by this time and we rushed on to H11: about 10 yards from this, I turned to shout to them to come on, when I fell with a twisted ankle into an awful barbed wire entanglement. All this time shrapnel whizzing all around and men falling - it was too awful - I had no wire cutters - my coat was torn in numbers of places - my puttees to ribbons and my breeches too - I tried everything to get out of it - and simply could not do so - I saw four Turks coming towards me - I fired my revolver four times at them two fell and I don't know what happened to the others - I lay in that tornado for about 3/4 hour - our men in the meantime had got to H11 the third trench and a stiff bayonet fight went on - we eventually got possession of it and after that I saw them press on to the next one. I lay in the barbed wire expecting to be hit every moment - By the mercy of God I wasn't although a shrapnel bullet struck me on the heel of the boot - quite suddenly I felt myself free of the wire how I don't know, but I couldn't get up as my ankle was too painful. A wounded officer from the Worcesters near couldn't move either - he was hit in the leg and I gave him my water bottle - numbers of men all around very badly wounded - I gave morphia tablets to several - at last the shrapnel ceased slightly and the Worcester man and I crawled back together very slowly - we passed through H10 and H9 and at last got back to our original trench - we took ages doing it, and he poor chap was awfully weak - he died." (Second Lieutenant Richard Reeves, 1st King's Own Scottish Borderers, 2nd Naval Brigade, RND)
The 1st KOSB and the 4th Worcesters had made a considerable advance and actually reached the last Turkish line. But they were not supported and eventually were forced to fall back as the Turkish reserves arrived. They ended up back in their original front lines.
HELLES - THIRD BATTLE OF KRITHIA
To start the Third Battle of Krithia the bombardment of identified Turkish strongpoints opened up at 08.00, then at 11.05 the concentrated barrage of the whole Turkish front line began. Once again only the French 75's, some of which had been loaned to the British sector, were well supplied with high explosive shells and by far the great preponderance of shells fired by British guns were ineffectual shrapnel.
4 June ManchesterProbably as a result of this imbalance reactions to the bombardment varied widely amongst the troops depending on the amount of destruction in front of them. Some, like Private Ridley Sheldon, were mightily impressed.
"It was such an inferno of noise, that I was stone deaf for a fortnight afterwards; and there was a tornado of hellish fire, so fierce and terrible, that spread death and destruction all around. Any orders that were given had to be passed down the Trenches from man to man, by his yelling in to the ears of his mate as loudly as he possibly could. The bombardment consisted of shrapnel and lyddite; and shells in thousands were dropped, blowing parts of the Turkish Trenches to atoms, and completely carrying away the barbed wire entanglements which the enemy had erected. Every shell that dropped seemed to tell; for we saw, hurled up into the air, Legs, Arms, Heads, bodies, parts of limbs and every imaginable thing. It was an awful and fearful sight, most gruesome in the extreme, and blood curdling." (Private Ridley Sheldon, 1/6th Manchester Regiment, 127th Brigade, 42nd Division)
But in other area it was a sad disappointment to those who knew their lives might depend on the efficacy of the bombardment. In the middle of the British line
To the right of the 29th Division was the 42nd Division attacking on either side of Krithia Nullah. The Lancashire territorials had been rank amateurs when they had landed at Helles just 4 weeks before. Frightened by the noise of battle, afraid of the dark, terrified by sight of mangled human remains; unable to perform even the simplest of military tasks, they had been all but useless. Their training had not been sufficient to withstand the shock of war. But they had matured in the trenches, gained that vital experience, learnt to control themselves under fire and now they were ready for battle. The attack was carried out by the Manchesters of the 127th Brigade. As Private Ridley Sheldon found it a terrific trial.
"I shall never forget the moment when we had to leave the shelter of the trenches. It is indeed, terrible, the first step you take - right in the face of the most deadly fire, and to realise that any moment you may be shot down; but if you are not hit, then you seem to gather courage. And when you see on either side of you, men like yourself, it inspires you with a determination to press forward. Away we went over the parapet with fixed bayonets - one line of us like the wind. But it was absolute murder for men fall like corn before the sickle. I had not gone more than 20 yards beyond our first trench, about 60 yards in all when I was shot through the left leg about 5 inches above the knee. At once I realised what had happened, for it seemed as enough someone had taken a red-hot gimlet and suddenly thrust it right through my leg. I dropped immediately and could not go any further. Then began one of the most awful and trying walks I have ever had to face in my life. Just think of it! Five miles to face, in full marching order, with my rifle and all my equipment ... all the way from the firing line down to the base; however I did it, I do not know, for my rifle weighed nine pounds five ounces. I walked, I crawled; I dragged myself along as best I could, resting every few minutes; and I never knew there were so many Field Telephone Wires before, for I was continually stumbling over them. But somehow or other I kept pressing on; and the fact that I was going further and further away from the Firing line, each step I took, gave me courage to plod on - nay, it was nothing less than an inspiration."
SOURCE: IWM DOCS, R. Sheldon memoir, pp46-48 & 63
SOURCES: IWM DOCS, Captain R. M. E. Reeves, diary, entry 4/6/1915
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