Sentry Duty and Mining at Gallipoli

The excited chit chat ceased. Nervous anticipation pervaded the small boats.

They were still proud to be doing something for their country!

The 1^st Light Horse Brigade landed at Anzac Cove at 10pm on the cold Spring evening of 12 May 1915, under heavy fire from the Turks. They had arrived at war without their beloved horses! They were heading into trench warfare, a completely different type of fighting than they had trained for! What a shock it must have been to be so suddenly confronted with the horrific scenes on that narrow sandy beach at Gallipoli.

The troops were deployed on fatigue duties, building defences, building a new road in Monash Valley to circumvent snipers, and digging communication trenches on Pope’s Hill and Quinn’s Post.

After a particularly vicious skirmish between the Anzac forces and the Turks in the middle of May, there was an agreed armistice on 24^th May when both sides were able to bury their dead in relative peace. It had been noted that during this time, the Turkish were able to gather information and intelligence on the positions of the Allied troops which ended with an attack on an Allied stronghold known as Quinn’s. In the lead up to this, Allied sentries were stationed along The Bloody Angle and The Nek and were able to observe the Turkish army digging new trenches towards the Allies.

It was customary that sentry duty was carried out during the day by a sniper (or a sniper and his observer) and during the night by two snipers. However, Sgt McArthur patrolled alone three times The Bloody Angle, and recovered many rifles (both Turkish and Anzac), ammunition and equipment. He was commended for an Award of Honours for his bravery on sentry duty and also for acquiring valuable information regarding the enemy’s digging operations between 20^th and 30^th May.  It must be remembered that George had listed his occupation as a miner from Adelaide, S.A. upon enlistment!

Commendation Quote:
In December 1915, Lt Col D. Fulton, C.O. 3^rd L.H. Regt, sent a commendation for Award of Honours to Headquarters. It read:

“No. 601 Sergt McArthur, George Kirby – This N.C.O. is recommended in his work in patrolling, alone, three times the BLOODY ANGLE and recovering many rifles both Turkish and S.M.L.E., ammunition, & equipment. Also acquiring valuable information regarding enemy’s digging operations between the dates of 20^th and 30^th May 1915.”

During the latter half of May, many of the troops in the Quinn’s area were miners from W.A. and S.A. and they were of the opinion that it would be easy for the Turks to undermine Quinn’s by tunnelling. There had already been several reports in early May by the miners that the Turks were tunnelling as they could hear familiar sounds but these reports were ignored by the Allied officers in charge. When it was confirmed that the Turks were mining towards the Allied trenches, the miners advised that they were only a few feet below the trenches. They then organised a countermine (explosive charge) that would be put into a listening hole, secured above ground by sandbags and then exploded. This was intended to collapse the collapse the enemy tunnel. This was successful. Miners were then organised from both the 4^th Infantry and the 1^st L.H. Brigade and were set to dig countermines to try to stop the Turks. They were again successful in destroying several enemy tunnels but the Turk had such a head start that finally, on 28^th May, Quinn’s was blown up and taken by the enemy.

The 1^st L.H. Brigade had only been in the trenches of Gallipoli for a few weeks and all around the smell of death pervaded everything. It was bitterly cold at night and mud clung to everything. However, the troops carried on.

Soon after this assault on Quinn’s, the 1^st L.H. Brigade were out of the trenches into General Reserve behind Section Headquarters in order to man the inner defences in case of alarm. Sgt. McArthur appeared to have stayed out of trouble as there is no record of him being sick or wounded. (Source: War Diaries of the 3^rd Australian Light Horse Regiment)

100th ANZAC Dawn Service

25th April 2016 marks the 100^th Anniversary of the ANZAC Dawn Service which remembers all the Australian and New Zealand service men and women who have fought for their country on foreign shores.

Today, we personally remember George Kirby “Dar” McArthur – father, grandfather and great grandfather. We remember and respect what he gave for his country and for his own personal legacy. Three generations of descendants still honour his life. Here is a very brief outline of his war service and his life. There are many other stories to be told but, for now, his war record is….

·    George claimed he was 19 years old when he enlisted for the Boer War on 27^th February 1901 although he was actually 21! His Regimental Number was 2136. He enlisted with the Imperial 3^rd Regiment N.S.W Mounted Rifles, B Squadron, who embarked at Sydney on the “Maplemore” on 15^th March 1901 and fought in the Eastern Transvaal and in eastern Orange Free State. The Regiment embarked at Cape Town for Australia on 4^th May 1902.

·    By 1914, George was in South Australia and when the call went out for men to enlist (WWI had started in Europe), he again signed up with the Australian Military Forces, Australian Imperial Force at Morphetville on 15^th September. His Regimental Number was 601 and he was assigned to the 1^st Reinforcements, 3^rd Light Horse Regiment.

·    On 1^st November 1914, a Convoy of 26 Australia and 10 N.Z transports left Albany W.A. bound for Egypt for training. On the evening of 12^th May 1915, the 3^rd Light Horse arrived at Anzac Cove, Gallipoli – 2.5 weeks after the initial dawn landing. They served in the trenches until the Allies bunked out of Gallipoli on 20^th December 1915.

·    George then joined the 4^th Division Artillery and served on the Western Front from June 1916 until the end of the War. He arrived back in Australia on 23^rd May 1918 and was discharged on 22^nd January 1919 after 4 years 130 days service.

BUT, George was not yet finished ‘serving’ his country!

·    A call went out in September 1919 for servicemen to take POW’s back to the U.K. and bring injured soldiers back home. George saw this as his opportunity to get back to the U.K. to see “his girl”! So, he promptly re-enlisted (Regimental Number 86413) and on arrival in London on 12^th December 1919, he requested leave. He made his way to Bath where Beatrice “Birdie” Butt lived with her family at 14 Vernon Terrace, Bath. George had met Birdie at some point during the War and they married at Oldfield Park, West Bath, on 6^th January 1920. George and Beatrice travelled back to Australia in the April of 1920 and George was discharged on 2^nd July 1920.

·    George’s final Regimental Number was N97102. He was asked to join again for WWII to help train the troops but he told them he was too old. He didn’t actually re-enlist but he was given his fourth Regimental number!

George and Birdie settled in Kissing Point Road, Dundas on 25 acres of farmland which they purchased for 200 pounds. They grew seasonal fruit and vegetables and soon had a complete family with the arrival of Monica, Joan and Bon.

It is unfortunate that George and Birdie only had 10 years together before Birdie succumbed to Tuberculosis. But their legacy lives on through 3 living generations of descendants.

Today, we honour and celebrate Dar’s service to his country.

LEST WE FORGET