Daily Notes: Wednesday

“We moved up to a fresh position nearer the firing line at dawn. Canterbury men who had been fighting with the Australians since the landing are still coming and rejoining their units. Shortly after 10 a.m. the Turks attempted to retake our position left of Walker’s Ridge. They made a fierce attack on our front line, but we pushed up reinforcements and repulsed them, with heavy losses. Our machine guns did terrible slaughter.”

[Chamberlain p11]

Germany declares war on Russia

“The Imperial German Government have used every effort since the beginning of the crisis to bring about a peaceful settlement.  In compliance with a wish expressed to him by His Majesty the Emperor of Russia, the German Emperor had undertaken, in concert with Great Britain, the part of mediator between the Cabinets of Vienna and St. Petersburg; but Russia, without waiting for any result, proceeded to a general mobilisation of her forces both on land and sea.  …

Britain at war – Public announcement

Britain is at war. The last elements of uncertainty were dispelled by yesterday's cablegram from the Secretary of State for the Colonies, and by the momentous public announcement which was made by His Excellency the Governor (Lord Liverpool), outside Parliament House at 3 o'clock in the afternoon to an assemblage visibly moved by the gravity of the occasion. News from the theatres of war is meagre, but the indications given of the movements of the fleets and armies of the combatant nations is significant of momentous events. [Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2221, 6 August 1914, Page 5]

Gallipoli

New Zealand Troops were not to return to Gallipoli until December, 1918.

* The exact figure will probably never be known. Recent research by Richard Stowers suggests total casualties were 2779, 58 more than the previously, widely accepted figure of 2721 (Christopher Pugsley).

References: Pugsley, C. Gallipoli – The New Zealand Story, Auckland, 1998

Daily Notes: Thursday

"A number of men of the 13th Company were sent along the beach to bury some dead men who were lying in the vicinity of the boats previously referred to. They were fired on by snipers. Two were killed and four wounded, and they did not succeed in burying all the dead. I heard today our losses since April 25 have been about fifty per cent.

Today I had my first wash for three days. It consisted of a rub round my face with a wet shaving brush.”  [Chamberlain p11]